Whitestone Rated R

There's a lot going on right now.  A lot.  I found myself fighting an oncoming panic attack every other day.  At least i'm drinking more.  Anyhoo, Cedar Park's Whitestone Brewing recently released an insane blended brew called Rated R (the R stands for Ridiculous).  The beer is concocted from 6 different barrel aged brews, as follows:

1. Melted Snowman (winter warmer) aged in Treaty Oak rum barrel for 5 months.
2. Slappin' Da Base Russian Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrel for 12 months.
3. Lovely Day IPA aged in Treaty Oak rum barrel for 27 months.
4. 1431 Amber Ale aged in Madeira wine barrel for 27 months.
5. Boondoggle Brown Ale aged in Buffalo Trace bourbon barrel for 29 months.
6. A different batch of Boondoggle Brown Ale aged in Buffalo Trace bourbon barrel for 29 months.

The 10% beer pours brownish black with an off white head and smells of rum, oak, and vanilla.  The flavor is a complex and boozy mix of rum, bourbon, and oak along with notes of dark fruit, malt, and maybe a hundred other things.  The dark ale is probably not for everyone, but i found it to be delicious and unique.

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Rahr and Sons Bourbon Barrel Aged Winter Warmer

And from out of nowhere...it's winter here in Austin again.  Temperatures hung around the 30's all day, gray clouds, mist and cold, light rain.  It's the perfect weather for a strong libation.  Enter the Bourbon Barrel Aged Winter Warmer, an English dark ale from Fort Worth's Rahr and Sons Brewing Company.  This 9% ABV creation pours a dark, pitch black with a frothy, tan head.  The beer looks thick, and it packs a punch.  The bourbon is very prevalent in both the aroma and the flavor.  Add in some light touches of vanilla, chocolate, oak, malt, and some subtle spiciness, and you've got yourself the perfect beer to warm you up on a cold day or night.  But drink slowly.  You'll want another one as soon as your finished.

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Quilter's Irish Death

Dark and smooth ales can be very dangerous if you don't tread lightly, thought they can also be awesome and delicious.  And so we have the Quilter's Irish Death from Iron Horse Brewery out of Ellensburg, Washington.  The brewers refer to this ale as "beer candy," and they're not that far off.  Aromas of oats and fruits give way to light carbonation, flavors of fig and cherry, and a rich alcohol flavor that packs a punch at first, but subsides as the brew settles in the glass.  It's got a 7.8% ABV and is a perfect post-meal/dessert beer.  Good stuff.

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Southern Tier Iniquity Black Ale

Oh, how the darker beers always call my name.  Hailing from Lakewood, New York, Southern Tier Brewing Company offers up a veritable smorgasbord of different brews.  As they've only recently begun circulating their way into Austin, the only one i've managed to try thus far is their Iniquity Black Ale, a dark and foamy potion of sheer delight if i may be so dramatic.  This 9% ABV ale is smooth, malty, and sweet as you would expect from a darker ale, but the hops give off much more of a citrus flavor than bitterness.  At first, it's kind of an odd mix, as it's so unexpected, but ultimately, it really works well.  The beer would be the perfect companion for a steak dinner, and thus, is awesome.

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Thor's Equinox

First and foremost, the fact that there is a beer called Thor's Equinox from a company called Odin Brewery, it would be damn near impossible for me not to enjoy the hell out of their product.  And it's a great one at that.  A dark Belgian-style ale with a 9% ABV to get you where you need to be.  An elixir of the gods to be more exact.  The beer has an aroma of dark fruit and hops, and a taste to match, though there is an almost oak-like hint in the mix, along with malts and plenty of bitterness to go around.  For a Belgian, this brew is not quite as sweet as you might expect.  In some ways there is almost a stout-like feel in the bitter hops.  But it's damn tasty.  And it's called Thor's Equinox.  And that's awesome.  Unfortunately, this Washington brewer's wears are not available here in Texas, so much appreciation goes to my good friend John for smuggling it down here.

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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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