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Rivertown Pestilence – Snobby Beer Written Reviews

March 4, 2012 By SnobbyBeer Leave a Comment

Rivertown Pestilence

Rivertown Brewing Company recently released their first beer of their Brewmaster Reserve Limited Release Series, and the beer is Pestilence. Pestilence is a sour brown ale brewed with 7 varieties of malted barley and wheat. The beer also has has Hibiscus flower, and has gone through the process of sour mashing. You may remember that Rivertown has dabbled in sour beers before.

From the Rivertown press release:

Rivertown Brewing Co.’s Brewmasters Reserve Limited Release Series is set to kick off next month.

We are pleased to announce the 2012 Brewmasters limited release series starting with the introduction of “Pestilence”. Pestilence is a sour brown ale brewed with 7 varieties of malted barley and wheat, organic whole Hibiscus flower pedals and spicy hops from the Hallertau growing region of Bavaria. The name Pestilence is derived from the ancient biblical term for infection or plague. Through a natural process called sour mashing, we expose the mash to airborne elements for a period of 48 hours allowing for a natural infection to arise causing the beer to sour. After this process is complete, we collect the sweet, sour runnings and introduce the spicy hops. We then boil it for a period of 1 hour and steep it with fresh hibiscus flower pedals. The end result is a wonderfully aromatic blend of fresh botanical herbs and mouth puckering sourness.

Pestilence will be the first of four brews released in 2012 centered around the ancient Mayan apocalypse of 2012 which signifies the world’s end on December 21st. Pestilence holds significance as being one of the Four Horseman set loose upon the world acting as a harbinger of the last judgment charging through at worlds end carrying wheat and a fist full of barley.

Release Date: Early February 2012
Alcohol by Volume: 5.4%
Color: 20 SRM (Brown)
Style Guideline: Wild/American Sour Ale/Brown Ale
Availability: 12 oz bottles 24-loose case/ 1/6bbl keg
Malts Used: Pilsner, Pale, Carabelge, White Wheat, Chocolate, Dark crystal, Munich
Hops: Hallertau Perle
Specialty Ingredients: Organic Hibiscus Flower Pedals
Serving Temp: 55F

P.S.- Save one bottle to enjoy as a vertical on December 21st 2012

APPEARANCE

The beer pours a Coca-Cola brown, with just the slightest amount of deep red light poking through. There was a tiny white head when first poured, but it went away fast and left nothing remaining. There was little visible carbonation. Overall, it looks somewhat like a clear Belgian dark – nice looking beer. [Read more...]

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New Glarus Thumbprint Barley Wine – Snobby Beer Reviews

February 24, 2012 By SnobbyBeer 1 Comment

New Glarus Thumbprint Barley WineNew Glarus Brewing is a brewery from (you guessed it) New Glarus, Wisconsin. I have really been enjoying their beers lately, so much so that I set up a huge trade involving a bunch of NG beers, including their newest beer in the Thumbprint series – their Barley Wine. Coming in at a hefty 12% ABV, this American barley wine has gained a lot of attention from New Glarus fans.

Served in a Belgian tulip. Enjoyed on 2-21-12.

From the New Glarus website:

“A few times a year we cut Dan loose to brew whatever he chooses. Always handcrafted, the bottle you hold is brewed for the adventurous soul. This is a very limited edition and we make no promises to ever brew this style again.

Our 2012 Barley Wine bridges continents of style, a harmonious creation of Diploma Master Brewer Daniel Carey. He personally chose the hop fields that were harvested for this powerful beast of a brew. Styrian Golding, Willamette, Columbia, and Sterling with bold citrus and resin notes. All perfectly balanced with toasty graham cracker flavors of floor malted barley. Savor this very big beer at 45° F and it will reward you with an open embrace.”

APPEARANCE

This beer pours a slightly hazy orange-yellow-honey color. It’s fairly light compared to other barleywines I’ve had, and it looks very much like an IPA or double IPA. The head was massive, about 3 fingers, and just the slightest bit off-white. It leaves some nice lacing along the side of the glass, and after the initial pour there is almost no carbonation bubbles to speak of. [Read more...]

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Bell’s Black Note Stout – Snobby Beer Written Reviews

February 17, 2012 By SnobbyBeer 1 Comment

Bell's Black Note Stout

Black Note Stout from Bell’s Brewery, Inc. is a blend of their Expedition Stout and Double Cream stout. It is then aged in retired bourbon barrels for months. I was lucky enough to try this beer on tap at Chappy’s Taproom in Dayton, Ohio. This beer was recently released in bottles in extremely limited quantities for the first time.

From the Bell’s website:

One of the most sought-after stouts in Bell’s history, Black Note Stout blends the complex aromatics of Expedition Stout with the velvety smooth texture of Double Cream Stout and ages the combination in freshly retired oak bourbon barrels for months. The resulting harmony of flavors captures the finest features of all three components: malty notes of dark chocolate, espresso & dried fruits, all buoyed by the warmth and fragrance of the bourbon barrel. Aimed squarely at the stout and bourbon aficionados, Black Note makes a grand statement about the art of the dark.

Alcohol by Volume: 11.5%
Original Gravity: 1.112
Shelf Life: N/A

APPEARANCE

Well, what do you expect? It’s black as night, and sat under a mocha-colored head that dissipated quickly. There was no lacing, but the beer had some pretty apparent alcohol legs. There wasn’t any light coming through on this one. With a name like Black Note, would you expect anything else? [Read more...]

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Dogfish Head Tweason’ale – Snobby Beer Written Reviews

February 15, 2012 By SnobbyBeer Leave a Comment

Dogfish Head Tweason'aleTweason’ale from Dogfish Head is a gluten free, sorghum based beer brewed with strawberries and honey. This is the first 4 pack in the Dogfish Head lineup in 5 years.

From the Dogfish Head website:

The No. 1 thing Dogfish lovers ask for at our pub, in our brewery and on our website is a gluten-free beer. But not just any gluten-free beer — they want gluten-free with gusto.

“It seems as if lots of folks who have gluten-tolerance issues are pining for an interesting beer,” says Dogfish founder and president Sam Calagione. “While there are a few well-made examples that mirror traditional beer styles, there arent any off-centered offerings.”

Enter Tweason’ale.

For our first new 12-ounce 4-packs in nearly half a decade, we replaced the classic barley foundation of beer with a mild sorghum base. The hints of molasses and pit-fruit are balanced by vibrant strawberry notes and a unique complexity that comes with the addition of a malty buckwheat honey.

We believe health-conscious beer drinkers and the millions of Americans who suffer from Celiac disease can cut back on gluten while relishing the distinction and drinkability of this very special brew.

Tweasonale is a seasonal for between the seasons. It will first hit shelves in late January 2012 and will be released four times a year through our national network of distributors.

This beer was pretty labor-intensive to make, but it was a beautiful process. We invited our artist friends Jamie and Kevin to come document our brew with their ultra-cool Cinemagraph process. Check out the process here.

Original Release Date:
07/2011
Food Pairing Recommendations:
Fatty fish, dried fruit, salted nuts
Wine Comparable:
Rose

Here is my review for this beer.

APPEARANCE

Beautiful stuff – it’s a crystal clear honey-blonde color. The head was small and didn’t stick around for very long, but there was some nice visible carbonation in the glass sort of like champagne. In fact, this beer looks a lot like champagne due to its clarity. I must say it makes me thirsty just looking at it!  [Read more...]

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The Bruery 4 Calling Birds – Snobby Beer Written Reviews

January 2, 2012 By SnobbyBeer 1 Comment

The Bruery 4 Calling Birds

I know, the holidays are over. But it is still the Winter season, and there’s still plenty of beer to be enjoyed! This one was consumed on Christmas Eve 2011.

4 Calling Birds from The Bruery is a Belgian Strong Dark Ale, and is 11% ABV. This is part of the 12 Days of Christmas series. The Bruery will release a beer every year, and started with A Partridge in a Pear Tree. This is the fourth in the series. Each beer is made to be aged until the 12th year of the series (12 Drummers Drumming).

From The Bruery’s website:

Spiced Strong Dark Ale. The Twelve Days of Christmas series continues! We took inspiration from the traditional winter warmer for our fourth verse, integrating gingerbread spices into a robust dark ale. Notes of licorice & banana bread mingle with dark fruit, molasses and bitter chocolate for a perfect cold weather sipper!

APPEARANCE

The beer pours a deep, dark reddish brown – almost black. It had a mocha head with large bubbles, and disappeared quickly. As I drank, there was no head and no visible carbonation. Large alcohol legs grab the edge of the glass. Not a bad looking brew. [Read more...]

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Snobby Beer Written Review – Three Floyds Alpha Klaus Christmas (Xmas) Porter

December 23, 2011 By SnobbyBeer Leave a Comment

Three Floyds Alpha Klaus 3 Floyds

Alpha Klaus is an American Poter from Three Floyds Brewing. While other holiday beers usually feature spices, Alpha Klaus only features Mexican cane sugar as an adjunct. The beer comes in at 6% Alcohol By Volume, and is released in November.

From the Three Floyds website:

Alpha Klaus is Alpha King’s festive cousin. A big American Christmas Porter brewed with English chocolate malt, Mexican sugar and of course, tons of strange American hops. Cheers! November release.

APPEARANCE

The beer is very dark and it looks thick, much like a stout. The head was huge, light brown, and has tiny bubbles which makes it look like a big fluffy pillow. The lacing was pretty high throughout the session, and overall this beer is an absolutely gorgeous porter.  [Read more...]

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Snobby Beer Written Reviews – Deschutes Jubelale

December 21, 2011 By SnobbyBeer Leave a Comment

Deschutes Jubelale

Jubelale is a winter warmer from Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Oregon.  The label says that this beer is “A Festive Winter Ale”. The beer comes in at 6.7% Alcohol By Volume, and is brewed with 2 Row Malt, Crystal Malt, Roasted Barley, and Dextrin Malt as well as Cascade, Gelena, E.K.G. and Willamette hops. It is a seasonal release.

From the Deschutes website:

“A dark, malty celebration ale with layered flavors and beautifully balanced hopping. Jubelale pours deep garnet in color, medium bodied, with notes of chicory, earth, spice and fruit. To beer lovers, it’s like Yule fire and family.
The collaborative art of Central Oregon artists Cara Thayer and Louie Van Patten adorns this year’s label.”

APPEARANCE

The brew pours a deep mahogany red color, and rests under a large khaki head. The head went away fast, and left some lovely lacing along the glass. It looks  a lot like a dark red wine, and there isn’t much visible carbonation. Overall it looks like a beer that is appropriate for this time of year. [Read more...]

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Snobby Beer Written Reviews – Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale

December 19, 2011 By SnobbyBeer 1 Comment

Sierra Nevada Celebration AleSierra Navada‘s Celebration Ale is an american IPA brewed with fresh hops, meaning that the hops were used in the brewing process very soon after they were harvested. This is a seasonal beer that comes out every year in winter. This 6.8% ABV IPA contains no spices or other adjuncts.

From the Sierra Nevada website:

The long, cold nights of winter are a little brighter with Celebration® Ale. Wonderfully robust and rich, Celebration® Ale is dry-hopped for a lively, intense aroma. Brewed especially for the holidays, it is perfect for a festive gathering or for a quiet evening at home.

 

APPEARANCE

Celebration is a reddish-orange and slightly hazy ale resting under a full, off-white head. The soapy head is about 2-3 fingers, and disappears very slowly. There was a ton of beautiful lacing along the glass, making this beer beautiful the whole way through. [Read more...]

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Snobby Beer Written Review – Jolly Pumpkin Noel De Calabaza

December 16, 2011 By SnobbyBeer Leave a Comment

Jolly Pumpkin - Noel De Calabaza

Noel De Calabaza is brewed by Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales in Dexter, Michigan. This beer is released once a year around the Holidays. Unlike other “Christmas” beers, this ale features no spices or adjuncts. Like all Jolly Pumpkin brews, this beer is open-fermented and aged in oak barrels. Batch 903, bottled 10-3-11. 9% Alcohol by volume. Enjoyed on 11-23-11

APPEARANCE

The beer pours a murky brownish-red, with a little bit of green (yes, green!) in certain lighting. It had a huge khaki head that had tiny bubbles, which is expected from a bottle-conditioned brew. There was a very loud pop when it was opened, a sure sign of heavy carbonation. Overall, the beer is pretty typical of a bottle conditioned Belgian-style Dark Ale. [Read more...]

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Snobby Beer Written Reviews – Stone / Tröegs / Jason Fields & Kevin Sheppard – Cherry Chocolate Stout

December 14, 2011 By SnobbyBeer Leave a Comment

Jason Fields & Kevin Sheppard / Tröegs / Stone Cherry Chocolate Stout

This beer, a Cherry Chocolate Stout, is a collaboration between Stone Brewing Co., Tröegs Brewing Co., and home brewers Jason Fields & Kevin Sheppard. The recipe for this beer, created by Fields and Sheppard, was selected in a contest held by Stone. This milk stout comes in at 7.3% ABV. From the Stone Website:

The rich, smooth stout was brewed in late April, with a blend of dark-roasted specialty malts, Callebaut chocolate liquor, vanilla beans, and 9000 pounds of dark and tart cherries.

Here is my review for this beer.

APPEARANCE

This beer pours thick and very dark. It looks pretty viscus, almost like syrup. The beer has almost no light coming through in the glass, and has a small khaki head with moderate lacing. This is a very lovely beer, and I was expecting a lot more of a reddish hue.  [Read more...]

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