Category Archives: Beer Reviews

Boom Sauce – Lord Hobo Brewing – Woburn, MA

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DSC_0304Brew: Boom Sauce

Brewer: Lord Hobo

Style: Imperial IPA  ABV 8%

Boom Sauce pours a hazy amber orange with a strong and diverse hop aroma on the nose.  The first tastes place a blend of resinous hops firmly on the palate enveloping the drinker in a citrus laden, fruit filled, piney experience.  The hop blend delivers tropical fruit and citrus flavors as well as a bitterness that is balanced by a strong maltiness. Perfect carbonation and a welcome earthiness contribute to the excellent mouthfeel and elating overall experience. The consistency and intensity of Boom Sauce is astounding considering this is an expert blend of 3 other beers – “Ball and Biscuit” “Steal This Can” and “Consolation Prize”.  Delivering an altogether original, diverse, and striking bouquet of flavors, every Boom Sauce speaks to its tempered complexity and remains true to its origins and its name as an artful, intense, and expertly crafted blend of great beers.

The New England “Flora” of Brews and Brewers is progressing like crazy and especially elevated these days.  As the holidays approach, It is making me crave the time when I’ll return to my homeland and immerse myself in friends, family, and libations imbibed best from the source.  Should you have the opportunity check out Lord Hobo in Cambridge, MA or their taproom in Woburn do so… and, of course, if you can find a can, pick one up!

Pesudo Sue Pale Ale – Toppling Goliath Brewing Co. – Decorah, IA (Lakeland, FL)

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Brew: Pseudo Sue Pale Ale

Brewer: Toppling Goliath

Style: American Pale Ale  ABV 5.8%

Pseudo Sue pours a lighter than expected saffron golden yellow with a fruity nose. The taste is hoppy and malty but very smooth and balanced. Notes of mango and citrus are present alongside an unobtrusive tempered malt. Although Pseudo Sue is drinkable and refreshing it is also enigmatically intense and flavorful at the same time. I can’t resist indulging in at least one Pseudo Sue if I see that it is available at the local watering hole, the depth of taste lives up to the highest expectations every time. With hops and body reminiscent of the perfect IPA but character all its own, this pale ale is undoubtedly worth a taste.. Or a case.

Tasting Note : like a Sixpoint Resin, Pseudo Sue should not be poured into a glass – the taste retains a pleasant concentrated complexity when imbibed straight from the can.

Sidenote: Pseudo Sue was named for the largest T-Rex fossil discovered thus far.

Seller Description: This single hop pale ale showcases the citra hop for a well balanced beer that is delicate and body with a mild bitterness in the finish. Ferocious aromas of citrus and mango give way to Pseudo Sue’s unique and refreshing taste that is clean and bright with just enough bite!

Bomb! Prairie Artisan Ales – Tulsa, OK

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Bomb!
Brew: Bomb!

Brewer: Prairie Artisan Ales

Style: Imperial Stout ABV: 13%

Bomb! pours a very dark chocolaty brown with an intoxicating boozy nose of coffee, chocolate, and vanilla. The taste is a decadent coalescence of coffee, cocoa, vanilla, dark fruit, chilies, and a maltiness reminiscent of molasses, brown sugar, or sorghum.  As with many imperial stouts, the flavors become more pronounced as the beer warms. The ABV is high but melds into this flavor profile like one melds into a cozy armchair by the fire. This extremely complex but expertly balanced taste profile is no surprise because Bomb! is in fact aged on espresso beans, chocolate, vanilla beans, and ancho chilie peppers. Variations on Bomb! are hard to find but absolutely worth a try, look for Pirate Bomb! and Barrel Aged Bomb!. Prairie has risen to the top to in the world of craft brewing and with good reason, practiced and skillfully proficient, they deliver singularly unparalleled beer after distinctively unequaled beer.  If it says Prairie Artisan Ales on the label, drink it!

Bomb! is, without a doubt, the best imperial stout I have tasted. It is a creative, conceptual masterpiece of complex flavors build on a bold stout; a singularly unparalleled beer.

Seller Description: Bomb! is an imperial stout aged on espresso beans, chocolate, vanilla beans, and ancho chile peppers. All the flavors meld to create a truly unique beer. The peppers add just the right amount of heat to complement the intense coffee and chocolate flavors.

Moutere Cider – Peckham’s Cider – New Zealand

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edit-1Brew:  Moutere Cider

Brewery:  Peckham’s Cider

Style: Cider ABV 5.5% – 5.9%

Moutere Cider pours a golden orange almost amber color with a provocative nose of apple.  The taste is a perfect blend of juicy and tart with a dry finish.  The depth of the apple flavor is extremely layered and will leave you meditating on each note you savor, finding something uniquely your own. Moutere cider embodies the honest flavor of a cider apple, coats the mouth like honey, and is tart and dry on the palate like a sour. You will find yourself immersed in the smells, flavors, and feelings of a cold fall morning at the apple orchard of your dreams. Moutere Cider is a testament to the signature Moutere Clay soil in which the cider apple trees are grown.  It is fermented slowly with the finest blend of cider apples and it is evident in the flavor.  The purity of the blend and ingredients makes Moutere Cider the true epitome of a great cider.

I must say that Peckham’s Cider is quite possibly the best cider brewer in existence and undoubtedly my favorite.  They grow a range of cider apple varieties and they do it on a family owned orchard in New Zealand. The area they occupy in Northern New Zealand, known as Upper Moutere, has exceptional soil, cool temperate weather, and a long growing season – Conditions  in which apple trees flourish. Peckham’s Cider truly honors the tradition of cider brewing and their roots in New Zealand by incorporating traditional cider brewing techniques and flavor profiles but adding regional flavor.  They embrace the unique flavor of their cider apple varieties grown from Moutere Clay, the soil in Upper Moutere New Zealand, and seamlessly integrate fruits and spices that are grown locally into their cider blends.  Every new cider from Peckham’s is not just an adventure but a work of art.

Seller Description:  Only once the apples are fully ripe, are they harvested. Careful blending to enhance complex varietal characteristics results in a well balanced juice. This is fermented slowly, and matured for several months with minimum intervention to develop full bodied, rounded flavours. Ciders are then blended to yield a complex, yet easy drinking cider. Off-dry. Rounded and spritzy in the mouth with mild tannins, fruity notes and notable flavour development.

Cidrerie L’Hermitière – Poiré – Le Theil-sur-Huisne, France

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IMG_0004Brew: Poiré de Normandie

Brewery: Cidrerie L’Hermitière

Style: Perry/Poiré  ABV 4%

Poiré de Normandie pours a hazy beckoning white gold with a nose of fresh pear and earthy fermented apple. The carbonation is extremely high, reminiscent of champagne, but carries with it mouthwatering flavors of pure pear juice.  The body/taste is dry and unsweet but with an astounding level of flavor.  The pear is layered with complexity that intertwines with the apple flavors in the most complementary of ways.  L’Hermitière ciders have a deep seeded savory apple (in this case pear) flavor and an earthiness that claws at man’s primal taste memory.  It will prod at your Freudian ‘id’ awakening a mental link back to man’s discovery of and ingrained natural bond to fermented fruit in the form of cider.  The pear and apple flavors of Poiré truly cannot be emulated and must be experienced for oneself.  This is an amalgam of the brewing technique and the painstakingly grown and selected pears, once this carbonated liquid gold dances across your palette you will enjoy meditating on its flavor for as long as possible.

Cidrerie L’Hermitière’s is one of the most exceptional, traditional, and earthbound cider brewers in the world (Le monde) and their Poiré is the epitome of a perry. A “Perry” / “Pear” / “Poiré” is made in a traditional cider style but with pears instead of apples and in this day and age in America is somewhat of a lost art, an inconspicuous classic if you will. Perry as as style has existed for centuries and while cider is making a comeback in the United States, great cider brewers like L’Hermitière have been quietly brewing fresh, pure, unmistakably brilliant cider for years. If you have read my posts you know that there is a cider revolution occurring at this very moment… so if you haven’t had a cider lately, or if you have Never had a perry, you have waited too long! Seek out a L’Hermitière Poiré and enjoy! Au revoir!

Seller Description: Elaboré à partir de poires rigoureusement sélectionnées, le poiré est élaboré de la même façon que le cidre. Avec une attaque en bouche plutôt acidulée, comme un vin blanc sec notre Poiré est très fruité et rafraîchissant. Le poiré se sert en apéritif dans une flûte et titre seulement 4% vol. C’est donc un apéritif léger en alcool et en bouche qui ravira et étonnera vos convives !

Resin – Sixpoint Craft Ales – Brooklyn, NY

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IMG_4352Brew: Resin

Brewery: Sixpoint Craft Ales

Style: Imperial IPA

Resin pours a hazy burnt orange and smells strongly of hops with notes of both citrus and funk.  The first taste bites as an amalgam of refined and exotic hop flavors.  As resin explodes in different directions on the palate there are notes of pine, citrus fruits, earthy herbs, caramel and subtle malt.  One of the most striking characteristics of this beer, ironically, is its smooth mouth-feel which complements the sharp bite of the hops.   The flavors are all intense but balanced in an artful and ultimately creative way.  Resin is quite possibly the most palate pleasing and expertly crafted IPA that currently exists in my opinion and is undoubtedly one of my favorites.  Props to Sixpoint for achieving this masterpiece. If you have the means, I suggest you pick one up.

Sidenote: I never do this, but I recommend drinking this IPA from the can. The lack of aeration keeps the flavors concentrated and intense.  I do this with very few beers, especially IPAs, but Sixpoints can design is perfect.

Seller Description : Resin is an ode to the sticky quintessence of hops – we extracted the alluring nectar from every precious citrus, pine, dank and herbal cone and channeled it all into one vessel. Now that’s Mad Science.

Prairie Flare – Prairie Artisan Ales – Tulsa, OK

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IMG_3610 (1)Brew: Prairie Flare

Brewery: Prairie Artisan Ales

Style: Gose ABV 5.4%

Prairie Flare pours a hazy pale orange with a funky tart citrus nose.  The first taste is extremely refreshing with an upfront tartness that makes the mouth water. Notes of coriander/cilantro, sea salt, savory orange, and blood orange are both poignant and pleasant. Background notes of citrus (lemon, lime), pepper, and a perfect level of carbonation greet the drinker as well.   It’s not every day you find a brewery that keeps delivering creative, unique libations, each with it’s own twist. Prairie Artisan Ales has consistently delivered exceptionally creative beers that have captivated my taste buds and trapped my attention, it you’re looking for an outside-the-box beer look no further.  If you’re a fan of sour beer, Prairie Flare takes what you have come to expect from a gose a step further.  If you are new to sour beer this is a great place to start.   I highly suggest finding a Prairie Flare, or any Prairie libation for that matter, and experiencing great taste, great perspective, and something new.

Seller Description: Flare (yes, that’s how we are spelling it) is our gose that we have added citrus fruit to. This beer is slightly tart, a little salty, and has a nice balance from the fruit and spices. Ale brewed with orange and coriander.

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Bourbon County Brand Barleywine Ale & Brand Stout – Goose Island Beer Co. – Chicago, IL

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IMG_3998Brew: Bourbon County Brand Barleywine Ale

Brewery: Goose Island Beer Co.

Style: Barley Wine ABV 14.2%

Well its that time of the year again.  Bourbon county has graced the halls of local brewhouses and disctracted me away from sours, ciders, and creative head turners for the moment.

Bourbon County Brand Barleywine Ale Pours an amber brown with a nose of malt and molasses.  Tastes of a welcoming oaky bourbon background, raisins, vanilla, smokey spices, and molasses.  Bourbon County Barleywine Ale is incredibly smooth for the style and the ABV (14.2%) and becomes more complex with every sip. As it warms additional qualities become evident including the depth of the bourbon flavor and the mouth-feel of honey.  I can’t rave enough about the background notes of bourbon that are balanced by flavors of malt vanilla. Because this barleywine was aged for so long and in so many barrels it has an aged tempered flavor that is exquisitely pleasing to the palate. Just like an aged Imperial IPA develops complexity, so does this Barley Wine in the form of flavor not a.  Bourbon County Barleywine Ale is brewed in a third use barrel that previously housed Kentucky bourbon and Bourbon County Stout (another holiday release I am posting about below).  Bourbon is one of my favorite spirits and the increasing wave of bourbon barrel use as an aging agent in the U.S. is truly staggering.

Seller Description:
Aged in the third-use barrels that were once home to Kentucky bourbon and then our renowned Bourbon County Stout, this traditional English-style barleywine possesses the subtlety of flavor that only comes from a barrel that’s gone through many seasons of ritual care. The intricacies of the previous barrel denizens – oak, charcoal, hints of tobacco and vanilla, and that signature bourbon heat – are all present in this beer. Hearty and complex, Bourbon County Brand Barleywine is a titan and a timeline; a bold, flavorful journey through the craft of barrel aging.

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Brew: Bourbon County Brand Stout

Brewer: Goose Island Beer Co.

Style: Imperial Stout ABV 14.3%

The Bourbon County Brand Stout pours a charcoal brown with a nose of pure boozy bourbon and malt.  The flavors are not as intimidating as the nose with enveloping layers of bourbon flavors and warmth that balance the sweetness of vanilla and caramel, as well as a complimentary nutiness.   Malt and molasses permeate this libation creating a mouthwatering adjunct to the downright pronounced bourbon flavor.  While the Brand Barleywine Ale is a tempered brew with smooth qualities, the Brand Stout is a stronger experience with an added kick in the pants.  Find a proprietor willing to sell this before it runs out.. and stay tuned for some interesting ciders and brews of all kinds.

Seller Description: Brewed in honor of the 1000th batch at our original Clybourn brewpub. A liquid as dark and dense as a black hole with thick foam the color of a bourbon barrel. The nose is an intense mix of charred oak, chocolate, vanilla, caramel and smoke. One sip has more flavor than your average case of beer.

Cider with Boysenberry – Peckham’s Cider – New Zealand

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DSC_0015-2Brew: Cider with Boysenberry

Brewery: Peckham’s Traditional Cider, New Zealand

Style: Cider

Peckham’s Cider with Boysenberry pours a deep crimson purple with a rose head.  Striking flavors of boysenberry and apple envelop the palate as well as background notes of plum, grapes, and dark fruit. The fruit cuts the dryness of the body and creates an experience that is both invigorating and refreshing.  The boysenberries come from neighboring farms and add freshness as well as a unique complexity. The boysenberry juice itself makes up an impressive 12% of the cider.   At first Peckham’s Boysenberry is reminiscent of a lambic or a kriek but as the taste progresses the dryness and the depth of the cider become evident.  The fruit flavors embroaden themselves on the palate and become more developed with every sip, contributing perfectly to the clean crisp apple backbone.  This is truly one of the most delicious ciders I have ever experienced, and with the practices behind the conception and production of Peckham’s Cider with Boysenberry, it is an easy choice and an experience all it’s own.

On top of all these excellent flavors, The Peckham family cidery grows the apples, brews the cider, and manages every aspect of production.  I had the pleasure of meeting one the of the proprietors of Peckham’s Cider at the Sheldon Brother’s Beerfest in St. Petersburg Florida.  Caroline Peckham was one of the kindest, wisest people I have met in the brewing world.  Behind her gentle smile lies an expert knowledge of cider, agriculture, and brewing techniques.  Learning about the scores of cider apple varieties grown on the Peckham’s orchards, the fruits that they integrate from other local farms, and the benefits of growing cider in northern New Zealand was amazing. Peckham’s Cider with Boysenberry imparted upon me the same warmth and satisfaction that the Peckham family has undoubtedly imparted upon the world.

Seller Description:  Cider made in the family cidery from tree ripened heritage apples, with a generous dash of Moutere boysenberry. Full flavoured boysenberries grow well in the Moutere clay, and are renowned for their intense flavour. The boysenberries are gently pressed, and the fragrant juice is sweetened and then blended with our matured, pure juice dry cider… Pours a deep red. Rich fruit and intense flavours of boysenberry balanced against a pure, soft apple cider background.

ReDANKulous – Founders Brewing Company – Grand Rapids, MI

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DSC_0017Brew: ReDANKulous

Brewery: Founders Brewing Company

Style: Imperial IPA

Pours a burnt orange umber, beckons with a strong nose of hops. The fresh hops in ReDANKulous bring forth bitterness and incredible flavors of citrus, tropical fruit, as well as a pleasant spiciness. Flavors of caramel, toffee, and malt surround a body of hops and stone fruit contributing to a well tempered savory sweet flavor. The fruit body includes notes of citrus in the form of grapefruit, blood orange and tangerine (& others) and notes of stone fruit and dark fruit like mango, cherries and plums. Flavors of peppers, guava, and apricot are also detectable. The expertly crafted hop blend (Chinook, Mosaic and Simcoe) delivers a truly “dank” taste and a delicious resiny mouth feel.  You will find your own draw in the myriad of contributors, the complexity is like a welcoming abyss of flavors, grab a ReDANKulous and fall down the rabbit hole.

Seller Description: reDANKulous Imperial Red IPA is a no frills, bold 9.5% ABV India Pale Ale. It pours a pleasing burnt amber with some sweetness due to the Caramalt and roasted barley used in the malt bill. But hops are the true headliner in this elaborate sensory experience. The spicy, piney, tropical complexities of Chinook, Mosaic and Simcoe hops hit you right away with their dank aroma—and they stick around. Take a sip to have your palate simultaneously walloped and caressed in all the right places. Combined, the hops take the beer to 90 IBUs. It’s not just ridiculous. It’s reDANKulous.