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.

Christmas Bounty

This was a bountiful beer Christmas this year. Ended up getting each of family members in Albuquerque a bomber of something...

Tina - Steamworks Spruce Goose

Marie - Ska Brewing Blonde Dubbel

Connie - Moylan's Kiltlifter

Mike - Marble Double White

John - Rogue Dad's Little Helper

me - Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale

Made for a fun tasting as we worked our way though them as we opened gifts. Definitely will need to do again next year, probably with some different beers.

The Triangle Grocery had some of these cool Samuel Smith's gift packs - you got 3 Victorian pints (Oatmeal Stout, Pale Ale and Nut Brown Ale), a Samuel Smith's pint glass and some coasters. A pretty sweet deal for only $10.99. The Victorian pints usually go for $3.50-$4.00 anyway, so you're coming out ahead on this one. The pint glass is really nice quality too. Definitely looking forward to trying out the Pale Ale, which is the only one of the three I haven't had yet.

A surprise visit from Santa Beer around 7pm-ish on Christmas Day was probably the most memorable moment of this Christmas. Ol' Saint Nick came with a box containing what seems like the Holy Grail of beers - Sam Adams' Utopias. This very beautiful ceramic brew kettle contains an 27% ABV elixir that is illegal in 13 states (no, really...there are 13 states you can't get this beer in). Apparently, there were 4 available in the state and Triangle Grocery got one. I'm a bit scared to try this, so trying to figure out what to do with it still. Once I have a taste, we'll get it up here. Fortunately, this thing is resealable, so you don't have to drink it all at once.

Samuel Smith Nut Brown Ale

Like most beers that I have tried since starting this little venture, I have seen the Samuel Smith's brand a lot. Quarters, Jubliation, Kelly's, at brewpubs, etc... Just never thought about trying it. So, in the spirit of experimentation, I figured the Nut Brown Ale would be a nice middle ground to see whether I like the brewery or not. Well, I'm a lookin'...and I'm a likin'.

For a brown, I was expecting a bit of a darker color than the rich amber that I go. Fortunately, the beer got much better as I took in the nice malty and nut aroma, then took a sip. The malt and nutty taste was the key flavors, with a hint of some fruity sweetness that wasn't overpowering, but added some distinction to the brew. There was a mild aftertaste, but very clean and crisp. Would definitely have again and will be featuring another brand of the Samuel Smith's line later on.

Appearance - 3.5/5.0 - Lighter than I expected; more amber in color than brown - good head that sticks around
Smell - 4.0/5.0 - malty and nutty aroma; flavorful
Taste -4.5/5.0 - walnut, really malty, nutty taste, hint of fruit at beginning; "woody" - distinctive flavor without being overpowering - very flavorful
Feel - 4.5/5.0 - mild aftertaste, but good. Clean and crisp taste;
Drinkability - 4.5/5.0 - Very good taste and would definitely try something else from the brand