Hopped and Bothered: Stone Enjoy By 2.14.15

Stone -- Enjoy By 2.14.15 IPA 

Alcohol content 9.4%.

I confess, I really am not a fan of Stone. Most of their porters and standard beers don't really work for me. Pouring this one out, though, my mind changed a bit. Its golden and clear, enough to read the bottle through my stout glass. The smell is amazing. Heavy pines, rainforest, and a lot of citrus. Grapefruit rind, a bit of lime.

Very tasty. The taste is a bit muted compared to the smell, but the bitterness offsets the pungent nature of the scent. Very nice balance between a light texture and a heavy taste. The flavors congeal rather nicely together in a juicy sensation.

Pause.

Anyway, the finish is a bit rough but in a good way. The heaviness is still there but is dispelled through it's dryness. The hops linger a bit which is nice.

Buy if: you can get it before the expiration date.

Overall: I'm not a big Stone guy, but this is an above average IPA.

3.75 out of 5.

NQ

Hopped and Bothered: Avery's The Kaiser (2013)

Avery Brewing -- The Kaiser Oktoberfest 2013

Alcohol content 10.2%. I'm drinking this about nine months after it was bottled. Pouring it gives me a bit of a pause as it isn't as thick as I thought it would be. Its coppery and still. A fluffy head of foam arises from my cold mug and I take a sniff. Warm baked bread. Raisin. Fig. Pumpkin and nutmeg. Some caramel. the hops are muted, having withered away for nine months.

The first sip reveals several things. First, the beer is not thick and is eminently drinkable. Very smooth. Second, the alcohol content is hidden quite well, adding to point number one. Third, the mouth-feel is silky and calm. Surprisingly tame, with hints of the aforementioned baked bread. The malt isn't over done, and may disappoint some, but its a strong Oktoberfest.

Finish-wise, the beer is smooth and delicious. If the alcohol content can be handled, a second beer might be in order.

Buy if: you have a time machine, or a Bevmo that bought too many.

Overall: smooth, surprisingly not over boozy, rich and subdued. A nice paradox.

3.5 out of 5.

--Nick

Hopped and Bothered: Great Divide Fresh Hop Pale Ale

Great Divide Brewing Company -- Fresh Hop Pale Ale.

Alcohol content 6.1%.

This bottle was a bit of a paradox for me: Great Divide is a solid brewery, known for epic coffee stouts and barleywines. However, this pale ale was less than my union mandated 8% rule. But, like I said, Great Divide goes a long way for me and this bottle was good until late December, so why not?

As soon as I popped the top and checked under the hood, things became a bit apparent. A lacy, amber(ish) body with a hefty head. The hops were a bit indistinct, mostly the scent of a wet lawnmower. Which made things curious for me.

The taste was a bit off-putting at first, as the hops just washed over my senses and Chuck Norris'd them to next week. I got heavy influences of grapefruit, mango and pine, with the aforementioned wet lawnmower. A hint of caramel, but nothing too strong. This is hop heaven if one is a hop head. I found this to be stronger than the Stone 'Drink By.' It lacks the typical Stone over-sensationalized hop taste that dominates most of their brews.

The finish is bitter and dry, but far more refreshing than anticipated. Quite good, if a bit average.

Buy if: you can find it, and you enjoy the hops.

Overall: a solid, above average pale ale.

4 stars out of 5.

--Nick

Hopped and Bothered: Deschutes Dissident 2012

Deschutes Brewery -- The Dissident

Alcohol content 11.4%.

The history of this bottle demands an epic retelling. I was once a young and voracious lad, full of hops and vinegar, searching castles and fortresses for my fair maiden. First I tried the castle of Coors and Bud, and was resoundingly rebuffed. Nothing but water around the castle to swim through. Shame shame shame.

However, after I found this new castle at the end of the rainbow, a sour ale of Flanders origin. The cap popped like a nail being clipped. Ping. Amazing sound that resounded throughout the house. The scene was cherry, brown sugar and a butt load of sour. I was shocked. I've had several sour ales in my day, rescuing them from various dragons and lecherous old men. And after I've had a taste, they've been cast from the light into wailing and gnashing of teeth.

This time, instead I was treated of happiness. The color was dark copper, rich and looking like a penny. The head was fairly minimal, low hanging and foggy. The scent was happiness, lingering: cherry mixed with hefty malts, smelling like fruit and fresh baked bread; elements of plum, red wine. The tang is high and mighty with this one.

The taste is similar, except the flavor resides far more in the taste buds. The first ten seconds are tangy with cherry residue. But right after, the malts began to intensify like the yeast was reproducing in my taste buds. Seriously. The bread was amazing. Very funky. Very rich. A little bit of vanilla burns the back of my throat.

The finish is astounding. So epic.

Buy if: you can't. But take my word, you should have.

Overall: just. Well, you can't buy it. You should have.

5 stars out of 5.

--Nick

Hopped and Bothered: Pugachev's Cobra #3

Hangar 24 -- Pugachev's Cobra #3 (Second Release)

Alcohol content 15.8%.

Allow me to write a bit on the nature and history of this bottle. First, I remember seeing this on the shelf back when I worked at Bevmo and being intrigued. Then I looked at the price tag: nearly $20. I won't bother writing the words that left my mouth, but they were a consecutive set of four letters words.

But when I heard that it was the last bottle on the shelf we would ever get, and that it tasted better than the wine Jesus made at the one party, I figured I should put down what amounts to half a tank of gas and give this bad boy a whirl.

It has impressive credentials: graduated to bottle in 2012. Sat around in a nice desk job until last night until he up and blew his top in defiance to the powers that be. A perfect little anarchist.

I popped the cork and what I saw shocked me: a brief plume of dark hops morph over the top before dissipating into thin air. This was going to be fun.

I poured the entire 750 bottle into my German beer stein, and this Imperial Russian Stout didn't waste time inviting me to join him. The first sniff revealed maple syrup, coffee, vanilla, oak and bourbon. A twinge of cherry jumped through the haze. The second sniff confirmed the previous scents, but I would add burnt cocoa.

The first sip was magic. The smell revealed the flavor perfectly, and yet it was so much more. The chocolate became first and foremost the backbone of the brew, yet the others heaped themselves upon the sword of destiny that pierced my heart. The oak and vanilla came through stronger, revealing the hidden possibility that this would go well with french vanilla ice cream.

Beyond the amazing taste and smell, the best part is the finish. A sweltering embrace of silky happiness. Seriously. This is so creamy, I cannot believe it isn't ice cream.

The alcohol is masterfully masked, and the bourbon burns only a bit after you've finished. The alcohol continues to burn a bit in your chest, but the flavors compensate bravely. 

Alas, I just sat down and enjoyed the thing. Took me an hour to finish it. An activity this intimate that lasts at least an hour should be proof enough that you should find and buy this.

Buy if: sadly, if the above evidence hasn't convinced you, then enjoy your Coors.

Overall: seriously, magic.

Beer of the year thus far. 5 out of 5.

--Nick

Hopped and Bothered: Avery Samael's Oak Aged Ale

Avery -- Samael's Oak Aged Ale

Alcohol content 16.9% This is a difficult beer to review. I'll explain. The pour is deep gold, with a trillion bubbles and a rush of caramel malt. So far so good. The alcohol is so strong I can smell it from a few feet away. Even better.

However, this is where things began to go a bit towards the bad end of France. The first sip is shockingly sweet. Like caramel and dark fruits and the tailpipe of the candy truck have just been unloaded into your mouth. Its super rich and super thin. The consistency is nothing like what you expect.

The finish is very odd. A friend described it as "cough syrup." I chalked it up to just more caramel and malt. The smell is supreme but the finish is dry and thin and doesn't do much to overcome the piercing sweetness of the first half. Like an M. Night movie.

Buy if: you are down with the sweet.

Overall: too sweet, too thin, not enough flavor to sustain itself.

2 out of 5.

--Nick

Hopped and Bothered: Bush De Noel Brasserie Dubuisson Frères sprl

Bush De Noel -- Brasserie Dubuisson Freres sprl

Alcohol content 12%. It isn't pretty. Sediment floating around, looking like flat Coca-Cola. Very pungent smell. Bubblegum. Bread. Molasses and sugary malt. Orange. A hint of nutmeg. Quite good. The finish is far different. Light. Airy. A haze of sugar lingers but the brew is gone at that point. The alcohol doesn't burn and it is nicely balanced.

Buy if: you can find it. I found a few bottles at my local hideout, dated to last Christmas.

Overall: a syrupy, malty, bready, meany little brew. The finish is clean and smooth and I think I like it. It would work better during cold weather.

3.5 out of 5.

--Nick

Hopped and Bothered: Stone Espresso Imperial Russian Stout

Stone Brewing -- Espresso Imperial Russian Stout

Alcohol content: 11%. It pours motor oil black. A dark mocha head forms, enriching the air with chocolate, licorice and a hefty dose of bitter coffee. Personally, I prefer my coffee black and cold. This works well. Let me explain. The sweetness at the beginning is given over to dark passions and the wrathful nature of cold malt. The taste is filled with rich espresso bean, with lingering hints of chocolate and roasted malt. Quite potent.

The alcohol content is perfectly hidden. The finish is lingering, bitter and just about perfect. My only complaint is that the Stone backtaste arrives near the finish, disrupting the natural order of things.

Buy if: you gots to has it.

Overall: lacking in licorice, this beer is big and mean and, well, laden with espresso.

4 out of 5.

--Nick

Hopped and Bothered: Flying Dog Pearl Necklace Oyster Stout

Flying Dog Brewery -- Pearl Necklace Oyster Stout

Alcohol content 5.5% (sad face). This pours a dark black, like the briny deep (I'll stop with the puns right about now). The scent is charred malt and a hint of coffee. So far, about your average stout. Nothing special. No alcohol burn.

It tastes like an average stout. A pinch of chocolate. A lot of burnt malt. A bit of vanilla and cold coffee.

And then the oysters kick in. Yes. You read that right. Oysters. They add a pinch of dry salt to the end and offer a unique spin on an average stout. This would probably taste wondrous on tap, but from the bottle its a tad weak and lacking. The smokiness adds a bit to the oceanic effect, but it just needs more.

But it has oysters.

Buy if: you want something unique.

Overall: it really needs more of everything. More malt, more cocoa, more sea salt and oyster at the finish. Its a bit watery and just needs more power. A unique, memorable experience I would share only with a friend.

3 out of 5.

--Nick

Hopped and Bothered: Great Divide Belgium Style Yeti

Great Divide -- Belgium Style Yeti

Alcohol content 9.5%. This was an interesting brew to review. It pours thick and dark, with an inch of mocha foam on top that leaves rings. Very opaque and smells of Belgium spice and thick malt. Chocolate and a bit of vanilla. A pinch of espresso and dark fruit. The sip is immediately off-putting. Roasted malt, some cloves, a hint of cardamon, and, well, more chocolate. A kiss of anise finishes this bad boy. It took me almost an hour to drink it. That strong. The Belgium yeast is intriguing.

Buy if: you want a Russian Imperial Stout that doesn't taste like black licorice.

Overall: a unique, sometimes overpowering and ultimately tasty beverage. I would try again if I found another year-aged bottle.

4 out of 5.

--Nick

Hopped and Bothered: Boulevard Double-Wide IPA

Boulevard Brewing -- Double-Wide IPA

Alcohol content 8.5%. The pour is deep copper, filled with bits of hops and sediment. Looks like the Grand Canyon at night. The hops are complex and not as intense as I expected. It is far more interested in mingling malt and citrus. Apricot, blood tangerine, homemade baked bread, coriander. Very slight and sweet and lush. The finish is dry and crisp, with a tart kiss at the end. Very interesting and not what I expected.

Buy if: you are down with unique IPAs.

Overall: vibrant, tangy and complex, this is not one to miss.

4 out of 5.

--Nick

Hopped and Bothered: Boulevard Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale

Boulevard Brewing -- Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale

Alcohol content 8.5%. The scent is rich and practically explosive. Grapefruit and harsh fruit aromas sing. Upon further inspection, I caught hints of Belgium spice, cardamon, coriander and lemon. The first sip is far different than the smell: absurdly hoppy but with a hint of pepper. The alcohol content leaves the finish dry, but the taste lingers. Crisp. Surprisingly light in texture and tone. The flavor continues to linger, in a good way.

Buy if: you want a different camp of IPA infused Ale.

Overall: personally too thin for me, but the bold flavors and crisp finish make this one memorable.

3.5 out of 5.

--Nick

Hopped and Bothered; Lips of Faith Cascara Quad

New Belgium Lips of Faith series -- Cascara Quad

10% alcohol content. The head is thick, hazy and fairly pungent. Figs, dates, some raisin scent. Very strong and a hint of booze. Flavor-wise, the beer is somewhat scattered. On one hand, it wants to be a Belgium, throwing in some spice to remind me of better beers, and on the other hand it's a bit of a tart by not giving me much to go on.

The cherries and coffee are present, but barely there. More dark fruit and booze. Booze. Lots of booze. Don't get it twisted, I love some booze in my beer but the flavors and backbone need to compensate. Here, no such thing. It ends on a slightly bitter (tobacco) note that really removes much of anything it had going for it.

Buy if: meh.

Overall: a compelling concept undermined by it's own ambition. Kind of like Stanley Kubrick movies.

2.5 out of 5.

--Nick

Hopped and Bothered; Deschutes/ Rogue/ North Coast Class of 88

Deschutes/ Rogue/ North Coast -- Class of 88 Barleywine

Alcohol content 10.2%. Copper rose color. Thin head. The scent is a mix of brown sugar, cedar, vanilla, whiskey and pine. Very effervescent in smell. The flavor is far more interesting. It begins bitter and angry, with a tad of oak in there. From there, it is nothing but a cloying sweetness of brown sugar, malt, maple sugar and brandy. Very smooth, delectable and sweet. Would be marvelous with age.

Buy if: you can find it. We got two cases and are close to selling out. This one come sin at under ten bucks.

Overall: though a bit on the sweet side, this barleywine ranks among my top three. Sticky, sweet and highly drinkable.

4.5 out of 5.

--Nick

Hopped and Bothered; Great Divide Old Ruffian

Great Divide -- The Old Ruffian

The bottled date states "something something 2010." So this bottle has been aging for over three years.

Alcohol content 10.2%. I pried off the cap and an explosion of sherry, dried fruits (fig, grapefruit, cherry) and caramel assaulted me. Seriously, one of the most potent bottles I've ever poured. The color is deep and richly red. Beyond the marvelous appearance, the toffee and hints of coffee make this boldly complex. The taste is even richer, lingering around a few bitter hops and an avalanche of brown sugar and spices.

Buy if: now. just buy it now.

Overall: a unique, powerful and sublime experience.

5 out of 5.

--Nick

Hopped and Bothered; Bootleggers Rustic Rya IPA

Bootleggers -- Rustic Rye IPA

Alcohol content 6.2%. Looks like a darker larger when poured. Fairly thick. The smell is pine and fairly subtle. Not a whole lot of power to this. The first sip is a standard IPA, but fairly muted until the finish. There is where the hops and grapefruit kick it up a few notches. There is a hint of citrus sweetness but it feels muted as well.

Buy if: you are in the mood for a decent IPA.

Overall: drinking this was like watching The Dark Knight Rises: muted until a supposedly climactic finish but nothing really came of it.

3 out of 5.

--Nick

Hopped and Bothered: Lagunitas Sucks Brown Shugga

Lagunitas -- Sucks Brown Shugga Substitute Ale

Alcohol content 7.85%. Surprisingly clear color. Very coppery. Light amber. Smells of pine with a juicy citrus center. Very strong, almost overpowering. The hops are kicked up far more than the Brown Shugga Barleywine.

A bunch of grapefruit and tangerine rind in the sip, with a bit of an almost creamy feeling. Very faint before the hops march on by. Very little malt, but a hint of caramel before it fades to yet more hops.

Buy if: you are so inclined.

Overall: if one favors hops over malts, then look no further. However, I prefer a balance of both and while this kicks ass in the hops, it lacks umph in the malt.

3.5 out of 5.

--Nick

Hopped and Bothered: Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine

Sierra Nevada -- Bigfoot Barleywine

Alcohol content 9.6%. The pour is gorgeous. Dark amber orange pour with a thin lacing. The scent is fraught with oranges, hops, pine and a telling hint of vanilla. Sticky caramel and hops begin the descent into madness, with pine trees waving their sappy branches in your face. An astonishingly good barleywine. The finish is big and sweet with a bit of heat. A dangerous brew.

Buy if: seriously, I just said "big and sweet with a bit of heat."

Overall: a sticky sweet, high burn, juicy brew. Highly drinkable and dangerously so.

4 stars out of 5.

--Nick

Hopped and Bothered; Allagash Black

Allagash -- Black

Alcohol content 7.5%. The cork pops with vigor. The smell is coffee, a hint of sour yeast, and a dabbling of fruit. The taste is full of bitter cocoa kisses and a surprisingly tangy fruit forwardness. The yeast is a bit over the top, quite puckering.

The texture of the beer is light and barely carbonated. I would've preferred a thicker texture myself. Topping off the finish with a burst of espresso and bitter hops is how this bad boy ends.

Buy if: you can find it. The bottled date was March 16, 2012.

Overall: a unique Belgium dark stout, but the texture is off-balance for me.

3 out of 5.

--Nick

Beer, Helping White Guys Dance Since 1842

--Nick