Left Hand Twin Sisters Double IPA | Chad'z Beer Reviews

I haven't had an IPA (let alone a beer) from Colorado in a long time. That's kind of funny because Colorado has a huge craft beer scene and beers from that state definitely have their own collective taste and appeal (not quite west coast, not quite east coast). My brother gave me this bottle for Christmas and since it's a hoppy beer I thought I should drink it before it gets any older.

3.8

   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 15/20

Chad9976 (606) - Albany, New York, USA - JAN 27, 2012

I haven’t had that many IPAs from Colorado, but something I’ve noticed about the ones I’ve had is they tend to be very malty for the style. Not sure what it is about that state, but they seem to like their IPAs thick, sticky, syrupy, and sweet as opposed to crisp, citrusy, and refreshing. Left Hand Twin Sisters Double IPA is probably the epitome of the double strength version of the style from the land of the Rockies, and it’s certainly one to get behind.

I poured a 22oz bomber into a tulip glass.

Appearance: Extremely hazy (opaque, actually) bright shade of orange. No carbonation visible but it does form a good sized eggshell colored frothy head which retains and laces very well.

Smell: Overtly malty for a beer of the style with strong confectionary notes of caramel and toffee. There’s plenty of pine aromas, too and a subtle fruit juice concentrate scent in the background.

Taste: Tasting the malty side of a double IPA first is not something I’m used to, even with almost 800 beers under my belt, but that’s the case with Left Hand Twin Sisters Double IPA. It starts out with a strong bitter, but delivered in the form of a thicker, softer, almost syrup-like body. Sweet, confectionary flavors of caramel and butterscotch begin the palate. There’s plenty of pine sap flavor to be found as well, and it helps with the transition to the very bitter second half.

The later part of the palate emphasizes the wide variety of hops used in brewing this beer. There’s a sweet fruit flavor akin to pure fruit juice concentrate instead of the usual fruit pith or peel itself. There’s even a chocolate-like taste of dry bitterness. Overall, I prefer my IPAs less malty than this, but this is a nice change of pace.

Drinkability: Weighing in at 9.6% ABV and 77 IBUs, Left Hand Twin Sisters Double IPA definitely is a big beer on paper. The thick, almost chewy mouthfeel certainly backs up that sentiment too. The body is soft and fairly tepid - it’s not crisp, and it’s entirely too sweet to be refreshing. The hops linger, but the sweetness does, too, creating for that strange, but pleasant hop syrup sensation. The alcohol is blended extremely well with the brew as there’s no alcohol warmth or other distracting presence.

Ommegang Three Philosophers (2009 vintage) | Chad'z Beer Reviews

Look who's back! After about 10 months, Henry finally returns as a guest reviewer on the show and to a pretty special beer, too. "Three Phils" is one of Ommegang's best and most famous beers and often lauded as one of the best Belgian-style beers brewed in America. I've been cellaring this beer for well over a year now and thought this was as good an occasion as any to break it out.

4.3

   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 5/5   TASTE 9/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 17/20

Chad9976 (605) - Albany, New York, USA - JAN 24, 2012

I split a 750ml corked and caged bottle dated 17 November 2009 with a friend. We each poured it into tulip glasses.

Appearance: Beautiful dark cherry/maroon body with light brick red highlights. Completely opaque, but some fine carbonation bubbles are visible at the edges of the glass. Forms a thick, dark khaki frothy head which retains and laces very well for a beer of the style.

Smell: Plenty of dark fruit, massive maltiness, vanilla, and a slight woody character too. A prominent sour cherry aroma provides the backbone for these fragrances. It’s almost like having a fruit basket under your nose.

Taste: To describe Ommegang Three Philosophers as having a complex palate is something of an understatement. This is a beer whose palate not only is diverse in flavor, it’s constantly changing (an example of inconsistency being an attribute for sure). It begins with a strong sweetness of confectionary flavors, most notably caramel and butterscotch. There’s a slightly bitter, earthy rustic flavor or two as well - akin to Cracker Jack Popcorn if it were toasted (or even burnt). The beer finishes with a kiss of tart cherry. There’s definitely some sourness to it, but in that tasty candy kind of way. It lingers on the tongue, too.

Initially, the alcohol is completely separate from the palate and is a little distracting. It’s slightly dry, but also somewhat sweet and woody like a bourbon. As the beer warms the genuine palate of fruity maltiness and the alcohol blend together for a more homogenized palate. It’s very delectable to be sure, and perhaps if it had been as consistent throughout this would be a perfect beer. A "flawed masterpiece" might be a great way to sum it all up, actually.

Drinkability: "Smooth" is not usually a word I would use to describe a Belgian quadruple, but it’s definitely apropos for Ommegang Three Philosophers. While it is certainly robust and does have some spiciness to the palate, it drinks much easier than any other beer of the style I’ve ever had. In fact, while it’s in the mouth there’s a refreshing quality to it - amazing! It goes down very smooth and the aftertaste is a pleasant tartness that isn’t cloying at all. The body is quite big at 9.8% ABV, but it just doesn’t feel that heavy on the system. There’s no alcohol burn, just a gentle dry warmth that quickly melds with the genuine palate. A great beer to have for dessert.

Samuel Adams The Vixen Chocolate Chili Bock | Chad'z Beer Reviews

This is a beer I didn't have much interest in, but felt I should review it after I saw Jay's (http://youtube.com/jjrudy41 ) review of this in which he hated it. Jay and I don't always have the same tastes in beer, but when I see an extremely negative review of a beer you wouldn't expect to be bad, it makes me want to try it as much as a glowing review would. So was it just Jay or does this beer really suck? Watch and find out.

3.5

   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 5/5   TASTE 6/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 14/20

Chad9976 (604) - Albany, New York, USA - JAN 19, 2012

Seems like every brewery wants hipster credibility now, including Samuel Adams who have recently released a small batch series of "experimental" brews. I wasn’t particularly interested in them, but absolutely had to try The Vixen Chocolate Chile Bock after a friend of mine loathed it. Even without knowing anything about this beer, the name and label description certainly make it sound interesting. But uniqueness does not necessarily make for a great beer, and in this case it’s merely an okay one.

I poured a 22oz bottle into the official Samuel Adams Boston Lager glass.

Appearance: Stout-like appearance of opaque black body with red edges; a dark frothy head which retains and laces very well.

Smell: Mostly a typical lager aroma with the faintest hint of candy bar chocolate. Even more subtle dark fruit scents and perhaps some fusel-like notes, too.

Taste: The label clearly describes the beer as a "Chocolate Chile" beer. I went into this thinking something in the ballpark of a stout, but in actuality it’s more of a black lager minus the roasty flavor. It begins with a mild lager-like taste. Through the middle is a noticeable, slightly dry bitterness with an extremely subtle taste of low-grade dark chocolate. There is, however, some sweetness in the form of caramel or butterscotch. There is a slight aftertaste of spice, but most likely it’s the cinnamon and not the peppers.

So in one aspect, this beer fails to meet the expectations its label hyperbole prepares you for. It’s neither chocolaty nor peppery. On the other hand it’s not a horrible beer, or even a mediocre one - rather, just an okay one. There’s really nothing off-putting about the palate and the caramel sweetness is nice.

Drinkability: One thing I will give Samuel Adams The Vixen Chocolate Chile Bock credit for is being so easily drinkable. It weighs in at 8.5% ABV, but at no point can you smell or taste alcohol per se. It seems quite heavy in the mouth, and goes down very smooth with a mostly clean aftertaste and a slight hint of cinnamon warmth. The mouthfeel is thick, soft, and fairly tepid. I could see this beer going very well with a peppercorn steak, but it doesn’t really seem worth the $6 price tag.

Craig Gravina's WWII Era British Beers | Chad'z Homebrew Reviews #23

My friend Craig Gravina (who was just on the show a few weeks ago as a guest reviewer), brewed three beers attempting to re-create beers available during World War II era Britain. Craig is a WWII buff and a lover of English ales (and, I assume, real ale too). He provided very detailed descriptions below. I'd challenge all the all-star homebrewers out there to try these recipes themselves or try a "re-creation" homebrew experiment like he did!

Craig on the web:
http://drinkdrank1.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Drinkdrank/221545327930375?ref=ts
http://twitter.com/drinkdrank1

THE WAR SERIES - Hurricane 39 Mild Ale / Spitfire 40 Best Bitter / Mosquito 41 Burton Ale

First off, a couple of things to know about he beers in general. They were all done "in the style..." of the most popular British beers from the WWII era—Mild, Bitter and Burton. They're not based on actual recipes from any specific brewery, but put together from looking through brewing records of a number of breweries of the time. When I was designing the beers I was trying to think like a brewer of the time, using what would have been available—almost as if I were an operating WWII-era brewer. I corrected Albany's water to that of London in the 1940s and you'll probably notice that the beers is a bit under carbonated. That was intentional, I'm going for that cask/real ale quality. Along with that, don't drink these beers cold. Take them out of the fridge and let them warm up for a bit before you drink them. The beers are all named for the year that they were inspired by and British fighter planes of WWII, too. So, here goes!

Hurricane 39 Mild Ale
During the 1920s and 30s British brewers began adding American malt to their grist, because it's increased nitrogen content. During most of 1939, British cargo ships passed unimpeded across the Atlantic Ocean. However, with the onset of hostilities in the fall of 1939, British shipping lines were cut-off from their American and European allies. While the availability of new American malt began to slow, British brewers did still have stores of American malt that would have been used into late 1939 and early 1940. Hurricane 39 is named for the pugnacious Hawker Hurricane
MALT: British mild malt, American six-row malt, British dark crystal malt, Invert sugar No. 2
HOPS: Fuggle
YEAST: Wyeast London Ale III (1318)
OG: 1.035 / IBUs: 19 / BUGU: .44 / ABV: 3.6%

Spitfire 40 Best Bitter
By 1940, food rationing and restrictions were in full effect, throughout Britain—and breweries were no exception. British beer makers began to augment their beers with alternative grains like un-malted flaked barley and oats. Spitfire 40s hazy appearance is a result of its use of flaked barley. Sugar was also at a premium, with huge quantities of it going toward the war effort. Brewers began using malt extract to supplement the limited use of common brewing sugars. While nearly all modern Bitters rely heavily on the caramel tones of crystal malt, many British brewers didn't begin using it in their Bitter grists until late in the war, or in some case after the war had ended. Spitfire 40 is named after the venerable Supermarine Spitfire.
MALT: British two-row malt, Amber malt, Light malt extract, Flaked barley
HOPS: Bramling Cross, East Kent Goldings (dry hop)
YEAST: Wyeast London Ale (1028)
OG: 1.044 / IBUs: 26 / BUGU: .61 / ABV: 4.3%

Mosquito 41 Burton Ale
Strong, dark and bittersweet—Burton Ale had been one of Britain's premium beers, for over a hundred years. Because of it's success in the marketplace, British brewers had to figure out a way to create Burtons with the same characteristics as pre-war versions—using limited resources. Grain adjuncts, dark brewing sugars and coloring agents began making their way into the day-to-day operations of many breweries. While, American malt was almost completely unavailable, It was not uncommon for brewers to use yearling or two-year old dried hops, so stores of older American hops were still available. Mosquito 41 is named for the classic British fighter/bomber—the de Havilland Mosquito.
MALT: British two-row malt, Mild malt, Flaked barley, Invert sugar No. 3, British dark crystal malt, Caramel coloring
HOPS: Cluster, Bramling Cross, East Kent Goldings (dry hop)
YEAST: Wyeast British Ale (1335)
OG: 1.051 / IBUs: 34 / BUGU: .75 / ABV: 5%

Kiwi Monster Double IPA | Chad'z Homebrew Reviews #22

My first ever homebrew from Europe! This beer was hand-delievered to me by Peter "The Master of Hoppets" http://youtube.com/TheMasterOfHoppets It was also brewed by his friend Jakob "The Lord of Malts." Apparently they wanted to make a New Zealand-insprired double IPA. Although there's plenty of American west coast influence to be found in this beer, too.

Peter's description:
Its a DIPA on 9,6% ABV only brewed with New Zealand hops, the malts used is American Two Row Pale, Marris Otter. The hops used are Pacific Gem (for bittering), Nelson Sauvin (a small amount for bittering), Rakau and Motueka. It was also brewed with oats and honey.

Imasofat Drowning Bee IPA | Chad'z Homebrew Reviews #21

It's been a long time since I reviewed one of the Imasofat's homebrews (about a year, I think). This is an IPA Gary brewed in late August. I don't have the exact stats and recipe or anything, but I know it used about four different hop varietys and plenty of LME. This review is the first of an "All Homebrew Review Week".

Check out the Imasofat's channel at http://youtube.com/Imasofat

Three Floyds Amon Amarth Ragnarok | Chad'z Beer Reviews

There's so much awesomeness to this review I don't even know how to begin describing it! So Peter, "The Master of Hoppets" http://youtube.com/TheMasterofHoppets was flying from Denmark to New Mexico and had a short layover at JFK Airport in New York City. Since I live in Albany I drove down to meet up with him and shoot a review of this beer in the only place we could: my car! Yes, it's quite illegal I'm sure - you going to rat me out to the cops?

Peter and I had been planning this meetup for over a months and I deliberately saved this beer to review with him since it features Swedish metal band Amon Amarth in collobration with Three Floyds - one of my favorite breweries (plus the bottle was sent to me by Rob Walker!).

Would the beer be as epic and awesome as this beer review setting? Watch and find out.

4

   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 5/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 15/20

Chad9976 (603) - Albany, New York, USA - JAN 12, 2012

There seems to be a growing trend in the craft beer lately of brewers collaborating with non-brewers for a special one-off release. Frankly, I find these to be a little gimmicky because if the beer doesn’t work they can always blame it on the fact it was an experimental brew. I had high hopes for Three Floyds Amon Amarth Ragnarok because it’s one of the best craft brewers in America collaborating with one of the biggest names in the heavy metal music scene. What they came up with is an "imperial porter," which is certainly unique, and a very tasty, enjoyable beer, but nothing earth-shattering.

I received a 22oz bottle from a friend in Chicago. I split it with a friend. We each poured it into plastic tumblers (watch the video review to find out why).

Appearance: Typical porter or stout complexion of near jet black color with slight ruby red edges. Forms a large, dark khaki, frothy head which laces and retains extremely well.

Smell: Very true to the porter style with sweeter notes of chocolate, cocoa nibs, and raisins (chocolate-covered raisins, actually). Subtle, but noticeable, smell of coconut hide and general earthiness.

Taste: In the world of brewing, a strong porter is technically a stout, but there’s a distinct difference in taste, especially in the case of Three Floyds Amon Amarth Ragnarok. This beer has all the sweeter flavor notes you’d find in a porter: slight milky/dairy flavor; milk chocolate, dark cherry and raisin, plus some earthy roughage on the back end to provide for some bitterness.

As it warms it grows even more complex imparting a slight smoky taste, a hint of coffee bitterness and a slight sourness or tang. You might chalk this up to the alcohol accentuating these components often found in the palate of more traditional, pub-style porters. It’s not a flaw, per se, but an absence of these flavors would make this a great beer instead of just a very good one.

Drinkability: While this beer is rather hefty at 8.2% ABV, it would be difficult to detect this if you didn’t know that. There’s no alcohol presence whatsoever and the beer just doesn’t feel all that heavy. It’s super smooth with a lovely, but light, chocolate and raisin aftertaste. And while sweet, it’s never cloying. Its drinkability is a great reason to love it.

Goose Island Demolition | Chad'z Beer Reviews

Craig joins me for a back-to-back review. This time we review Goose Island's "Demolition" which is described as a "Belgian-style Golden Ale". My brother gave this to me for Christmas. I was a little concerned, though, as the bottle was dated July of 2010 and it says it's best within 6 months of the date. Would it hold up?
Remember to check out Craig's blog at http://drinkdrank1.blogspot.com

3.8

   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 15/20

Chad9976 (602) - Albany, New York, USA - JAN 7, 2012

I tend to roll my eyes at American beers described as a "Belgian-style golden ale" since that’s such an umbrella term and few beers using that term are any good. My brother gave me a bottle of Goose Island Demolition that was bottled in July of 2010 for Christmas of 2011, and I didn’t have high hopes for it since it’s not bottle-conditioned. But as I’ve said many times, one of the best things about being a beer reviewer is when a beer catches you by surprise and that was certainly the case here. It’s a slightly fruity, somewhat refreshing, Belgian-ish beer that’s still American at the core.

I split a 22oz bomber with a friend. We each poured it into tulip glasses.

Appearance: Dark maize yellow, almost completely opaque. Forms a small, white, foamy head which dissipates completely and leaves no lacing on the glass.

Smell: Authentic Belgian aroma of banana peel, coriander and an assortment of other light spices. Slight hop flowers, too.

Taste: As soon as the beer hit my tongue it was immediately lit up with zesty spice and traditional Belgian energy. It’s similar to what you might get in a Trappist tripel, but without any alcohol presence or heavy density. Orangepeel, coriander, banana, clove, and a mélange of light spices are all individually distinguishable, but also combine for a delectable palate overall. The orange taste is probably the most prominent - similar to the tangelo flavor notes that Amarillo and the "C" hops tend to impart. But here it’s just the fruit flavor without the bitterness, tartness, or acidity.

For a moment it’s a little refreshing, especially during the first half. Then the spices appear en masse and dry the palate out (but not completely). Confectionary tastes of caramel and butterscotch are subtle, but noticeable. The aftertaste is remarkably clean considering how much spice is in the palate. It’s an enjoyable for sure, but not quite wonderfully delicious.

Drinkability: The best way to describe the palate and the mouthfeel is "zesty." Plenty of spicy energy, taste, and residual dryness - but nothing extreme. Not as highly carbonated as many actual Belgian strong pale ales like this tend to be, which makes it quite smooth and easy to drink in bigger swigs. At 7.2% ABV and in 22oz bottle it’s very easy to drink it all yourself without feeling overwhelmed. Probably something I’d prefer in warmer weather, but it works well as an after-dinner brew year-round.

Craig Gravina of "Drink Drank" | Interview With A Craft Beer Enthusiast

Craig Gravina is a fellow beer blogger and craft beer enthusiast from the Albany area. He writes a great beer blog at http://drinkdrank1.blogspot.com I actually met Craig through the comments section on Zak Avery's blog! Craig and I have been communicating via Facebook and email for months, but never had a chance to meet in person until recently. We shot two beer reviews and afterwards shot this episode of "Interview With A Craft Beer Enthusiast."

Here's the questions:
0:52 How would you describe your blog?
2:15 What's your history with beer?
3:27 Are you BJCP or Cicerone certified?
4:39 What was your craft beer epiphany?
7:06 What's your criteria for how you rate beer?
9:00 Are you an appreciator of all styles of beer?
9:38 Are there any styles you have a preference for?
9:57 How do you spread the gospel of craft beer?
10:30 Who is your blog aimed at?
11:19 What would you recommend as a transition beer for lager drinkers?

Ithaca Alphalpha | Chad'z Beer Reviews

If you remember all the way back to 8 weeks ago, you know I visited the Ithaca brewery and bought this bottle of the funnily-named "Alphalpha" while there. It claims to be a "Double Honey Bitter" - huh? I knew I needed help reviewing this beer so I brought in Craig Gravina - a fellow Albany craft beer enthusiast who writes an awesome beer blog at http://drinkdrank1.blogspot.com This was his first-ever video beer review and he was a natural at it.

3.9

   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 15/20

Chad9976 (601) - Albany, New York, USA - JAN 7, 2012

Ithaca Alphalpha is a beer I’ve only seen at the brewery, so I bought a bottle when I visited around Thanksgiving of 2011. The employees described it as a "double India Pale Ale with lots of honey in it," which definitely sounded appealing. The bottle describes it as a "Double Honey Bitter" - a hyperbolic statement to be sure as the beer drinks more like a regular East Coast style double IPA with subtle honey notes. This might be due to the fact the bottle was well over a month old by the time I drank it, or perhaps the honey was used more as a fermentable than a flavoring ingredient. Ultimately it’s a fine DIPA, but perhaps a little oversold.

I split a 750ml bottle with a friend. We each poured it into tulip glasses.

Appearance: Honey-colored dark yellow with slight orange shade; cloudy but transparent. Forms a large, white, frothy head which laces and retains quite well.

Smell: Big grapefruit aroma due to the Cascade hops. Significant pine needles and some sap fragrance as well.

Taste: Very prominent hop bitterness hits the tongue hard and never lets up. Much like a Stone Ruination or other West Coast DIPAs of the sort, it’s a strong, tart, almost acidic level of bitterness like pure grapefruit juice. The second half does impart some maltiness to balance it out. Slightly sweet, slightly confectionary notes of butterscotch, honey and caramel do indeed make noticeable (albeit brief) appearances. The finish returns to the initial palate of dry bitterness and the aftertaste follows suit.

While I do appreciate and enjoy the grapefruit flavor and unapologetic bitterness, I wish there had been more genuine fruit flavor. There’s definite pine in the second half plus slight candy notes, but it’s still a tad unbalanced (perhaps due to the age of the bottle?). I could see this beer working wonderfully as something to have with a hearty dinner.

Drinkability: Although Ithaca Alphalpha is an overtly bitter beer, it’s surprisingly easy to drink. The mouthfeel has a mostly soft, slightly creamy texture to it. The beer is a perfect level of carbonation which enables it to go down smooth. I wouldn’t call it refreshing, though, but I doubt it’s meant to be. Not something I’d recommend for beginners, but hop heads will definitely be able to enjoy it.

"Pugnacious Porter" by Max Spang | Chad'z Homebrew Reviews #20

I recently did a beer trade with Max Spang of http://youtube.com/SnobbyBeer He really seemed proud of this blueberry porter - an all-grain brew made with homegrown blueberries. I wanted Shaun to help me review this since he's a homebrewer too and I'd be interested to hear his take on it.

Max's description and information:
"The recipe was my first all grain batch. I tweaked a recipe of an Edmund Fitzgerald clone that I was going to add blueberries to, but it was almost a failure. I got horrible efficiency and the beer was really, really thin. The samples I took tasted like ashy coffee, and it only fermented to about 3.5% ABV. I was on the verge of dumping it, it just wasn't working out. However, I decided to say screw it and added about 2-3 pounds of Blueberries (more on that later). After a week or so, I tasted it again - Lo and behold, the beer was smoothing out and was very pleasant. It didn't quite taste like blueberries, so I added more (I think another pound or so, I don't have my notes handy). The ABV bumped up to right around 4.5%, and the beer is very dry and a little over carbonated. It's easy drinking and semi refreshing, and the blueberries give it a slight tartness and a slight purple hue to the beer. It's by no means a great beer, but it is definitely decent IMO - especially considering it was almost a failure."

Size: 5.0 gal
Efficiency: 75.0%
Attenuation: 75.0%
Calories: 183.73 kcal per 12.0 fl oz

Original Gravity: 1.055 (1.048 - 1.065)
Terminal Gravity: 1.014 (1.012 - 1.016)
Color: 25.07 (22.0 - 35.0)
Alcohol: 5.43% (4.8% - 6.5%)
Bitterness: 35.4 (25.0 - 50.0)

Ingredients:
9.0 lb Pale Ale Malt
0.75 lb Caramel Malt 50L
0.5 lb Chocolate Malt
0.5 lb Roasted Barley
1.0 oz Northern Brewer (8.0%) - added during boil, boiled 30.0 min
0.5 oz Fuggle (4.8%) - added during boil, boiled 30.0 min
.5 oz Cascade (5.5%) - added during boil, boiled 30.0 min
0.5 oz Cascade (5.5%) - added during boil, boiled 0.0 min
1.0 ea WYeast 1028 London Ale

Three Floyds Arctic Panzer Wolf | Chad'z Beer Reviews

Even though Shaun was just here two episodes ago, we shot that almost three weeks ago! Isn't time relative! LOL! Anyway, this is one of the last beers sent to me in a trade with Rob Walker and the THIRD Three Floyds imperial India Pale Ale I'll have tried (the other two being Dreadnaught and Apocalypse Cow). I wasn't sure what to expect from this beer, although I assumed it'd be awesome considering who makes it.

4

   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 16/20

Chad9976 (600) - Albany, New York, USA - JAN 3, 2012

I split a 22oz bottle with a friend. We each poured our half into tulip glasses.

Appearance: Honey color with plenty of hop haze, but carbonation still visible. Forms a good size, eggshell colored frothy head which laces and retains well.

Smell: Light fruits such as white grape and apricot with some orange notes as well, but not a citrusy beer per se.

Taste: As soon as Arctic Panzer Wolf hits the tongue I get the sensation of massive bitterness. It’s definitely a hoppy bitter taste with the sharp, tartness of citric acid. Through the middle appears a slight fruit cocktail flavor of apricot, orange, and white grape. It’s not quite as syrupy or nectary as many of the strong IPAs from the west coast, but does have many of the similar fruit notes. There’s a dank resin-like flavor on the second half and finish which reiterates the initial bitterness, but in a very different way.

It’s a very delectable palate to be sure, but I can’t help but feel more could’ve been done. A little more energy to the fruit flavors and/or a little less sheer dry bitterness would’ve made it a bit more balanced and enjoyable.

Mouthfeel: Noticeable energy with plenty of carbonation and hop bite on the tongue during and after the swig. Noticeable dry aftertaste.

Drinkability: Three Floyds are known for making big beers with a lot of flavor, but I’ve yet to encounter one that’s a sipper. Arctic Panzer Wolf is quite strong all around at 9% ABV, yet there’s no alcohol presence in the palate and goes down very smooth. It is quite dense, though, as it’s the kind of beer that would be challenging to drink more than one serving at a time (the lingering hop dryness doesn’t help much either). A great beer to have with a meal or on its own.

Steadfast Sorghum Pale Ale | Chad'z Beer Reviews

This is an unofficial review of a prototype/sample first batch of the up-and-coming Steadfast Sorghum Pale Ale. The label is an unofficial label, not yet approved by the TTB.

3.5

   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 6/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 14/20

Chad9976 (599) - Albany, New York, USA - JAN 2, 2012

The Steadfast Beer Company was started by a friend of mine as a way to fill a hole in the craft beer market: the gluten-free, sorghum-based beers for people allergic to gluten (which is in all barley and wheat). There are few offerings available on the mass market, and the ones that are there are usually disliked by mainstream beer drinkers and celiacs alike. Why not brew a gluten-free beer with actual taste? That’s the idea behind Steadfast Beer Company, and their initial offering - Sorghum Pale Ale - is definitely the most robust and complex sorghum beer I’ve ever had. But as a beer in general, it’s only okay.

I poured a 22oz bomber into a tulip glass.

Appearance: Beautiful crystal-clear dark amber/copper hue. Little carbonation visible but forms a good size white foamy head which retains and laces fairly well.

Smell: Light perfumey hop flowers and citrus notes. There’s a noticeable "sorghum funk," but it’s easily overlooked.

Taste: The palate begins with sharp, dry bitterness. Through the middle come the hops with a more refined, slightly juicy flavor of citrus, and a piney resiny taste at the end. As it starts to finish there’s a confectionary sweetness of toffee and caramel, and the aftertaste has a rustic peanut shell flavor.

So why do I only rate this a 6 out of 10? Because this beer has that solvent-like taste I’ve encountered in every other sorghum beer. It’s similar to the fumes you can actually taste from paint or indoor swimming pool. It’s not nearly as strong as some of big name brands, but it’s still there. After a few swigs I’m able to build up a tolerance to it, but it still distracts from the rest of the palate. Fortunately, Steadfast’s attributes outweigh this flaw.

Mouthfeel: Medium body and thickness and slightly crisp. Strong dry aftertaste of sorghum and nuttiness.

Drinkability: Weighing in at 6.8% ABV, Steadfast Sorghum Pale Ale is pretty hefty for a pale ale, but has the raw drinkability of the style. Aside from the astringent taste, the palate is quite drinker-friendly and the smooth finish makes it easy chug down. It’s a beer I can drink a single serving at a time, and paired with a meal it would probably work much better.

Alchemist Heady Topper | Chad'z Beer Reviews

I don't know how, but for some reason every beer nerd in America (especially on the east coast) is going nuts trying to get ahold of Alchemist Heady Topper. People are saying it's the Pliny of the east, or the best DIPA in the USA. Which is weird because I had never even heard of this brewery until Jay reviewed this beer about a month ago. In fact, it was Jay who got me a four-pack of this beer by taking the THREE HOUR DRIVE to the brewery just to get more because he liked it so much and everyone in the Capital District was asking him to go on the mother of all beer runs for more of this. Would it live up to the hype? Only one way to find out....

4.6

   AROMA 9/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 9/10   PALATE 5/5   OVERALL 19/20

Chad9976 (598) - Albany, New York, USA - JAN 1, 2012

For some reason unbeknownst to me, certain random beers manage to generate a huge buzz and become the hot beer of the moment. As of this writing, Heady Topper - a double IPA by the Alchemist Pub & Brewery out of Waterbury, Vermont - is the MUST HAVE beer. Those lucky enough to acquire it say it’s the East Coast equivalent of Pliny The Elder, or the best IPA they’ve ever had, or the best beer they’ve ever had (or all three). A friend of mine actually made the 3-hour drive to pick up a case and gave me a can or two. Only a few sips in I understood why beer nerds are going crazy for it.

Despite the warning (or plea) "Drink From The Can!" I poured a 16oz can into a tulip glass.

Appearance: Orange to dark orange color; extremely cloudy but translucent. Forms a large, yellow, frothy head which retains and laces very well.

Smell: Massive tropical fruit juice aroma with distinct sweetness to the nose. Dank piney resin is also quite prominent.

Taste: The thing about India Pale Ales is that they don’t tend to be very complex - just very hoppy and that’s about it. But Heady Topper proves you can have genuine complexity even while being a hop monster. As soon as the beer hits the tongue I get intense bitterness - it’s slightly dry, but it’s impossible to ignore. It’s a massive hop bite that wakes your mouth up. It’s immediately quenched by a delicious palate of tropical fruit juices. Grapefruit, passion fruit, guava, mango and orange are all individually detectable and make for a very refreshing taste, ironically enough.

The second half changes on a dime to something much more dank. Intense resin and pine sap emerge to give the palate a whole new type of bitterness. Supposedly the beer is over 120 IBUs and between the sharp tartness of the citrus flavors and the almost burnt rubber-like astringency of the resin I can definitely see that. The aftertaste is slightly sticky - an odd combination of bitter hops and fruit nectar. It never stops being delectable, though.

Mouthfeel: Slightly creamy texture, but otherwise soft and comfortable with noticeable carbonation and a full-bodied palate.

Drinkability: Alchemist Heady Topper is not a difficult beer to drink - it goes down very smooth with a noticeable, but tolerable dry hoppy aftertaste. The 8% ABV is the perfect mass for this beer: heftier than your average IPA, but nothing that only heavyweight drinkers can handle. A great beer to have with a meal or extra sharp cheese, although I think drinking it on its own is much more satisfying so that you can experience and appreciate all the flavor without any distraction.

Top 10 WORST Beers of 2011

If you saw my Top 10 BEST Beers of 2011 you know that this has been a good year for me as far as my experience with beer. In fact, the beers that made this year's "worst of" list aren't nearly as bad as some I reviewed in 2009 and 2010. Most of them aren't so much bad as they are tolerable, although the #1 worst beer is the absolute WORST beer I've ever had IN MY LIFE!! Yuck!

Beginning in 2012 I'm making a conscience effort to cut back on the number of beers I review. Also, I'm going to avoid as many "ho hum" and "trash" beers as much as possible. So there's a chance there may not be a "worst of" list for 2012, but that remains to be seen.

In order for a beer to qualify for this list it had to have been a beer I reviewed for the first time ever in calendar year 2011. For a better explanation of why these products are so bad, please watch the individual reviews, as these clips are only meant to be overly succinct re-caps.

SPOILERS BELOW THIS LINE!
SPOILERS BELOW THIS LINE!
SPOILERS BELOW THIS LINE!




#10 Lake Placid Ubu Ale
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIBYffvrc7A

#9 Foster's Lager
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mehnyqu0oe0

#8 Alexander Keith's Nova Scotia Style Pale Ale
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0t8or1JDGM

#7 Landshark Lager
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cHYg6luhTc

#6 Bud Light Lime
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MMN30yGfeU

#5 Milwaukee's Best Premium
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceFB4POlLJ4

#4 Mendocino Red Tail Ale
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kukPALCJ05w

#3 Gordon's Finest Gold
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJLf5Zg_fj0

#2 Stoudt's Oktoberfest
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7oJYBoYAbE

#1 Budweiser & Clamato Chelada
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGIZNREA9oE

Top 10 BEST Beers of 2011

Well here it is - the list you've all been waiting for: the Top 10 BEST Beers that I reviewed in 2011! And what a year it was! I gave out more 10's and more 9's this year than any other year! In fact, I gave out a record-breaking eight 10's! That made choosing the two best 9's rather difficult. I'm still not sure if I chose the best ones and put them in the "correct" order!

Only beers that were reviewed for the first time on an episode of "Chad'z Beer Reviews" during calender year 2011 were eligible. Re-reviews weren't eligible (which is why you won't see Pliny on this list). This isn't limited to beers released in 2011, either. Just, of all the beers I reviewed in 2011 (about 270 of them), these are the 10 best I had. For a better explanation of why these products are so good, please watch the entire reviews as these clips are only meant to be super succinct previews.

NOTE: I didn't do an "honorable mentions" list this year because there were about 30 beers that scored a 9 and it would kind of defeat the purpose of having a "runners up" list with that many runners up!


SPOILERS BELOW THIS LINE!!
SPOILERS BELOW THIS LINE!!
SPOILERS BELOW THIS LINE!!




10. Ayinger Celebrator
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zXzAOX69EU

9. Boulevard Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nY1kga6XTdI

8. Goose Island 2009 Christmas Ale
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ou-C6ofZfwQ

7. Avery Maharaja
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIeaKTRvTXQ

6. Founders CBS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRa_v-K49Lc

5. Three Floyds Zombie Dust
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysqgIOfZbvE

4. Russian River Consecration
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnzWACzbq0M

3. Stone 15th Anniversary
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpmQpmrGfws

2. Firestone Walker Parabola
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN6mE4h-iX8

1. Founders KBS
http://youtu.be/2D0RwweVYbc

St. Bernardus Christmas Ale | Chad'z Beer Reviews

Merry Christmas, everybody! If you're a follower of the BeerTube scene no doubt you've seen just about EVERY BeerTuber and his brother review St. Bernardus Christmas Ale by now. I wish I could have found a more unique beer to review for the holiday, but oh well. Shaun and I actually shot this review well before Christmas in case you can't tell. Also, this will be the last review of 2011. I have a pretty special beer planned for New Year's Day :)

P.S. "Best of" and "Worst of" compilations will be uploaded on http://youtube.com/Chad9976 starting tomorrow!

3.8

   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 15/20

Chad9976 (597) - Albany, USA - DEC 17, 2011

I split a 750ml corked and caged bottle with a friend. We poured it into tulip glasses.

Appearance: Very dark brown/maroon/mahogany hue. Opaque but plenty of visible carbonation sticks to the side of the glass. Forms a large, white, foamy head which laces and retains quite well.

Smell: Strong banana and clove aroma. More so than anything else, actually. Some general spice to the nose as well as hints of alcohol.

Taste: Belgian quads and "strong dark ales," especially Trappist and abbey brews, tend to have a natural spicy/peppery taste and sensation to them. I think the idea behind St. Bernardus Christmas Ale was to capitalize on that foundation and make it even stronger. The result is a beer that is both effervescent and spicy as can be without actually adding any additional spices to it.

As soon as the beer hits the tongue, the entire mouth is engulfed in classic Belgian spice. Perhaps "spice" isn’t the appropriate description since I can’t pick out any flavors akin to ginger, cinnamon, etc. Rather, it’s closer to table black pepper, but in liquid form. The beer seems to swell up and occupy the mouth with a foamy texture and intense peppery sensation. Once you get used to it you begin to taste the classic Belgian flavors of dark fruit, and confectionary (especially caramel) sweetness Alcohol imparts a subtle warmth on the aftertaste, but otherwise it’s remarkably clean although slightly dry. Tasty and satisfy to be sure, but nothing in the ballpark of genuinely amazing. Perhaps a vintage would be, though.

Mouthfeel: Extremely intense with massive effervescence and a sensation of living foam.

Drinkability: While St. Bernardus Christmas Ale may be a commendable brew for its palate and relative complexity, it must be penalized for its very low drinkability. It’s beers like this I point to as an example of just how zesty and spastic a Belgian yeast strain can be. The carbonation gets stuck in the throat after ever swig, regardless of whether it’s a big gulp or a gentle sip. The 10% ABV is well utilized as there’s only a minor warming sensation and taste, but after one serving you definitely feel it all. You also feel quite full.

My First Homebrew, Part 4: Tasting! (23 December 2011)

The beers have been bottle conditioned at room temperature for 20 days, so now it's time to finally drink them! Shaun stopped over on his way home from work to partake in the occasion. Since he helped me brew it, I thought he should be here for the official first tasting (we have taste tested it a few time since it was bottled, though).

I have to say I'm happy with the way it came out. It's definitely not the greatest beer in the world, but for a first homebrew I think we did a good job. In retrospect, burning some of the LME probably was a rookie mistake. I probably could've done a secondary fermentation, too (but then I would've had to drop another $50 on a carboy).

I think the beer will continue to improve in taste as it bottle conditions at room temperature but I'm sure it will peak at some point.

Thanks to Shaun for helping me brew this, and thanks to Jay for helping me bottle it. Thanks to everyone that left tips and advice in the comments section - a lot of them really did come in handy! Cheers and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everybody!

Great Lakes Christmas Ale | Chad'z Beer Reviews

I've been hearing great things about this beer since 2008, but to this day Great Lakes STILL isn't distributed to Albany (at least not yet). Fortunately, I did a trade with Max Spang of http://youtube.com/SnobbyBeer just a few days ago and now have the opportunity to try it. Can it possibly live up to the hype? We'll see....

4.1

   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 4/5   TASTE 9/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 16/20

Chad9976 (597) - Albany, New York, USA - DEC 23, 2011

I poured a 12oz bottle into a tulip glass.

Appearance: Pretty shade of dark amber/orange/light red. Mostly clear with plenty of visible carbonation. Forms a large, white, frothy head which laces and retains well.

Smell: Mostly ginger, some cinnamon: a graham cracker-like overall aroma.

Taste: The palate begins with immediate sensation of spice: ginger being the most prominent, followed by a firey cinnamon bite and a sweet, rich honey taste to round it all out. Vanilla and the taste of shortbread seems to be lurking somewhere in the palate, too. Thus it does live up to its reputation of being a liquid Christmas cookie. The actual beer components of hops and malts seem to take a backseat to the spices and flavorings, though. There’s a biscuity maltiness holding up this palate and only minor hop presence since the cinnamon and ginger account for the bitterness here.

I’m not usually a fan of ginger, but its presence here was justified by it being paired and balanced out by the cinnamon and honey. Not too sweet, not too spicy, not too "beery". Nothing that blows my mind, though. Just a tasty, enjoyable brew.

Mouthfeel: Full-bodied flavor throughout with noticeable energy, but still comfortable with a soft texture.

Drinkability: This is one of those rare beers that’s overtly spicy that doesn’t tear you up. It’s easy to drink considering its palate that just about anyone can enjoy and has a smooth finish with only a slightly doughy aftertaste. Weighing in at 7.5% ABV, Great Lakes Christmas Ale drinks like something much lower than the numbers would indicate. There’s no alcohol presence in the nose or palate, but you definitely feel the potency afterwards. A great beer to have with pumpkin, pecan, or mincemeat pie or with homemade Christmas cookies.

Beer trade with Max Spang (aka Snobby Beer Reviews)

This beer trade with http://youtube.com/SnobbyBeer just kind of cropped up out of the blue. And Max was offering some good beers and wanted stuff I could find relatively easy in return. It's probably the quickest beer trade I've ever done, too (from the time we proposed it to the time we received the beer). Max got my parcel on the same day I got his parcel! I bet we'll even post our video unboxings on the same night, too!

What I sent Max:

WHAT MAX WROTE:
Check out this beer mail from none other than Chad9976, aka Chadz Beer Reviews, aka Chad Polenz.

Chad sent me some stuff I've been wanting for a LONG time! We got our packages on the same day, and even uploaded our unboxing videos on the same day!

Cheers, Chad.

Check out his youtube channels:

http://www.youtube.com/chad9976
http://www.youtube.com/chadzbeerreviews