Founders - Kentucky Breakfast Stout

Today friends, I review a beer that needs no introduction.  I knew that cracking open my sole bottle of KBS was drawing near immediately after I was unable to procure tickets to this year's KBS Release Party due to some errors on the part of some 3rd party ticket brokers.  I, like many people, had a ticket in my cart, but to no avail.  But I'm not worried!  The past has passed!  I will not be broken-hearted or bitter over things I cannot change nor correct.  All I can do is enjoy the current bottle I possess, given to me by my good friend Matt D.  The last time I was fortunate enough to get a pour of KBS was at 2011's Screw City Beer Festival in Rockford, IL.  It looked a little something like this.

This is what it looks like when I poo my pants.

I think it goes without saying that I have been looking for an excuse to drink this beer for quite some time.  Let's pour!

Aroma 12/12

This is like dark, melted chocolate made violent love to black, gourmet coffee after a bourbon-soaked evening.  The coffee is bitter and strong, burnt, dark roasted malt is abundant, and dark chocolate's sweetness rounds things out nicely.  Warmth is more present than the actual aroma of bourbon at this point, but it is not overpowering and you'd never guess this was an 11.2% ABV beer.  I want to wear this as cologne.

Appearance 3/3

I hate to make the generic simile that this beer pours like motor oil, but... it's more like filthy motor oil.  It's a host of cola and coffee browns with a yellowish tinge around the edges.  The head was barely present, but was a shockingly dark shade of brown.  This beer had legs like road tar.  It stubbornly hung on the sides of the glass and refused to be moved.

Flavor 19/20

I don't believe that there is one milliliter of this beer that is not dedicated to being saturated with flavor.  It's not the most intense thing I've ever tasted, but nothing is wasted to deliver all the intended flavors to your waiting taste buds.  It begins with a oatmeal-y, sweet creaminess, which blossoms beautifully into the sweeter aspects of the rich, rich chocolate.  Then the bourbon rolls in and things get rowdy.  This goes from being a luscious, savory, delectable slice of German double molten chocolate cake with a side of coffee, to a beer that tastes like every bite of cake is first dipped lightly in bourbon.  The chocolate and bourbon are definitely the stars here and the coffee takes a supporting role.  When held in the mouth, however, the coffee is the most persistent of the flavors and makes itself known once the others have faded.  Be patient though because, sweet Holy delicious chocolate booze cake, are those flavors strong and it's going to take a while.  The finish is mocha coffee sweetness plus the tingling heat from the bourbon while the aftertaste is pretty much the same aftertaste if you combined how your mouth feels fifteen minutes after drinking coffee and two minutes after sipping bourbon.

Mouthfeel 4.5/5
Wait, can I even give half points?  To that I say in my best Eric Cartman voice, "It's my blog, I do what I WANT!"  I've never done it before, but I've never felt compelled to do it before.  I basically want to say that the mouthfeel of this beer is remarkable, but I cannot say that it is perfect.  The bourbon is simply too strong and covers some of the other flavors that I know are in there.  To add to that, this beer is from 2012!  It has aged for almost an entire year!  I can't imagine how aggressive this beer would be were it fresh.  It is just shy of being full-bodied and while the carbonation is wonderfully subtle, the alcohol warmth adds enough tingle to be as interruptive as a higher level of bubbles.

Overall Impression 9.5/10 
Well, if I'm gonna start issuing half-points I might as well use two so that the final score is a whole number, right?  This is a supremely tasty beer and for a guy that hasn't eaten dinner yet, its 11.2% ABV is definitely a force to be reckoned with.  This coffee-licious, chocolate oozing, bourbon monster simply must be tried.  It tries extremely hard to live up to its gargantuan reputation and does an admirable job, even if it doesn't taste like God himself lactated it into each and every bottle.  This is a chocolately delight that I will be aging even more next time to mute the bourbon into submission.

Total 48/50

I know, I know... It doesn't take a whole lot of fortitude nor prowess to drink a great beer and give it a high score.  Big surprise, right?  However, I was expecting to give this beer a perfect score and perhaps that expectation worked against it.  It is a towering giant of chocolate and bourbon warmth with coffee riding its coattails the whole time.  The warmth is not insane, but it is enough where I do feel that it overpowers some of the other flavors that should definitely be making a contribution, namely the coffee.  If you're fortunate enough to see some after the April 1, 2013 distribution date, buy it.  Even if it doesn't live up to its ludicrously lofty expectations (and what could), you won't be disappointed.

Dogfish Head - Burton Baton (2007)

Today my quest to break out some of my weird an unusual beers takes me back to 2007.  It was a troubled time for America and I give you the following alliterative list to prove it:

• Barbaro is euthanized
• Bears lost the Super Bowl
• Britney Spears shaves her head.  Gets new tattoo
• "Breakfast of Champions" author Kurt Vonnegut dies
• Boris Yeltzin dies
• Bob Barker leaves the "Price is Right"
• Boston wins the World Series

Gratuitous Barbaro pic.

There were a lot of bad things, beginning with "B" that happened in 2007, but thankfully Burton Baton flew in the face of it all.  Having been brewed off and on since it's release in 2004, it eventually gained enough popularity to become brewed year-round.  Thank goodness.  It's labeled as an Imperial IPA, but Burton Baton is actually a blend of an DIPA and an English-style old ale, which is then aged in a big ol' oak tank.  Normally, I would not review an IPA or DIPA that is one month over 6 years old.  However, the bottle contradicts my logic by clearly stating, "Lush & enjoyable now, this beer ages with the best of 'em."  OK, I'll bite.  Let's pour!

Aroma 10/12

Oak notes are prominent, but nothing about this beer is harsh or aggressive.  The vanilla and oak touch the nose and bring with them some interesting travel companions.  A faded citrus is next.  It carries the remnants of juicy grapefruits and pineapple, but those fruity bits have all but disappeared completely.  Thankfully, we still have a slight acidity that gives the scent a bit of a bite.  The old ale notes come in after that and carry with them all the things we love about the style: sweet malts, a light roast, raisins, and a nice gentle warmth.

Appearance 2/3

I'm not expecting the world when it comes to carbonation in a 6 year-old bottle, but I was pleasantly surprised at the half finger of head that formed after a fairly aggressive pour.  Unfortunately, the head was the high point for the appearance of this beer.  It sits in the glass the murky color of a sun tea that has steeped too long and grown too dark. Held up to the light an attractive red can be found in the center of the glass, but it is poorly situated amidst a fog of rusty hues.

Flavor 19/20

Whoa!  One is immediately lambasted by dark fruits, caramelized sugar, honey, a deceptively sneaky warmth, and a wash of malty sweetness.  There's no fading in here; this beer is sweet and it means it.  There is a richness of flavor that cannot be anticipated from the aroma.  I wish there were more to say about the backbone of the beer, but the flavors are so robust and well-blended that there is little opportunity for nuance.  If held in the mouth a pepper note arises, but I am uncertain if that another remainder of the hops or just alcohol tingle.  I swear that at times this beer even shows glimpses of maple syrup.  The finish shows a slight warming and a moderate bitter to show us that the hops cannot be forgotten just yet.  Both sensations linger well into the aftertaste where that pesky pepper note appears again as a dot on the horizon.

Mouthfeel 5/5

Excellent work here.  Not only is this beer smooth thanks to some barrel aging and some cellaring, but also thanks to gads of malt.  Remember the honey and syrup mentioned earlier?  Well, it's nowhere NEAR as thick as those, but it's just as silky and smooth.  Since we're on the subject, it definitely has a full body and loads of sugars to let this beer absolutely slide all over the mouth.  It avoids becoming to heavy and thick by utilizing perfectly present carbonation, alcohol warmth, and that peppery prickle.  The alcohol warmth, of course, gets stronger as the beer warms and helps contribute to a dryer finish.  Prior to warming no one would have a clue about the 10% ABV.

Overall Impression 9/10

This aged incredibly well.  True, the hops are not at their peak freshness, but that doesn't mean their hallmark cannot still be found 6 years after bottling.  The aroma was not the strongest trait of the beer, but the less impressive introduction made experiencing the rest of the beer an exciting surprise.  The flavor was intense and sweet and the mouthfeel was amazing.  This beer did great things with its dark fruits, oak, and camouflaged warmth.  What a treat!

Total 45/50

Silky without being syrupy.  Sweet, but not one-dimensional nor cloying.  What more do you want?  This beer gave big flavor without feeling like it was beating you.  I would definitely say that at this age it errs more on the side of the English-style old ale than an Imperial IPA.  It's abundance of sweet malt, dark fruits, color, and apparent ability to age well all point toward the old ale.  The aroma would indicate an IPA that is too old!  A beer that clings to its "big beer" status and former glory with a thick body, now unbalanced sweetness, and perhaps a high ABV.  Thankfully, it became much more than that over the last 6 years.  Maybe Burton Baton was one of the best things to come out of 2007.  It sure as hell wasn't James Blunt.

And they ain't kiddin'!

SOURCES:

http://www.dogfish.com/brews-spirits/the-brews/occassional-rarities/burton-baton.htm

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-12-28-2419931004_x.htm

Hoppin' Frog - Barrel Aged Naked Evil

Today is a bottle that has been a long time coming.  I received it as a Christmas gift from my father and its name alone qualifies it as one of my more rare/interesting beers.  First off, it's barrel aged.  This is more often than not a good start to a great beer though far from a prerequisite.  Second, those barrels are whiskey barrels and not bourbon barrels.  Not that there's anything wrong with bourbon barrels, I just happen to be much more familiar with whiskey than bourbon, with few exceptions.  Third, this is a barley wine - a style that lends itself unusually well to being made into big ol' beers.  Fourth, it's a Belgian-style barley wine.  This is just another layer of complexity that I'm looking forward to having wash over my taste buds.  The bottle has this to say,

"On a recent trip through Belgium visiting the monastery breweries, we discovered an excellent barrel aged ale that had an incredibly satisfying flavor combination.  Aging in oak barrels added a memorable richness, that we seek to achieve with this barrel aged Belgian-style barley wine-style ale. Being the ideal celebration beer to release on our 5-year anniversary, Barrel Aged Naked Evil is fermented with both British and Belgian yeasts and aged in whiskey barrels for a lightly spicy twist on this old-world beer style.  Sweet malt flavors will become smoother and rich dark fruit characteristics will build with time to add a wonderful complexity and depth of flavor."

Aroma 12/12

I smell this and instantly feel like I should be in more formal surroundings.  You are immediately embraced by dark boozy fruits, raisins, vanilla, whiskey, and a lesser oak.  It is simply a fantastic blend.  As it warms the whiskey takes the forefront with strong tones of vanilla, toffee, a lesser oak, and a faint Belgian spiciness hidden in the back.  The dark fruits are still very present, but know their place.

Appearance 3/3

Pours like silk with very little head.  In fact, one wonders if they'll receive any head at all until it begins to fade in at the middle of the glass and slowly push its way to the top like a person newly awakened and slowly making their way through the first of their morning routine.  The ale's legs on the other hand are ridiculous.  They stick to the glass and show virtually no signs of falling.  The color is a bright copper with an abundance of ruby glints, sunset orange hues, and earthy reds.  Gorgeous.

Flavor 20/20

Oh my!  This begins in the same sweet fashion as the aroma with boozy fruits, but makes a gradual and seamless transition into vanilla, toffee, candi sugar, and more whiskey.  Somehow the oak is not completely subdued by all these imposing flavors and still manages to make its own small contribution.  Sitting in the mouth it continues to enjoy all those confectionery inspired flavors and ceased to be quelled.  The finish is like the smoothest, sweetest shot you could imagine.  Think high end, "no burn" whiskey, and caramelized hardened sugar.  Oh, but add amazing dark fruits and oak.  Enticed yet?  The aftertaste adds some bitter, but it appears to be a result of the dark fruits and alcohol, not so much that of hops.  Absolutely wondrous, rich flavor as complex as it is harmonious.

Mouthfeel 5/5

The mouthfeel was the first clue that this beer was not going to be Belgian-style in a yeasty, banana, bubble gun, clove, spicy kind of way.  It was going to be a Belgian-style in a quad, knock your socks off, highly carbonated, dark fruit kind of way.  Carbonation is initially pretty strong, but fades to a perfectly appropriate level; being present to provide texture, but never allowing that sensation to become too strong or to distract from the flavor.  It also never threatens to lighten the medium-full body.  Obviously, the whiskey provides some heat to the beer at 11.3% ABV, but again in congenial way where it never threatens to usurp the other more important flavors.  The spiciness incorporated by the brewers doesn't hurt one bit either, nor does the way it leaves the mouth sticky with caramel in the aftertaste.

Overall Impression 10/10

A masterpiece for Hoppin' Frog!  By far the best offering of theirs that I have ever tasted.  It is a rich, superbly blended cornucopia of Belgian quad goodness: active carbonation, dark fruits, whiskey heat, and smooth as you please.  Good gracious!  Can we all sign a petition so that they'll make this again?

Total 50/50

Well, Hoppin' Frog has joined the elite ranks as one of the few beers to earn a perfect score on Sud Savant. Deservedly so.  This beer is fantastic!  The barleywine style that they claim in their descriptor can be difficult to find sometimes, especially if the drinker is more accustomed to the more common "American Barleywine" style.  However, as a traditional or "English barleywine," this beer is a marvelous blending of styles.  It incorporates all the malty, caramel-laden, fruity, boozy, silky goodness that we've come to know and love and combines it with even more dark fruits, active carbonation, and spice from the Belgian style.  On top of that it throws in whiskey and oak!  What else could you want?!  The correct answer?  Some in your glass and then some in your stomach.  Top marks to Hoppin' Frog!  What a beautiful bruiser!

The specs.

Founders - Backwoods Bastard

I remember trying Founders' Backwoods Bastard when it was fresh and being blown away at the intense bourbon flavors in this beer. It was almost too much!  For that reason, I aged a few of them to see how that booziness would mellow out after a year or two.  This bottle is part of that experiment and is a Backwoods Bastard brewed in 2011.  Shall we see how things have progressed?  Let's pour!

Aroma 10/12

Time does not seem to have settled this brew down one bit!  The bourbon aroma and strong warmth are immediately and intensely present and not far behind it is a rich, raw sugar that almost comes across "mapley"  at first.  The oak is easily detectable behind these two strong aromas and as the beer opens up a dark vanilla is added to the mix.  It's a great flavor and blends excellently with the earlier sugar/molasses note.  Eventually it all but surpasses the sugar notes, and soon the dark roast of the malt can be faintly discerned.

Appearance 3/3

This beer is much darker than I anticipated!  It looks black in color, but when held to light reveals lots of nut and coffee browns and even a magenta shade or two.  The head is tan in color and creamy in appearance.  Were it not for the smaller amount, it would not look out of place atop of a Guinness.

Flavor 16/20

The flavor on this has not mellowed either, at least not to my recollection.  It starts with a smooth, medium-bodied wave of molasses and vanilla, but transitions very quickly into the bourbon/whiskey flavors and loads of oak.  To be quite honest, it's difficult to find much beyond the bourbon, its warmth, and the sugary vanilla goodness.  The finish is still boozy and sweet, but does add a layer of bitter to things as the beer sticks to the back of the throat and leaves the mouth slick.  The aftertaste is a less intense of version of what one would find after drinking bourbon on the rocks.

Mouthfeel 4/5

Obviously the warmth is a major factor in the mouthfeel of this brew, yet surprisingly the alcohol does not achieve any sort of drying effect on the mouth.  The beer instead makes the mouth water and makes it slick or even sticky in the back of the throat (must... refraining from... "That's what she said").  It also begins by feeling fairly substantial in the mouth, but soon becomes thin despite all of the malts inevitably used to achieve the high levels of sweetness.  It's a 10.2% ABV, but the warmth is done well in this one.

Overall Impression 6/10

As mentioned eariler, the bourbon in this is simply too masking of other key attributes of the beer.  All that is detectable is bourbon, sugary vanilla, and wood.  The roasted malts that were detectable in the aroma are completely lost.  Thankfully, the warmth settled when compared to a fresh bottle.  It was never overbearing, but added just the right amount for the bourbon flavors to come across as truly authentic.

Overall Impression 40/50

This is not a bad beer by any means, but I've certainly had others in the style with much more to offer.  I've had Wee Heavy beers with dark fruits detectable and stronger secondary malt characteristics (ahem, the roasted malt).  I've also had them with more substantial bodies that truly carried the immense flavors within them.  I enjoyed the boozy/sugary balance in Backwoods Bastard, but ultimately it was a fairly simply beer.  It does what it does well, but minor tweaks could make this yet another beer from Founders that garners national attention.

Innis & Gunn - Highland Cask

After my last Innis & Gunn review, there were a ton of comments both supporting and lamenting this brewery.  I've never written anything else that has received such a response!  In short, I knew I'd have to review another I&G beer in short order.  That day is here!  Today's review will be for Innis & Gunn's Highland Cask ale.  This beer is aged in oak barrels and their have a pretty cool genesis story for those interested in that sort of thing.  Some of their detractors talk about the apparent marketing machine that Innis & Gunn has at their disposal.  The good news is that there is virtually zero, I repeat, zero I&G marketing in the US, so I don't have to try and deal with any preconceived notions that I might have.  Big thanks (again) to Keith for snagging me this brew.  Let's pour!

Aroma 6/12
Initially, I didn't think this smelled much like whiskey at all.  I should know.  I love bourbons and whiskeys.  It didn't have that quintessential sweetness, but instead was more earthy and grain-like with just hints of peat poking through.  Just to make sure, I grabbed a nearby bottle of Redbreast (a 12 y.o. aged Irish whiskey) and inhaled deeply.  Sure enough, the I&G lacked that sweetness that makes whiskey such a treat.  Obviously, that missing characteristic is quite a disappointment.  To further add to that disappointment, there's not much behind the boozy warmth!  This could have been a great combination of sweetnesses from the English Strong Ale style and that of the whiskey, but I&G has definitely whiffed on all this potential and instead given us a boozy, timid smelling brew.  To those that might be saying, "Hey!  This beer is aged in Scotch Whiskey barrels, not whiskey barrels, you idiot," I say that's OK.  It doesn't smell like Scotch Whiskey either.  Again, I should know.  Johnny Walker and I have long been good friends.

Appearance 3/3
Despite a weak start in this review, the beer actually appears quite handsomely in the glass.  True to its name, it is just darker than some whiskeys and bourbons with shades of rust, mahogany, and burnt orange.  It's clarity is quite high, but the head hisses and dissipates too soon.  My photos do not do it justice.

Flavor 12/20
Thankfully the beer begins by tasting better than it smells.  It starts with a traditional English Strong Ale sweetness, some nuttiness, and hints of dark molasses.  These delicious sounding flavors are far from intense, but they are tasty.  A butterscotch is present, but is easily overtaken by the ESA flavor.  There's not much else to say as this beer is remarkably simple and thin.  What I am NOT getting is any semblance of Scotch Whiskey!  Where is it?!  Daddy needs his special medicine! Even slurping this beer only goes to show how bland it truly is.  There is NO reward for slurping, not even an extra alcohol kick.  The finish is unusual as it doesn't continue or reintroduce any of the already existing flavors in this beer.  It's just this oaky, bitter, earthy, toasted flavor that leaves the mouth more bitter than anything.  What an odd, underwhelming beer.

Mouthfeel 3/5
This beer is going to get points for its ridiculous smoothness and that's about it.  Overall, the beer feels thin and certainly not  big enough to adequately carry a flavor like Scotch Whiskey.  Carbonation is tiny, but adequate and persists until the end of the glass.  To their credit, the 7.1% ABV is invisible.

Overall Impression 4/10
This beer misses so many things that could have gone right.  It doesn't smell like whiskey or Scotch whiskey.   It doesn't taste like whiskey or Scotch whiskey.  It doesn't have a robust malt profile that could have potentially complimented the whiskeys' sweetness, had there been any whiskey in the first place.  Why is the end bitter?  Why does this beer feel so thin?  Arg!

Total 28/50
This is a world of difference from the last Innis & Gunn beer that I reviewed.  Their Rum Cask brew was really tasty and I enjoyed it immensely!  On the other hand, this beer is one-dimensional and lackluster in flavor, offers very little in aroma, and drinks as easily as the smoothest macro.  It begins with molasses and ends bitter with no scotch or whiskey in sight.  With it's shiney label, high ABV, and "cask-aged" claims, this beer is like dating a very dumb, gorgeous person:  all style, no substance.  It simply seems tired and vapid.  Thank goodness that this beer has only been brewed once and it not part of their regular line-up.  If anyone at Innis & Gunn is listening, please burn this recipe.  You are better off starting from scratch and building the beer that this SHOULD have been.  It's not up to what I perceive as your usual standard of quality.  C'mon!  It's brewed in Edinburgh for Pete's sake!  You should know if your beer tastes like Scotch whiskey before it leaves the brewery.  For shame.

Innis & Gunn - Rum Cask

Innis & Gunn is not a particularly well-known beer in the US.  I seldom see them talked about online, read about them as many times as I can count on one hand, and have never seen a tap handle of theirs at even the most reputable of gastropubs or taphouses.  That said, I understand that I had better fasten my seat belt for one amazing ride.  Innis & Gunn is out of the UK, has a reputation that precedes it, and has a really well put together web site, including a very informative video about their "accidental birth."  I suggest you check it out (http://www.innisandgunn.com/Home.aspx).  It really seems to embrace a lot of things that the American craft beer community does: flavor profile, tasting notes, food pairings, and oak aging.  Much craft beer love to my friend Keith for hooking me up with this bottle all the way from Florida!  I can't wait to pry this open.  Let's pour!

Aroma 10/12

First things first, it definitely enjoys the same spiced quality as a good rum.  Not a spiced rum mind you, just a good rum.  Easily detectable are a strong buttery toffee aroma and of course that of the rum and oak casks.  This barely smells like a beer!  Oddly or not, I detect no heat in the aroma, despite the beer's 7.4% ABV.  

Appearance 3/3

I was dubious after checking out their website and seeing the pictures of this brew.  "C'mon," I said.  "No beer can be THAT red and glorious."  I'm afraid it's better.  The actual beer shows more browns than the perfectly posed shot on the website, but the shades of red, scarlet, magenta, maroon, and almost purplish hues are unmistakeable.  The head was here and gone, but it was a moderate size, fizzed loudly, was almond in color, and had OK retention.  No lacing.  Its colors earned it full marks.

Flavor 19/20

Whoa!  WHOA!  Where did all this dark fruit come from?  It's a marvelously sweet medley full of raisins, plums, and figs that borders on being sugary!  Fantastic.  From these already rich flavors, the buttery toffee of the rum takes over with its mellow sweetness and subtle spicing.  The oak is detectable, but it hides well behind the buttery notes of the rum.  The finish is a continuation of the butter and spices, but adds some vanilla and it is a welcome touch.  The dark fruits quickly reprise and fade as the beer descends.  The aftertaste leaves the mouth dry and with the light tingle of rum spices.

Mouthfeel 5/5

Sometimes cask aging can leave beers feeling flat and sluggish.  Not this beer!  Its carbonation is a perfect blend of presence and still allowing the beer to feel silky in the mouth.  It is smooth, but not syrupy.  Oddly, the warmth never comes into play for a beer this inundated with the other characteristics of rum.

Overall Impression 10/10

If you can find it, buy it.  This beer is a superbly drinkable beer that harnesses all the characteristics of rum that it feels necessary.  It has a nice aroma, attractive colors, a knock out surprise flavor, and a helluva mouthfeel.  This synopsis seems brief, as does the whole review, but damn... it does what it does very well.

Total 47/50

Ummm... can we all agree to buy this whenever we see it and drive demand so much that I eventually see it in western IL?  That'd be great.  This beer is really a treat!  I could have it with butter pecan ice cream or a strong cheese.  While parts of me think that this beer could be a little more robust, the other part of me is more glad that they didn't resort to the rum's alcoholic warmth to characterize this beer.  Sure, they could've made a big, boozy, hot mess and hid an inferior beer behind it.  They certainly did not.  In fact, after drinking this beer, and tasting all the butters, toffees, and vanillas,  I think I have a better idea of what a high grade rum tastes like.  Such discoveries are a new flavor "adventure" for me, since most of my high brow alcohol adventures are in scotch, whiskey, bourbon, or brandy.  And if you know anything about me, it's that I LOVE a new flavor or food/booze discovery.  This definitely qualifies.  Thanks for the lesson Innis & Gunn!  I've one more of your beers in the cellar and I can't wait to try it out.  Cheers and keep up the great work!

Picture made noticeably less impressive
by clear glass bottle.

New Belgium - Kick

I finally have the opportunity to break out some pumpkin beers!  Sure, I had a few during the season, but my health really didn't let me review any the way I would have liked.  It's time to make up for lost time.  Today's review is from New Belgium and their "Lips of Faith" series; something I have heard much about, but had little opportunity to try.  I have mixed feelings going into this bottle because of the following description:

"75% Ale brewed with pumpkin and cranberry juice, 25% ale aged in wooden barrels."


I love pumpkin beer and barrel-aged beer, so it sounds pretty good, right?  Unless you dislike cranberries, but who in their right mind could dislike such a holiday treat?  The answer: me.  I'm not a big fan of cranberries.  In fact, I'm sick of the way every decent juice in the grocery store (cherry, grape, etc, etc) feels the need to add cranberries to it.  Needless to say, this annoyance has definitely carried over when they add cranberries to beer.  However, since I haven't even tried it yet I suppose I should keep the belly aching to a minimum.  I hope you all appreciate this.  Let's pour!

Aroma 7/12
First sniffs of this beer were very unusual.  At first, I thought it had a bit of a skunked, German aroma to it, but  as the head settled it revealed itself as a strong musty smell.  This was accompanied by the sour of the cranberry, a very bready malt, and a bit of the barrel-aged wood.  At this point, it all came together and reminded me of an element of Left Hand's T.N.T, which was reminiscent of Campbell's Bean and Bacon soup. Granted, this is a much lighter hint of that aroma here than in the T.N.T., but it is still there. Very unusual.  Thankfully, as the beer warms it comes more into its element.  The tart, sweet cranberry aroma becomes stronger and joins with the bready malts to make it appealing and smell more like a gueuze than any sort of traditional fall seasonal.  It is only halfway through the bottle that the mild pumpkin peeks its head out ever so briefly and leaves a hint of spices in its wake.

Appearance 2/3
There isn't much of the "ruby-hued" shade promised on the bottle, but it's a good-looking beer nonetheless.  Its an ocher center with a lovely gold halo shining around the edges.  The occasional hue of tangerine orange is about the closest there is to ruby.  The head was small, even with an aggressive pour.  The bubbles were tiny and appeared more as a single white presence than an army of little, individual bubbles.  However, that white disc has covered my glass for some time now despite the undoubtedly high acid levels present in a beer involving cranberries

Flavor 15/20
Whoa!  This beer packs a sour punch right from the get-go!  The sour initial taste is quite dominant and refuses to loosen that grip in the backbone.  Though in the backbone we are also given a mild pumpkin mellowness and some great fall spices. The pumpkin can really be brought to light when holding the beer in the mouth and inhaling through the nose.  A slurp on the other hand helps bring out the wood from the barrel-aging process.  In fact, as the beers warms noticeably, the cranberry politely steps aside and lets this pumpkin/spice combo step in, but not without leaving us the bitter aftertaste of cranberries.  Very neat.  The finish is again sour, but fades into bitter and leaves the mouth salivating.  The aftertaste is a faint spice and nice notes from the barrels.

Mouthfeel 5/5
The mouthfeel has a lot of contrasting, pleasant things going on within it.  The pumpkin really seems to add a smoothness to this beer not usually found in lambics or tart/sour beers.  The carbonation, on the other hand, is quite abundant, but doesn't err by being prickly.  It's effervescent and what one comes to expect from a fruited or sour beer.  The body also feels more substantial that a sour or lambic.  This really seems all over the map, but I like what's happening.

Overall Impression 7/10
The previous sentence says it all.  "This beer is all over the map."  Sometimes this works in its favor and other times not.  The aroma is much more true to a gueuze than anything proposed on the bottle.  The flavor is certainly complex, but never seems to bring those flavors together to cohesion.  The mouthfeel is a great example of how seemingly conflicting characteristics can come together for something greater than its parts.

Total 36/50
This beer's ranking still earns it a "very good" ranking.  I appreciate experimentation more than the average drinker, but this did seem a but unusual in places.  First off, it seems that this beer is an attempt to mix a pumpkin seasonal with a cranberry gueuze.  In theory, sure, they're both foods one could find at a Thanksgiving dinner.  It should work, right?  Kinda.  While I wouldn't extend this theory to other Thanksgiving foods (I won't be putting gravy on my pecan pie anytime soon), this beer finds a way to make it work, even if the taste is unusual.

I must recommend that this beer be drank after warming a bit to truly get any of the pumpkin and spice behind the cranberry, musty, sour notes.  The experimentation is super appreciated.  Beer should never "settle" or be satisfied with traditional or status quo and this beer definitely is not settling for the norm.  It has a lot going for it in different areas: different flavors, different aromas, and different mouthfeels, but seldom to those come together for a true fusion or harmony of flavors.  If you're a gueuze-lover, a sour lover, or just appreciate anything involving Brettanomyces you'll probably dig this brew (not that I'm sure whether or not this beer has Brett, but it stands that if you like Brett, you'll like this beer).  I say give it a whirl, just be aware of what you're getting into.  Don't let the pumpkins on the bottle fool you. :)

On a side note, I didn't find out until I finished the bottle that this was a collaboration between Kim Jordan of New Belgium & Dick Cantwell of Elysian.  It's just one more reason to love the craft beer industry.  It's not the cut throat capitalism of nearly every other industry.  In craft beer, people come together to make new and exciting things all the time.  It makes me proud to be a small, small part of it.  Cheers everybody!