BEER#14: BELL'S JAVA STOUT

The fourteenth beer I chose to film was Bell's Java Stout. Like HopSlam, I found it at Capone's bottle shop while visiting the Philadelphia area in March. I think I may have kept this one around a bit too long though...

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS BEER: A good looking beer. Nice black body with a creamy, light tan head and a moderate coat of lacing. Very nice coffee aroma and flavor, you can tell some good coffee was added to this one. The roast malt characteristics of a stout are there as well.

The problem here was that the beer was sour. I am pretty sure it is not meant to be sour based on other people's reviews. I was only able to buy one bottle and it must have been a bad one or spent too long in my fridge. I am determined to get a fresh bottle of this in the future because I know Bell's beer pretty well and I can tell this one was just a bit off. I still appreciated the great coffee aspect of the beer but the sourness got to be a bit much.


FINAL GRADE: Can't really judge, good beer but possibly bad bottle.

BEER#13: BELL'S HOPSLAM

The thirteenth beer I chose to film was Bell's HopSlam. One of the most talked about Double IPAs I can think of. Found it at Capone's bottle shop while visiting the Philadelphia area in March.

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS BEER: Good looking beer, nice head and cloud on top with some spots of fine lacing on the glass. Smell and taste are great. Upon opening, a blast of hops left the bottle and could be smelled from several feet away. The aroma and taste were both a good balance of caramel malt and fruity/citrus hops. Orange, apricot, pineapple and grapefruit come to mind for the hops. The taste also has a large peel flavor to it. A great moderate level of bitterness is employed in the mouthfeel. The actual body of HopSlam was extremely creamy. On par with most pricey Double IPAs but definitely worth it. 10% IIPA that retains the style's characteristics rather than going toward more of a Barleywine feel. A very nice balance of the signature Bell's caramel malt flavor with great hops.

The only thing that could really be improved is the looks. The lacing and head were a bit lackluster. I have had better tasting and smelling Double IPAs but this one is not far from the best.


FINAL GRADE: 4.35 / 5 = A (for great taste, smell and mouthfeel, good looks and drinkability)

BEER#12: DRIE FONTEINEN OUDE KRIEK

The twelfth beer I chose to film was Drie Fonteinen Oude Kriek. I must say it was a good way to top off the day where I did a college presentation about lambics. Spontaneously fermented ales are in a league of their own.

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS BEER: A great pink/red color that make almost any Kriek look so appetizing. The smell was a good blend of cherry up front with some oak and funk/barnyard in the background. The taste was an awesome balance of classic Kriek flavors. Ripe sour cherries up front. A very dry beer, hate sweets in lambics. Oak and viney wine notes come into play nicely. The yeast notes and funk are here as well. Some bitterness rounds it all out with some acetic notes but they don't overcome the other great flavors. Mouthfeel was the standard light fizzy bodied lambic.

The only real problem here is the price. Spontaneously fermented beers and other wild ales are just too pricey. I understand where the price comes from and the beer is usually worth it but it really is a special occasion beer.


FINAL GRADE: 4.30 / 5 = A (for great taste and looks, good smell, mouthfeel and drinkability)

BEER #11: TROEGS NUGGET NECTAR

The eleventh beer I chose to film was Troegs Nugget Nectar. Everyone into craft beer has had this one. Probably the best taste for the value of any beer. The only problem with this one is it only comes out once a year around the beginning of February.

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS BEER: The hops are great. The aroma is outstanding with citrus, pine and grapefruit hop notes. There is some malt in the background of the nose that balances out one of the best smelling beers there is. The taste continues the great hop presence of this beer. Lots of fruit, citrus, pine and earthy notes. The beer itself is good looking with a nice creamy head and thick lacing left behind. The amber color suits the ale very well. The mouthfeel also suits the beer with medium carbonation and body.

Even after having a ton of IIPAs and hop-bombs, this beer is just a bit too bitter. If the bitterness was tuned down just a tiny bit, this beer would be more drinkable and taste almost perfect, IMO.


FINAL GRADE: 4.45 / 5 = A (for excellent smell, great smell and taste, good mouthfeel and drinkability)

BEER#10: DIEU DU CIEL APHRODISIAQUE

The tenth beer I chose to film was Dieu Du Ciel Aphrodisiaque. I did not get to try this one last year when I was in Montreal. It sounded so good, a stout brewed with vanilla and cocoa. About a year later, this beer started to be bottled and shipped to the USA. Aphrodite was the name in the USA and this beer started to get hyped up. I came across a few bottles as soon as I could and found out what I had missed up in Canada. This is truly the best beer I have made a video for, so far.

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS BEER: Everything. As you can see it pours out pitch black with a very big, creamy dark tan head. The head stays there like whipped cream and leaves very nice lacing on the way down. These characteristics are exactly what I look for in dark beers. This was the second or third time around for me on this beer. The smell and taste have certainly improved since last time, causing me to bump up my grade a bit. Both the smell and taste epitomize what vanilla and chocolate should be doing in a beer. Especially the vanilla. The roasted malts make for a nice background to the two but doesn't compete. The vanilla and cocoa play back and forth so well, it is almost like twist ice cream, but way better! This is one a few stouts (especially non-Imperial Stouts) that makes me think I am having dessert. Earthy hops help round out a flavor that is near perfection. The beer is expensive in the USA but not in Canada. If I could bring like 100 cases back from Canada, I would. It would be the best dark session beer of all time.

The one nitpick I have about this beer. The mouthfeel could use a bit more body and creaminess. If this beer had a creamy body, I would probably think it was some sort of dessert. It would truly be a perfect stout.

FINAL GRADE: 4.9 / 5 = A+ (for excellent look, smell, taste, drinkability and good mouthfeel)

BEER#9: TERRAPIN RYE SQUARED

The ninth beer I chose to film was Terrapin Rye Squared. I took a trip to Philadelphia a few weeks back and this was one of the many beers I brought back with me. The Philly are had so much good beer to choose from but it seems I got a few great examples from Bell's and Terrapin as well as Russian River and Hair of the Dog.

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS BEER: The smell and taste (most importantly) of this beer were great. I was expecting a hop bomb, didn't get one but was not disappointed in the least at what I did get. Smell has a huge caramel/buttery malt aspect to it with some earthy and citrus hops in the background. Grapefruit and citrus peels come to mind. Further into the aroma I get huge whiff of rye/breadiness that is nice. Some alcohol comes off this one in a nose of good strength and complexity. The taste is much of the same, a great balance of many flavors. The caramel/buttery malt is massive and rye/bread comes through with it. The rye is almost spicy to me and adds a nice element. Citrus peel and earthy hops are good, some grassy notes in there as well. The hops lend a very nice level of bitterness. A tiny bit of alcohol comes through and makes this one like a Barleywine/Old Ale. This beer also felt way more than 8.5%, which was pretty cool.

Not much to say here. The caramel flavor could have been toned down a bit and the beer would have been perfect. In the opposite direction, a bit more flavor hops would have gave the same effect. The looks could have improved with a head that had better size and retention but it seems like nitpicking at this point.

FINAL GRADE: 4.3 / 5 = A (for great taste and smell, and good mouthfeel, looks and drinkability)

BEER#8: GREAT DIVIDE HERCULES DOUBLE IPA

The eighth beer I chose to film was Great Divide Hercules Double IPA. I have seen this one around a bunch of times and decided to buy it when I found a very fresh bottle of it. Most Double IPAs are very hoppy now but this one was a surprise and had some barleywine-like characteristics. Not what I expected but a great beer either way.

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS BEER: A great looking beer. The amber-red beer has a head that has extreme retention and creamy/frothy texture. An insane amount of lace was left on the glass as the head dies down. The smell was good but the taste was great. Both had barleywine aspects and notes of high malts. The hops were citrus and earthy with good bitterness and even some tea and grassy hints to them. Not a hop-bomb but who cares with such a good malt backbone.

Alcohol is present in the nose and was somewhat undesirable. The taste could have used a tiny bit more hops but was great nonetheless. A thicker mouthfeel would have been perfect but the mouthfeel was nice and creamy and had a good level of carbonation. The price was decent for the quality of a pretty big beer that should probably be taken one glass at a time.

FINAL GRADE: 4.4 / 5 = A (for fantastic looks, great taste, and good mouthfeel, smell and drinkability)

BEER#7: PORTSMOUTH IMPERIAL PORTER

The seventh beer I chose to film was Portsmouth Imperial Porter. I picked up a growler of this on Kate the Great Day because I missed out on bottles of KtG. I didn't do a green screen effect on this one because I was homebrewing at the time of filming. I think it came out pretty nice this way and may do more like this in the future.

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS BEER: Overall it was a solid Baltic porter. The ABV was hidden very well and it had most of the nice aspects of a porter. The taste and smell both had good notes of nice roast malt, cocoa, earthy hops and fruit notes. I really liked the mouthfeel which was very creamy and also a bit warm and bitter. It certainly went down smoothly for a 9%ABV ale.

The appearance was nice but the head could use a bit more size and retention. The nose definitely was a bit weak (strength wise) and was hard to pick up after a while. The beer also seemed a tiny bit less than an Imperial Porter, it tasted and felt more like a regular porter to me (a bit too smooth maybe).

FINAL GRADE: 3.95 / 5 = B+ (for great mouthfeel, good taste, looks and drinkability)

BEER#6: FULLERS ESB

The sixth beer I chose to film was Fullers ESB. I have had this beer a few times and this last time I enjoyed it the most. You really gotta find the fresh ones to enjoy this one fully. I got a six pack that was about 10-11 months before the freshness date.

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS BEER: Taste and mouthfeel were great. The taste is a nice balance of very good, somewhat-caramelly malts with a nice laid-back fruity/earthy/citrus hop profile. The bitterness is low and helps create one of the better malt/hop balances I have experienced. The medium body and moderately high carbonation back up the flavor almost perfectly for a very smooth mouthfeel. It is highly drinkable due to the above aspects as the taste seems to stay the same throughout several of these.

I really wouldn't change much here. The price is great for an import. A bit of creaminess to the mouthfeel would make it outstanding but that is nitpicking. The looks could use better head retention and lacing but are still good. The smell was nice but could have used a bit more strength.

FINAL GRADE: 4.3 / 5 = A (for great taste, mouthfeel and drinkability, good aroma and looks)

BEER#5: FOUNDERS CENTENNIAL IPA

The fifth beer I chose to film was Founders Centennial IPA. I have really enjoyed the Founders beer line so far and ad high hopes going into this one. This one is made year-round and since it is a hoppy beer I tried to find the freshest possible bottles of it. The bottle I had was made on 12/14/09, still fresh.

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS BEER: Looks are the best part of the beer in this case. The extremely frothy head seemed to stand still in time but leave blankets of lacing behind. Smell and taste were good, both pretty much had a decent dose of earthy, floral and fruity hops. Hop bitterness is pretty much spot on. The malt was surprisingly pronounced for a balancing backbone. Drinkability is good because of the good price and pretty good taste. Alcohol (7.20%) well hidden.

Some things I thought could use changing. The hops fade in the flavor and aroma to leave the beer with a heavy orange peel and caramel malt characteristic. In the end, the beer gets kind of bland. The carbonation is a bit low and the body itself feels sort of watery.

FINAL GRADE: 3.75 / 5 = B (for excellent looks, pretty good taste, aroma and drinkability)

BEER#4: UNIBROUE CHAMBLY NOIRE

The fourth beer I chose to film was Unibroue Chambly Noire. I have had many of the Unibroue beers and have enjoyed most of them. I would like to visit the brewery someday if I ever go back to the Montreal area. The thing I notice most about their ales is the presence of a highly yeasty flavor, it seems like a signature to them. They list this as a "Black Ale" on their website.

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS BEER: Pretty nice looks. The smell and the taste have nice yeast and roasted malt elements to them. There is also a bit of a smokey note to it. I also get dark fruits and alcohol in the taste. The fruits give it a minor wine-like characteristic. The mouthfeel is good, especially the carbonation (noticed this in most Unibroue beers). The price is good and allows it to be sessionable (I got it for $9/4 pack). Worth a shot for dark beer/Belgian beer enthusiasts.

Things that could use change or improvement for me. The head forms nicely but needs more retention. The lacing was almost non-existent as well. I like the yeast notes but I think they could be toned down a tiny bit. The mouthfeel would be world class if the body was a tiny bit thicker.

FINAL GRADE: 3.75 / 5 = B (for nice flavor and mouthfeel, a good Belgian Dark Ale)

BEER#3: FLYING DOG SNAKEDOG IPA

The third beer I chose to film was Flying Dog SnakeDog IPA. I had bought a six pack of this because it was one of the most affordable craft beers in the store I was visiting. I also had a craving for some hops. I took this wintry picture while snowboarding at Sugarbush Mountain in Vermont.

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS BEER: It was good looking with an orange-amber body that had a creamy head with good retention. The smell had fresh hops of the earthy, citrus and fruity variety. The taste also had fresh hops of the same varieties. The malts come through a good amount for an IPA and help balance the hops out. There was nothing to complain in the feel of the beer. It had a medium body with moderate carbonation and a coat of bitterness. I would say this beer is a good session beer because of the nice hop flavors are and the price is very affordable (for a well made craft beer).

I would make a few changes to this. The aroma could use a bit more strength in all aspects. The flavor is a bit overly bitter. If this was toned down, the flavor would score a few more points. I would also be happy if there was a bit more creaminess/body to the feel of the beer.

FINAL GRADE: 3.8 / 5 = B+ (for nice fresh hop aroma and taste; overall a well-rounded, sessionable beer)

BEER#2: FOUNDERS IMPERIAL STOUT

The second beer I chose to film was Founders Imperial Stout. I have had it a few times and figured I might as well film it. I like most of the shots on this one but the last one, still learning. I think the picture I took of the Pyrenees Mountains near Queralbs, Spain goes great as the backdrop of this one.

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS BEER: The looks are nice for an Imperial Stout. The beer looks like oil and the head is coffee colored. The head beats out most I see on Imperial Stouts and leaves a creamy layer on top of the beer indefinitely. It also left very good lacing! The aroma is good and consists of the expected roasted malts, cocoa notes and some coffee notes (from the malts). The taste is better than the aroma and consists of the same elements but at a better strength and balance. There is a hop element to the taste that backs the malts very well. The MOUTHFEEL is my favorite part of this one. This is the thickest beer I have ever had. It has an almost milkshake consistency and some alcohol warmth that compliment the flavor perfectly. The price at $11 per 4-pack is amazing for an Imperial of this quality. For me it is dangerously drinkable at 10.50% ABV. I could drink a few of these at any one time but won't because I would rather enjoy this one thoroughly one at a time.

The only thing I would change in this beer is the aroma. The smell is good and necessary elements are there but alcohol vapors keep it from being great.

FINAL GRADE: 4.55 / 5 = A+ (for excellent looks and mouthfeel, great taste and drinkability)

BEER#1: FOUNDERS REDS RYE P.A.

The first beer I chose to film was Founders Red's Rye P.A. The filming did not come out as good as I would have liked but I am still getting used to the system I am working with. My tripod could also use an upgrade. I love the Founders beers I have had so far and this one was certainly not an exception.

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS BEER: Looks very appetizing (head, color), Hop aroma and flavor that rivals most IPAs I have had, Malt backbone balances the hops well, Taste lasts and makes it a good session beer (goes down very smoothly).

The only thing I would really change about this beer would be the mouthfeel and the price. The mouthfeel could use a bit more substance. The price here in Western MA is $12-13 for a six pack. I would love to make this my session beer of choice but $2 per bottle is a bit steep (for a session beer).


FINAL GRADE: 4.5 / 5 = A (for great taste, aroma, appearance and drinkability.)