Monster Mash

Another beer from Brian Boak and BOAKS Beer.  If you have read earlier posts, you will know that I’ve had the opportunity to hang out with Brian and talk beer.  Subsequently, I’ve had the chance to run into Brian at a few different beer events and gotten to chat about beer.  One of the first beers we talked about was Monster Mash.

Monster Mash is a Russian Imperial stout, so it pours black.  There wasn’t a whole lot of head, but it had a fair amount of tan creamy head and dissipated almost completely.  At 10% ABV, this will definitely be a beer you sit and hang out with for a while.

The aroma had a good maltyness to it, accompanied with some dark chocolate aroma.  There was a little bit of alcohol in the nose, but surprisingly not as much as you would expect for double digit ABV.

The taste is strong chocolate upfront  along with a little coffee roastyness to it.  There was some dark chocolate dryness in the finish with  a good amount of bitterness.  It is a pretty easy drink with all the bold flavors going on and the alcohol is hidden well.

Verdict: Fill It!  My introduction to BOAKS was a few years ago at the Great International Beerfest in Secaucus, NJ and that first beer was Monster Mash.  It turns out, a lot of people are introduced to BOAKS by Monster Mash and that’s a good first impression.  Brian Boak recently unveiled some aged Monster Mash at an anniversary party, which must have been a real treat for the folks that got to try some.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it, so it looks like I’ll have to age some myself.  We’ll see if the bottles make it that long.

Support you local brewers!

 

Fort

Fort was one of those Dogfish beers, I kept hearing about and had to try.  As far as I could tell, this is not a regular release, so finding one would not be easy.  Luckily, I found one lonely bottle on the shelf of a bottle shop and I couldn’t pass it up.  Deciding to open this beer meant I had to clear my schedule.

The beer poured a nice red color with fluffy white head  and tons of carbonation.  This beer had one of those infamous green bottle caps which meant it was one of DFH’s high ABV beers.  It weighed in at 18%, so I was not going to get much done after the first sip.

Upfront was all raspberry sweetness followed by straight booze. At such a high ABV, I would imagine it was hard to avoid the alcohol smell.  It tasted a little syrupy, which made it tough to enjoy.  The tartness from the raspberries made the sweetness a little easier to tolerate.  However, there was no escaping the taste of booze.  At least there was always that alcohol warmth in the finish to keep me company.

Verdict: Spill It.  DFH is my favorite brewery, but I could not enjoy this beer.  As always, I appreciate the attempt of trying to push this beer to its limit, but this did not work.  The heavy booze and the sweetness left me feeling like I was drinking cough syrup.  Fort would benefit from aging to calm the booze and sweetness down a bit.  I would not recommend trying this straight out of the bottle unless you like syrupy and sweet.  I would buy this again just for the sake of aging because I’m curious if it would get any better with age.  The DFH website doesn’t show this as a release this year, but it is still early.  Hopefully I can get my hands on another bottle and do a re-visit in a few years.

Especially Snarky Bull (ESB)

It’s been a little while since my last post, but those holidays really threw me off my rhythm.  The first post of 2013 will be on Bolero Snort.  I  read that Bolero Snort is working on finalizing some launch events (hopefully) this week.  Like other NJ beer nerds, I’m excited to finally be able to find Bolero Snort beers for sale.  So, I thought why not do a post on Bolero Snort?

Especially Snarky Bull (ESB) is a cask-style ESB.  To be honest, this was my first ESB beer.  The style never interested me enough to try.  The title “extra strong/special bitter” just really didn’t appeal to me.  However, like last time, I had to trust that Bob wouldn’t steer me wrong.

The beer poured a good amber color and had tons of sudsy, white head.  The carbonation was really active and there was  nice lacing and retention.  The ABV was 5.1%, so it was a sessionable beer.

The  aroma had a subtle, piney hoppyness.  The aroma also had a solid malt backbone, but it was not overly aromatic.  The taste had a sharp bitterness upfront that smoothed out in the finish.  I was afraid there would be some extra bitterness or something overpowering, but not at all.  The hops were balanced out  with a little bit of malt sweetness in the finish.

Verdict: Fill It!  Bolero Snort strikes again.  I really liked this beer and wish I had a 6er of it because it’s a great all-purpose beer.  I don’t drink ESBs regularly, so I don’t know how it stacks up against other ESBs.  I don’t know if it is a great representation of the style, all I know is I liked it and that’s all that counts.  Hopefully, the folks reading this post will be able to support Bolero Snort at the their upcoming events and going forward.  Congratulations to Bob and Andrew on the upcoming launch and here’s to good beer.  Support your local brewers!

Three Sixty Five (365)

To commemorate their first year Kane Brewing created 365.  Kane Brewing is  a New Jersey brewery, so I’m always excited to see what our Jersey brewers can do.  I’m a fan of the beers Kane has put out so when I heard they were doing a limited release I had to find it.  I read about it online and had to have it.  This beer is 70% quad and 30% imperial stout, which are awesome beers to combine.

The beer poured a really dark brown color, so I could definitely tell it was part stout.  It obviously wasn’t as thick as a stout, but still had some reddish hues from the quad.  It had some really big. fluffy tan head that dissipated slowly and left nice lacing on the glass.  This beer is really big on ABV at 11.2%, so definitely a sipper.

The aroma was quite complex.  It had the dark, roasty notes from the imperial stout.  It also had some subtle sweetness from the chocolate malts.  Some of the sweetness also probably came from the aging in bourbon barrels.  There was also some prominent dark fruit sweetness that complimented the chocolate in the nose.  The aroma was cool because you got the best of both types of beers in one glass.

The taste was equally complex.  I thought it would be a lot heavier with the imperial stout, but it wasn’t.  It had the stout chocolate notes upfront complimented by the quad dark fruits.  The alcohol was pretty prominent, but there was no getting away from it.  The alcohol was a reminder that this was a serious beer.  The body of the beer was nice because it had a slight viscous body, but still light enough to not be really filling.

Verdict: Fill It!  Did you think the verdict on this beer would be anything else?  This beer had everything I love about beer.  It was complex, satisfying, and memorable.  The creativity of mixing the two styles of beer, in such a nice ratio is a credit to Kane and the good work they do.  I had to buy a bottle just for aging because after drinking it, I’m really curious of how this bad boy will age.  I’m a big fan of Kane and the beer they are putting out.  I can’t wait until they do some other craziness with beer or at least until I try another one of their beers.  Support your local brewers!

Duvel Rustica

On a random beer run, I came across Duvel Rustica from Ommegang.  I hadn’t heard anything about it, so I wasn’t looking for it and surprised when I saw it.  I like Duvel and I am a fan of Ommegang, so why not give this beer a try?

The beer poured a clear, straw-yellow color with some fizzy white head.  It had really fast-moving carbonation, so that Belgian yeast must have really been busy.  The ABV is pretty stout at 8.5%, so not a beer you want to turn your back on.

The aroma is classic Belgian ale.  The nose was full of yeast aroma mixed with some wheat notes and a little spicy kick.  It was pretty light with a slight fruity hops aroma.

It was a very light tasting beer with some barely there citrus sweetness.  There was also a little spiciness accompanied by some wheat notes.  It was very similar to a saison, but to be honest not a good one.  It had a bland Belgian beer taste.  It tasted almost watered down taste and was not overly complex.  On the bright side, the alcohol was really nicely hidden.

Verdict: Spill it!  This pained me to have to do, but I just was not a fan of this beer.  Ommegang is one of my favorite breweries, but this beer was a big let down.  A collaboration between Duvel and Ommegang sounds like a good idea, but the execution wasn’t there.  It tasted like a cheap saison and I did not enjoy it.  There are a ton of other Ommegang beers I would rather spend my money on.  Without question there are definitely better Belgian-style or Belgian beers to try.  If you’re curious give it a try, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Monkey Chased The Weasel

I haven’t had much luck with sour beers.  The first few attempts did not make me a fan, but as with other beers I know it’s just a matter of finding a good one.  I came across Monkey Chased The Weasel from Carton Brewing.  Carton is a Jersey brewery who is making quality beers.  I haven’t had the opportunity to visit the brewery yet, but hopefully in the near future.  I’ve had a few of their beers before and I enjoyed them, so why not try their sour one?

The beer poured a clear yellow color.  Tons of carbonation and a good amount of fizzy, white head that dissipated fairly slowly.  This beer was light on ABV weighing in at only 3.9%, so an easily sessionable beer.

The aroma let you know upfront that this was a sour beer, just in case you needed any reassurance.  It was quite tart, but not as funky as I expected.  It was a little sweet-smelling with hints of apple accompanied with some lemony tartness.  I was pleasantly surprised that it didn’t have an off-putting sour aroma.

The first sip was quite refreshing.  Just like the aroma, it wasn’t overly sour and very enjoyable.  It was sour, but not lip puckering sour.  It was a little sweet and had a light wheatyness to it.  The apple notes were subtle, but present.  The lemony tartness finished very smoothly.  Since the ABV is light, I had to purposely slow down because this was such an easy beer to drink.

Verdict: Fill It! Carton has made me a fan of sour beers, at least a fan of the one they brew.  It was really easy to drink and what I want out of a sour beer.  I’ve had sours that have been either to funky or too sour and I didn’t like either one.  This beer was neither, it was the right amount of everything.  I’m on a permanent lookout for this beer from Carton and you should be too.  Don’t be scared, you’ll like it.  Support local beer!

Wooden Beanie

There are few things better (in the beer world at least) than having a beer from a brewer you know.  Wooden Beanie comes from BOAKS Beer and Brian Boak.  If you have read previous posts, you’ll know that I’ve had the chance to meet Brian on a couple of occasions.  Wooden Beanie is not a regular beer and only gets released occasionally.  I had the pleasure of sitting down with Brian at a BOAKS Beer event a few months ago and tried this beer.

Wooden Beanie poured dark brown with some reddish hues and some fizzy white head.  The head dissipated quickly and almost entirely with some slight coating left behind.  With an ABV of 7%, this beer is exactly where I like it.  Just enough ABV kick, but not too much that I couldn’t have another one if I wanted.

This beer was aromatic.  It’s aged in Jack Daniels barrels with Madagascar vanilla beans, so tons of aroma.  The JD aroma was enhanced nicely by the vanilla beans and compliments the vanilla notes from the JD barrels.  The woodiness from the barrel aging adds a little umph to the aroma.

A note about this beer: the base beer that is aged in the JD barrels is BOAKS Two Blind Monks, which is a dubbel.  This was another beer that tasted just like it smelled.  Upfront I got some malty flavors mixed with dark fruits.  The vanilla notes worked quite well with the dark fruits and added just enough to the sweetness.  The woodiness was also a nice addition to all the flavors of the beer.  The body is surprisingly light for a dubbel, which made this easy to drink and could be sessionable for a brave soul.

Verdict: Fill It!  Wooden Beanie is a really cool beer.  Just like most, I’m a fan of Belgian styles and this is a cool take on a dubbel.  The mix of barrel aging and vanilla beans adds complexity to an already tasty beer.  The one downside is Wooden Beanie isn’t always available, but I guess that adds to the fun of this beer.  It’s a treat to have this beer, so I would suggest you try some if you see it on tap.  Who knows, you might see me having one too!  Support your local brewers!

 

Oatmeal Bull-Aisin Saddles

A couple of months ago, I got to hang out with Bob from Bolero Snort Brewery and share a few pints.  Bob told me he had a few unique beers that I could try and Bull-Aisin Saddles was one of them.  He hasn’t let me down yet with his recommendations, so I had to trust him on this one too.

The beer pours almost completely black with tons of creamy, tan head.  The carbonation in the beer was quite active, so this bull was full of life.  The head had good retention because it hung around for quite a while and dissipated very slowly.  The ABY was 6%, so  not too high, but just enough to warm you on those chilly fall nights.

The aroma on this beer was fantastic.  It smelled how fall (and fall beers) should smell.  The all-spice and cinnamon aromas were really well-balanced.  I also picked up the subtle roasted malts notes, which gave it that classic stoutyness.

The same fall beer tastes were present in the first sip.  The cinnamon spiciness was accompanied by the raisin sweetness  which played really well off each other. The mix of fall spices and raisin definitely made me feel like I was drinking an oatmeal cook and in a really delicious way.  The body was nice and full, like any good stout.  It wasn’t overly filling as some stouts tend to feel.  I think if I had another one of these I would’ve had another with no problem.

Verdict: Fill It!  I can say this is one of my favorite Bolero Snort beers.  It was good example of beer creativity and why good beers are worth seeking out.  Bull-Aisin Saddles was never overly sweet and never got tough to drink as some of these kinds of beer can get.  This is one of those beers that makes you shed a tear once you’ve had the last sip because there is no more.  It is better to have loved and lost, right?  Bolero Snort is still making progress towards reaching shelves, so keep your eyes open.  Support your local breweries!

 

 

Le Freak

Le Freak is one of those beers I’ve been wanting to try for a while, but have never been in the mood for it.  I finally was in the mood and bought it.  I’ve had beers before from Green Flash Brewing, so I was optimistic about this one.  I was particularly curious about the mix of a tripel and an IPA.

The beer poured a golden-yellow color with tons of really creamy head.  It almost looked like the foam on a cappuccino or some other fancy pants coffee.  It settled to a nice froth.  There was not a lot of carbonation in the beer.   What little carbonation was present was pretty slow-moving.  At a little over 9% ABV this was going to be an experience.

The aroma was pretty complex.  It had a solid hop presence mixed with the Belgian yeast aroma.  Quite an interesting mix of aromas.  The booze mixed some peppery notes made for very interesting aromatics.

The taste was just as complex as the aroma.  It had a little citrus in the start, but finished quite bitter.  The Belgian yeast taste was partnered with a little peppery kick.  This beer was surprisingly thick and syrupy.  Once the ABV started kicking in this beer got really heavy and not easy to drink.

Verdict: Spill It! I read a lot of positive things about this beer, but I just couldn’t enjoy it.  I appreciate the attempt of combining a tripel and an IPA, but in the end the beer felt confused.  I usually enjoy the big ABV beers, but it was too much in Le Freak.  There was so much going on with the beer taste wise and to have a high ABV on top of that was too intense for me.  I don’t think there is any middle ground on this beer, you either love it or hate it (in this case fill it or spill it).  I may try this on draft, but other than that, I won’t be trying this again.

Beer Event: NJ Brewers Night

I haven’t been to a Beer Event in a little while, so this event was a welcomed change.  I had been looking forward to this event at the TapHouse Grille in Wayne, NJ since I first heard about it.  I’ve never been to the TapHouse Grille or had some of the beers on the list, so this was going to be good.  I was also looking forward to talk to some new NJ beer folks as well.

My friend and I arrived at around 6:30ish and the place was pretty packed.  The valet told us about all the other places if we couldn’t find a spot, so that was a hint at how many people were already inside.  We checked in with the hostess for a table but she looked pretty surprised we wanted to sit and eat.  The hostess told us the wait would be about an hour and a half.  Obviously, the wait wasn’t a huge deal because we wanted to drink some NJ beers.

I ran in to Bob from Bolero Snort at the event.  Unfortunately, Blackhorn wasn’t on tap as planned, but it was good to see Bob.  Hopefully, everyone gets a chance to try Blackhorn soon.  I’m certainly looking forward to beer from Bolero Snort.  I also had a chance to hang out with Brian Boak from BOAKS Beer, who is always really cool.  He talked to us about beer and just life, which always cool.  It’s awesome for me as a beer blogger to get to talk brewers and get to hang out with them and Brian Boak is a good guy.  Buy his beer if you can.

Truth be told the beer I really wanted to try was from Turtle Stone Brewing.  Why?  As silly as it sounds, I’ve always had an affinity for turtles, so a brewery with a turtle as a logo was my kind of brewery.  I can’t give you a full review for the beers that night because I was in a full bar, so I’ll give the highlights.

The beer from Turtle Stone on tap was their Red Rye and I really liked it.  It was a really solid beer and a good start to the night.  I liked the light bitter finish on the beer and it went down smooth.  The spiciness from the rye was good too and made for a really enjoyable beer.

Next on the list was Hoffman Oktoberfest from Climax Brewing.  I’ve been fighting the urge to have a pumpkin beer in August.  I figured an Oktoberfest was a good compromise to satisfy the craving without making me feel uncomfortable.  This was a pretty good beer with that fall toasty and sweet flavor.  It felt pretty sessionable, but I’d like another chance to sit down with this beer.

My friend and I finally got a table to eat and not a moment too soon.  I had a steakhouse burger, which was really good.  To my surprise, Os from NJ Craft Beer was seated right next to us.  He was a really cool guy who talked to us about beer.  I also got to meet his dad who was cool too.  We chatted about beer in general and some of the beers we were drinking, so it was cool to have met him.

Brian from Three Wise Monks in Garfield, NJ also stopped by to talk to us.  Brian is always cool and it was good to talk to him for a while.  He was talking to us about beer and how things are going at Three Wise Monks and just hanging out.  He told me about an event he is having this week with some cool beers, so I’m definitely going to try to make it to Three Wise Monks on Thursday 08/30.

The last beer of the night was another beer from Cricket Hill Brewing.  It was the Small Batch Dubbel.  This was my favorite beer of the night.  It was a good example of a dubbel.  It had a good full body, nice amount of dark fruit sweetness, and a good 7.5% ABV kick.  I would like to get my hands on this beer again.

This was a really cool event.  I really love supporting local brewers and local businesses.  Kudos to TapHouse Grille for their food and their bar staff because they were keeping up with a pretty large crowd.  Thanks to all the cool folks that hung out with me for a little bit.  Hopefully, at the next NJ beer event I’ll get to meet more cool people and get to try more NJ beers.

Cheers!