Mikkeller It’s Alive

May 25, 2012July 2, 2012 / Adam Barhan / Leave a comment

Mikkeller It’s Alive, originally uploaded by adambarhan.

A: Very clumpy and thick head, leaving sticky lacing. Pretty standard for the style. Beer is more orange than pale yellow.

S: Aroma is tart, funky, citrusy and a touch of dirt. Definitely noticeable Brettanomyces, not too many Belgian qualities coming though.

T: Funky more than citrusy, almost moldy cheese in flavor. Has a bit of sweetness towards the end, but this one definitely leaves a Brett flavor in your mouth.

M: Thin and low carbonation, has a creamy mouth feel that just fades into funk quickly. Not overly enjoyable.

O: Not great. This makes the 4th or 5th mediocre beer from Mikkeller. I will stick to Draft Bear from them.

Serving type: bottle

William Chris Vineyards

May 24, 2012July 2, 2012 / Adam Barhan / Leave a comment

William Chris Vineyards, originally uploaded by adambarhan.

A trip to the Texas Hill Country Wine Trail. Stopped at a new for us Vineyard, or tasting room and new vineyard.

Samual Adams Verloren

May 22, 2012July 2, 2012 / Adam Barhan / Leave a comment

Samual Adams Verloren, originally uploaded by adambarhan.

A: Pours slightly hazy golden/orange color with a one finger white head that fades rather quickly leaving a very thin white cap on top. Thin and random lacing.

S: Some wheat and bready malt, a little mineral/salt aroma. Some very faint fruit aromas and light spice.

T: A little bit of lemon rind up front. More light spice, mostly coriander, some more citrus, and more mineral flavor.

M: Medium bodied with medium carbonation. Slightly dry finish.

O: Not bad, not too much salt coming through at all. Would by it again.

Serving type: bottle

Ranger Creek Small Batch Series 1

May 21, 2012July 2, 2012 / Adam Barhan / Leave a comment

Ranger Creek Small Batch Series 1, originally uploaded by adambarhan.

A: Pours a light copper color.

S: Infected. The wax smells of bad Swiss cheese. I took all the wax off and washed the bottle. Still present.

T: Still infected. Has a Bretty character to it as well as sour notes. Me thinks there was some contamination.

M: Medium bodied with medium carbonation. Slightly dry finish.

O:Would like to try an uninfected bottle. Cool bottle display though.

Serving type: bottle

Exposure Brewing ESB

May 8, 2012July 2, 2012 / Adam Barhan / Leave a comment

Exposure Brewing ESB, originally uploaded by adambarhan.

A: Pours is amber/light copper with a creamy off-white head.

S: Some moderate caramel and toffee notes and a floral, earthy hoppiness. Not an overly intense nose, but it’s an English style.

T: Very bready on the palate with a mild amount of hop bitterness. Again, the hops are primarily floral and earthy, and the sweetness is not quite as noticeable as on the nose.

M: The body is medium and so is the level of carbonation. The finish leaves a lingering bitterness.

D: Not too bad, I am not sure I would call it great but not bad for the first attempt.

Russian River Damnation

April 30, 2012July 2, 2012 / Adam Barhan / Leave a comment

Russian River Damnation, originally uploaded by adambarhan.

A: nice golden color with a white, fluffy head

S: The distinctive Belgian yeastiness with plenty of spice–mostly coriander and pepper. Apple, pear and honey flavors come through as it warms

T: Up front, this one is definitely sweet and malty. The apple and pear flavors show themselvesas it warms but are not overpowering. The finish has a light floral hop bitterness to contribute to a balanced beer.

M: The body is medium and slightly sticky and sweet. The carbonation is moderate and, despite the sweetness, is actually a bit dry and well attenuated.

D: A well balanced and really flavorful beer from RR

Serving type: bottle Batch 063

Brouwerij Huyghe Delirium Tremens

April 30, 2012July 2, 2012 / Adam Barhan / Leave a comment

Brouwerij Huyghe Delirium Tremens, originally uploaded by adambarhan.

A: Light yellow color with lots of carbonation and a good white head.

S: Fruity, sweet, spiced, and some yeast.

T: Very nice spice and that wonderful Belgian yeast flavor, some mild fruit. A pretty dry beer, very ncie

M: Very crisp and dry beer. Very bubbly, too.

D: Great drinkability, goes down very easy, even with a considerable alcohol content.

Serving type: bottle split with Ashley in two tulip glasses

Maui Brewing Co. CoCoNut Porter

April 30, 2012July 2, 2012 / Adam Barhan / Leave a comment

Maui Brewing Co. CoCoNut Porter, originally uploaded by adambarhan.

A:Pours a deep dark brown color, with a large beige head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass. Surprised the oils from the coconut does not kill the head

S: The aroma contains coffee, roasted malts, vanilla, a little coconut.

T: The taste starts out with a rich black coffee flavor followed by background flavors of milk chocolate, vanilla and a touch of coconut. The malt character is hearty and the hops presence is mild but both are on-target for the style and provide a good balance. The coconut flavor is a bit more subdued than I had anticipated, but it’s a nice complementary flavor in the beer. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

O: Tasty, goes down very easily, not too filling, decent kick, good variation of style, this is one of my favorite Porters.

Serving type: can poured in a Tuliop

Sierra Nevada Hoptimum DIPA

April 30, 2012July 2, 2012 / Adam Barhan / Leave a comment

Sierra Nevada Hoptimum DIPA, originally uploaded by adambarhan.

Appearance: pored a clear, bright, bronze-plated body topped by an inch of white foam.

Smell: Hoppy at first with some pine notes coming though. pretty sweet smell

Taste: sweet, malt forward with a pine taste. As it warms, a very faint basic breadiness develops in the taste and aroma. Boldly bitter, finishes pretty sweet as it warms. Still, it does manage to finish both dry and bitterness. Lemony taste lingers into the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Medium-light carbonation.

Drinkability: Pretty good but not on a IPA kick right now so I would pass on this over other styles for the time being.

Served in a Tulip glasses at 49Degrees