Super Bowl Beer Week Wisconsin vs Pennsylvania

It is Super Bowl Week!

So this week Eduardo and I decided to do a Super Bowl Battle of Beers. Wisconsin vs Pennsylvania. Battle of the states to see who holds the best beers available.

The week will consist of 4 Quarters (8 total beers). Each quarter will showcase a beer from each of the states in the battle, and will be scored individually. At the end of each quarter we will give you the score of the game as well. At the end of the week we will decide on a "MVP" and present the trophy to the winning state.

Here are the "players"

1. Iron City PA vs. Pabst WI
2. Yuengling Lager PA vs. Leinies Amber WI
3. Victory Golden Monkey PA vs. Sprecher Abbey Trippel WI
4. Troegs Mad Elf  PA vs. New Glarus Enigma WI

Eduardo: Pennslyvania and Wisconsin are definitely two important states in the brewing world. Pennsylvania has some world class craft brewers and a great beer scene especially around Philadelphia. Pittsburgh, home of the Steelers, is known for the Iron City brews. Wisconsin is know for Miller Park, brewing big boys Miller and Pabst, and craft beer darling New Glarus. I predict Pennsylvania has too much firepower and blows out Wisconsin in the Super Bowl of beer. Follow along as we find out who will win the Super Bowl and you might even find your Super Bowl beer.Enjoy the game!

The Ferm: Well my take on the Super Bowl of Beers 2011 is that Pennsylvania will CRUSH Wisconsin. Seriously, PA has been brewing beer for a LONGGGG Time. They have some good staples, but if Wisconsin stands a chance they will need some big time performances from their players, some trick-ery, and maybe even something shocking. My estimate of the final score is 45-9 with PA. holding the Lombeerdi Trophy up at the end of the week.

5th Annual Jupiter Craft Brewers Festival Recap

Well, yesterday was the 5th annual Jupiter Craft Brewers Festival. As most of you know this is my favorite festival of the year in the state of Florida. The best beers are brought out by all the local Florida breweries, and national breweries alike.

Just a few of the highlights of the festival were;

5. I tamed a Swamp Ape: Yep, finally had the opportunity to try the highly talked about Swamp Ape from Florida Brewing Company. This 10% ABV IPA was pretty tasty. Lots of Pine and Hop bitterness in it. Hands down the best beer by Florida Brewing Company!

4. Meet my friend Randall: Well actually thats my good beer bud Cezar with a Dogfish Randall. Fresh Beer hooked this bad boy up with some hops and ran 60min through it! Pretty good, but later in the show they put some dry roasted peanuts in it and ran Raison D'extra
through it! Wow it was like a PB&J Sandwich!

3. Hunahpu's 2011! What! Yep that's right I was able to try the new version of Hunahpu, the once a year release from Cigar City. Needless to say it was amazing. Very different from last years version, and the differences were very positive. Can't wait for the release on March 12th! More details and a proper review of this beer to come!

2. Deja Vu?: Nope it is actually Vu Jade'......WTF?!?....this is the collaboration beer from St. Somewhere and Cigar City. Holy CRAP! This was fantastic for a young sour. Tons of vinegar notes and a nice sweet malt build. This was my favorite beer of the entire festival. Just fantastic!

1. The Funky Buddha Craft Brewers Festival: Best of show for a booth goes to these guys. Kevin, Ryan, Jim, and the crew had a consistent line from open to close of the festival. This was the scene early on:

This was the scene as soon as people found out that Maple Bacon
Coffee Porter was being tapped:

It was crazy! While Maple Bacon was the big beer that everyone wanted to try the Chocolate Beer which I will call "Chocolate Face" until they give it an official name was fantastic! I promise I will get a review of Chocolate Face up on the blog as soon as the guys finish up with the next batch. It is, in my humble (or not so humble) opinion the best beer they do, and possibly one of the best beers from the state!  This was The Funky Buddha's Festival, we were all just lucky to attend!

There were also a lot of other great scenes at the fest. I was able to speak with a lot of brewers and friends. Great new breweries were on hand like Liberty Steakhouse and Tequesta Brewing Company. Ohh yeah and there is a video of the days events which will be released on United We Drink. Stay Tuned!

If you did not make it to the festival this year....well that sucks for you. Put it on the calendar for next year...NOW!

The Beast Grand Cru 2006

The Beast
Avery Brewing Company
Boulder, Colorado
16.21% ABV
Style: Grand Cru

C: Slightly Cloudy
H: Burgundy-ish
N: Tons of Sweet Malt, Dark Fruit (Figs, Plums, Etc), Still has some Booze to the nose too

The Ferm: Wow well the dark bottle pulled me in, and the red foil top closed the deal for me. A bottle of 2006 Avery Beast was a very good way to close out a big week of 10%+ ABV Beers.
This Grand Cru is really a "beast" of a beer. While I have had this beer from draft before, it was just wayy tooo boozey to truly appreciate the effort put in from the fine brewers from Avery Brewing Company.
The 2006 bottle allowed for the booze to calm down and the complex malt notes to shine. There was a hint of oxidation to the bottle, but for the most part the super sweet,almost syrup textured beer was very good. Lots of dark candy sugar notes, dark fruit, and even a bite of bitterness on the tail-end.

Score: 3.865
(I am going to buy all three big ABV bottles and sit on all three for some time!)

Trappistes Rochefort 10

Trappistes Rochefort 10
Brasserie de Rochefort
Belgium
11.30% ABV
Style: Quadrupel (Quad)

C: Cloudy
H: Redish/Brown Tint
N: Yeasty Scents, Candy Sugar, Berry, Figs, Plums

The Ferm: Not a huge fan of Quads, but this beer is a gem. I had a beer friend challenge me to compare this beer to Westy 12, and see if it could compete. And compete it did!
Tons of complexities in the attack of the beer. The bottle I had for this review was from 2009 so it has a bit of age on it, but not a ton. There are dark fruits and sweet candy sugar all over this beer.
Better than Westy 12, possibly, but when you are lucky enough to have a Westy in your hands you savor it like no other. Rochefort is available in the states and has a ton less hype behind it. Does this make this beer bad? Not at all. Actually it allows me to see past the hype and just enjoy the beer for what it is.

Score: 4.666

Bell's Hopslam Ale 2011

HopSlam
Bell's Brewery, Inc.
Kalamazoo, Michigan
10.00% ABV
Style: Imperial IPA

C: Clear
H: Golden Yellow/Light Amber in Color
N: TONS of Hop Citrus Notes, Hints of Honey, Very Faint Pineapple?

The Ferm: Well I think I struck gold! I have a six pack of this beer in South Florida! WOW!
Can you sense my sarcasm?
I just visited a local liquor store to see if they received their shipment as I would like to have some more of this fine beer, and I was laughed at. Yes, a customer laughed at by a manager of a very large liquor store chain.

OK, lets get one thing down....this is a VERY GOOD IIPA, in fact a GREAT IIPA. Last year I think I even threw a 5/5 to this beer. Is it that good....well pretty damn close. This years version seems to have a stronger honey/malt backing to it. The hop aroma is strong and present but is not as potent as last years batch.

What really gets me is that people in South Florida and all over the US are going crazy over this beer. Really?!? OK, this is a good beer again, but this is not Pliney the Younger....this beer is nationally distributed (or atleast close to it), and is just hard to get. Once good thing to the "craze" of this beer is that people will hopefully drink this limited release fresh, as it does not do well with age.

Overall, welcome to really the first edition of "Beer Hype" in South Florida. It's a DAMN good beer, grab it while you can, if you can. But please don't get into a fight with someone in a local store over a six pack. There are many other Imperial IPA's that you can pick up year round that are as good if not better. And remember DRINK IT FRESH!!!

Score: 4.956

2008 Bourbon County Brand Stout

Bourbon County Brand Stout - 2008
Goose Island Beer Co.
Chicago, IL
13.00% ABV
Style: American Double / Imperial Stout

C: Clarity? Really? This is motor-oil!
H: BLACK As Night
N: Boozey & Bourbon

The Ferm: Alright I have to say after the Dark Lord vertical that was done back in December, I am gun shy about aging beers that I really like. This was a bottle I was sitting on but since I had two of them I decided to open on up to see how it is maturing.
HOLY JESUS! This beer is still as boozey as I remember it being fresh. It has mellowed out just a bit in the past few years but it still has a bit of a bite to it. Good? NO! GREAT!
Once of my favorite stouts just got better with time. There is a lot of vanilla, bourbon, and sweet malt. Hints of dark chocolate dance on the palate as well.
I can not wait to crack open the vertical of this that I am sitting on (currently 07-10).

Score: 5.00 (this beer is perfect!)

Surly Darkness 2009

Darkness
Surly Brewing Company
Brooklyn Center, Minnesota
10.30% ABV
Style: Russian Imperial Stout

C: Way to dark to tell
H: BLACK BLACK BLACK
N: Hints of Chocolate, Coffee, Dark Fruit (Prunes/Figs/Raisin)

The Ferm: Shared this bottle at the #FlaBrew Meetup with some good friends. This was a bottle that I have heard good and bad things about. Given the beer is about a year old, I did not know what to think.
Darkness day is similar to Dark Lord Day just on a lower scale. That made this bottle one that had a lot of hype behind it. Luckily, it was able to stand up to the hype, toss it in a grave, and then dance a nice little jig on top of the burial site.
The beer is filled with sugar and sweetness. Lots of brown sugar, chocolate, followed with a very subtle hop presence and a touch of coffee. Overall almost exactly what I expected and then some.
Drank a bottle of 2010 at the same time and it was a bit hot and more hoppy. A year of sitting did this beer great!

Score: 4.7896

Jupiter Craft Brewers Festival 2011

Well if you listen to United We Drink, my side project with good buddy Mike from MikeLovesBeer.com, you should be well aware that Jupiter Craft Brewers Festival is right around the corner.

Januray 29th from 1-5:30 PM you will have the opportunity to sample some of the finest beers in the state of Florida.  Tickets are currently on sale on the website, but are expected to sell out fairly soon!  Grab them now!

You can read more about the festival and buy tickets at Jupiter Craft Brewers Festival 2011

I am really looking forward to the local breweries out there this year.  Big Bear, Tequesta Brewing Co., and The Funky Buddha!

I personally know that the guys from the Buddha are bringing some special beers down and plan on tapping them on the hour every hour.  So I think you should hang out around their table as much as possible.  Maple Bacon Porter, Sex Panther, Vanilla Pitti Porter, and others are rumored to be there!

I hope to see you out there!

Bell's Hopslam Ale Attacks South Florida

Well beerigos it is here!

Beer release season has started.

HOPSLAM has started popping up around South Florida Bars and Stores.

Be quick about picking up this gem of a Double IPA though.  We are getting very limited supplies of the beer.

Where can you find it?  Well, most Total Wine & More stores will have it at the main desk right as you walk in, and it is limited to one 6-pack per person.

Besides Total Wine, I reccomend swinging by your local craft beer bar to see if bottles or even draft are avalable.  Last night The Coffee District started the frenzy by tapping the first keg in Palm Beach County EVER!  There is not much left so swing by and have a tasty pint of this beer.  The Funky Buddha is on deck with keg waiting....that's right!  When will they tap it?  Well, I guess we will have to wait.

Enjoy this wonderful beer fresh, it really does not age well, but be careful Mi Amigos it is 10% ABV.

Look for a bottle review next week as I cover high gravity beers all week!

Follow me on twitter at @DosBeerigos for up to date info on where you can find Hopslam in the South Florida Area!

Bourbon County Brand Vanilla Stout

Bourbon County Brand Vanilla Stout
Goose Island Beer Co.
Chicago, IL
13.00% ABV
Style: American Double / Imperial Stout

C: Way to dark to tell
H: BLACK
N: Boozey, Bourbon, Vanilla, Dark Chocolate

Miguel: Before the day of having this I would be one of the first people to admit that I was never impressed by Goose Island's Bourbon County Stout. I've tried it a number of times and it just seemed like nothing special to me. I guess my general dislike for bourbon aged beers can contribute to that but when the Ferm offered to try some of the Vanilla version I wasn't going to say no. Also earlier in the day we had a 2008 bottle of the normal Bourbon County Stout and I must say that it was so much better with age than the new ones I've sampled before. But anyway onto the Vanilla version. The nose is mostly sweet bourbon and cherries. I get a little brown sugar smell too but no real vanilla. The taste brings forward a slight vanilla taste but nothing huge. Probably will come forward more with age. A lot of the same tastes as the smell in there too. It has an extremely warming feel to it. All my innerds felts like they were sitting by a fire on a winter evening. A very good beer but a slight bit let down with the minimal vanilla taste.
Score: 4.4925

The Ferm: Wow this is quite crazy...I am sampling this beer next to a 2008 Bourbon County Stout. The Vanilla is extremely hot (boozey). There is a good amount of vanilla up front with a strong lingering vanilla flavor in your mouth. I must make it known that I love the base beer with a passion, and the treatments have been stellar so far (check previous reviews). BCBVS is not as good as the Coffee or the standard BCBS, but it is a different beer. It holds its own in the family though. Very solid beer!
Score: 4.712

AleSmith Grand Cru

Grand Cru
AleSmith Brewing Company
San Diego, California
10.00% ABV
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale


C: Cloudy
H: Amber
N: Booze Heavy, Malt Strong, and lots of Yeast Odors

Miguel: This one is a gift that Kirk Diggler gave me for my birthday last month.  And as we opened it up we got some more knowledge dropped on us by Fresh Beer Webguy about the meaning behind the name Grand Cru.  That guy isn't a certified Cicerone for nothing.  This particular Grand Cru is of the Belgian Strong Dark persuasion.  A malty nose with hints of caramel in it and an obvious Belgian yeast character.  The taste is a lot of the same with some dark fruit added in.  There is a booziness about it that becomes even more so when it warms up.  While I think this is a solid beer I wouldn't say this is AleSmith's best effort.  They have numerous others that I believe are much more worthy of a name like Grand Cru.

Score: 3.7224

The Ferm: Holy Booze Batman.....this beer is HOTTTT! Tons of yeast in the attack followed by a large amount of dark fruit. But wait....the BOOZE comes back the tail-end of the taste is covered in Booze Burn. Very good beer even though it is hot. I could see this aging extremely well. Overall not my favorite AleSmith beer, but good!
Score: 3.802

Overall: 3.7612

Cigar City Oatmeal Raisin Cookie

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie
Cigar City Brewing
Tampa, FL
5.50% ABV
Style: American Brown Ale

C: Clear
H: Brownish
N: Cinnamon, Brown Sugar, Vanilla.....Just Like an Oatmeal Raisin Cookie!

Miguel: Ah a tasty treat from CCB. I've had this one many times but always on draft. This is the first time out of a bottle as they are brand new. Cinnamon and oats in the nose make me know that this is the beer that I have come to love. The taste is pretty spot on from the draft as well. Raisins, oatmeal, cinnamon and a tad of vanilla. I love it when a brewery can be so spot on with the taste of a beer when naming it. Shorts did it with the Key Lime Pie Ale. And yes this beer tastes like an oatmeal raisin cookie.
4.3854

The Ferm: I have loved this beer since I tried it on draft at Jupiter Craft Beer Festival last year. Almost a year to date, I still appreciate this beer for what it is. Very rarely do you find a beer that lives up to the name on the bottle. Seriously, someone comes up with a witty name that thinks will help sell the beer and when you get the bottle home it is a let down. This is the only beer that I have had that taste like a real cookie!
Now on to the bottle review, I have heard that the bottling is a bit weaker than some of the draft batches. I have to say I disagree. The beer is on point. All the distinct flavors are sticking out and holding strong. I actually think that there is more brown sugar in the bottles then on draft. Regardless an amazing beer packed with tons of vanilla, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
Score: 4.89

Overall: 4.6377

Blue Point Toasted Lager

Blue Point Toasted Lager
Blue Point Brewing Company
Patchogue, New York
5.30% ABV
Style: Vienna Lager

C: Clear
H: Gold
N: Toasty Malt, Hints of Grain, and Sweet Butter

Miguel: I learned a little tid bit of knowledge from Fresh Beer Webguy about Blue Point when we had this. All 12 oz bottles of their beer are contract brewed. Only the bombers and kegs are brewed at the actual brewery. So with this 12 ouncer I will keep that in mind. The nose is pretty much toasted malts. I guess they got that spot on. The taste has more of that along with some buttery notes. A slightly creamy mouthfeel (haha) reminds of of a hand drawn beer. And I love me cask beers so bonus points. But that can also be a sign of infection sometimes. Is it meant to be that way? I'm not exactly sure. But I found this to be an enjoyable lager that would be a good session beer in the summer.
Score: 3.2002

The Ferm: Well I have to say I expected this to be a very light bodied lager. I was wrong, it actually had a very nice medium body. The flavors of the beer are subtle, which was expected. The only thing that was sort of a shocker was the fact that this is pretty sweet. This is a beer I would like to see canned, as it would be perfect for outdoor event in Florida (just Florida though...lol). Light and refreshing. Not a bad beer at all.
Score: 2.98

Overall: 3.0901

Bitter Brewer

Bitter Brewer
Surly Brewing Company
Brooklyn Center, Minnesota
4.00% ABV
Style: English Bitter

C: Clear
H: Gold
N: Hoppy...Strong Pale Ale Quality, Light Malt with Hints of Hop Bitterness

Miguel: This is the first time I've ever reviewed something from Surly. The yellowish/orange can makes it look like an energy drink but it probably isn't as bad as most of those. It is ultra clear but the small white head is gone before I could type a sentance of this length. I just get a ton of hop notes in the nose. They are citrusy, grassy, piney. The taste is more of the same. It's just a bitter attack at your taste buds. Tons and tons of hops. BA classifies this as an English Bitter but this is much more bitter than what I get from more traditional versions of the style. I thought it was a very hoppy pale ale. This was a little too bitter for me. I would have like a tad more balance. Oh well.
Score: 2.9248

The Ferm: Craft Beer in a can! I am a true sucker for this. While there is nothing special about this beer flavor profile wise, I could see myself using this as a go to beer for outdoor events. At only 4%, this English Bitter is refreshing and a lot more flavor than our typical tall-boy can! Great beer to share with someone else or drink by yourself at the beach, a tailgate, or while walking the dog (if you really need to drink while walking the dog.....just saying!). Good beer, but nothing overly special.
Score: 2.817

Overall: 2.8709

Florida Beer Meetup #1 (Skulls, Parking Lot Fights, ohh and Beer!)

So yesterday I jumped in the car with The Cerveza Chica, Miguel, and Evil Twin.  We decided to make a day trip 220 miles away from South Florida to meetup with some of the most active individuals in the Florida State Beer Scene.

About 3 hours later we finally pulled into the Cock & Bull in Sarasota, Florida. Outside we met with the crypt keeper himself, Rick from Ales from the Crypt. While catching up I could not help but to look at the outside of this building we were about to invade....it was well a run down looking house.

Once I inched closer to the door I noticed, that the outside appearance was maybe to fend off any snobby beer drinkers. Inside it was all business....almost like walking into a piece of heaven in Sarasota Florida.

Inside, the now 5 Beerigos, met Howie one part of the ownership of the Cock & Bull. We also reunited with Gerrard from Road Trips for Beer, and "the man, the myth, the legend" Alan Shaw (well he isn't so much of a myth anymore cause I met him finally!). Howie, gave us free run of what was an amazing beer bar, and the outside patio.

The lineup was built.

Once some bottles started to pop, out of nowhere Amie, "The Crazy Cat Lady" just appeared. In her words, "anything having to do with Epic Beer and Amazing People in the state of Florida, I will be there!"

OK, so we drank a lot of samples and shared good stories about Skulls, Cross Bones, and Graves (hehehe). We spoke a bit more about the Florida Beer Scene where it has come and where it is going. Ohh yah and we spoke about what we have all been up to since the last time we all got together.

Now where is the Parking Lot Fights coming from?

Well, on the way home the 4 South Florida Beerigos were grabbing some snacks and gas for the trip back. All I can say is an episode of Jerry Springer broke out in the parking lot of 711. What happened? I really don't know but this one couple was just not very happy with each other. It made for some interesting conversation for the trip home!

I look forward to meeting up with everyone again soon! Big thanks goes out to Howie from the Cock & Bull for hosting the event! I promise I will get a review of your fine establishment up on this blog ASAP....it was one of the best beer bars I have ever been to! Thanks for Gerrard, Alan, Amie, Rick, and of course my 3 Beerigos that made the trip with!

"Good People Drink Good Beer" ~Hunter S. Thompson

Ichtegem's Grand Cru

Ichtegem's Grand Cru
Brouwerij Strubbe
Belgium
6.50% ABV
Style: Flanders Red

C: Cloudy
H: Red-ish in color
N: Sweet Vinegar with Hints of Cherry

EvilTwin: I have to thank The Ferm for introducing me to sours. It turns out they are the perfect compliment to my stout/porter fixation. After about two stouts/porters I'm ready for a change and since sours seem to be almost the exact opposite of stouts/porters it works out perfectly.

This one had a light brown hue to it. Slight tints of red with dotty, oily lacing. The aroma has hints of vinegar, cherries, and a sour funkness. The taste was slightly sweet with the sour/tartness that most sours have. It wasn't too sour, and not too light either. Just right for me.
Score 3.8

The Ferm: All about the sours....last year that was my motto. This year I plan on living by that motto and getting my hands on as many new sours that I have never tried before. Big thanks to The Cerveza Chica for bringing this bottle back from Chicago for me.
The nose on this is insane...lots of sweet bitterness and hints of funk, and the flavor does not let you down. While this is not an "over the top" sour beer, it is extremely well balanced and made. I would label this as an entry level sour, and a very good one at that.
Score: 4.12

Overall: 3.96

Short's Uber Goober Oatmeal Stout

Uber Goober Oatmeal Stout
Short's Brewing Company
Elk Rapids, MI
6.5% ABV
Style: Oatmeal Stout

C: Clear-ish
H: Almost Black
N: PEANNNUTS! OHH YEAHHHHH!

EvilTwin: I've been on a peanut butter kick as of late, so finding this beer was a real treat.
This was another extra I received in my most recent trade from Michigan. If this beer is any indication of what the Michigan beer scene is up to these then I want more.

The aroma was full of salty peanuts and roasted malts.The color was black and syrupy. No head, no lacing, somewhat low carbonation. The taste was pretty much peanuts all around, just as the aroma suggested. I enjoyed everything about this beer. My only regret was not opening this beer next to the Short's PB&J. Well there's always next time.
Score 4.4

The Ferm: Big thanks to EvilTwin for sharing this beer with me. This is one of those beers I have been looking for, and dying to try. Was it worth it? Yes! The beer is jammed packed with Peanuts and Roasted Malt all over the flavor. JUST WOW! Quite like what I expected heaven to be like (minus the hops!).

The roasted peanuts bring me back to my childhood, and eating peanuts at the old Tampa Stadium watching the Buccaneers play..well lose with my father. GREAT MEMORIES! When a beer takes you back to a special place in your life, that is how you know this is a very special beer! I will be hunting more of this down!
Score: 4.321

Overall: 4.3605

Short's Brew The Liberator IPA

The Liberator
Short’s Brewing Company
Elk Rapids, MI
7.40% ABV
Style: Imperial IPA

C: Clear
H: Golden Amber
N: HELLO HOPS! Super Citrus w/ Hints of Grass & Sweet Sugary Honey

EvilTwin: I love IPA's and DIPA's, but they aren't neccesaraly my go to beers, those have, as of late, have been Imperial Stouts and Porters. So when I come across a good one, such as this, it's almost like rediscovering a good album or song on your ipod you haven't heard in while.

This one had a nice hoppy aroma to it, which is always what intrigues me first about an IPA or DIPA. The aroma also had a good amount of malt, honey, fresh cut grass and lemon zest to it. The color was somewhat brownish, hazy and murky with a slim head on it. The taste and flavors were much like the aroma. The flavors hung on the palate for quite a while and turned from bitter to sweet. Great to taste a good DIPA again.
Score: 4.23

The Ferm: Well if you have followed the blog since day one you are probably thinking...wait I have seen this beer before. Yep, March 24th 2010, this beer was reviewed for the first time with The Cerveza Chica. I figured I would revisit this beer without looking at my previous notes, then compare. I know my appreciation for Stouts has grown a lot but what about a Double IPA.

This beer smells soo good I accidentally snorted it up my nose when getting a good wiff of the scent. The beer is extremely balanced Double IPA....tons of hops and a solid malt backing. This really is a damn good DIPA, lots on piney citrus, followed with a mouth puckering flavor. Lots of sweet candy notes on the back-end of the taste. Overall a damn good DIPA, that I think is one of the best that I have had so far!
Score: 4.521 (my old score was a 3.21!)

Overall: 4.3755

Short's Cup A Joe Coffee Creme Stout

Cup A Joe Coffee Creme Stout
Short's Brewing Company
Bellaire, Michigan
8.00% ABV
Style: Imperial Stout

C: Can't tell how clear it is because it is BLACKKKK
H: Very Dark Black
N:Espresso forward, hints of sweet creme, and sugary roasted malt

Evil Twin: I'm not a coffee drinker by any means, but coffee flavor in a beer is something that I just can't resist. When I wake up in the morning I need a jolt to boost me out of my slumber, but I would always much rather grab an energy drink over a cup of coffee. I suppose I just like cold drinks over hot ones, but that's another topic of discussion all together.
I was lucky enough to land two bottles of Shorts Cup O' Joe, plus others, in my most recent trade (Mad respect to Erik Koppin for hooking me up with all those Short bottles, you rock my friend)

Poured into my Delirium snifter glass I noticed that the texture was pretty thick. Syrupy and oily with a thin brown head. The aroma had hints of roasted coffee bean, espresso and vanilla, a delicious combo I could fall for every time. The flavor however was something totally out of left field. Black Olive.... That's right, black olives came through in the flavor. I didn't catch it at first, probably because I don't eat olives ever, but once The Ferm mentioned it I totally tasted it. It was quite bizarre to say the least. It had the coffee and lactose flavors as well, but black olives really took center stage on this one. I might be inclined to get more of this, but I wouldn't go out of my way to be truthful. It was a great tasting experience, but olives are meant for salads and pizza, not in my beer.
Score 3.5

The Ferm: Call me crazy, yes I know most of you do already, but I get pepperoncini all up in the nose. Now I can pull the espresso out, and maybe it is just the bitterness of the coffee, but I get pepperoncini. Regardless, I was excited about this beer as I have only been able to try several of the Short's Beers. Thanks to EvilTwin for sharing this with me.
OK, the taste of the beer is straight black olive. I love black olives, but damn....not in beer. There is a strong salty mid-palate flavor that is throwing the whole flavor profile off. That mixed with a strong espresso back-end, brought me back to the day of eating black olives from the can. Nothing like putting the pitted black olives on your fingers so you have olive fingers, and then eating them off! (Hey don't judge me....I know you did it too!). Overall this is an interested black olive beer!
Score: 2.11

Overall: 2.805

Elysian Night Owl Pumpkin Ale

Night Owl
Elysian Brewing Company
Seattle, Washington
6.10% ABV
Pumpkin Ale

C: Clear
H: Amber/Orange
N: Canned Pumpkin Mix, yep thats about all

Evil Twin: Just when you think it's all over they come back with a vengeance. What came back? Pumpkin beers, that's what. Now I'm not gonna lament on the fact that my last few pumpkin beer encounters were less then great, but I am gonna express how great this one turned out to be. I've been looking to try this one for some time now but somehow wasn't able to land one in a trade, but thankfully I surround myself with good people who held onto a bottle for me to try. So big thanks must go to The Ferm and Ed "Sexiest man in craft beer" Roberts.
Poured into a Delirium snifter glass I examined the color first. It had a light orange hue to it. Sort of brownish around the edges with a very thin head. The aroma was pretty pungent, even before I stuck my nose in the glass I could smell the pumpkins, which took center stage here. I also got a good amount of ginger bread and brown sugar. The taste was pretty much what the aroma lead you to believe. The pumpkins, ginger bread, sweet sugar, etc.
I'm glad that my latest pumpkin experience wasn't a bust. This is one damn fine pumpkin beer.
Grade 4.0

The Ferm: Well I started the Pumpkin Beer "Season "off with a bang, drinking The Treat from Midnight Sun with Evil Twin. Hopefully I end the "season" on the same high note. We all know that I am not a huge fan of this style. Regardless, this was a beer that peaked my interest at the Great American Beer Festival, and thanks to Eduardo I was able to get a 2nd try at this. The odor is straight pumpkin mix, not bad....sorta smells like a pumpkin pie. The taste follows suite, but is not over powering with the spice or the pumpkin. Overall a very smooth and well balanced Pumpkin Ale. Not too shabby, and I will pick this up next year if the line makes it to South Florida.
Score: 3.87

The Funky Buddha Sex Panther

Sex Panther
The Funky Buddha
Boca Raton, FL
7.2% ABV

C: Seems clear on the corners
H: Dark dark brown almost black
N: Piney, hint of citrus, roasted malt, and chocolate

The Ferm: Well if you remember back a few weeks, I was blessed to assist in the brewing of this beer. It was tapped Friday night for new years eve, and I was surprised with a growler at our New Years Eve party. Thanks to Miguel for hooking it up with this tasty beer.
Now this is suppose to be a "Black IPA", and if you are to close your eyes and taste this beer IPA is the first impression. Then your palate is attacked by a smooth roasted malt flavor, somewhat smoke-y, and then hints of dark chocolate.

Good? Of course it is....I helped brew it.

Seriously, this is what I envisioned a "Black IPA" to be like the first time I heard about the style, quite some time ago. I love the hop build and the roast-y malt backing is on point.

Get up to The Funky Buddha for some Sex Panther. 60% of the time, it will get you drunk 100% of the time!