DuClaw - Devil's Milk

DuClaw Brewing Co.

Devil's Milk - American Barleywine Style Ale (2014)

The beer poured a wonderful copper color that was deep and alluring.  A nice light, white head capped of the pour and slowly subsided down the glass.  The head stayed around the edge of the glass with some stubbornness.  The opaque beer really looked brilliant in the sunlight coming through my window.  This might be one of the prettiest copper colored beers I have seen.

The aroma of this beer gives off a plethora of scents.  There is a sweetness of caramel and sugar that combines with a hint of alcohol.  Mixed in with the sweet aromas is a hint of pine that balances the smell out.  The pine to me adds a depth to the smell.  I find myself smelling the beer before each sip to see if it is changing as the beer warms.  

On the palate the moderate carbonation allows the beer to dance on the tongue as you drink.  The beer is fairly thick, the caramel notes along with the alcohol sweetness mix in with some citrus that really adds to the flavor.  The beer finishes with a nice bitter bite.  With all the sweet upfront the beer needed to mix the hops in and it does.  The hops arent shy when it's their turn to come out and play.  The hops coat the back of your tongue and mouth.  

Overall I am really happy with this beer.  I have long wanted to try Devil's Milk, but I was scared that since I built it up in my head it would fall flat... But is didn't.  This beer has amazing color, a fantastic aroma, and very good flavor.  I give this version of Devil's Milk a 4 out of 5!  Another fantastic beer by DuClaw.

Starr Hill - Snow Blind

Starr Hill Brewery

Snow Blind - Doppelbock

The color of this beer pours a deep brown in color.  This beer is slightly translucent, with a hint of red.  The head pours a light tan and puffs up a little bit.  The head quickly goes away and leaves almost no residue.

The aroma is faint.  It gives off notes of yeast, roasted malt and caramel.  All the smells are mild, and don't get any stronger as the beer warms.  There is also a slight sweetness of fig in the aroma of this beer.  It's a nice smelling brew, I just wish it had more to it.

On the palate the prickly carbonation leads to a beer that has some nice flavor.  You get a sprinkling of roasted malt, and caramel across the tongue.  You will get a sweetness from what I taste as fig.  Lastly you will get a little alcohol warming down your throat that is pleasant.  The front of the tongue is left a little dry making you want to take another sip.  

Overall this is a pretty good beer.  I have had some beers from Starr Hill that I didn't like, but this one I like.  The color is nice, the initial deep brown also has hints of red through the light.  The aroma comes up a little small, but the flavor is nice and has plenty of layers.  I gives this beer a 3.5 out of 5.  A nice winter beer.

Fish Brewing - Smaug Stout

Fish Brewing Co.

Smaug Stout - Hobbit Series

The beer pours a near black color.  There is no hope of any light getting through this beer.  The head is an ice light beige, that laces down the glass, and stays there.  It's a nice look with the lacing, adds to overall appearance of the brew.

The aroma from this brew has a mixture of bitterness, a roasted malt, along with coffee, and a little bit of cocoa.  The aroma is mild and you have to really get close to smell it.  Overall it is a decent aroma, once you get close enough to smell it.

On the palate the extremely mild carbonation leads you to a beer that has a decent mix of flavors.  You will notice a coffee essence with the roasted malts.  There is a little bit of chocolate that is then pushed aside by a hoppy bitterness.  The bitterness leads to a dry finish that lingers on all aspects of your mouth.  You actually want to drink water after taking a sip of this beer.

Overall this is a decent beer.  It isn't amazing but it is alright.  The look of the beer is pretty nice, I love the lacing, the aroma is fine but you have to get really close to notice it, and the flavor has some good elements to it, but the finish isn't my favorite and it feels like it is lacking something.  I give this beer a 3 out of 5.