Innis and Gunn - Scottish Porter

Innis and Gunn Brewery

Scottish Porter - Porter with Molasses

The color of the brew is a rich deep mahogany, that gives a wonderful red hue off the edges.  The beer is dark, but not a solid looking beer like most porters.  This beer you can see through a little bit.

The aroma of this brew is not very much porter though.  There is a wonderful maltiness, that has a nice roastedness to it.  You also get a sweetness from the molasses and there is also an alcohol scent that comes out when taking a whiff.  It is a sweet smelling beer with a slight bit of porter maltiness.

On the palate this brew has a nice balance to it.  There is a lot of flavor and then a clean finish that leaves a nice mild aftertaste.  The first thing you get is a sweetness like syrup or burnt sugar.  As the beer goes down you notice the molasses that is followed by a cocoa and banana flavor, that ends with a little bit of bitterness.  I never would have thought this beer would have this kind of flavor considering the smell.  It's a nice light porter that has a really interesting flavor.

Overall I really like this beer, it has a unique flavor that I have never had before.  It's a nice a smooth beer, that's easy to drink and has a nice alcohol flavor tht doesn't overpower the beer.  This is a beer worth trying if you are looking for something different in the porter world.

Ommegang - Art of Darkness

Ommegang Brewery

Art of Darkness - Belgian style dark ale

The color of this beer is coffee dark, no creamor sugar, black.  The head is a fluffy beige that stays around for a while.  No light gets through this brew, and no light can be seen at the edge of the glass.  This is dark, solid brew.

The aroma of this beer is sweet and fruity.  I get a candied sugar smell from this beer that is followed by a fruity / citrus notes that are sweet, and enticing.  The aroma is mild and not overpowering.  There is a mild hint of alcohol, but nothing that would make you think this beer is too strong.

On the palate there is a light, fluffiness with mild carbonation and a smooth texture.  The beer slowly coats the tongue as you drink it and lingers after the swallow.  The flavors are blended together well, but you can still pick them out.  I notice a hint of orange, with a more dominate sugary raisin.  There is a note of roast malt and molasses that is mild, and hidden until the back side of this taste.  There is also a mild bitterness that helps to mask the alcohol notes of this moderately strong brew.

Overall I like this beer.  The funky bitterness on the backside is not my favorite, but it doesn't kill the flavor or experience of this beer for me.  I wish there was a little more to the beer, it seems a little light for a beer this dark, it's smooth and goes down very easily.  It's a sneaky string beer at 8.9% abv.  Overall a quality brew by Ommegang, and a beer to at least try once.

Trader Joes (Unibroue) - 2013 Vintage Ale

Trader Joe's (Unibroue Brewery)

Vintage Ale - A dark Belgian style ale with spice

The color of this brew is an awesome deep brown, almost a coffee color with a light foamy head that has a slight brown to it.  The brew is almost opaque but the slightest bit of light can get through the beer.  As the head of the beer goes down the glass it leaves no trace behind.

The aroma of the beer is nice and full, but not overbearing.  There are notes of toffee and caramel that first paper on the nose.  There is a slight roasted malt, with hint of dark fruit and alcohol that finish the smell off.  It's a pleasant and balanced aroma, that gets better as the beer warms slightly.

On the palate this beer has a mild carbonation that gently tickles the tongue as you take your sip.  The beer is lighter than it looks and goes down very easily.  The flavors you notice first are the toffee and roasted malt.  The fruitiness from what seems to be raisins is mild and combines nicely with alcohol flavor that is mild but noticeable.  The flavors of this beer combine nicely for a very easy to drink brew.

Overall this is a very good beer.  It has nice color, a decent aroma, and good overall flavor.  It's extremely drinkable and light despite what the color would lend you to think.  Unibroue is one of my favorite breweries and they continue to make good beer and selling it through Trader Joe's is pretty awesome.  Definitely worth trying if you can find it.

21st Amendment - He said

21st Amendment Brewery

He Said - Belgian Style Tripel

The color of the beer is a deep gold with a slight bit of orange.  It's a translucent brew with a slight bit of cloudiness.  

The aroma of this beer is nice and spicy.  There is a nice hint of clove which dominates the on first whiff.  You will also notice a hint of pumpkin and some all spice.  This beer has a unique smell to it.  There is some floral hints that pop up in the aroma as well as some ginger.  The overall aroma is pleasant and welcoming.  

On the palate this beer has a quick hit of sweetness that is quickly followed by the ginger and then the clove.  The pumpkin is mild and a secondary in this beer, and mixes in the the hint of ginger that you notice in the aroma.  On the back end finish of the beer there is a little bitterness that doesn't stay long on the tongue.  The flavors are well layered and don't come at you all at once.  It's crisp and slightly warms as it goes down.

Overall this is a pretty good beer.  It is a pumpkin style, but it has a nice twist to it.  I wish I would have found this during the fall instead of recently, but the beer still tastes fresh.  The ginger, clove and pumpkin blend is interesting, and pleasant on the palate.  I am not a huge fan of the slight bitter bite on the back end, but it doesn't kill the beer for me.