Heady Topper IIPA

Heady Topper
The Alchemist Pub & Brewery
Waterbury, Vermont
8.00% ABV
Style: Imperial IPA

C: Clear as can be
H: Liquiddddd Golddddddd
N: Loving the Citrus Hop Notes on this, hints of pine, and sweet sugar

The Ferm: Well this was a beer I was hunting down for a long long time. The Alchemist is a small brew pub in Vermont. As most of you know, I hold a special place in my heart for breweries out of Vermont. The Cerveza Chica and I spent our honeymoon 3 years ago, almost to date, up in Vermont doing brewery tours.

Heady Topper was just placed in cans as well, and we all know how much I love a craft beer in a can. This beer specifically did extremely well out of the can. The beer was super fresh. Citrus hops shine in this 8% beauty. Hints of pine and caramel dance on the back of the palate. Overall a great beer, and one I will happily search out again.

Ohh yeah and like the can reads; "Don't be a D-Bag, recycle this can"

Big thanks to Seth for sharing this treat with me.

Pick it up off the shelf (if you live in VT)? OHH YEAH!

Note: Some have asked me where the ratings are for my posts....well lets see if you start to see a pattern in my reviews. ;)

Cigar City Good Gourd

Well it is amazing how things change in just one year.

You have watched my palate change from hating stouts to loving them, from looking for the hop-iest beer I can find to appreciating the subtle flavors in beer, what's next?!?

Well Pumpkin Beers are back out, and seem to be doing quite well in the South Florida Market.

One beer particular that is hitting shelves this week is Good Gourd.

Now due to my current position with Cigar City, I don't think it would be fair to review this beer. So I will say this...snag a bottle and try it for yourself.

The label description reads; ”This high-gravity gob of gourd-y goodness incorporates pumpkin in the mashing process and then gets wicked with the spices including Ceylon cinnamon, Jamaican all spice, Zanzibar cloves and nutmeg.”

Sounds tasty right?!? Well look for it in limited draft and 750ml bottles at your favorite retailer and/or watering hole.

Stone Cherry Chocolate Stout

Cherry Chocolate Stout
Stone Brewing Co. / Tröegs Brewing Company
Escondido, CA
7.30% ABV
Style: Sweet Stout

C: Dark
H: Black
N: Hints of toasted wood, dark fruit (cherry), dark chocolate

The Ferm: Well it has been a while. Cherry Chocolate Stout was a beer that I cracked open and said to myself that I need to review this beer for everyone to see.

I am not gonna lie, I was really excited to get this 12oz bottle in my hands the other day. The Green Tea collaboration sold out quickly, so this time around I snagged two bottles instead of one, just in case I liked it a lot.

While I would have liked a bit more chocolate from the beer, the flavors all blended well together. There was little to no medicinal flavors to the cherry hints, which were light until the beer warmed up.

While I felt the beer lived up to its name, there seemed to be a bit of lingering smoke on the back end of the palate.

Worth a try?! Yes, but keep in mind that this is not a sweet chocolate beer. It is more of a bitter/dark chocolate beer.