New Belgium Dig.

Triple Voodoo Grand Cru.

The other Triple Voodoo offering I picked up on sale. Really watery/thin tasting, not much malt, a bitter spice, and a little hot. Not very pleasant at all. What's up with this?

I didn't rotate some of these. Whatever.

Triple Voodoo Inception.

Saw a couple bottles from this little local brewery on sale so I picked them up. Not a whole lot of ratings for them on BA; in fact, these are the only two beers they have apparently.

I am pleasantly surprised. This is a nice malty, spicy Belgian strong pale. The mild hop bittering plays well with the spices (maybe cardamom, cinnamon, ginger?) and persists with just enough presence on the finish. The mouthfeel is really nice

: full and smooth but cut well with the carb. There's a hint of heat at the end as well. I probably wouldn't have noticed otherwise, but I've done a lot of excessive drinking the last couple days and that tends to make me more sensitive to that feature when it's there.

Overall, I do like this beer, though it could be a bit dangerous at 8%ABV. We'll see how fast it actually ends up going down and whether it's too filling afterward. In other news, I'm going to keep things casual until I finally get caught up on my backlog of drafts. Many are just waiting for a picture, which I do not have with me here, so I don't know if I'll just push them out and edit later or what. So maybe I won't get caught up until the winter. Ho hum.

Harpoon Docesna Czech Hop Harvest.

A little dark, but noticeably fresher than the last two. The malty is still coming off as overpowering but there's still some semblance of hop character here. Lesson learned.

Harpoon Wet Hop Glacier.

Well, I think it's official that I've borked these beers.

Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Grand Cru.

Finally got around to this one, which should hopefully inspire me to finish up all the posts I have drafting. Of course, the tense on this won't make sense because this one won't fly until the backlog gets dispatched. I've just been really lazy and uninspired to hit all those keys. Anyhow, I've had this for a while, since before the summer, but only put it in the fridge a couple months ago and then forgot about it/was never in the mood. But here we are, Xmas Eve: a blend of Oak-aged Bigfoot (22%) and Celebration and Pale (78%)and then dry-hopped. It is an expectedly beasty 9.2%.

My face on the first sip: :O It is a confusing mish-mash of flavors. The Bigfoot, a pretty hoppy b-wine, immediately makes itself known. The mellower, by comparison, Celebration and Pale show up and take over, though still surrounded with a persistent Bigfoot stomping around the edges. The resin-y character of Celebration and the slightly sweeter Pale do ok until Bigfoot's time spent in bourbon barrels demands a retelling. The bourbon flavors are present but well-tempered, with caramel and hot notes.

I'm not going to lie. This tastes a lot like the DIPA I've been trying to churn through. That homebrew batch is about 5 months past its prime, and I've been working very strategically to utilize that 5 gallons. I'll post a picture, if I remember, but my time away did not treat it well. Basically, the hops died and rotted and turned the brew brown, and it became super malty. I suspected the Tap-a-draft bottles are not hard and those allowed oxidation damage, but the bottles were also as awkward. Anyway, this reminds me of those. But I like this one better, probably because it's from SN, and I actually had to pay decent money for it. But I probably wouldn't buy this again, even though I enjoy all of its constituents separately.

• Appearance: Muddy orange and red hues but otherwise fairly clear. Fine, creamy, persistent cap.
• Smell: Rich, malty, a bit pungent.
• Taste: Naturally, diverse. All components are evident and reasonably balance with one another. Taste progresses fairly linearly and distinctly rather than introducing anything surprising.
• Mouthfeel: Expected weight and carb from the style and blend. The Celebration and Pale significantly lower the viscosity of Bigfoot to make it quick.
• Drinkability and Overall: 9.2%ABV. A decent sipper worth a try but probably not a repeat buy.

Belzebuth Blonde Ale.

I forget where I saw this, but it's an interesting looking beer so I picked it up. 13%ABV is proudly displayed on the neck label. For a blonde ale, this is pretty potent. Also, interestingly, this is a French product, not Belgian. It is also a slightly smaller format. I had assumed it was an 11.2oz/330ml bottle but it is actually 8.4oz. Two small numbers are also printed: "28.09.12" and "L12.2.08". I suspect the first is a drink-by date. The second could be a bottling date, but the convention isn't consistent with the first, so it may not be a date at all.

As I was passing the glass to my other side, I got a whiff of wine but not much else. Frenchies. I was concerned that the taste may also reflect it's aroma but was pleasantly surprised. It's a creamy, malty base, rather sweet and esther-y with lots of bananas not cut with a lot of spices, hiding its ABV fairly well until the end. I can taste a fair amount of alcohol there, and it lingers somewhat.

I'm not sure what do do with beer, really. At 13%ABV and its level of sweetness, it's not going to go before or during a meal. The only other thing I would think of is as a dessert beer, which might be ok, but I'm not digging the alcohol aftertaste. To me, this is going to be more of a novelty beer. There are other beers and liquors better suited to fill the dessert or dessert accompaniment role. It's not terribly complex either, so I can't imagine myself wanting to sit down with just this. Eh, a bit of a miss for me.

• Appearance: On the darker end for a strong pale. Coppery gold; thin, mossy head, soapy down the sides.
• Smell: Alcohol-y as opposed to boozy. Reminds me of wine
• Taste: Very sweet, bananas, maybe a bit of peach, mostly unspiced. The alcohol is hidden until the end where it is fairly evident.
• Mouthfeel: Creamy and bit low carbed.
• Drinkability and Overall: It's not going to win any awards for being a dangerously drinkable beer. The taste experience is ok but it's fairly clear that this is a pretty alcoholic beer. I can't find a good pairing for it either, food- or occasion-wise. Worth a try but probably not much else. Also, one person on BA managed to track this down in a can, which is kind of cool.

Also, still abusing that abbey tag.

North Coast Pranqster.

North Coast, in my opinion, is a bit of sleeper brewery. They don't seem to get much spotlight time, don't immediately come to mind, or seem to put out very many beer. But everyone knows (or should know) Old Rasputin, one of the best examples of RIS. I'm also a big fan of Brother Thelonious which I had way back when I was first really getting into craft beer. I also had their Old Stock Ale a couple years ago as a random bottle pick during a random drinking night at the OT. Even then, I still hadn't put it all together as I remember not knowing who North Coast was at the time. Now that I think about it, North Coast doesn't advertise heavily on their labels, just a small round seal out of the way of some eye-catching, detailed graphic.

I will admit the cork gave me more trouble than usual, taking a good solid minute of working the cork around the bottle several times but then I got to the beautifully clear, bright golden pour with a full head. I don't have much to say about this, to be honest, and maybe that's a virtue. Pranqster is a Belgian-style golden ale, and that's exactly what it tastes like. Classic Belgian yeasty+spicy aroma but subdued. Rich yet light on the tongue, slightly sweet and fruity, dry with a mellow bitter finish. The head retention is rather low which affects the overall mouthfeel a bit, but that's forgivable.

Overall, this is a great beer, especially considering the $6 price tag on the bomber. The 7.5%ABV is certainly manageable over a night. It's flavorful so it stands well on its own. BA marks it as an aperitif/digestif or with game or salmon. Given the dryness, I'm on board with the fish, but I don't agree with the salmon.

• Appearance: Clear golden; head retention is quite low as is lacing.
• Smell: Mildly yeasty and spicy, some light-skinned fruits like pear.
• Taste: Only slightly sweet, dry, with a bitter finish.
• Mouthfeel: Very good carbonation, light and refreshing.
• Drinkability and Overall: At 7.5%ABV, it is immensely enjoyable on its own.

Bruton di Bruton.

A sale beer from WF. That last Italian beer I had was Peroni. That was in 2006 or 2007. It was that bad. This was on sale and had a more respectable look to it so I decided to give Italian beers another shot. This beer is refermented in the bottle and includes wheat on the grain bill. Heatshrink around the cap which is fitted over a fatter lip and makes a nice pop rather than a hiss.

I accidentally poured some of the yeast cake because I was thinking that the color was extremely pale and not foaming at all. I didn't get many impressions of it so the short version below is the long version, and I don't have much else to say about this one. It's supposed to be a Belgian pale ale, but they forgot the pale ale part. It reminds me a bit of Ephemere but much milder. Actually, I just took a big sip, and it reminds me of a nice, spicy witbier but not as spicy and maybe a little bitter. while I still don't trust Italian beers very much, this one is ok.

• Appearance: Pour looked really pale but darker in the glass. Bit of a lager-y head which dissipates and leaves only a moss.
• Smell: Grannysmith apples.
• Taste: Super mild and nondescript. A touch of Belgian spice character, light hops, more on the floral side. A bit of apple juice from concentrate.
• Mouthfeel: Low carbing, extremely smooth. Finishes with a bit of astringency.
• Drinkability and Overall: Drinkability is good, though a bit strange. Overall, as a pale ale, it's not very prominent. I can see this being enjoyable from time to time though. So it's not terrible, not outstanding, but only mildly memorable.

Firestone Walker Double Barrel Ale.

A bit lighter than a copper ale, low carb, low head though it foams easily with a little swirling. Smell is a little lager-y. Taste has a twinge of American macro mixed in with very mild hopping, mostly malt up front. I guess that's the English way of doing pales. I think it's pretty lame. I don't even find many American pale ales I like, and this is more disappointing than any of those. Even as an amber ale, I wouldn't have much to say about it. Firestone Walker, who won best mid-size at World Beer Cup 2010, colour me not impressed. (Did you see what I did there?)

Grand Teton Sweetgrass American Pale Ale.

Finally took a look at the beer section at the Whole Foods here. While not as impressive as the one in Chicago, the emphasis on regional beers is nice. I'll have to direct myself to get beers that don't have distribution back home. This beer won gold at 2009 GABF.

Pours a nice dark copper color, head is a thin and smooth cap with nice consistency. Smell immediately gives a nice floral, taste is floral, sweet, almost fruity. A very vibrant pale ale that smacks of an IPA soul. So is it bad at being a pale and not quite an IPA? It's a little less malty and hoppy than Dale's, a little more lager-y. Dale's is a great pale ale and definitely not an IPA. Grand Teton is a good pale ale. Unfiltered, 60 IBU, 15.0 Plato, 6%ABV.

Otter Creek Pale Ale.

Pretty weak. After having had Dale's Pale Ale (which, while hoppy, I still would call a pale and not an IPA), I have been ruined for everyone else's pale ale.

Harpoon Belgian Pale Ale.

Hadn't seen this one around in stores but I got to try it at the brewery tour. I tasted a few others that aren't readily available to me, but I stuck with this one for most of the tasting period and picked up a growler to go. I didn't get the matching BPA glass (this time [(but got two others instead]) because I thought the lettering was too retro-looking and wasn't terribly unique.

Pours a clear, vibrant amber.A little flat coming out of the growler, but I know that the head and retention is good. Slightly maltier than a pale ale, on par with hoppiness for an IPA. Nice spice twist with the Belgian yeast. Pleasant, resiny pine aroma. Crisp hop bitter, tones of wet grass in high heat. Medium body, good carb, clean finish. Solid enough to be enjoyed, light enough to have a few and not feel too heavy. A very classic BPA. Compared to Flying Dog's BIPA, it's a little less spicy. Tough call between the two.

Terrapin Rye Pale Ale.

The rye gives a spicy aroma, body and hop complexity more on par with an IPA though the bitterness is reasonable and well-balanced. Has a bit of a sour finish like a rye sourdough but also very mild. This is a very enjoyable, unassuming beer that stands well enough on its own in a session.

Sweetwater 420 Pale Ale.

I haven't had a pale ale in quite a while. Generally, pale ales are too bland for my taste (though I can't say I remember a time when I preferred pale ale). This tastes very much like the IPA but less hoppy. Interestingly, it has a more solid finish or perhaps the contrast between the taste and the finish is less dramatic. Nothing much to say here.

Goose Island Fleur.

Described as a Belgian pale ale steeped with hibiscus flowers. Bottled on September 17, 2010. It tastes pretty green still. I can get the Belgian yeast, though not very hoppy to bring up the pale ale part. There's a sweet, wine-y taste, more herbal than floral. I think it has some aging potential. I have two bottles put away. It's all I could find. Either the store had a very limited supply or it's super popular. Lucky I got it.

Chatoe Rogue OREgasmic Ale.

Thick, creamy head, a bit of caramel color. Reddish copper body. Very bright, fresh nose, grassy and crisp. Tastes a little like rye, fairly mild hop flavor, very pleasantly bitter. Fairly clean, almost watery (in a mineral water, not watered-down kind of way) finish. Pretty drinkable at a leisurely pace.

Kinda surprised this is actually classed as an APA. As an APA, not very good. As a beer, not bad. As a novelty, pretty interesting.

Southern Tier Cherrry Saison.

Aged with either French oak staves or aged in French oak barrels. It's not clear from their description, but from what I know of their brewery, I'm betting it's the former.

The oak and fruit gives a kind of wine-y taste though it finishes with a tart cherry. I found it a bit too heavy and sticky towards the end to be so refreshing as a summer workday ale.

8%ABV.

Goose Island Matilda.

Now that Goose Island is distributing here, I've found some of their Reserve line here. And Matilda got a new dress. A case will run about $130. I'll pick one up and squat on it over 5 years or more.

The bottle I have here is 2009 vintage. Sadly, it tastes nothing like the Matilda I had last summer. But I expect some better flavors to develop over the years. Currently, it does taste obviously young, little malt, almost sour, and fruity. Light carbonation and exquisitely clear red amber.

Delirium Tremens.

I don't remember anything about this actually other than the fact that it was not as great as everyone seems to think.