This one was saved for last because just from the label I was thinking that it was the one that I was least excited to drink 22oz of when compared to the other three.  I think that was mostly because the chili thing is tough to get right in a beer, at least for my palate.  Within the first few sips of this one I knew that wasn’t going to be an issue and I actually found myself wanting a little more heat to balance everything else out.

The last of what is now four . . .

Brewery: Boston Beer Company (Boston, MA)

Name: The Vixen

Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable Beer (based on a Doppelbock)

ABV: 8.5% (on bottle)

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge before being served in a pint glass.  Batch No. 1

Aroma: Light sweetness with some faint roasted malts with maybe a bit of spice.  Relatively mild and clean overall. – 7.5/12

Appearance: Dark, dark brown with garnet tones at the edges when held to light.  One finger plus light brown head with small bubbles, good retention, and leaving a very slight trail.  Appears opaque though clear at the edges with rising bubbles when held to light. – 3/3

Flavor: Smooth roasted malty sweetness with a touch of chocolate and also some notes of vanilla.  A very low heat comes through in the back of the throat with some faint cinnamon-like spice toward the finish.  Finishes quite smoothly and pretty cleanly with some lingering sweetness on the palate. – 13/20

Mouthfeel: Medium in body with a moderate to low level of carbonation.  Very smooth and somewhat creamy on the palate. – 4.5/5

Overall Impressions: The chili heat is very, very faint and kind of a letdown – really kind of pointless and unneeded in this beer.  Very easy drinking with a bit more cinnamon and chocolate as it warms a touch.  Wouldn’t mind having again especially if paired with the proper food.  The clean finish is very nice after the sweetness fades.  Does not taste like a beer with 8.5% ABV (hides it well). – 6.5/10

Overall: B (34.5/50)

Sam Adams - The Vixen

Though the weather has not cooled enough to have me wanting stouts on a regular basis I simply could not pass this one up when seeing it a little while back.  I am not one to keep black licorice around the house, but I really was interested to see (or rather taste) how that flavor worked with a big, bold stout.  The answer is that I think it works well and certainly much more so than I thought roasted buckwheat did.

Easing into the weekend . . .

Brewery: Stone Brewing Co. (Escondido, CA)

Name: Belgo Anise Imperial Russian Stout

Style: Russian Imperial Stout (or maybe Spice/Herb/Vegetable Beer)

ABV: 10.50% (on bottle)

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and pulled a little early to warm a bit before being served in a snifter.

Aroma: A full, smooth, chocolately roasted malt character with a more subtle licorice aroma underneath. Well balanced and quite pleasant overall with maybe a bit of alcohol there.  – 9/12

Appearance: Dark, dark, dark brown (black) in color.  One finger light brown head that is pretty thick, holds fairly well, and leaves some legs on the glass.  Opaque and even so at the edges when held to light. – 3/3

Flavor: A deep roasted malt flavor with notes of bittersweet chocolate and a light molasses-like sweetness.  The licorice flavor comes through middle to finish with some bitterness and a bit of astringency (from roasted malt profile) coming out near the finish.  Otherwise finishes fairly smooth with some lingering chocolate and anise. – 15/20

Mouthfeel: Full body with a moderate to low level of carbonation.  Smooth and pretty creamy on the palate with a bit of warmth noticeable. – 4/5

Overall Impressions: First significantly sized glass of stout in a long time.  I actually prefer this one not as warm as I usually do a big stout as the licorice gets to be a little too prominent and out of balance.  The aftertaste and astringency are like that after eating some very dark chocolate with a high cocoa percentage.  I could see this one pairing really well with the appropriate desserts. – 8/10

Overall: B+ (39/50)

Stone Brewing Co. - Belgo Anise Imperial Russian Stout

After the two not so common wheat beer styles/versions reviewed last week I am going a bit darker this week.  More specifically beers that are much more dark in color than the wheat beers and also ones that utilize some unique ingredients to add flavors not all that common to find in your brew.

Today roasted buckwheat makes and appearance and though I have tried it in a beer before (Morimoto Soba Ale) I do not remember how much I enjoyed it.  It must have been before my note taking obsession began.

On to the beer with a name that makes me want noodles . . .

Brewery: Rogue Ales (Newport, OR)

Name: Morimoto Black Obi Soba Ale

Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable Beer

ABV: 5.00% +/- (various numbers found)

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge before being served in a pint glass.

Aroma: A sweet roasted characteristic to the aroma with maybe a bit or chocolate.  Subtle overall and pretty unique. – 7/12

Appearance: Deep, deep brown in color.  Slight tan color head that is pretty thick, holds fairly well, and leaves a slight trail on the glass.  Appears opaque but is clear with rising bubbles visible when held to light. – 2.5/3

Flavor: A bittersweet roasted maltiness that has a nutty character towards and after the finish.  Not much, but there is a sharp bitterness in the middle and maybe a bit of a floral note.  The finish is a bit dry, but is fairly clean with some lingering flavors. – 10/20

Mouthfeel: Medium body with a moderate level of carbonation that carries a bit of sharpness.  Pretty smooth overall with some creaminess. – 3.5/5

Overall Impressions: There is something in the flavors at the finish that just do not work for me.  Found it difficult to describe the flavor overall and most of the flavors seem to be more prominent at the finish.  The bitterness in combination with the rest doesn’t work too well.  Maybe my expectations going in were too high, but I feel no need to drink this one again anytime soon.  Letter grade might have been lower without the point system. – 5/10

Overall: C+ (28/50)

Rogue Ales - Morimoto Black Obi Soba Ale

Though I clearly said on Monday when starting this week of posts that I was going to look back at five beers, I could not help myself from going with a pair for the middle of the week to make it a total of six.  There was no reason to decide between the two very similar beers so I didn’t.

Clicking on either of the photos below will take you to a pumpkin beer that I did not care too much for at the time of the evaluation . . .

In revisiting some of the home brews that I still have around the house I expected that they would all taste a bit old to me and have a good drop off in grade.  That really has not been the case until this one, but as one of my favorites I guess it had farther to fall.  While still pretty good, it definitely tasted a bit old.  Either way I still plan on brewing it again when the pumpkins are available down here.  My brewing operation actually has to wait until fall to brew a fall seasonal, but has been worth the wait each time so far.

I did purposely rename this beer to the way that it should have been spelled the first time around.  It will probably be easier to just put the year on each going forward.

One game gone and the full Sunday of football ahead . . .

Brewery: Blueprint Brewing (Winter Park, FL)

Name: A Gourdeous One Too

Style: Vegetable Beer (and I suppose Spice Beer)

ABV: 5.70% (+/-)

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and pulled slightly early to warm a bit before being served in a stemmed goblet.

Aroma: A full spicy aroma of cinnamon, nutmeg, etc. with a sugary caramel-like malt profile as a base.  Really quite nice overall.  – 9/12

Appearance: Deep amber in color with strong tones of copper.  One finger tan head that dissipates very quickly without leaving much of a trail.  Mostly clear with some haze and floating particulates (resulting from pouring a bit too quickly) and tons of rising bubbles visible. – 2/3

Flavor: Moderate amount of brown sugary (caramelly) malt sweetness.  The pumpkin pie spices are definitely there and pretty consistent from start to finish.  They are not subtle, but not overwhelming either.  Does have some vegetal quality to it still.  Finishes with a bit of dryness and some lingering spice flavor.  – 13/20

Mouthfeel: Medium body with a high level of carbonation that lends some bite.  There is some crispness up front, but is a bit more smooth toward the finish. – 3.5/5

Overall Impressions: It does taste like it has fallen off a bit over time and the higher level of carbonation that it now has does not help the flavors.  Certainly still drinkable, but I can tell that it is tasting a bit old even more so when it warms up a bit.  Still a recipe to brew again when pumpkins are available.  This beer (and pretty much all pumpkin beers) is one that I only need to drink one or two of as the flavors tend to meld together on the palate and flatten the more you drink. -6.5/10

Grade: B (34/50)

Blueprint Brewing - A Gourdeous One Too