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Monthly Archives: November 2012
Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot
Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot
Trying something new with Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot. Drinking it in a wine glass. Apparently, it’s great to serve Barleywines. Even Weyerbacher recommend it for Blithering Idiot. Let’s find out.
Pours a cloudy copper. Aroma is extremely inviting with rich malt, rum raisins, and toffee. Tons going on here. Brown sugar, banana, raisins, toffee, even a hint of bubble gum. Plenty of the requisite malt, too. Amazingly, the alcohol only shows up warmth and dryness in the finish. And at a giant 11.1% ABV, that is quite a task! I see where the name came from. It is dangerously smooth, complex, and tasty. Deceptively potent. Not sure the wine glass added anything.
Grade: A
The Brew Kettle Winter Warmer
The Brew Kettle Winter Warmer
Surprising as it might be, some of the best Winter Warmers you’ll find are from Northeast Ohio with Great Lakes Christmas Ale and Thirsty Dog 12 Dogs of Christmas. How does The Brew Kettle Winter Warmer stack up?
Color is on the darker side of amber. Aroma is more citrus and less spice than I anticipated. The taste leans on the citrus side, too. Lots of orange and even some lemon peel. Spices are noticeable in the background with cinnamon and fresh ginger. In this, the warmth comes not from the spices, but from the 8% ABV. The booze in this one will sneak up on you!
Haven’t had a Winter Warmer quite like this. Definitely citrus dominant rather than spice dominant, but it’s rather tasty.
Grade: B
Atwater Brewery Vanilla Java Porter
Atwater Vanilla Java Porter
This is the first beer I’ve had from Atwater Brewery. To be perfectly honest, I hadn’t even heard of this Detroit brewery until I picked up Vanilla Java Porter.
I have high hopes simply from the title. If executed well, this could be an outstanding beer. Color is as expected for a porter. Head might be a little on the thin side. The aroma is full of chocolate, which was a little surprising given the title. Quite tasty. Chocolate dominates the flavor, as well, but the vanilla and coffee are definitely there. The body is on the light side and the carbonation is surprisingly high.
I like it, and will very likely get it again, but I would like to see better balance. Less chocolate (can’t believe I’m saying that), more vanilla and coffee.
Grade: B
Weihenstephaner Vitus
Weihenstephaner Vitus
Lots of hype comes with Weihenstephaner Vitus, even named the Best Beer in the World in 2011.
A huge, fluffy white head floats atop a hazy gold body. Wheat, pepper, and sour citrus in the aroma. Banana is the first flavor that comes through. Although it is a bit on the side of imitation banana candy flavor rather than real banana. After that, black pepper, wheat malt, finishing with bitter orange and coriander. The spices become more pronounced as it warms. Bit of heat from the 7.7% ABV.
This is definitely a beer to enjoy. Loads of flavor, great balance, excellent drinkability. I wouldn’t call this the best beer in the world, though. I’d even choose another offering from Weihenstephaner, Korbinian, before I would Vitus. But it’s a wonderful beer.
Grade: A
Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale
Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin
Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale boasts to be the biggest, baddest, brashest Pumpkin Ale there is. Only one way to find out.
Pours a cloudy deep orange. The aroma promises a spicy treat. Definitely brings the spice! Cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg are the more noticeable. The touch of cardamom is rather interesting. If you try to find some pumpkin flavors, they are there, but the spices dominate. Thankfully, Weyerbacher has done an excellent job of balancing the spices among each other. The caramel malt and pumpkin eventually linger in the finish. The 8% ABV shows itself with a very pleasant warmth.
Big fan. Easily in my 5 best pumpkin beers. Grade: A
B. Nektar Meadery Evil Genius
To be honest, I have no idea what I am getting myself into with B. Nektar Meadery Evil Genius. It’s a hybrid mead-IPA.
Hardly any color. Just a hint of yellow distinguishes it from water. Although, because of how clear it is, it’s fun to watch the bubbles constantly float to the top of the glass. Aroma is very inviting with a mix of sweet honey and citrus hops.
Flavor is very unique. Loads of sweetness from honey and grapes, counteracted by a hit of hops. Interesting finish, as well. Lick your lips and get a hint of sweetness, but the bitterness and dryness from the hops lingers.
Quite tasty. Bonus points for creativity, cleverness, and the label.
Grade: B
Great Lakes Announces 2013 Seasonals
November 2, 2012—CLEVELAND, OHIO—Great Lakes Brewing Company (GLBC) will add two new members to their exceptional family of beers in 2013. Alchemy Hour Double IPA and Rye of the Tiger IPA will satisfy hopheads and adventurous craft beer enthusiasts with bold but balanced flavor profiles.
Alchemy Hour Double IPA:
Style: Double India Pale Ale
First Available: February
Packaging: 4-Pack, Draft
ABV: 9.4% ABW: 7.5% IBU: 80
Flavor: Hop-forward with a balanced blend of Mosaic and Nugget hops.
Name Origin: On the West Coast, surfers have a term for that perfect time of day, when the waves are breaking just right and it feels like you can ride forever. They call it Alchemy Hour. Alchemy Hour Double IPA pays tribute to the North Coast’s unlikely surf bums and the ancient quest for liquid gold, wherever it may live: on the ocean, in a lake, in a bottle.
Rye of the Tiger IPA:
Style: India Pale Ale
First Available: April
Packaging: 6-Pack, 12-Pack, Draft
ABV: 7.5% ABW: 6.0% IBU: 92
Flavor: Strong citrus and pine presence with a clean, dry finish.
Name Origin: Named for its fierce hop profile and sharp rye content, Rye of the Tiger is a thrilling India Pale Ale with bite. If you can handle this hopped-up cat, you’ve earned your stripes.
Great Lakes Brewing Company’s 2013 Seasonal Program:
January—Conway’s Irish Ale
February—Alchemy Hour Double IPA
April—Rye of the Tiger IPA
May—Lake Erie Monster Imperial IPA
June—The Wright Pils
July—Oktoberfest
August—Nosferatu Imperial Red Ale
November—Christmas Ale
November—Blackout Stout
I am very interested in the Rye of the Tiger. Christmas Ale is a yearly treat. And I still haven’t found an Oktoberfest that’s better.
Cheers!