Imperial Series - Bring You Beers That Will Knock You Into Next Week

The Imperial Series from Samuel Adams came out a while ago and I've watched them from afar. 4 beers for $10 is daunting to me - so, haven't really jumped on board. However, this past weekend was a special occasion, so decided to splurge for the Imperial Stout. They also offered a Double White and a Double Bock.

Appearance - Mocha head - foamy at first, then fades out and spotty at the end. Not all that carbonated, and the beer itself is really black. 4.0/5.0

Smell - Alcoholic malt, roasted coffee, dark chocolate. However, not all that potent, which I would have expected more of in this type of beer. 3.0/5.0

Taste - Molasses, malt, tart fruit, alcohol near the middle of each taste, bitter coffee. 4.5/5.0

Feel - Remarkably smooth, leaves very little aftertaste. Thicker, fuller body. 4.0/5.0

Drinkability - Glad I tried it - for the price, I'd probably look at a different imperial stout, only since $10/4 pack is a bit on the steep end. 3.5/5.0

Lobos Helping Lobos with a Fine Porter

Hopefully everyone had a great St. Patty's Day - some friends and I went over to Fat Squirrel and listened a bunch of wannabe Irishmen slur like the best of them while we waited for a table. Guinness and Smithwick's were enjoyed and I has an awesome Irish stew in a bowl the size of my head. Tonight, I'm waiting for the Lobo game to show up and am enjoying a Samuel Smith's Taddy Porter. Had this at the aforementioned Fat Squirrel once, but didn't have a chance to review....soo....here it is:

Appearance - 4.5/5.0 - Toasted almond, foamy head. The beer itself looks thick, black and rich.

Smell - 3.5/5.0 - Lots of malt with some coffee and smoke, but not terribly strong.

Taste - 4.5/5.0 - Rich flavor - the smoky malt is the highlight. There's some sweetness at the end of each taste, which balances out the coffee and smoke. A great example of a porter.

Feel - 4.5/5.0 - Smooth, some creaminess to the feel. The aftertaste is sweet and is only around enough to notice, then off it goes. It's not nearly as thick as it looks, but that's ok - I enjoyed the "lighter" body.

Drinkability - 5.0/5.0 - A great beer, definitely one that can go down quick and smooth. At 5% ABV, wouldn't get you in trouble either.

Chile Beer? seriously?

I love spicy foods - give me something that will nuke my mouth and make it inhabitable for years to come, and you've got one happy man. Tina, my beer muse, stopped by Sunflower Market last night and got this dandy six pack, Sierra Blanca's Rio Grande Pancho Verde Chile Cerveza. I was curious about what other folks thought of this beer and on Beer Advocate, it's mostly negative...probably because almost all of the reviews were from East Coast people, who don't "get" chile and its addictive properties. I don't get them either, so it's all good. Anyway, I think this is a beer that New Mexicans (or neighboring areas) will appreciate - may not be everyone's "thing" but if you're a chile-head, give this one a try.

Appearance - 3.0/5.0 - A light lager beer, with a reddish tint to it. Very wispy head, sorta disappointing in that regard.

Smell - 5.0/5.0 - Wow, it does indeed smell of green chile. It's peppery, but not so where your nostrals burn. There is some sweetness too, I'd guess from the malt.

Taste - 4.0/5.0 - Peppery green chile taste. Smooth, crisp and I'd definitely call it "cerveza". Makes me think of fresh roasted chiles and NM. Some heat at the end, but only enough to give it a chile flavor, not chile heat.

Feel - 4.0/5.0 - Smooth, some chile aftertaste, but not all that much. Crisp tasting - would be awesome with some enchiladas or tacos.

Drinkability - 3.5/5.0 - I'd definitely have it again, but it would likely be with New Mexican food or in the summer.

Yippee!

Tina and I watched a documentary on beer called "Beer Wars" tonight. There was a neat historical prospective on beer, Prohibition and then there was some sort of jump to "Corporate People Are Real A-Holes." Also, there was a shot of "If you sell out, you're a real sucker and not true to your roots." A number of entrepreneurs I know tend to get something going, make it successful and sell it...so they can move on to a new adventure. The founder of Dogfish Head was in the deal a lot - he's definitely an adventurous beer guy, but I gotta say - get off the soapbox. Instead of being "Oh, woe is me - big beer keeps us out of Wal-Mart.", focus on just making awesome beer. Whatever, this isn't a soap box - but a BEER FRIDGE!!!


Tina and I really enjoyed the Santa Fe Brewing 20th Anniversary Imperial Penn Porter, so I picked up a bottle of the Yippee! Imperial IPA. I had high hopes, since we really enjoyed the Imperial Penn Porter. Fortunately, I was happily pleased with this offering from Santa Fe.

Appearance - Foamy tannish head; amber coloring. Pretty standard for an IPA. 3.0/5.0

Smell - There are some piney hops, but more malty and alcohol than I would have expected. 3.5/5.0

Taste - Very well blended hop flavor. Piney, citrus, grapefruit, sweetness, malt. Not overly strong, but notable flavors. Not as bitter as I would have expected either. My wife, who isn't an IPA fan, said the sips she had were nice - that's saying something. 4.5/5.0

Feel - Thickness, almost a syrupy feel to it. the lack of bitterness that I have come to appreciate in IPAs is a downgrade, but at the same time, the beer felt good and the flavors stick around a lot. 4.0/5.0

Drinkability - It's one of the better Imperial IPAs that I've tried. given it's a limited run, not sure how often I'll get this, but would definitely do it again. 4.5/5.0