Looking Back – Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti

 Looking Back  No Responses »
Oct 132011
 

When the concept for this week of posts was floating around in my brain I believe it was a result of thinking of this beer.  With all of the reviews that I have done over the time I have done this site I know that this is the only beer that has received an A+ using any of my grading systems.

Lately I have realized that I am not often in the mood to drink big stouts like this but I don’t know that means that I would like this beer much less.  I think that since the review was done so early on that the complexity of the beer blew my mind.  It makes sense for me to go back sometime soon and revisit this one to see if my palate still gives it such a high mark.

Click on the photo below to see why I thought it was so go way back then . . .

3774873175 fdacfaabff Looking Back Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti

 Posted by Lucas at 10:00 am  Tagged with: , , ,

Blueprint Brewing – CMS Report *

 My Brew Reviews  No Responses »
Sep 062011
 

After sitting down to evaluate this beer again I took a look at the first review I did of it months ago and there are not too many differences between the two.  I am hoping that is because the beer has not changed all that much and it is not because my palate has not evolved over that time.  The thing that stays the same with each of these home brew revisits that I do is that each one reminds me how long it has been since I have brewed even one batch.  A brew day needs to find a way onto my calendar very soon.

Getting back to it after a Monday off . . .

Brewery: Blueprint Brewing (Winter Park, FL)

Name: CMS Report

Style: American Stout (if not S-H-V Beer)

ABV: 3.28% (+/-)

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

Aroma: A nice, slightly sweet roasted malt aroma with notes of chocolate and seemingly a hint of herbal spiciness (root beer-like).  Not overwhelming but very nice.  – 9.5/12

Appearance: Dark, dark brown (let’s say black).  Two finger plus light brown head that is frothy with pretty good retention and leaves some lacing on the glass.  Opaque even when held to light though you can barely see through at the edges. – 3/3

Flavor: Slightly sweet roasted malt flavor up front with good notes of bittersweet chocolate after that.  Some roasted bitterness and hop bitterness from middle to finish.  There is an herbal character at the finish that is subtly menthol-like.  Light dryness on the finish with quite a bit of lingering roasted malty sweetness.  – 12.5/20

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with a high level of carbonation that lends some bite.  Smooth and somewhat creamy, but also with some astringency. – 4/5

Overall Impressions: Really good head retention actually that helps it present well.  Still a pretty good beer overall, but definitely on the way down (tasting a little old).  Has some rougher edges than I remember from before but I am surprised it has held up this well with the low ABV.  definitely enough there to try the recipe again in the future (hopefully without the boil over).  Would make some good ice cream and would pair well with chocolate cake.– 6/10

Grade: B (35/50)

6116188999 8cc519ba95 Blueprint Brewing CMS Report *

Blueprint Brewing - CMS Report

 Posted by Lucas at 10:00 am  Tagged with: , , ,

Bell’s Brewery – Cherry Stout *

 Beer Reviews  No Responses »
Jun 242011
 

Fruit beers are not something that I often choose to drink , but I do find that the correct use/type of fruit in a stout can be really nice.  Putting fruit to an American Wheat Ale or the like is frequently too prominently fruity to me, but a subtle fruit character in a darker beer tends to suit me just fine.  While I will not say that this one was great, I can say that it has some things going on that I really did enjoy as I drank it.

Easing gently into the weekend . . .

Brewery: Bell’s Brewery, Inc. (Comstock, MI)

Name: Cherry Stout

Style: Fruit Beer

ABV: 7.00% (on bottle)

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge, pulled slightly early to warm some, and served in a pint glass.  A stout brewed with cherry juice.

Aroma: A deep roasted malt aroma with strong notes of cherry floating on that.  The two characteristics combine into a sweetness that is like chocolate covered cherries.   – 8.5/12

Appearance: Dark, dark, dark brown in color (black really).  Slight deep brown head that is pretty thin, dissipates quickly, and leaves very little trail on glass.  Opaque even when the glass is held to light.  – 2.5/3

Flavor: Chocolately roasted malt flavor as a base with a good, full hit of tart cherry juice flavor from middle to finish.  The flavors are pretty well balanced as the tartness of the cherries balances out the bitterness of the roasted malt.  finishes quite smooth with some lingering cherry and roasted malt flavors left on the palate. – 14/20

Mouthfeel: Medium to full in body with a moderate level of carbonation.  Smooth on the palate and lightly creamy though it does have some roasted astringency. – 4/5

Overall Impressions: The flavors balance together more as I drink and it gets better as it warms even more.  The first sip was kind of a wow, but it became much better after that.  The tartness of the cherries is a nice characteristic as a sweet fruit would not have worked as well.  Might just make a nice ice cream or chocolate cake or something like that.  The Wife indicated that she never had anything like it.  – 7/10

Overall: B (36/50)

5857858410 6fdfc3ab96 Bells Brewery Cherry Stout *

Bell's Brewery - Cherry Stout

 

 Posted by Lucas at 10:00 pm  Tagged with: , ,
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