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.

Ommegang - Rare Vos

I realize that somehow I have not yet reviewed a bottle from Brewery Ommegang.  This is not because I haven't been drinking it, far from it.  I've been drinking their beer at festivals (especially their BIPA), bars (Gnomegang, anyone?), and buying bottles to share with friends because I am supremely confident that even those new to craft beer will enjoy a brew from Ommegang (their Witte seems to go over especially well).

For those not familiar, Rare Vos is the Belgian-style amber ale from Brewery Ommegang.  Their bottle description reads as follows. "Rare Vos is Flemish for 'Sly Fox' and the name of one of Brussels' great cafés.  It is also the name of our cunning Belgian-style Amber, which sports a mellow, fruity character and an elusive spiciness."  That's all I need to hear.  Let's pour!

Aroma 11/12
The Belgian yeast is strong, sweet, and a delight.  I've always associated Belgian yeast aroma with bananas, but this bottle clearly let's me see why others say bubble gum.  The Belgian bubble gum aroma is strong enough to make it difficult, though not impossible, to smell the amber ale behind it.  Any of the amber malts sweetness is overcome by that of the yeast, but the malts do still add a toasty, lightly earthy note to things.  As the beer warms, a surprising citrus arrives with the previously absent malt sweetness, which also helps loosen some of the yeast's stronghold.

Appearance 3/3
I'm on my first glass, so there's still quite a bit of sediment at the bottom of the bottle, but currently this beer shines like a new penny.  A bright, high-clarity copper color that absolutely glows as it sits in the glass.  It also enjoys a column of ascending carbonation and a superior head.  The head pours generously without threatening to overflow the glass.  It's so thick and tighly packed that it mutes the sound of the pour.  I love that.  It retains this head for, what after a while seems like just showing off and eventually as the bubbles join each other, the sides of the head turn soapy and leave a delicate lace around the glass.  Full marks!

Flavor 18/20
The beer slides immediately into its primary flavors with no introduction.  I was concerned after smelling the beer that it was going to be a witbier with a bit of amber malts.  Not so.  This beer's flavor is that of an amber ale all the way and what an amber it is!  It has everything that an amber should, but also adds a clean citrus behind it, which I can only attribute to a hop presence.  Holding the beer in the mouth, allows the Belgian sweetness to make an appearance, but it never comes close to stealing the show.  Slurping this beer brings out the toasty notes from the malts and bits of the yeast.  The finish is again more amber than Belgian, by being crisp and clean.  Well, clean minus a final good-bye from the toasted malt and a hint of spice (nice!).  The aftertaste is also clean, but leaves whispers of the earlier citrus.

Whoa!  Ok, so I just got down to the bottom of the bottle where all the sediment (a.k.a. the good stuff) was resting.  I stirred it up a bit and it gave a whole new cohesiveness to this beer!  Obviously the appearance became much more translucent and hazy, but the flavors now seemed more in tune with each other.  Instead of having an amber ale with a Belgian yeast "witbier" note in the background, this beer is now a wondrous blend of amber malt grain flavors and toastiness plus a dull, darkened Belgian yeast note that now seems more inclined to wrap itself in the amber ale instead of being placed along side of it.  Oh, and a increased bitter in the finish.  Very cool.

Mouthfeel 4/5
The carbonation is appropriate even toward the end of the bottle.  It's tiny and far between, but what is there is quite lively and adds to the refreshing, clean nature of an amber ale.  The medium-full body is more substantial than an amber ale requires, but the Belgian yeast flavors allow that body to not seem out of place.  There is not detectable warmth in this 6.5% ABV brew, but sometimes the yeast aromas can make it seem otherwise.

Overall Impression 9/10
I'm pretty pleased with this.  It's a substantial beer, but never lost the refreshing, crisp nature that makes the amber ale so popular.  I love that it shows you its different faces at different times (when cold/warm, in aroma,  etc), but when utilizing the sediment at the bottom of the bottle, everything comes together in a very nice and unexpected harmony.  It's like when chords finally resolve in music; it is both a relief and pleasing.  Being from Ommegang, it should come as no surprise that the technical aspects (appearance, mouthfeel) of the brew are top notch.


Total 45/50
As I mentioned earlier, I was initially worried that this beer labeled as a "Belgian-style Amber Ale" would end up being a Belgian yeast laden ale, with touches of amber ale just to be able to sell something different.  Allow me to say that Ommegang is delicious even with my foot in my mouth.  This truly turned out to be a craft beer that proudly emphasized the amber ale and only gave hints at a Belgian influence.  True to form, this beer not only satisfies the experienced, but would also please the novice.  If you're looking for something crisp, but a more substantial that the light, citrusy spring offerings, then you should definitely pick up a bottle or two.  It's definitely worth sharing.  Cheers Ommegang!  You've done it again.

Fort Collins - Z Lager & Food Pairing

Once upon a time, a very nice lady named Wendy sent me some vouchers for free cheese after I wrote about Cabot cheeses when they attended a beer festival I attended last summer.  I was stoked to get them (since I always enjoy Cabot cheeses) and couldn't wait to pair them with some great craft beer.

But wait I would...

It took me a while to finally USE the coupons and another long while to actually partake of the cheese itself.  The wait is over.  I've been fascinated with beer/food pairings ever since I heard of the idea.  Wines are often limited in this arrangement by their acidity (at least this is the argument given by beer-food pairers).  Not to say that wines can't compliment a food.  On the contrary, they can and have for centuries.  However, as we all know, craft beer is truly coming into it's own, especially the last 20 years or so.  Its flavors are far from finite, its smells are sundry, and its mouthfeels are many.  It simply appears that beer would be able to pair better with foods given its range of forms and styles.  Today, I get to find out by doing my first food-beer pairing.  I elected to go with a complimentary pairing today and chose a food & beer that would be similar in taste and "compliment" each other.  Other options are a "contrasting" pairing where the items contrast, but in an interesting albeit dissonant way.  One can also choose to pair a strong beer with a milder food or vice versa.  There are also camps that endorse a "stong beer, strong food" correlation (and vice versa).  The best part is, there is no best way to do it.  It's taste!  It's flavor!  No one can tell you that you're wrong.  What works for someone else might pair terribly for you.  It's all an adventure!  Now go out there and get tasting!  Let's pour.

For the purposes of today's review, I'll score the beer as I usually do and then try to speak somewhat intelligently about how it pairs with the food.

Aroma 10/12
Being a rauchbier smoke is, of course, very prominent in the nose.  This beer manages to do it without the smoke being overwhelming or giving the sensation of covering up an inferior brew.  The smoke is far from campfire smoke, but falls just short of that sweet liquid smoke/mesquite tone.  A bready malt as well as a lighter caramel lie just underneath the smoke and the bread is the easier of the two to detect.

Appearance 2/3
The beer looks very nice.  It's as clear as a summer afternoon and pours the color of a bright orange liqueur.  The head is ivory in shade, but small even with an aggressive pour though its longevity was a bit surprising in length given the lack of size.  It even left a little lace.

Flavor 17/20
It seems right off that there are a lot of malts that aren't lending a ton of flavor on their own, but then again this is a lager and not an ale.  They are biscuity light at first and the caramel appears even lighter and fainter than in the aroma.  Thankfully, the backbone comes in strong with the tastes of a great, classic lager and a nice amber:  a light, dull sweetness, a mild bitter, and a refreshing amount of carbonation.  The smoke surprisingly takes a backseat to the lager flavors and instead rides along as a compliment to the amber notes (especially those mild bitters).  The smoke is much more present in the finish!  Still far from overwhelming, it is allowed more of a voice as it traverses the back of the tongue and leaves a dry finish.  It's smokiness blends nicely with a hint of spice and a stonger amber sweetness.  The aftertaste is a nice bitter (especially for a lager) and wisps of the smoke.

Mouthfeel 5/5
This feels like a lager should.  It has a good level of carbonation that remains throughout the bottle and foams just enough in the mouth to lend a refreshing nature, but not so much as to come off creamy.  The body is medium and feels substantial for the style.

Overall Impression 8/10
I'm conflicted.  Part of me wants the bigger flavors that I find in my ales, even though I know that this is a lager and should have lighter and more subtle notes.  I also appreciate very much that this beer did not try and hide a lesser quality product behind an overdone smoke flavor and/or aroma.  In fact, this beer showed its lager roots loud and proud!  It's a damn good lager that happens to have some smoke in it.  They just chose to have that smoke featured mostly in the aroma and in an exhale after swallowing.

Total 42/50
I really enjoyed the fact that this is a substantial lager masquerading as a rauchbier.  Not only does the smoke never come close to acting as a gimmick, but it also barely interferes with a delicious lager - instead choosing to enhance the overall experience of the beer instead of showcasing a single feature.  Does this make it complex?  No.  Does this beer go down surprisingly quick?  Yes.  Would I buy another sixer?  Sure thing.

FCB Z Lager & Cabot Smokey Bacon Cheddar
Knowing already that the beer is more substantial in body and bitter than I originally anticipated, I can hope that the creaminess of the cheese will accentuate those characteristics even more.

The cheese on its own starts out with a typical cheddar body.  Not crumbly like a 6-year cheddar, but not creamy like cheaper cheddar (and at almost $7 for the 8 oz brick, it better not!).  Suitably creamy in the mouth and mostly cheddar flavors, but with the bacon's saltiness sneaking around the palate.  The real bacon flavor comes when chewing the cheese/bacon with the back teeth and the cheese starts to fall away.  Then the bacon takes over in full swing and ends this cheese on a salty, smokey meat-filled note.

To be completely honest, this is an experiment for me.  Do I drink the beer first and then eat the cheese?  Vice versa?  Hold the beer in my mouth, and then eat?  I'll test out some different options and get back to you.  Right now, I'm going to try and not overthink it and just eat like I (or anybody else) would eat.

When tasting them together the smoke in the beer's aroma is definitely stronger than the bacon in the cheese.  It takes over at first, along with the lager flavors.  After trying some different tasting methods, I have found one that works well:  cheese, few chews, sip of beer, continue chewing.  The cheddar starts out lightly crumbly and creamy plus nice cheddar flavors, with a bit of sharpness to it despite not being indicated on the packaging.  A sip of the beer adds an amber sweetness and the smoke.  However, continuing to chew allows the smoke and bitter of the rauchbier to transition beautifully to the salty bacon goodness inside the cheese.  I couldn't have planned a better transition if I tried.

How else better to wrap this up than to state the obvious?  "Smokey beers go with smokey bacon cheeses."  Not the most complex pairing in the world, but definitely involves some of my favorites:  a good lager, bacon, smoke, and a nice cheddar.  That's a darn good afternoon kids.  I'd even try either of these foods with steak, pulled pork, baked beans, and definitely a burger.  This combo receives my official endorsement and my strong recommendation to try it.  I wouldn't even wait til summer.  This type of deliciousness knows no season.

Two last thoughts.
1.  Thanks for reading!
2.  It's a bit of a new style/format of review.  Let me know what you think.  I'm more than receptive to feedback.

Big Muddy - Saluki Dunkeldog

As I mention in my previous post, June is allegedly for one to focus on drinking beer from their state/region.  With this beer, I stay true to my state as it is from Big Muddy Brewing in Murphysboro, Illinois.  For those of you unfamiliar with Div.1 NCAA football or ancient Egyptian dogs, a Saluki is the Southern Illinois University mascot.  Gotta love a brewery that stays true to its roots and community.  Let's pour!

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

Aroma 7/12
It is no surprise that a large caramelly, bready malt presence is the first scent noticed.  Alongside it is a bit of a sour note (citrus hops?) that does not exist once the head falls.  Once this beer warms, more toasty malts emerge and show the true character of this beer.  Fairly simple.

Appearance 2/3
Moderate clarity and great colors in the bright shades of copper, amber, red, and scarlet!  The cream-colored head is small , but does persist enough to temporarily cover the top before finally residing as a collar.  No lacing.

Picture is my own.

Flavor 16/20
A lighter flavor, but not in a bad way.  First sips are light, clean, and certainly involve pale malt.  The backbone is a gradual transition in the caramel and if held in the mouth long enough a light, yet distinct, citrus hop, and finally shows a nutty sweetness.  The finish also enjoys the prominent flavor of caramel-drizzled whole grain bread, but surprises the drinker with a very nutty, sweet flavor.  This finishes fairly clean, but the aftertaste comes back with the dark roast malt (almost coffee-ish), and a light hop bitter.  Everything is light, delicate, and not out of place.


Mouthfeel 4/5
Light bodied and extremely drinkable.  A very low carbonation exists which lends itself well to a false sense of creaminess.  There is no detectable warmth or astringency.  A wonderful juxtaposition of a light beer that feels sessionable without sacrificing distinct, complimentary flavors.

Overall Impression 8/10
The flavors in this beer are not robust, but they do not have to be.  Everything comes together quite nicely from the color and flavor, to the body and balance.  A very well put together beer that shows great poise in its simplicity.  Not to mention, a great example of the style.

Total 37/50
This beer is at the apex of the "Very Good" category, but the score feels low.  This brew is very much like a quiet athlete that goes out every week, does his job well, keeps his nose out of trouble (and the press), and is just a solid player.  This beer has the same simple, humble nature.  It is not going to be on any highlight reels or Sports Illustrated covers, but it is a sound performer that can (and should) be appreciated.  It deserves more accolades than perhaps it receives.

It is strong enough to be distinctly flavorful and light enough to finish several or encourage those new to craft beer.  I recommend both savoring the flavors AND having several.  This is a good beer made in a small brewery and I wish the folks down at Big Muddy Brewing nothing but more success on their future endeavors.  Prost!

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.