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.

Brooklyn - Black Chocolate Stout (2007)

This is another beer that I would not have been able to get my hands on were it not for my east coast trading partner who wishes to remain anonymous.  So first, big thanks to him (or her?).  Second, I loooves me a big ol' stout.  The bigger and darker, the better.  In fact, I'd even venture to say that stouts can have just as many flavors as the venerated IPA.  This stout looks especially promising as the ABV is 10.6%, a percentage not seen frequently, let alone crammed into a 12 oz. bottle.  Oh, and did I mention that this particular bottle is from  the "limited bottling" that occurred in the winter of 2007-2008.  "So I've got that going for me.  Which is nice."  Let's pour!

Sweet, fancy Moses that looks amazing!

Aroma 12/12

Even the initial aromas of this beer were enough to earn it a higher score: dark roast, dark chocolates, and alcohol warmth that wrapped the two of them up into a comforting, cohesive bundle.  After pouring the beer and allowing it to warm a tad more, the dark fruits emerge and evoke the Dark Lord (um, that's Three Floyds, not Harry Potter).  The dark fruits, which offer cherries & raisins among others, are also complemented by the warmth and again make me think of Port wine, but without as much smokiness.  This is phenomenal!  Let things warm even further and the chocolate turns into a darker cocoa nib with some anise/black licorice notes.

Appearance 3/3

This beer, true to its namesake, practically pours like melted chocolate especially in the color.  In the glass however, it is as black as night and only lets through a coffee brown around the top edge when held to light.  The head was low, which is to be expected in a bottled beer approaching 5 years of age.  It was a wondrous dark brown and left some nice, sticky lacing even in its humble quantity.

Flavor 20/20

This is everything that I hoped it would be.  The first taste sensations are confusing.  It seems like a sharp sour and a little salty, but once your tongue can comprehend all the wonderfullness that is happening to it things begin to take shape - a glorious, tasty, amazing shape. And yes, "wonderfullness" is a word.  Bill Cosby says so.  The malts take over and show your taste buds hints of coffee, an abundance of deeply roasted/nearly charred malts, tart cherries, plenty of alcohol warmth, port, a pronounced bitter, insanely dark chocolate, and the anise from the aroma.  These flavors are all quite intense, but have the good fortune remain detectable on their own, yet still form a wonderful cohesive harmony.  Wow!  The finish is one of the most complex I seen in quite some time, but that is undoubtedly due to the complex beer that begat it.  Its alcohol heat is unashamed and bold, and forces a less balanced composition though it still remains remarkably tasty; incorporating the tartness, dark roast, and dark chocolate from the backbone.  The aftertaste is curious.  It is mostly an alcohol-induced tingle along the sides of the tongue and a sticky roasted malt in the back of the throat accompanied by a lighter bitter.  The warmth provides a cleaner aftertaste than I ever would've thought possible after such an flavor intense brew.

Mouthfeel 5/5

Warmth is obviously the first mouthfeel characteristic that leaps to mind, but it is used well and never overwhelms all the other amazing flavors and aromas.  It threatens to, but never actually follows through on its threats of coup d'état.  The carbonation is initially stronger than anticipated, but eventually dulls down to a level that sits just barely on the right side of being too aggressive.  Were it not for the fuller body, age, and simple lack of quantity this carbonation might be too much.  As it stands, the carbonation is fine, especially after realizing that most of the prickly/tingly feeling on the tongue is due to alcohol and not the carbonation.

Overall Impression 10/10

What else can I say?  Amazing aroma, good lookin', complex, robust flavor, and a permeating alcohol are the fundamentals, but the wonderful blend, well-used warmth, and the rich malts truly set this apart.

Total 50/50

If you can't your hands on Dark Lord, I'd say that this is a fine substitute.  In fact, I ranked this higher than Dark Lord!  This brew has more of the dark roasts, making it feel more like a stout.  Some people may read that as "it's less unique that DL."  That may be true, DL truly stands on its own and I've never had another stout like it.  However, this Brooklyn Brewery creation is much more like a true stout and since I like stouts that's a very good thing.  I feel bad talking so much about DL in a review for another beer, but hopefully that shows people that other, more available, beers are out there that are just as capable of knocking off your socks.  Obviously, this beer ages extremely well and I can't wait to find a "fresh" package so I can try it at all its stages of development.  In case you're counting this beer is now only the fourth beer to which I've issued a perfect score and it is most deserving.  Cheers Brooklyn!!  I'll be buying this beer whenever I see it.

Goose Island - Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout

Holy cow!  You guys have easily made this my best month ever despite the fact that I was gone for a week to Washington D.C. and wrote no new posts during that time (minus a pending photo spread of Port City Brewing in Alexandria, VA).  In thanks for your dedication and in apology for that pesky thing called "life" getting in the way of craft beer reviews, I'm breaking something extra special out of the cellar today!  All the good vibes I'm feeling call for no less than to break out a bottle of Goose Island's Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout.

 Being religiously revered by the craft beer communities (100/100 on both beeradvocate.com and Ratebeer.com) makes these bottles pretty hard to get and I consider myself lucky that I was able to snag two.  However, this may not be as much of an issue in the future as Goose Island has announced that due to a large increase in barrel-aging facilities, BCS will be available year round!!!  Such an occasion also gives me an opportunity to break out my new "sampling" glasses that I picked up while at Port City.  They have a mark on them to indicate the proper size of the pour, a nice wide body to permeate the air with its aromas, and finally a very narrow opening so that the nose may better do its duty.  Despite the aforementioned perfect ratings, I will be giving this beer the most unbiased review that I can.  Let's pour!

Aroma 12/12

OK, so those perfect scores are on to something.  The characters in this aroma (chocolate, bourbon, and coffee) are certainly not new to the craft beer world, but the way in which they mingle is unmatched.  I attribute this somewhat to the Anjilanaka coffee beans used in the brewing process, as the coffee aroma is completely unique.  The rest I attribute to the craftsmanship used when brewing this beer.  The chocolate aroma is thick, rich, and has more than a little bit of lactose behind it, implying a chocolate milk.  The bourbon is the next aroma and its tingle is unmistakeable.  Already the sweetness of the malts is harmonizing with that of the bourbon and it's very exciting.  The coffee starts out in third place, but grows in prominence as the beer warms.  It truly does the work of tying all three ingredients together.  The darkness of the coffee compliments the malt, but it bitterness also helps balance it.  Meanwhile, its bite takes a note from the bourbon's warmth and earthiness.  This is a blend of the gods.

Appearance 3/3

I'm not sure how to score this, as I feel the head is simply not up to par.  Then again, are head and its retention going to be possible in a 14.0% ABV?  Granted, it was present initially in a handsome dark brown, but only it poured a half a finger tall and fizzed down to nothing as I snapped a few photos (see above photo).  As far as the rest of the appearance, it's as black as tar and even has that slight yellowish outline when held up to light.  Pretty cool.  

Note:  I eventually scored this beer 3/3 instead of 2/3 after considering the mouthfeel.  If one does not hold a minimal carbonation content against the beer when in the mouth because of its style and high ABV, then I feel it's hardly fair to do so when in the glass.

Flavor 20/20

I'm pretty sure this just made my tastebuds each put on their favorite NCAA mascot costume and begin a violent, marathon orgy.  The beginning is a eye-closing harmony of world-class chocolate and bourbon's sweetness.  It literally made me close my eyes in a moment of requiem.  The bourbon fades away briefly to showcase the chocolate, which is an ohmygoshIjustpaidhowmuchforchocolate type chocolate that you only wish you could get for your significant other on Valentine's Day (hell, you wouldn't mind receiving it either).  With the coffee's light bitter it is simply extravagant.  The bourbon then re-enters, but this time it brings its heat and not so much its sweetness; it's not about to let this Bourbon County Stout go without its namesake, after all.  The result is a confectioner's dream of silky milk chocolate, bourbon's sweetness and warmth, and hints of coffee.  My tasting glass has definitely warmed and I'm finding the coffee to be quite understated, but the bourbon to be quite prominent.  Unless this strange type of coffee bean is helping contribute to the Godzilla-sized portions of amazing chocolate in this beer.  In that case, I can find it pretty easily.  The finish is fantastic, but probably only if you like bourbon.  It's a whole lot of alcohol warmth that spreads it wings across the chest, but does allow the coffee bitter to come through a bit more to give a "very dark" chocolate sensation.  Detecting any other flavors past those two behemoths is going to be insanely difficult.

Mouthfeel 5/5

This is a little bit thinner in the mouth than I expected after the thick pour and heavy lactose smell, but thankfully so.  Had it been as thick as one expects, the beer might border on undrinkable.  That said, the initial mouthfeel is a bit thin, but sits heavily upon the tongue as if it takes a while to realize what it is there to do.  The carbonation is minimal, but in a beer this big and alcohol laden it is not completely inappropriate nor unwelcome.

Overall Impression 10/10

Color me impressed.  You can't be mad at a beer that promises you bourbon and then delivers.  Or rather, one that delivers, but not at the expense of other flavors.  I've definitely had the products of brewers happy to blast their hard work with bourbon and call it a day.  Goose Island, while brewing a beer strong with bourbon, also gives us oodles of dripping, rich chocolate and a coffee backdrop that tops any I've tasted (although Beer Geek Brunch gives this coffee it a run for its money).  This is a monster beer that still manages to harmonize a trio of insanely delicious flavors.  You know when you've had something special and this beer certainly qualifies.

Total 50/50

They almost lost their perfect score in the "Appearance" category, but they pulled through to gain that elusive 50/50; only the fifth beer to do so, in over 140 reviews!  Right from the aroma, this beer is ready to knock your socks off.  My tasting glass sat at least two feet away from me and I could still smell the chocolate/milk/coffee blend emanating from its opening.  The taste is a wonderful conglomeration of flavors and any stout lover/big beer lover will be able to appreciate this beer.  Some could complain it's too boozy, but I counter that the warmth never overwhelms the other flavors.  It may knife fight them for the spotlight, but it never drowns out its partners.  In fact, to remedy this (and to help keep the beer at a more desirable temperature as a whole) I recommend small pours.  Those that find the bourbon warmth to be an issue may have let the beer warm too much.  Keeping it at a suitable drinking temperature helps to blend the bourbon with the other delicious flavors and keep this harmony strong.  Also, never give this beer a wine-tasters' slurp unless you wish to be lambasted with bourbon goodness.  Kudos to Goose Island on this AMAZING brew and best of luck on their barrel-aging endeavors!!!