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.

Bavik - Petrus

Brouwerij Bavik

Petrus Oud Bruin - Ale aged in oak barrels

This is the last of the 12 beers of Christmas my wife got me.  12 drummers drumming are represented by the oak drums.  Well done my dear.  I am sad the beers of Christmas are over now.

The color of this beer is a nice chestnut color at the core, but fades out to a mahogany as it reaches the edge of the glass.  It is a translucent beer that you can see through, but the color of the beer makes it hard.  

The aroma of this beer gives off hints of candied sugar sweetness.  There is a wine like funk to the smell, probably from the aging process in the oak barrels. You can get a slight sourness and tartness of cherries as well.  It's a very interesting aroma.  There is a lot going on here.  

On the palate there is a mild, prickly carbonation.  This beer has hints of sourness that are reflected in the smell.  The sourness has a hint of cherries that has a little funkiness to it.  There is a slight maltiness that comes through with a very mild roast essence.  This beer is very similar to a sour, but it doesn't go over board with the sour flavor and it nicely balanced between sour, sweet, and the bitterness.  The fruitiness is very nice, and the beer goes down pretty easily.

Overall this is a nice brew.  The sour is a welcomed change of pace and refreshing.  This beer is like a sour mixed with a nice amber ale.  It's a different kind of beer, but very good and worth a try.

Breckinridge - Christmas Ale

Breckinridge Brewery

Christmas Ale - Seasonal winter ale

This is the 11th beer out of the 12 beers of Christmas.  There was nothing about pipers piping, so I got a Christmas Ale.

This beer gives off a mahogany color.  It has a nice play between brown and red.  It' a translucent brew, with a nice fading of color when you hold it up to the light.  

The aroma of this brew has a nice malty note with hints of caramel.  There is a slight fruitiness in the aroma that has a raisin scent.  There is also a bit of piney hops in the aroma.  Nothing in this aroma is overpowering, but mild and balanced.

On the palate the piney hop flavor is the first thing that hits the tongue.  After the piney flavor goes away your tongue gets hit with some fruity sweetness, then there is a little bit of hop again, and then it finishes with a note of caramel.  The flavor is kind of crazy how it bounces around like that.  After I first tasted the beer I was like, wow, there is a ton going on.  As I kept drinking it, I kept saying that to myself.  

Overall this is a pretty good beer.  It has a nice mild aroma, that leads you to a beer that has a bunch of flavor.  The flavor is layered, and to strong.  It is a nice warming ale that keeps on warming your throat well after you drink it.  It's worth a try for sure.

Ommegang - Adoration

Brewery Ommegang 

Adoration - Dark Winter Ale

This is beer 10 from the 12 beers of Christmas my wife got me.  I know I am behind on posting these.  The 10 lords-a-leaping are represented by the kings on the bottle.

The color of this beer is a nice brownish mahogany.  It is slightly transparent allowing a little bit of light through it.  There is a slight reddish haze in the color as well.  

The aroma of this beer gives of hints of sugared candy, raisins and yeast.  There is also a slight hint of molasses.  The aroma is sweet without being overpowering.  It has a slight alcohol bite to it as well.

On the palate this beer is smooth and a little creamy.  There is a raisin and citrus blend going on that plays well with the molasses flavor.  There is a slight bitterness on the backend of this beer that is covered up a little bit by the alcohol essence of this brew.  The after taste is a bitter fruitiness that lingers on the tongue for a while.  There is a lot of flavor in this beer.  Adoration does a nice job of keeping the flavors under control.

Overall this is a nice winter ale.  It has a nice warming affect on the body, with out you noticing that there is a ton of alcohol in this beer.  For how sweet it is up front is has a nice contrast on the backend with the mild bitterness.  I wish the after taste didn't linger as long as it does, but it's not a deal breaker for me.  It is another nicely done brew by Ommegang.