Dogfish Head Shelter Pale Ale

Bought a 6pack of this at Whole Foods in Greenwich, CT last Thursday. Quite a surprisingly decent selection despit the baller prices. Here we go for the review:

Appearance: Golden yellow brown that reminded me of autumn. Barely any head (1/4 finger) but it may be due to the wide open glass I poured it into Carbonation does not go away however.

Smell: Refreshing barley scent with a malt dominance over the hops

Mouthfeel: Carbonation kicks it up a gear and is just mellow and relaxing as I whine down after a long day at the office.

Taste: The ingredients to this pale are very well balanced and seem extremely fresh. I noticed a slight hop aftertaste, which as you know my palette just loves.

Drinkability: Great beer that stands out for its freshness I felt. Would definitely drink it again in the summer when you just want to chill and not get too drunk

Bell's Best Brown Ale

All Hail Michael Harkness once more, for he was most generous in providing me with another beer to sample: Bell's Best Brown Ale. I'm enjoying this one tonight with a fine bowl of Beef and Barley soup. Ya see, as a recent college graduate living on my own, much of my food & beer pairings consist of what Chefs Campbell and Progresso have made available to me.

Appearance: Umm, brown? Hazy and hard to see through. Perfect match to my soup, which is also quite brown (I promise this will be a review of the beer, not the soup). The beer poured a nice 2 or 3 finger head which settled to a thin covering that remained until the end. Pretty serious lacing as well.

Smell: Roasted malts are prevalent here, with a little hop bitterness at the edges.

Taste: The taste was the same deal. Very smooth malt flavor, with a nice bitter hop kick that sticks to the back of your throat.

Mouthfeel: Moderately carbonated, felt a little smoother and thicker than the Brian Boru from yesterday.


Drinkability: This was very drinkable. Smooth and toasty, felt light enough to have a few in a row. We're back above the ABV "midpoint" again at 6.6% We're under the "midpoint" at 5.8% so enjoy this on a nice fall day or any time you've got some Progresso Beef Barley soup.

--Edit: Fixed the ABV

Three Floyds Brian Boru Old Irish Red Ale

I was donated this beer by the venerable Michael Harkness. All Hail Michael Harkness!

Appearance: RED. I'm a sucker for the deep dark apple-red hue of a good red ale, and this is as good as I've seen. Can't wait to try it. Not much head to it, but damn thats some fine colorin'. Also, as presented in a 22 oz. bomber bottle, it had about the coolest label/cap I've seen in a while. I wish FFF stuff was available where I live so I could collect 'em all!

Smell & Taste: I drank this yesterday, so my memories of it are beginning to fade. I'm gonna do taste and smell together. Whatevah, its my blog. There's a nice little hop spark to this, and its not very heavy to drink. Its interesting. Not as full and hearty as the Red Rocket Ale I reviewed earlier, but I liked it. As Jimmy put it, it's refreshing.

Mouthfeel: Moderate carbonation added to the refreshing character of this beer. Crisp. Goes down easy.

Drinkability: I'd say this beer's very drinkable, as a red ale should be. "Only" 5.9% so its not gonna kick you in the face too quickly (could this be the first "Less than 6% ABV" beer reviewed? Oh my, we need new livers).

Overall I recommend it if you can get it. I can't wait to try some more Three Floyd's beverages.

--Edit: This is apparently not the first "less than 6% ABV" beer reviewed, just the first one I've reviewed. Guess I'll still be needin' that liver then.

Stone Imperial Russian Stout

Appearance: Dark and thick, about a finger of head present, you can't see through it if you wanted to. As dark as it is, I am still drawn to it and am looking forward to drinking it.

Smell: Chocolate and roasted malts are in the forefront of its smell, but not too overpowering, as there is still the slight presence of floral and pine hops. Great balance.

Taste: I was expecting a really strong thick taste without subtlety, but I was wrong. The chocolatey, roasted, toasty malts greet your mouth as pleasantly as possible and follows through all the way to the back of the pallet. Hops aren't as present, but that's expected in a stout, making it perfect for this style.

Mouthfeel: Very little carbonation, alive while on your tongue. This beer allows the different parts of your mouth have unique experiences as various regions tingle from the bite of a stout while others enjoy its great flavor.

Drinkability: Like most stouts, you can't really drink it all night. However, once you make your way towards the end of your night, you might have to indulge in multiple glasses. Be careful, the 10.8% abv will sneak up on you without you noticing if you have one too many. Definitely would buy/drink again in a heartbeat.

Serving type: Bottle
Glass type: Duvel Snifter

Duvel Belgian Golden Ale

Appearance: Has a great golden yellow color (the picture flash distorts the actual look, trust me that it's more yellow) that's slightly cloudy but extremely inviting. Tons of carbonation with what can be described as a fluffy head. Served from bottle into the traditional Duvel glass produces almost FOUR fingers of head (!!!) Even after letting it settle for a few minutes, the beer continues to release carbonation from the bottom towards the head.

Smell: Like the appearance, very inviting and extremely tempting to drink. Citrus hops are the first thing that hits your nose, with maybe a touch of floral hops as well. The malts are pretty well hidden in the smell, so maybe they will become more prevalent in the taste.

Taste: WOW. Talk about a range of tastes in just one sip. Like I wondered, the slightly sweet oatmeal malts present themselves in the taste, leaving the hops for the aftertaste. Great blend of all the ingredients, giving each one its highlight during the sip.

Mouthfeel: Despite the massive amounts of head, the Golden Ale is not overly carbonated. Nothing overpowering about the beer while its making its way across your pallet. Very smooth and light, but not watery. Perfect for a Belgian ale.

Drinkability: You better believe that I highly recommend this brew. It's on the pricey side as I paid $13 for a 4-pack, but consider it money well spent. At 8.5% abv, the alcohol you think you would taste is hidden nicely. A warning that since you don't taste that extra kick, don't drink too many, or you will hit the floor. Can't wait to taste others from the Duvel Moortgat Brewery.

Serving type: Bottle
Glass type: Duvel Snifter

Happy Birthday Alex!!!

I came home today and told myself that I need to drink a beer in honor of Mr. V. After I had one beer, I felt like another and a lot more. Once beer hits my lips, I feel like drinking NONSTOP! Is it just me, or do you guys feel the same way, regardless of beer, wine, liquor, etc. I hope that doesn't mean I am alcoholic.

Anyways, cheers V and sorry for not rating these beers. It is a lot of work to rate beers. I don't' know how the judges go about doing so at the GABF when they rate 100+ different brews.

Wishing we all had a place together...

North Coast Brewing Co. Old Rasputin

Appearance: Deep Dark Brown beer, light brown head that stuck around.

Smell: Toasty and malty, as stout-ey as it gets.

Taste: Big roasted malt, coffee-like flavor. Similar aftertaste to Storm King. It hits your tongue a little different than Storm King does though. Hard to describe the difference, but its like totally there. You still reading this review?

Mouthfeel: Good balance. Nice carbonation, but still smooth and thick, yet it doesn't approach the motor-oil feel of some brews.

Drinkability: Overall this is a delicious concoction. Great for warming you up in the winter. If you like stouts, do yourself a favor.