The Lost Abbey King of Tyre

I'm back on the Rare Beer Club train, my wife having re-enrolled me for it for my birthday last month.  And one of the brews from my first duo was the King of Tyre, a blended, barrel-aged barleywine from The Lost Abbey.  The 12% ABV brew pours a dark, cola brown with a light tan head and smells of molasses, caramel, and a little bit of oak and booze.  The flavor is a slightly creamy and slightly roasty mix of berries, vanilla, caramel, and some notes of booze.  It was a wonderful dinner beer.

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Stone Xocoveza Imperial Stout

Out of pumpkin ale season and straight into chocolate stout season.  And the always dependable Stone Brewing has one of the tastiest.  The 8.1% ABV Xocoveza pours black with a foamy tan head and smells of chocolate with hints of cinnamon and pepper.  The flavor is more roasted chocolate with notes of nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, and pepper.  It's a tasty concoction that's way stronger than it lets on so don't go crazy.

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The Bruery Vermont Sticky Maple

We're getting closer and closer to the holiday season, so it's time to start seeking out a more decadent variety of beer.  The Vermont Sticky Maple, a bourbon barrel aged imperial stout from The Bruery, is one such beer.  Pouring a dark, brownish black with a tan and bubbly head, the 11.3% beer smells of malts, oak, maple syrup, chocolate, vanilla, and bourbon.  The flavor is similar, a sweet and sticky mix of said maple syrup, chocolate, vanilla, and whole lot of oak and bourbon.  Have one before or after your big family meal.

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Goses Are Red

I'm always game for trying different styles of beer.  Honestly it's half the reason i do this little blog.  Anyway, i recently tried Goses Are Red, a sour, fruited gose style beer from The Bruery that's basically the beer version of a rosé.  The 5.6% ABV brew pours a clear amber with shades of pink and quickly dissipating, very carbonated head.  Aromas of fruit, spice, coriander, and a mild funk pair well with those same flavors of fruit and spice, along with some grape notes and an all around tartness that's clean and crisp from start to finish.  Drink this one with dinner.

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Untitled Art Neapolitan Stout

A collaborative effort from the folks of Wisconsin's Untitled Art and California's Bottle Logic, the Neapolitan Stout is a sweet and syrupy mouthful.  The 11% ABV brew pours a dark black with a light brown and beige head.  Aromas of malt, chocolate, toffee, coffee, strawberry, and molasses are evident, while those same notes mesh together with some subtle hints of licorice and booze in the beer's complex flavor.  It's heavy and feels like it's coating your esophagus on the way down, like nature's best medicine.  A late night brew for sure, but worthy of the high price tag.

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Stone & NOFX Punk in Drublic Hoppy Lager

At the grocery store the other day, strolling through the beer aisle, searching for something tasty for the weekend, and i was juggling a handful of different brews, all the while the inner '90s teenager within my brain screaming at me to get the NOFX beer.  So, i got the NOFX beer, and true to form from the longstanding Stone Brewing, it did not disappoint.  The Stone & NOFX Punk in Drublic Hoppy Lager, named for the punk band's 1994 album of the same name, pours a crystal clear gold with a foamy white head.  Aromas of grass and bread prevail with some herbal hints and maybe some pine notes in the mix as well, while the flavor of this 5.8% ABV brew is akin to something like a strong pilsner, a mesh of bready malt, spicy hops, and a hint of citrus all with a crisp and bitter finish.  This is an awesome spring brew, and i'm looking forward to cracking open a few more of these in the near future.

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And watch the old video for NOFX's "Leave it Alone" below.

Sierra Nevada Otra Vez

I just finished up a week of music and beer drinking at SXSW, and i've got to say that ending it on Saturday in the heat at a parking lot show with Sierra Nevada's Otra Vez, a gose style ale with lime and agave was a good move on my part.  It beat the heat.  Straw colored and smelling of grass, lime, and maybe a little fruit, the light bodied brew tastes of malt, spice, lime, citrus, salt, and a grassy wheat all with a slightly sour and fizzy finish.  And at 4.5% ABV, i could have drank these all day.

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Stone Xocoveza Imperial Stout

What's that you say?  Stone makes an imperial stout brewed with Mexican hot chocolate?  Well, happy holidays to everyone then.  The Xocoveza comes in at 8.1% ABV and pours a dark black with a brownish head.  The beer smells of cocoa, coffee, vanilla, nutmeg, and spices, those flavors all noticeable in the brew, with chocolate, malt, and hint of chili spice in the forefront.  This is a fantastic winter brew, and definitely worth your taste buds' time.

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Coronado Guava Islander Tropical IPA

During a trip to San Diego a couple of years, i was fairly taken with a lot of the beer coming out of Southern California, with the selections from Coronado Brewing being particularly delicious.  I figured it would be a while before i was able to sample their wares again, but lo and behold, the brewery is canning and distributing to Central Texas now.  Oh happy day.  Anyway, nothing pairs with a hot Texas day quite like a fruity IPA, and Coronado's Guava Islander Tropical IPA really hits the spot.  Pouring a hazy gold with a frothy, white head, the beer smells of citrus, spices, pine, grass, and tropical fruit.  Flavors of guava, grapefruit, citrus, and hints of bread swirl together nicely with a strong, bitter finish, and weighs in at 7% ABV.  More places should send their beers here.

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Stone Tangerine Express IPA

It's a holiday weekend, and while i may be working through 2/3 of it, my off time sure gets a tropical lift from the Tangerine Express IPA from the always dependable Stone Brewing.  The 6.7% ABV beer pours a nice, hazy gold with a minimal head and lovely aromas of hops, fruit, and citrus abounding.  The flavor is a sweet and bitter mix of tangerine, pineapple, citrussy hops, and some floral and herbal notes.  It's the perfect elixir for a hot summer day.

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Phoenix Vienna Style Lager

One of the cool things about writing a beer blog (even if i don't have a vast readership) is that the friends and family that read it will sometimes send beer my way.  From Coachella Valley Brewing Co. comes the Phoenix Vienna Style Lager, a tasty and spicy 6.5% ABV beer that i may certainly have to drink again if ever i'm back in California.  The brew pours an amber hue with a very foamy white head and smells of spicy hops with hints of bread and fruit.  The flavor is full of spice with toffee and fruit notes.  Brewed with dates, the beer is a pretty refreshing libation, and would pair well with spicy food.  Much thanks to Gary and Noma.

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Ballast Point Pumpkin Down

Fall is just around the corner, and you know what that means.  It means the battle for autumnal superiority begins between pumpkin ales and Oktoberfest brews.  I for one refuse to pick sides, as i love them both dearly, and will surely be writing about some of each over the next couple months.  So let's get started.  First up is a pretty tasty brew i'd never had before from the always dependable Ballast Point Brewing Company out of San Diego.  Pumpkin Down is a Scottish ale brewed with pumpkins and a very mild amount of spices to craft a delicious, but not overpowering pumpkin ale.  The beer pours a dark amber with minimal head and smells of toffee, malt, and pumpkin of course.  There are also some very subtle hints of cinnamon or nutmeg in the mix.  The flavors of roast pumpkin are very prevalent, but they compliment well with the toffee and caramel flavors from the Scotch ale, and the spices never come in too strong.  All in all, this is fine pumpkin brew, and comes in at 5.8% ABV.  Fall is here (kind of).

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Who You Callin' Wussie Pilsner

The fine folks over at Stone's Arrogant Brewing division have used their know-how and arrogance to craft German-style pilsner...and it's a damn fine one too.  The wonderfully named Who You Callin' Wussie Pilsner comes in tallboy six-packs, just as God intended, and clocks in at 5.8% ABV.  The brew pours a light, crisp gold with a white and frothy head and smells of grassy, floral hops with hints of bread and lemon.  Tasting like a strong and classic pilsner, the beer finishes crisp and dry with some lingering hoppy spiciness on the tongue, and perfectly compliments a day at the ballpark or an evening cooling off after mowing the lawn.

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Stone 2016 Imperial Russian Stout

With all of the craft breweries and that have sprouted up over the last half decade and all of the lovely brews all of those startups have offered us in that time, it's nice to go back and visit one of the original independents every now and then.  Stone Brewing has been giving us excellent beers for years, and their latest limited release Russian Imperial Stout is about as tasty as they come.  Pouring black with a brownish tan head, this thick, 10.8% ABV brew smells of coffee, chocolate, alcohol, and roasty malts.  The flavor is heavy on roastiness, but still smooth even with its high alcohol content, the coffee and chocolate notes easing everything down in a delicious swirl.  This is a damn good beer.

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Black Pumpkin Oatmeal Stout

Years and years ago, i got turned on to pumpkin ales courtesy of the very delicious, though now seemingly hard to find (in Austin anyway) version from Buffalo Bill's Brewery in Hayward, California.  Since then, i've moved on to other pumpkin concoctions from other brewers, but just found my way back to fold with the Black Pumpkin, a tasty pumpkin-tinged oatmeal stout.  (Man, a whole lotta pumpkins in that last sentence.)  The beer pours dark and thick and smells of pumpkin, spices, and roasted malts.  The flavor is creamy and roasty, with subtle chocolate notes and a whole lot of pumpkin, and at 7.5% ABV, this is a fairly easy beer to consume through the better part of a ballgame.  Gotta get my fill while the season's strong.

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New English Brewing Zumbar

There's really not much i like better than ending the day with a dark, heavy beer, sitting back on the sofa and watching a movie or reading a book.  The kid's asleep.  The dog naps next to me.  It's a lovely time.  And so, we have what is probably the last beer i'll be writing about from my trip to San Diego earlier in the summer, New English Brewing Co's Zumbar, a delicious chocolate coffee imperial stout.  The beer pours dark with a thick, tan head, aromas of chocolate and coffee permeating the air.  The chocolate flavor hits first with a subtle sweetness that is immediately followed by the coffee notes along with some malts and bitterness.  It's fantastic, and at 9.3% ABV, it does not mess around.  I wish i had one to drink tonight.

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Mission Brewery Blonde Ale

It's summer.  It's hot.  I spent part of my day yesterday mowing and edging my lawn.  At midday, i was a filthy, sweaty mess, a heap of wet and dusty clothes and reddening skin.  I sure could have used a Blonde Ale from San Diego's Mission Brewery to cool me back down.  The beer is a Kolsch-style ale, pouring a nice and light gold with a dry, crisp body.  Aromas and flavors of fruits and spices prevail prevail in this perfect summertime beverage.  I've said before that nothing beats a Kolsch on a hot summer day, and it turns out i'm absolutely right.

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Back in Black Black IPA

If i'm honest with myself, there really does not seem to be any style of beer that i just don't like.  Sure, there are some that are not my favorite...which is really just a nice way of saying i'd rather not drink them, and there are certainly some i favor more than others, but it really all just comes down to my mood.  That said, i love me some IPA's, and all the wonderful variations of said style.  Back in Black is a black IPA from 21st Amendment Brewery, a collision of styles and flavors that i thought worked together fantastically.  The beer pours a nice black with a tan head and smells of orange and citrus, but with some detectable coffee notes.  The flavor brings together the citrus and some grapefruit notes with roasted malts and some light caramel, the whole thing finishing dry and not overly hoppy, and at 4.9% ABV, it's an easy drinker.  Have one with a friend.

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Mike Hess Claritas Kolsch

Summertime usually means Kolsch-style brews for me, and this summer is no different.  Since loading up on California beers back in June, i was provided with a bevy of different ones to sample.  San Diego's Mike Hess Brewing's offering was their Claritas Kolsch, a light-bodied, golden nectar with aromas of citrus and fruit and flavors of said fruit notes with some sweet malts and spicy hops.  Perfect and refreshing for a hot day spent outside by the pool, or porch, or BBQ, and so on.

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Stone Imperial Russian Stout 2015

I was in San Diego.  Of course i was going to drink some beer from Stone Brewing.  I'd be stupid not to.  Anyway, cheers to their 2015 Classic Release Imperial Russian Stout, a thick-bodied and tasty beer that's as black as my dark soul.  Midnight black with a tan head, the beer smells and tastes of chocolate, coffee, roasted malts, and dark fruit with some nice and subtle hop notes to spice things up just a tad.  As thick and heavy as the brew is, and with it's 10.6% ABV, this one's a post-dinner treat, a night-ender sitting on the porch with your friends.

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