This post is going to be all over the place seeing as I wrote this at several different times. First, I hope everyone had a great time with their families or whatnot over the holidays. Secondly, this post is going to be very brief, which is to be expected. Uh, I think that's it. Thirdly, I'd like to quickly declare my undying love for Founders' Red's Rye... it's amazing. If you have a chance to pick up a six and like a relatively hoppy brew that's creamy... you MUST pick some up. Without further ado...
Beer For the Holidays
So I just got back from my neighborhood friendly beer store (which happens to be outstanding,) and this is what I ended up with: 3x4 Pack Founders Breakfast Stout, 6 Pack Founders Red's Rye IPA, 1.94 St. Bernardus ABT 12, and a Southern Tier Backburner Barleywine for me and 4 Pack Dogfish Head 90, 1.94 La Chouffle Houblon IPA Trippel, 1.94 Piraat IPA Trippel for my dad. As you no doubt notice, he has a thing for hoppy beers. It's good to have appropriate glassware again for my beers, as my parents are well stocked with glasses and accessories! (Also, there's a 4 pack of Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial porter in the fridge)
Reviews
I'm always very willing to praise Dogfish Head. Despite their being one of the biggest of the "smaller craft breweries," they also take a lot of brewing risks. Last week, I watched an episode of "How Stuff Works" that dealt with the topic of beer. They interviewed Dogfish Head brewmaster and CEO Sam Calagione several times and followed him and several other employees and the message coming through was that they were proud of their risk taking. I don't mean to blatantly plagiarize, but hey, it makes my job easier. Seriously though, I think really think they're great at the fruity, crazier beers, and am excited whenever they announce one of their projects. Anyways, the brew I'm talking about today is their Midas Touch, a doozy of a 9% ABV little spicy/wine-y/experiment of a beer. It pours a deep amber which, when held up to the light, even may appear a bit purple (while retaining clarity) with about a finger of fine off-white head. Smell is grapes, raisins, lots of tart fruit complexity. Second wiff smells a bit like ethiopian honey wine... probably the grapes. First taste is very boozy, very complex, and very fruity. Second sip is, much like the second sniff, straight honey wine. I really think those who have tried ethiopian honey wine or even mead will enjoy this beer. It's not overly sweet (although my girlfriend maintains it is quite sweet,) but has a lot of initial character. Aftertaste is almost like one you'd expect from a sweet wine. All in all, I'd say an OK beer, but perhaps I'd prefer a good mead or honey wine to this beer.
My rating: 6/10
Poured: Tulip
BeerAdvocate: Link
Following on the Dogfish Head path, let's talk about one of their extreme beers. Extreme, high gravity, high octane... they are all terms that the industry/beer geeks use to describe beers with high ABVs. Dogfish Head's World Wide Stout is definitely one of these. Clocking in at 18% ABV, drinking a whole bottle of this is almost the equivalent of four smaller beers. I've only had the opportunity to try a small batch of these extreme beers (Sam Adams Triple Bock, Dogfish Head Raison D'Extra, Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA,) so perhaps I don't understand what they're all about. As near as I can tell, these extreme beers are meant to be enjoyed in much the came way as a fine cognac; in a snifter at a relatively warmer temperature little bit by little bit. Unfortunately, having broken my snifter recently, the only snifter type glass I have is my Chimay chalice set, so I had to use one of those. This beer poured a dark brown with a small brown head that dissipated quickly. I was impressed how relatively transparent this brew was for being so heavy - the Sam Adams Triple Bock, for example, my girlfriend and I termed "liquid shadows" due to its consistency and the fact that it actually absorbed light. Returning to the DFH WWS, it swirled nicely in the glass, leaving a signature much like something of a cognac or a liqueur. Smell is very boozy; I was distraught just smelling it because you really can't smell much else. On second thought, it smells a lot like soy sauce. Only slightly roast malts buried underneath an ocean of alcohol. In the mouth, however, it's really quite pleasant. Very roasty, and the booze imparts the flavor of dark fruits, much like the other Dogfish Head extreme offerings. The aftertaste burns a little, much like taking a shot or a swig of a poorly mixed cocktail, although the roasty signature left on your tongue. This beer is pretty good, although, at the price I paid for it (over 10 for a 12oz bottle,) I'd have to say that this beer isn't worth the price. Perhaps for some people, as this beer has been very well received in the beer community, but the alcohol content, to me, just comes off as a bit gimmicky. For the money, I'd rather be drinking something a little more flavorful on its own, not as a component of the alcohol.
My rating: 7.5/10
Poured: Chimay chalice
BeerAdvocate: Link
As per usual, I've been searching the BeerAdvocate forums for the newest and best beer. One recommendation I stumbled upon Sierra Nevada's Celebration Ale. As a member of the IPA family, I wouldn't have normally purchased such a beer without good reviews. I'm not a huge IPA fan, but can appreciate a good IPA. Anyways, this brew poured a hazy amber with a huge formidable head. I'm talking four fingers of pure hops. When left to sit for a few minutes, this monster died down a bit. Smell was straight hops son, right from beginning to end. Like most good IPAs that I've sampled, it's hoppy, but doesn't sting the tongue, which is nice. In fact, this beer is very pleasant! It counters the hoppiness with some great creamy malts. It rolls down the throat leaving a relatively strong hop signature on the tongue, again, without being overwhelming. I think I'm definitely biased towards a well-crafted DIPA such as Red's Rye, but this is a great IPA that I would say definitely has its place on my regular beer list - especially considering how affordable it is! All in all, I definitely wish I had another one of these, as I would crack it open right now!
My rating: 8.5/10
Poured: Imperial Pint/Session Glass
BeerAdvocate: Link
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