TLDR Beer Club

[MrWookie]

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I've only had 3 of the beers on the list. All the rest, I'm not even familiar w/ the breweries. I don't think they've ever been reviewed in here. Generally, I wasn't a big fan of Avery's brews, but the Maharaja was one of their better ones. I [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] the Two Hearted ale, although the Oberon didn't live up to the standard IMHO, but it's mostly just the style. I don't go for American wheat beers, although I love the German ones.

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I think I'm going to run a blind taste test between Avery's Maharaja, Bell's Two Hearted, Bear Republic's Racer 5, and the IPA I am currently brewing. Unfortunately that means I have to wait 3.5 weeks to dig into the IPA's I bought. Not sure if I can make it.

Check out these other breweries if you get a chance. I can't speak for Ale Asylum yet.

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Isn't the Maharaja technically an imperial/double IPA? That's not exactly an apples-to-apples comparison with the others, which are all single IPAs.

[Badger]

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Isn't the Maharaja technically an imperial/double IPA? That's not exactly an apples-to-apples comparison with the others, which are all single IPAs.

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Yeah, it should be easy to pick out. However, my IPA is on the border of an imperial (was supposed to be imperial, but will fall short). The Racer 5 also is a very hoppy IPA and measures 7.0% ABV. Looks like Two Hearted comes in at 7% as well. Either way - it is sure to be a success.

[MrWookie]

I was back at BotW to pick up a bottle of beer as a gift for a friend (Southampton Grand Cru), and I checked to see if they had the Stone XI in stock. I was in luck! I bought a bottle based on KC's recommendation. It ran me just under $9 for a 22 oz, which is about as much as the Ruination and the Vertical Epic, but a fair bit more than, say, Arrogant Bastard, which is in the $6-$7 range IIRC. As he indicated, this beer is 8.7% ABV.



This beer pours a very dark brown with a thick tan brown head. It as much more head than the average porter, it's more persistent, and it laces my glass nicely as I drink it.



Taking a whiff, I smell the mix of hops that Stone does so well. They've largely perfected the art of citrusy, grapefruit hops, and this beer is no exception. There's some of the flowery smell in there, too, that I like. The hops are the first thing I notice in the flavor, too. The hops are flavorful without being overpoweringly bitter. Unlike KC, though, I'm not noticing as much of the dark malt. I really have to let this beer sit on my tongue for a bit before swallowing before I could tell you that this was something other than an imperial IPA. I'm not getting the typical porter coffee flavor as much, either, and I kind of miss it. The finish is all hops. I like this beer, but I'm not going to be as enthusiastic in my rating. I'll give it [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img][img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img][img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img][img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]. For about the same price, I could get a four-pack of Flying Dog's Gonzo Imperial Porter, more than double the amount of a beer I like slightly better than this. This has a better hop profile, but the Gonzo has more of the porter malt that I enjoy.

[MrWookie]

Alright, I had another beer I decided to give another look was Unibroue's Don De Dieu. I've actually already given this beer a 3 heart rating, but RDH was so enthusiastic about it, and giving a review describing things about it I didn't notice. I figured I'd give it another go. I'm not going to do pics again.

When I took the first sip of this beer for the second time, it was pretty clear I'd sold it short in my first review. I think that I'd been so impressed with the La Fin Du Monde from the same brewery that I was overly hard on anything less. My original impression was that it was just a weaker version of the LFDM, but it's its own beer. Now, the first thing I tasted I couldn't even place. It wasn't something I've ever tasted in beer before, at least not that distinctly. It's pineapple. This beer isn't as spicy or yeasty as the LFDM, but the pineapple is growing on me. I don't so much get the Sauvignon Blanc character that RDH described. This beer is too sweet and fruity for me to want to make that comparison. Still, I'm going to revise my rating of this beer to [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img][img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img][img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img][img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].

[kutuz_off]

I'm surprised there are no reviews of St Bernardus triple and St Bernardus witbeer. Both are excellent examples of their respective kinds. Highly recommended.

[MrWookie]

Better than other tripels and wits that have been reviewed?

[kutuz_off]

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Better than other tripels and wits that have been reviewed?

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Their witbeer is my favorite wit. Better than Allagash and Hoegaarden for sure. However, your review of Southampton Double White sounds pretty good. I should try that.

The tripel is just a very good solid tripel offering that everyone might enjoy. It has great smell, in particular. I'd say it's on par with La Fin Du Monde.

[MrWookie]

Well, Allagash is a tough act to beat. I'll look it up.

[kidcolin]

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It ran me just under $9 for a 22 oz,

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Brutal.. it runs me $4.50.

Also, after 2 or 3 more bottles, I'm somewhat in agreement with your review. The maltiness wasn't as intense on subsequent tastings as it was in the first. The roasted coffee flavor is still present, but again, not as intense. Maybe I just picked up on it and got too excited the first time? Not sure.

Anyway, let's talk about pumpkin ales. I love 'em, but I don't know jack about 'em. This season I've tried Buffalo Bill's and Shipyard's offering. I like Shipyard's more.

[MrWookie]

The best I've had is the one from Post Road, which is actually being put out by the Brooklyn brewery. I doubt you can get it out your way, unfortunately. I haven't heard of your two.