Winter Tilt Festivale

Thanks to one of the guys in the home brew club for bringing this to me last Sunday. I got around to tasting it on Sunday afternoon following a quick 16 mile run. Pint glass served.
6% ABV

Appearance: A beautifully colored amber with a dark orange tint and a faint haze. Carbonation looks to be very high and prominent. It seems as though that the carbonation fuels a tremendously well sustained soft frothy head of a milky white texture. Reminds me of a Nitro-based beer.

Aroma: Big malt bill and rye spicing. A lager scent permeates the nostrils in the second half while toffee and caramel accompany on out to the finish.
Taste: Like the aroma explained, this beer has a lot going on in it, primarily on the basis of malt complexity. From the start one can easily decipher the caramel and toffee. Belgian pale malts? But as the palate becomes more acquainted with the beer, you realize there is also a subtle flavor coming from peated malt, crystal and even rye, which parallels a smoky flavor with some spices. Warming and smooth at the finish, leaving behind a very woodsy aftertaste.
Mouthfeel: As smooth as smooth can get. Heavier bodied. Definitely a beer that must have had Nitrogen or a Nitrogen/Carbonation incorporated into it. Soft, velvety and with a minute bubbling across the tongue as it goes down. Some cloy at the roof of the mouth. Some warmth from the alcohol is acknowledged going down and in the chest.
Overall Impression: An awesome beer for the malt aficionados. Smooth, rich spicy and choked full of flavor. Warming for those cold days. Woody and nutty character develops as the beer is progressively drunk.

Aries Märzen Oktoberfest

Thanks to Joe Wietlispach for giving me this bottle on Saturday night, just prior to our Oktoberfest/Autumnal party. Tasted Monday afternoon with stir fried fajitas and Organic black bean dip.

Appearance: Rustic coppered with a darkened brown tint. Head maintains a minimal foam consistency atop a lightly hazed, but still transparent beer. Carbonation is nowhere to be seen as the beer looks very still in the glass.
Aroma: Toasted barley with a hint of chocolate at the end. A mild spice shrouds over the malted backbone while a fragrant toffee complexity rounds it out. Some hop elements take hold, but only further encourage the bouquet of grain and yeast byproducts.
Taste: Foretaste is profiled as a very upfront toasted malt sweetness with is also paralleled by brief flavors of maple. The first and second half are easily distinguishable by the foaming carbonation. The second half resembles a biscuit quality with notes of earthy hops and an undertone of smokiness to follow. The finish maintains a subtle dried leaf-like bitterness, yet still remaining crisp and clean. As the beer warms, more of a bittersweet chocolate flavor emerges, especially at the end.
Mouthfeel: More soft than anything. The body is a bit heavy, but the way the carbonation was incorporated, there isn’t much at all of a bite, while the foaming bubbles enforce a crisp, and refreshing element upon the beers overall experience
Overall Impression: Quite a fantastic Oktoberfest. It’s bold and complex, yet extremely drinkable and clean. The abundance of toasted malt is balanced nicely with a neutral hop and a frothy carbonation. I think I’d buy a six pack if I saw it.

 

91/100

Third Stone Brown Ale

Tasted following a 10 mile workout and my first Steeple Chase drills in preparation for Friday's race. I've arranged it so that I can make the tapping of Great River's new beer Hop*a*potamus!

Appearance: Dark turbid brown with a medium clarity around the edges. Head only consists of a foamy ring and some film across the top

Aroma: Toasted malt dominates the nose along with a roasted finish. Some grain and nuts are incorporated among the mostly grainy scent. Touches of hazelnut and chocolate are integrated into undertoned aromas.

Taste: Starts sweet and toasty with a brief nuttiness and a sweet caramel backbone. It then finishes with a mild roastiness and then finally somewhat of a sourness that was deterring in flavor (I suspect this was from the months it spent in the erratically inconsistent fridge. I'd say it is more on the side of stale coffee and nuts than anything. Some overtoned phenols can be tasted in the back of the throat in vapors.
Mouthfeel: Mothfeel is somewhat watery, primarily from the unbalance of flavors. However the body is medium and the carbonation is fine and integrated.
Overall Impression: Generally this was a flavorful brown ale though from its age the sourness was a bit of a drawback. However I can see that this would make a fine ale fresh with the utmost complexity and flavor profile. I especially congratulate the aroma in its appeal. I didn't see much of an excitement about this beer overall.


78/100

Dark Side Vanilla Porter

Tasted at the Misewicz's house following a 13 mile run w/fartleks. Enjoyed with homemade pita chips and a omelet stir fry.

Appearance: Deep dark brown with a poor head retention, if at all. Some wet lacing on the sides. Clarity around the edges with a rubied hue.

Aroma: Strong vanilla and chocolate with mild hints of roasted malt and coffee. Quite synthetic smelling with an accompaniment of ester yeast components. Very aromatic and malted sweet. A little reminiscent of burnt popcorn.

Taste: Sweet foretaste that is somewhat carameled and toffeed. A bit of a burnt taste can be picked out deep under the dominating vanilla taste. Still the vanilla and favoring tastes synthetic and unnatural. The flavor is light but strong to the taste buds. It has a alcoholic component at the finish leaving behind a mellowed spicy aftertaste that is very drawn out. A little bit of the sour/stale flavor common to the old world porter. Tobacco and licorice finally emerge.
Mouthfeel: Medium body and very light carbonation. Still the texture is smooth and not in the slightest bit sticky. The finish is dry and drawn.
Overall Impression: Not overly impressed. Far too much vanilla to even be drinkable. I couldn't imagine having a  pack of this. Definitely tastes like extract and less like the actual vanilla beans. The finish leaves a very vapored tobacco taste that draws away from the overall desire to continue drinking.


75/100

Burning Skye Scottish Ale

Tasted following Mondays practice before taking Jen out for Valentines day. I did the write up while the Italian herb and spiced breads I made were baking in the oven.

Appearance: Deep rich copper color with hints of orange and amber. A nice head formation initially, and it didn't die down too much. What was left we a complete filmed froth with lacing about the sides. Transparency was minimal but still carbonation was visible.

Aroma: Malty and smokey peat come to mind. Much of it reminds me of mulch that has been sitting out in the sun, burning. There is also some background notes of toffee and toast. Other resembling characteristics are spiced ginger and bread dough.

Taste: Starts with a sweet caramel flavor, only to be completely masked by and earthy smokiness that plays a dominating role in this beers flavor. The finish leaves a faint peat/dirt flavor with minimal hopping. Toastiness and perhaps some fruit flavors may be drawn out of this beer, but the harsh coal pit profile reminding me of German Rauch malt or Scottish Smoked Peat Malt (duh?). All this is mostly tasted on the sides of the tongue in the mid taste, and long after into the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium body and a carbonation that isn't too aggressive, but enough to spike the sides of the tongue.
Overall Impression: This beer really didn't do it for me. I think the smoked malt was far too overdone which completely threw off the potential of this beer. It reminded me most of the Brooklyn Winter ale, but worse. Way too thrown off.


68/100

Luna Sea E.S.B.

Tasted midafternoon Sunday at the Reis' house before the super bowl (of which I didn't really have any interest in watching). This preceded a run with Tom to Old Capital Brewing Co. (Formally known as Great River).

Appearance: Deep clouded amber with coppered character. Relatively water like with no head to speak of and very little carbonation visible. Looks flat and uneventful. No lacing.

Aroma: Carameled and floral with a woodsy profile. Some spice at the finish. Sweet and barley smelling with nice undertones of biscuit malt and nutty with an earthy related hoppiness.
Taste: Sweet and toasted with caramel and toffee malt sweetnesss. The beer incorporates a crisp bitter spice against the medium hoppiness of the beer. Grassy and bitter with a rye character imparted to both flavor and body. The aftertaste is a meld of sweet malted barley and hops drawn long into the beginning of the next taste. Well balanced and complex but imparts an emphasized whole grain toastiness. Not really yeasty but some element of tannins in relation to the nut-husk and woodiness.
Mouthfeel: Light carbonation with a heavier body. Texture is wet and sticky. Still some spike of carbonation briefly on the top of the tongue.
Overall Impression: Smooth and drinkable. I like the finish with its spicy malt profile. More bitter than expected, but still maintains an element of drinkability. I'm not too familiar with this brewery, but I will surely give it another go. I think I still have a vanilla porter to try and a scotch ale.


82/100