Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti 12-25-2010

Ze Beer? Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti
Ze Style? Imperial Stout
Ze Maker? Great Divide Brewing
Ze Content! 9.5%
Serving type: 22oz Bomber

So, I had wanted to do a “Christmas” blog this year, and I wanted to do something wintery, like a winter ale, but when I went through my collection of beers, I noticed I had no “winter” ales to blog about. I originally lined up the new Samuel Adam’s Collaboration the “Infinium” to taste, but after spending some time with my family, and talking to my cousin to doesn’t have much of a taste for stouts, I felt this would be an appropriate beer to blog on tonight. My cousin Jason isn’t much for dark beers, but it seems his experience is narrowed down to Guinness; I assured him that there was a whole world out there of stouts, different styles, flavors and ways to drink them. Though stouts and Imperial stouts may not be for everyone, and my cousin may not even enjoy a “non-Guinness” stout. Any chance I have to help persuade to try a good quality beer the better. I have had this bottle from the summer when I was in Colorado for my brother’s wedding; here’s to you Jason, enjoy!

The Oak Aged Chocolate Yeti pours as a solid black liquid, with a bit of weight and depth as it pours, it almost feels like its pouring out in slight globs, like if it were real thick paint. The head forms slowly, and cascades from within the beer to the top. It’s a nice mocha brown color, thick but not too fluffy, but doesn’t retain too long. From the moment I begin to pour this beer, I can smell the chocolate and the malty grain from this beer. A deep molasses smell resonates from the nose alongside a smoked woody oak dryness, as you can smell a slight hint of ethanol hiding in this beer. Surprisingly very smooth on the taste, a bit of a lingered bitterness from the dark cocoa, not too creamy but a bit of body in this brew. A little bit of spice on the finish if you can get past the chocolate malts throughout this beer. The content is a bit on the higher side, but the alcohol is hidden well. A slight bit of hop up front before a blast of malts parade through to the finish.

Would I PAY for this beer? Yes, this is a wonderful Imperial Stout. Though not as wonderful as the regular Oak Aged Yeti, it is still good and refreshing, the heavy chocolates makes this beer refreshing; but, I feel if you’re going to be an Imperial Stout, be an Imperial Stout, and same goes with a chocolate stout, just be a chocolate stout, I think a bit is lost in the attempt to be both.

Overall Rating: B+/A-

Cheers,
-Ze Beer Guy

Zipfer 12-21-2010

Ze Beer? Zipfer
Ze Style? Heller (European Lager)
Ze Maker? Brauerei Zipf
Ze Content! 5.4%
Serving Type: 22 oz Bomber

So, this beer was purchased for me from my wonderful boss at work. It was a Birthday gift, and it was a new delivery, and seeing as he enjoys the idea of these blogs I’m doing, decided he’d help out with a beer, id probably never buy. The “Fat Michelob” we call it, and by the picture you can see why. This has just been sitting in the fridge for a couple of months, so it was time to break it out and blog. I would have drank it much sooner, but now I have conflicts. It’s dinner time and I want to drink you, but because you are my only bottle, do I have time to blog you?. Oh the days of Sad Panda are amongst us. Alright Bob, let’s have a crack at this fatty Michelob.

At the pour, you can immediately smell all that malt, pale malts everywhere. A very clear golden yellow color from this beer, a nice fluffy head that lasts a good while before completely gone, leaving nice micro-bubbles latched to the sides of the glass. Lots of pale malt on the nose, with some grain going on. Surprisingly the bubbles do nothing to the carbonation as the beer tastes rather flat; again, emphasis on, “Pale EVERYWHERE”. This beer has a nice creamy texture, but combined with the amount of pale going on, almost leave an awkward texture in your mouth. Not much for flavor in this beer, other than the pale malt going on. I mean if you like a good pale lager, this beer is definitely great, but it’s a bit much for my liking, I much prefer a pale ale. All you can really get out of this beer is the amount of malted grain used. If it weren’t for that creamy texture this beer would be a lot more drinkable. As someone who doesn’t care for many lagers I would rate this beer much lower than I will, but being the kind “attempted” unbiased person I am. I’ll be nicer.

Would I PAY for this beer? No, not for myself, it’s a decent beer, and I know a few people who would love it; but this style just isn’t for me.

Overall Rating: C

Cheers,
-Ze Beer Guy

Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale 12-17-2010

Ze Beer? Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale
Ze Style? Nut Brown Ale
Ze Maker? Samuel Smith Old Brewery (Tadcaster)
Ze Content! 5%

Samuel Smith’s makes some great brews. Slightly different from what you’re used to here in the states, as they are all English style beers. Seeing as Newcastle is one of my favorite anytime beers, the search for another good brown style seemed appropriate. And well as both are English Style, I picked up a bottle long ago, and tried it out. I decided to blog this beer, because today during my tasting, I had the Samuel Smith’s Winter Welcome Ale. Though not too impressed with the Winter Welcome, why not re-visit one of my classic “go-to’s” for those who want a little something less mainstream in America.

This English 550mL beer is a classic brown English ale by all standards. It pours a great mahogany brown color with little head on the pour. An off-white head leaves decent lacing, but not too sticky. You can definitely smell the malts in this beer a sweet caramel nutty tone present. A bit of toffee on the end, but definitely heavy on the sweet and breaded malts. This beer has that English Creaminess you can find in most English-style Ales, and along with it you get some wonderful toasted nuts and roasted malt flavors. Noticeable caramel, with softer tones of coffee and toffee make this beer quite tasty at and warming. A medium body gives this beer a bit of stickyness combined with a lighter carbonation allows for this beer to coat the mouth nicely, and leave just the right amount of aftertaste.

Would I PAY for this beer? Yea, it’s a great English beer and you cannot get many of those these days, in the world of craft microbrewing. Though there are better domestic beers that taste very similar if not almost identical, there’s something nostalgic about revisiting a Samuel Smith Nut Brown; and that nostalgia makes me buy this.

Overall Rating: B+

Cheers,
-Ze Beer Guy

Pumpkin Ale 12-17-2010

Ze Beer? Buffalo Bill’s Pumpkin Ale
Ze Style? Pumpkin Ale
Ze Maker? Buffalo Bill’s Brewery
Ze Content! 5.2% abv

Oh Pumpkin Ales, what can I say about thee. I am not a fan, to me there is only one type of pumpkin flavored anything, and that it comes in a roll. Every year my mom makes this wonderfully Pumpkin Roll, I look forward to it every year, I was in fact nervous I wouldn’t be able to have any this year… but alas, she came through and made it. I even got to take home the leftovers, but someone ate the rest before I had a chance *sad panda*, Oh well always next year. Of all the Pumpkin Ales I have tried this Pumpkin Ale is the easiest for me to drink? Why? Probably because its more spice than pumpkin. If I had to CHOOSE a Pumpkin Ale, it would definitely be this one. So, it’s the holiday season, and as the temperature drops why not send it away with a Pumpkin Ale. Huzzah!

This beer poured a light slightly hazed orange color, good carbonation and a good initial head, but the retention was not there, the head fizzled away in less than a minute. The initial smell is great with loads of spices coming off even before getting close to the glass, but that’s about all you smell. That fall time cinnamon-y and nutmeged cloved scent. Tons of pumpkin spices on the palate when you drink this beer, though the actual pumpkin taste is very light and mild, hard to pick up. Maybe this is why I can actually stand this Pumpkin Ale. Would have expected more from the taste due to the nose of this beer being so strong but it falls short of a full bodied and flavored Pumpkin Ale. It’s easy to drink but the spices do catch up to me and it becomes a bit too sweet with the malts. Would still prefer this Pumpkin Ale to others, but I think it’s because the pumpkin flavor isn’t too strong in this case.


Would I PAY for this beer? No, I do not like Pumpkin Ale, I do not like them in your house, I do not like them with a mouse. I do not like the taste of Pumpkin , I do not like them… err… Roy I. Guardsman

Overall Rating: C-

Cheers,
-Ze Beer Guy