Stillwater Ales Sensory Series V.2 Black Saison Ale Baltimore, Maryland. 5% 90 points. A sheep in wolf’s clothing, the opaque hue surprises the taste buds with delicate chocolate and rye bread. Has the lightness of a much paler ale with a tongue-drying finish. An easy drinking dark session brew.
The beauty of Session beers is that you cannot hide shoddy brewing in them; their low level of alcohol makes for delicate and nuiancedsipping. Like a flower. These session beers highlight and celebrate a brewers skill while allowing you to enjoy the flavor en mass, perfect for a long night …
Stillwater Ales Debauched Farmhouse Ale. Baltimore, Maryland 6.7% 93 points. Debauched: Indulging in or characterized by sensual pleasures to a degree perceived to be morally harmful. Who would have thought this could be applied to beer? Decadent in complexity, with lemon, candy sweetness, smoke, and some funk.
The Alchemist Heady Topper Double IPA 98 points. It’s not often that you are instructed to drink beer from a can—I mean this literally: this can is adorned with a request to not pour the nectar into a glass if possible, and to simply enjoy it from the metal vessel itself. …
Boulevard Brewing Co. Smokestack Series Saison-Brett 2014 96 points. Ambrosial and earthy: mushroom aromas dance with lemon, crab apple, and hard apricot. On the palate, this is crisp and perfectly tart, with a finish that speaks again of mushrooms, damp forest, a bit of barnyard, and a lovely sense of yeastiness, …
Brooklyn Brewery Wild Streak Ale. Brooklyn, NY 10% 91 points. A breath of springtime makes you want to get outside and a little crazy. This Belgian-inspired ale taps into its wild streak with all kinds of ingredients and techniques providing the drinker with everything from oatmeal to orange, cardamom to caramel.
When the opportunity to create a very rare, small batch amber ale became a possibility, of course Guinness would pull out all of the stops to make this a truly exceptional occasion. Perfectly timed for the New Year, Guinness have released their showcase “Guinness The 1759”. Elegantly packaged in a …
Fuller, Smith, and Turner ESB Extra Special Bitter. London England 5.5% 90 Points. One of my favorite Throwback Thursday quaffs. Someone must have used a scale to measure the perfect mix of bitterness and nutty malt. This seems to be an ancestor to American craft brew.
Mikkeller American Style/Prairie IPA Copenhagen, Denmark 7.5% 93 Pts. Think big and bold. Like the wild west. Dungarees and flannel shirts. Grapefruit, pine, and malt balls with a hint of funk. This Danish brewer’s take on an American IPA is spot on with a Belgian-y twist.
Ommegang Glimmerglass Saison. Cooperstown, NY 5.4% The first really hot day of the year almost brought me to tears drinking this. Key lime pie and spice tickle your nose while honeysuckle, lilac, and crisp flavor make your mouth water. Delightful spring in a bottle. 92 Pts.
There is arguably no other time of year when the beers are as creative and wide-ranging as they are during the holiday season. Winter brews, spiced brews, riffs on hearty, rib-sticking international brews—this seems to be the time when brewers dig deep into their well of ideas and see what …
Holidays are for tradition and contemporary variations on years gone by. With that in mind, 21st Amendment is welcoming back its limited release Fireside Chat, a traditional English style strong ale complimented by a festive blend of spices…but every year the spice mix is just a little bit different (this …