Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA

Do you remember the old MTV video show "120 Minutes?"  I loved it.  It was the perfect thing to end a week with on Sunday night.  It was my ritual through my junior high and high school days way back in the mythical decade of the 90's, and it has absolutely nothing to do with the 120 Minute IPA from Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales.  Unlike a regular IPA, this one is boiled for two hours (hence the 120 minutes) and then dry hopped as it ferments over the course of a couple of months.  From there, the brew ages, and begins to develop so sweet, almost sherry-like qualities.  Don't misunderstand, the hop flavors and aromas are still there, and still intense, but the bitterness subsides a little, and some sweet and floral tastes and smells work their way through the beer.  It's fantastic.  If you're a hophead, you'll love it.  And, the ABV generally ranges from 18%-25%, so that's always a good time as well.  Finally, a new 120 minute ritual for my Sunday nights.  Cheers.

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Nefarious Ten Pin Imperial Porter

Still winter time.  Still digging on the darker brews.  But this time, i felt i should go for more of a traditional porter without all the coffee, or pecans, or pumpkin (the kind i just brewed myself), and so i give you the Nefarious Ten Pin Imperial Porter from Ska Brewing Co. in Durango, Colorado.  The brew is a pretty straight forward porter, dark, malty, and with your usual hints of caramel and chocolate.  An excellent beer for a cold day.  Sometimes it's nice to just enjoy a classic.

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Adelbert's Black Rhino

My apologies for not obtaining a better photo of this dark delight, but recycling picked up this morning.  The Black Rhino Belgian-style Dark Ale comes to us from Austin's Adelbert's Brewery.  The beer pours dark and light-bodied with a nice, off-white head and gives off a subtle aroma of nuts and hints of dried fruit.  The taste is kind of a smoky blend of roasted, chalky malts, caramel, and some hop spice all with a sour finish.  All in all, not a bad brew, and one that would go great with some stinky cheeses.

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Harpoon Chocolate Stout

I've been known to imbibe a dessert beer on occasion around here, something to enjoy before or after a meal.  This led me to the Chocolate Stout from Massachusetts' Harpoon Brewery, about as apt a name for a beer as you will ever come across.  Like a good stout, the carbonation is light, but the head frothy, and the beer is dark and malty.  The first thing i noticed upon the pour was the almost overwhelming aroma of chocolate, like a big candy bar.  And on first taste, the chocolate flavor is just as overwhelming as the smell.  It's a bitter chocolate flavor like you would get from a dark chocolate, heavy on the cocoa, light on the sugar.  The immense chocolaty flavor soon dissipates a little to bring in the more subtle malts.  Once you get past the initial shock of the first taste, the beer is quite enjoyably, a good bitter stout that still tastes like dessert.

Note:  This is not for everybody.

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