Cigar City - 110K + OT (Batch 4)

Before really researching this beer I had very little idea of its history, let alone its style.  The label gives us nothing other than a cryptic name and information required by certain government agencies.  This made the discovery process throughout the review very fascinating!  Every review experience was full of truly honest impressions, surprise, and a chance to categorize.  Thankfully, you have no such need to be so honest.  The full history of 110K + OT (or rather its name) can be found here.  It's definitely one of the best things I've seen come from an internet forum, until this one involving William Shattner.  But I digress...  The website description goes even further with the inside joke and reads,

"110K+OT is not for college pukes, white collar sissy boys or mamby-pamby Nancy boys who haven’t done an honest days work in their lives. Nor is this beer for the common man. This beer is for the working man who has arrived. If your work boots are steel toed, come back when they are gold toed! "

As I said, when beginning this review I had no idea of its style.  I did know that it changed annually with every batch, but I had no idea which batch I possessed since I received this bottle in a trade (Thanks Ruy!).  Turned out to be Batch #4, an Imperial Amber Ale.  But unlike any Amber I've ever had.

Aroma 11/12

Whoa!  There is a lot going on here and it's all sweet.  Fruit esters are strong and come across in a variety of rich scents: fig, pineapple, apple, and grapefruit.  It's very dark, but with the sting of citrus.  More typical malt aromas sit further back, but are just as rich.  Caramel is powerful and blends surprisingly well with the fig/prune.  There is also a little bit of mustiness and a sneaky alcohol warmth that I feel will play a part further on in the review.

Appearance 3/3

The head is astounding.  Excellent in size and retention, it leaves a light khaki colored lace all over the inside of the glass.  The color appears brown when sitting on a table, but when held to light gives hints that the fig aromas will be visiting again soon.  The colors range from the sludge-like color of prune juice to handsome purples to bright, gem-like magentas.  The overall tone is a earthy maroon-magenta and was definitely a surprise to see in a beer this dark.

Flavor 17/20

This is most unusual.  It starts with sweet fruits like green apple, minus the tart, and does a short, sudden crescendo into an orange rind and dark fruit backbone.  To say that this is an odd combination is an understatement.  It's unique and not unpleasant.  There is a caramel note, but it is easily shouted out by the dark fruits, more of which fade in gradually along with a faint booziness, and more green apples.  The finish brings forward a lot more warmth, the orange rind, and eventually a bitter that has remained hidden until this time.  Unfortunately, the bitter seems to be a byproduct of the fruit and not so much a balancer thereof.

Mouthfeel 5/5

This is one full-bodied and silky smooth brew!  The carbonation is far from minimal, but its role is very subdued which is perfect in a big Imperial-style beer like this one.  The alcohol warmth in the finish also adds a tickle to the tongue to keep things interesting and far from syrupy.  However, with all this sweetness, sticky saliva is unavoidable.

Know that!

Overall Impression 7/10

No one can claim that this beer is not full of flavor.  After doing some research and finding out that this beer is an Imperial American red ale, I give this beer kudos for incorporating flavors I've never before seen in this style.  I like that kind of innovation.  My only gripe is my own fault; I find it too sweet.  No doubt this beer, being an "American" version of the style, initially involved a healthy dose of hops.  Thankfully, while those are still there in all their citrusy glory, they are not present to balance this beer with resin or pine.  Granted, red or amber ales can and should be malt centered, however a great crisp finish is often a hallmark of these styles and this beer lacked it.  I would've even accepted a moderately crisp finish.  However, the alcohol and bitter do not equal "crisp."  They can certainly contribute, they can even help make it dry, but this beer proves that they cannot stand alone.

Total 43/50

What can I say... another beer that I've possibly ruined by waiting too long to drink it.  In my defense, had it said anything on the label pertaining to style I might have made a more urgent effort to drink it.  As it stands, I can hardly believe that this is a red of any kind, let alone an imperial.  There are just so damn many flavors in this beer that I would never have expected in a red/amber.  Big props to Cigar City for that.  I can hardly imagine this beer with even more complexities added by fresh hops, but I can imagine it having more balance.  The mouthfeel and the appearance are also deserving of superlatives.  Now all I have to do is find a fresh bottle, no matter what style this year brings.

Rogue - American Amber Ale

This is a beer that I'm again sharing with a close friend in honor of American Craft Brew Week.  Thankfully, this particular brew happened to be available in a growler!  This review is for Rogue's American Amber Ale and let me first just say that I LOVE the variety of containers in which Rogue puts their beer.  I've now seen growlers, sixers, bombers, mini-bottles, mini-kegs, drafts, and I'm sure many more.  Combining novelty with great beer?  Sign me up!  As for this growler?  Let's pour!



Picture is my own.  Bottle art image used without permission for educational uses only.

 Aroma 10/12
A wonderfully balanced aroma.  The caramelly malt is a primary aroma (and a classic smell), but this brew does add some hops to the traditional stylings.  The scent is remarkably subtle and could easily be confused with a lack thereof, but as the beer warms the aromas definitely become more defined.

Appearance 3/3
A beautiful pour!  Lovelyl shades of red, copper, amber, ochre, and bright orange.  While the brew didn't have true "legs" the carbonation rising to the top was hypnotizing.  Think of "The Matrix."  Now imagine the letters cascading bottom to top, more spaced out, and in red hues.  Not much lace to speak of, nor was the head retention anything about which to write home.  The gorgeous and various shades of red combined with the soapy head were enough to earn this high ranking, even if it is based more on pure aesthetics than technical qualities.



Picture is my own.

Flavor 14/20
This is not what one expects in an Amber Ale.  Initial sips are that of a red caramelly malt that border somewhere between clean and bland.  Luckily, this lackluster beginning does not last and quickly transitions to a backbone of much more distinct caramel malts and a strong hop bitterness.  While there should be a good balance, this brew leans a bit to heavily on the bitter for the style.  The bitter is far from dominating, but it is excessive in an amber ale.  More hop flavor would not be out of place, but the hops in this brew lend mostly their bitter flavor to the backbone, and a dry hop bitter along with a peppery spice in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel 3/5
A medium light body is great in this brew.  It excels in creaminess and the carbonation is nice even until the end of the pint.  One could put down several of these very easily.

Overall Impression 5/10
A good balance of malty, caramelly goodness and hoppy flavors/bitter is important to an amber ale.  Unfortunately, this one tends to lean on the bitter a bit too hard.  It keeps the beer from being a sweet, refreshing crisp brew and changes it into a bitter, malty unexpected surprise.  Other technical aspects (body, appearance, head, carbonation) are sound.

Total 34/50
Meh.  I suppose my biggest source of disappointment is that I expect more from Rogue Brewery.  There are other amber ales that keep a malty emphasis in their balance without resorting to an excess of sweetness.  For the price, this was not a bad deal at all, $13.99 for the growler.  Heck, at most brewpubs you can't even get a fill for $13, let alone the growler AND the fill!  That considered, I can't be too disappointed.  However, I would gladly pay more for a growler full of something with which I will be thrilled.  When considering that last sentence AND the fact that there are other cheaper (and superior) amber ales out there, I'd probably pass on this one and try out one of the other AMAZING Rogue brews that we know are out there.

Picture is my own.