Samuel Adams Blackberry Witbier

B / 3.55
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | drink: 3.5

Bottle
Temp served cool
From bottle to a glass

Appearance: A nice smooth pour which produces a thin ¼ inch white head that fades fairly quickly. There are several streams of carbonation, and the brew itself is a beautiful dark gold. As I looked at the color I noticed that it was cloudy as per the beer style but it wasn't an even cloud, in fact it seemed that the cloudiness was produced by a lot of particulate. The head dissipates to a thin ring but leaves a light lacing on the glass.

Smell: The first thing I noticed was a sweet floral scent evenly balanced with the hop spice, there was also some light hints of citrus that smelled more of orange peel, and I could smell some other spices in the brew that were not hops, but they balanced well with the hops but on the sweeter spice of things. I don't specifically smell blackberries but they might be part of the sweetness and the floral scent that I noticed first. There was also no alcohol smell.

Taste: This is a light tasting mildly hoppy light bodied brew, the spices are abundant but are not offensive. I notice some sweetness on my tongue but it is layered under the spice, the finish is a bittersweet refreshing flavor that lingers for a few moments on the palate. There is no wonder that this is considered a summer time brew. In that the flavor is light and refreshing while still complex enough so that your mouth doesn't get bored when drinking.

Mouthfeel: Clean, sharp with a dry finish; the moderate carbonation fizzes a bit on the tongue but does not distract. The feeling is thin but not really watery which feels crisp and pleasant. I could not feel any of the particulate that I saw in the brew.

Drinkability: This is an extremely drinkable brew, it is light but not watery, the taste is fresh and clean the sweetness offsets the mild bitterness allowing this brew to go down easy. The carbonation does cause some minor bloating and the bitterness hangs for a moment but those are minor issues of dislike for myself. This is a nice light bodied brew without being a light beer, and I could easily see this being an afternoon Bar-B-Q session beer.

Sierra Nevada Stout

B- / 3.3
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | drink: 2.5
Bottle
Room Temp (glass)

Appearance: The Sierra Nevada pours oily black and builds a huge head, by my count three fingers and that was on a regular pour. The brew itself is black and opaque, with some light showing through on the edges which reveals a rich dark clear amber. The medium density almond colored head is a monster and holds fairly well lacing the glass evenly. The head indicates to me that this may well be a heavily carbonated brew.

Smell: The spice of the whole hops hits my nose first followed up with a mild sweetness and rounded out by the malts which are more subdued. This is a nice smelling brew, not to complex and what one would expect from a stout, although some more malts might increase the pleasure of the aroma. Also in keeping with the style there was no discernable alcohol aroma even with the 5.8% abv.

Taste: Just as the aroma started with the spicy hops so does the taste, this is followed by a dark malt taste with an espresso type quality, it finishes hard though bitter and a lingering bitterness on the palate which for me was uncomfortable and decreased my enjoyment. I was hoping this full bodied brew would be more along the lines of a Bison Chocolate Stout or a Guinness Draught with the malty richness but without the harsh bitterness, instead this brew reminds me very much of the Guinness Extra Stout, as such I think if it were presented as an extra stout it would be more fitting but since it is only a stout I find it harsher than it should be. There was however no alcohol taste although once I did feel the burn in my chest.

Mouthfeel: This is a thick full bodied brew with medium carbonation which results in a nice creaminess, the fizz is present but it is not harsh like with the Dogfish Head Chicory Stout. I actually enjoyed the way this rolled in my mouth.

Drinkability: With this stout being akin to the Guinness Extra Stout I found its drinkability on the low end as this is a sipping brew for a certain group of hopheads that enjoy the bitterness and the lingering bitter after-taste, as for me I found myself just wanting to be done with my glass which is a shame. Rename this as an Extra Stout and I think it would be more fitting of the experience in with this particular offering by Sierra Nevada.

Samuel Adams Black Lager

B / 3.75
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | drink: 3.5
Bottle
Room Temp

Appearance: The black lager is as you'd expect a very dark brew, and is also very clear. The light does penetrate but not overly so. The almond colored head builds quickly with a nice medium density foam that fades to a layer on the beer. The lacing was nice and even but not thick. I noticed some carbonation streams on the surface.

Smell: The first thing I notice is the hoppy spices which are pleasant, in fact I like very much the way this beer smells, under the spice there is a solid foundation of the dark malts, all of which is touched off with a hint of sweetness. This is a well balanced aroma and has not a hint of alcohol present.

Taste: The hoppy spice and bitterness is apparent upon the first pull, but as my mouth filled I tasted the dark malts. I did not taste any bitterness from the malts at all in fact the malt taste was very well balanced. At the finish I could definitely taste and smell the chocolate malts which give an espresso type taste and smell, or a very dark chocolate. The malts have a nice simple arrangement where I tasted the lighter malts first and then finished with the more robust and darker malts. This lager finishes like some dry stouts in that you get the spice and bitterness at the same time.

Mouthfeel: The lager has a medium body but feels very smooth on the tongue. The carbonation is moderate and pleasant, and there is a very nice dry finish again like the dry stouts.

Drinkability: This is an entirely drinkable brew, its heavier than a Guinness ale (I know different family) but goes down just as easy. The carbonation would keep me from drinking too many of these but I can see having this with dinner and then following it after over a good conversation with friends, although I did noticed some light bloating from the carbonation.

In the end this what I've come to expect from Sam Adams; a good flavorful beer that serves to introduce new flavors and brewing experiences into the American palate.

Bluegrass Brewing Company: Bourbon Barrel Stout; Jefferson Reserve

Sorry about missing last night's review, I was out of town with no internet access, I'm still not sure how I survived.
Anyways, here is the brew that was scheduled for last night, and what a nice way to start the week.

B+ / 3.85
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 3.5
Bottle
Room temp

Appearance: not quiet inky black, but extremely dark, it is completely opaque and on the edges you can see some light through it which shows a murky fluid. As the brew settled into the glass I began to notice some almond colored particles floating in the mix which began to settle on the bottom leaving a thin layer of small things that looked like little globs of something. I was wondering if they were a product of aging in the barrels but between the murkiness and the particles it was clear that this was not a heavily filtered brew. The head rose to 1 ¼ fingers and was a dark almond color this gave the stout a very appealing appearance, in a few moments the head dissipated to a thin layer covering the brew, with several carbonation streams visible from the surface. The unfiltered look got me curious but it lacked a polish that I’ve come to expect from quality stouts.

Smell: The strong dark roasted malts are evident to even an amateur beer taster and very pleasant at that, they have a nice deep aroma that is pleasant. There is the hoppy spice that one would expect from a stout but it doesn’t compete with the malty richness. The aroma is made more complex with the sweetness which at first smelled like chocolates or toffee but further in began to remind me of the bourbon. As per the name I really was expecting more of a bourbon touch to the stout.

Taste: Again the rich malts rule the day with this stout accompanied by the sweetness of the caramel and toffee flavors. As with the smell there is some hoppy bitterness but nothing bold or offensive, it is quite well mannered in that regard. I did notice some woody or oak flavors that added a nice mix to the flavors. As I progressed I began to think that the sweetness I was tasting could be in part due to the bourbon barrels but again I couldn’t taste much bourbon in the brew. In all the stout has a dark rich malt flavor with sweetness backed up by the spice of the hops. If they are looking to highlight the malts then they succeeded in providing a nice well behaved full bodied flavor. There is a very mild alcohol taste but it too is tame and in line with what I’ve experienced with other stouts.

Mouthfeel: The first thing I noticed in this brew was the thick smoothness of the liquid which rolls very nicely on the tongue and feels quite pleasant for those wanting a hearty drink. The carbonation doesn’t seem to match what I saw at first at I thought I was going to have a heavily bubbled drink only to find that the fizz was well behaved. I did notice a slight chunkiness or grit as I began to finish the pint which I imagine was from the particles I saw earlier. I have to know what those are all about. The feel in the mouth is thick and creamy, and leaves the mouth with a light buttery film that clears relatively fast.

Drinkability: This is not a session beer in the least, but it is a certainly a pleasant beer that one could enjoy drinking by itself or with a meal although I would suggest a solo run rather than muttle the malty richness with other flavors. The carbonation fizz added to enhance the feel but didn’t leave me feeling bloated as this smooth brew slid down. I actually finished this beer faster than I would have liked because the flavors were just that good. This is certainly going on my repeat list for the time when I want a brew that I can just settle down with and nurse enjoying the dark richness.

Guinness Extra Stout

B- / 3.5
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | drink: 2.5
Room temp
Bottle to pint glass

Appearance: As I poured the brew came out very smoothly allowing for a nice soft pour, even still once I began pouring down the middle of the glass the almond colored medium density head began to build immediately so much that I had to slow my pour lest I overflow the glass, when I was finished the head was nearly 2 fingers, but faded to about ¼ inch leaving a medium lace that clings to the side.

Smell: I smelled a very strong dark or chocolate malts, there was some caramel sweetness but it was hidden, what I noticed the most was the heavy spice of the hops. The hops was fairly strong but not completely overbearing, I noticed what seemed like another spice in there as well but it might have been just a very heavy hop. I did not smell any alcohol in the brew.

Taste: I really didn't notice much of the sweetness that I smelled initially, there was a very robust malt taste that competed with the bitterness of the hops. The level of bitterness was not offensive in fact it seemed well balanced, but the bitterness held throughout and seems the one constant in this brew, even as I write this almost 15 minutes after finishing I can still feel and taste some of the bitterness in my mouth. There seemed to be some very rich licorice taste which was probably a mixture between the malts and the hops. This is certainly a full bodied brew, but there is a spice in the taste that I simply cannot put my finger on. I also did not notice any alcohol taste.

Mouthfeel: This stout has a thick feel to it but certainly not tarish. The carbonation is about medium as it fizzes on my lips and tongue. There is also a thin layer of diacetyl that is left at finish, but once gone the Extra Stout leaves the mouth dry.

Drinkability: This is where I think this brew suffers, the complexity of this brew means that it is really in my opinion an acquired taste. I cannot honestly say that this stout went down easy, and with the residual bitterness in my mouth now 20 minutes later I don't know if I would want that on a regular basis.

Impressions: This is a robust brew, very dark and bitter, I am sure that this fits the style very well, and I think I just added another brew to my "no drink" list. It is not a skunked beer, or a bad brew its harder than something I'm looking for in a brew.

Review Line Up for the Coming weeks

Here is a list of the brews that I will be reviewing over the course of the next two weeks starting:
Monday, July 27
I have the Samuel Adam's Brew Master's Collection, with the Samuel Adam's Summer Pack that I will be mixing in with the other craft beers which are still predominantly stouts. After this round of stouts I will be starting my sampling of lagers which should keep me busy for awhile. I will sample in the following order 1 per evening over the next two weeks:

Bluegrass Brewing Company (BBC) Bourbon Barrel Stout
Samuel Adam's Black Lager
Sierra Nevada Stout
Samuel Adam's Blackberry Witbier
Left Hand Brewing Company Milk Stout
Samuel Adams Irish Red
Bell's Kalamazoo Stout
Samuel Adams Summer Ale
Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout
Samuel Adams Pale Ale
Rogue Mocha Porter
Samuel Adams Hefeweizen
Bar Harbor Blueberry Ale
Sam Adams Light

Young's Luxury Double Chocolate Stout

A+ / 4.65
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4.5

1 pint .09 US fl.oz
Room temp bottle (large glass)

Appearance: the pour was average though for the size of the bottle it created a chug as it poured which really built the head up, easily I would say 3 fingers, with still more in the bottle. The head was almond colored and had a medium density, but dissipated to a ring by the time I took my first sip. The head clings has a light cling to the glass, but I noticed some heavier spots near the top where the head reached but the brew itself did not. The stout is ink black in the glass, though you can see just a hint of clean dark amber on the bottom of the glass when held to the light, other than that it is beautifully opaque with zero light showing through the middle of the brew. I can see very little evidence of carbonation on the top. Just looking at it I'm intrigued.

Smell: One of the first things that I noticed other than just how excellent this smelled was the toffee or caramel sweetness and the noticeable alcohol aroma, this had a heavy underlayer of dark malts what I can only imagine are chocolate malts, I also smell a bit of spicyness not nearly as prominent as the Bison Chocolate Stout. In other brews I've smelled hints of sweetness, but here it is especially prominent; as I continued to drink I began to recognize a building in the sweetness and a lessening of the alcohol smell, that with the malt base really had my nose going.

Taste: Sweet toffee right away as it hits my tongue, but not candy bar toffee more of a refined flavor, this mixed with the malts is excellent. I'm a big espresso lover and the deep rich flavors light my taste buds up, as does Young's stout, combine that with the well balanced level of hops with the deep cacao weaving through it all and the taste is simply the best I've experienced. There was some alcohol taste at first, but the more I drank the more it seemed to diminish. The finish has a nice bite from the hops reminding you after all that you are drinking a stout, but then the malts and chocolates remain and flood up your nose giving you an after-taste you don't want to lose. Young's stout is a very robust full bodied brew that will honestly leave you wishing there was more in that oversized bottle.

Mouthfeel: The stout is thick on the tongue and in the mouth it rolls well and has a bit of effervescence from the carbonation but it does not make the brew foamy. If anyone accuses this brew of being watery then they must drink their brews with a spoon, the thing that I noticed most is that the feeling is much thicker in my mouth than it looks. I did notice a light buttery taste and film in my mouth afterwards from the diacetyl (stuff that makes butter feel like it does), but it was not heavy or unpleasant.

Drinkability: Well what can I say, other than I was three fourths of the way through before I decided to slow down and sip the last bit savoring the flavors. This is a dessert beer, I can see drinking this on special occasions or when fine dining with a rich meal, or simply enjoying a bottle during a night with friends. The size of the bottle, alcohol content 5.2% abv and the robust flavors keeps this from being a session beer, but if what you want is a brew to settle down with and work with while letting your senses run wild then pour yourself a Young's.

This by far is the best stout I've had to date and I simply find it hard to believe that it gets better. On my next stop though the liquor store I'll be picking up another for a nice quiet night home.

Bison Organic Chocolate Stout

B / 3.7
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | drink: 4
Bottle
Slightly cooler than room temp

Appearance: this brew has a smooth pour and builds an almond colored head quickly to about 1 finger which begins to fade to a thin layer within a minute or so, the head has a medium froth nowhere near as dense as the Guinness nitro-bottle; the head also slides off leaving no lacing on the glass The brew itself is near black, but on the edges and bottom you can see that it is a very deep amber, especially when held to the light. It is a clear liquid, and I could see some evidence of carbonation with a single bubble stream visible on the surface. There was nothing really extra ordinary about the appearance, and the fact that it was not opaque reminded me of the Guinness, but this was even clearer. It looked good, but really just seemed average to me.

Smell: I hold my breath as I put my nose in the glass before inhaling, and even then I could feel the bite of the bitterness in my nostrils which really made me think I was in for a very hoppy brew. As I inhaled the spice was indeed prominent, and there was thick dark malt that you would expect from a stout. I could also smell some sweetness like toffee, but I was really left searching for any chocolate aroma.

Taste: The spice is certainly in this brew but not nearly as strong as I was expecting from the aroma, as I am not one who likes an overly hoppy brew I was pleasantly surprised at the difference between the aroma and the initial taste. Continuing with the first pull I tasted the heavy malts that should not come as a surprise when drinking stouts, this was followed by the bite of bitterness at the finish that was sharper than the Guinness, I really only noticed the chocolate at the end and it seemed a very rich dark chocolate. As I continued to explore the tastes I concentrated on the sweetness which is there on the tip of the tongue but certainly not a primary flavor. This did not taste at all watered down.

Mouthfeel: The Chocolate Stout is a thicker feeling brew than Guinness but certainly not syrupy by any stretch. I did not notice any creaminess although there was a thin buttery coating in my mouth after swallowing. One thing that I noticed early was the carbonation, I expected to feel this from the appearance and I was afraid that it might be overbearing but that was not to be, the carbonation fizzed on my tongue some but it was not distracting from the flavors.

Drinkability: This is a good drinking brew, but the carbonation hangs in the stomach more than others and causes some bloating, the liquid itself is not all that heavy but with the carbonation it is rather filling even after a single pint. I can see drinking this in the evening with friends or family, or drinking one with a steak dinner, but I can't imagine anyone slamming these at a party. I certainly recommend this brew as a drinkable, and flavorful expression of what a stout is while not being completely overbearing.

This stout scored lower than the Guinness, but I'm thinking this one is a better tasting brew, the Guinness beats it in appearance and drinkability but it I don't think it matches the Bison Organic Chocolate Stout in flavor.

Guinness Draught (Nitro bottle)

B / 3.75
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | drink: 3.5
Nitro-bottle
Glass

Appearance: Average pour, noticeable bubbles due to the nitro. I very much like the cascade effect with the nitro-bottle as it also produces a very nice head that builds quickly, but settles to about ¼ inch with a very dense light khaki foam. The brew appears black, but when held to the light you can see the bulb dimly through the glass, with a very dark amber glow. The lacing was thick and held to the glass through the drink and even lasted after I finished.



Smell: The first thing I noticed was the abundant malts and the lighter spicyness, there was some toffee sweetness and hints of an espresso. The aroma was pleasant without being too strong.

Taste: First taste is the dark malts with a nice level of flavor, followed by some mild hop spices and ends with a bite of bitterness on the back and sides of my tongue. There are not a lot of heavy flavors other than the malts followed by the hops. I like the light sweetness on the tip of my tongue and the espresso aroma it leaves in my nose. The after-taste is mostly mild bitterness in the back of my mouth with the lingering malt flavor. Nowhere in my tasting did I notice any taste of alcohol in this brew.

Mouthfeel: The head was very smooth on my lips and tongue, the liquid was thicker than a pale ale, but not as thick as the Smithwick's Irish Ale. There was some light carbonation that set on my tongue but nothing too heavy or over-bearing. It also had a very nice clean finish without any noticeable diacetyl taste or feeling.

Drinkability: This is an easy drinking brew, with good flavor and nice simple complexity without trying to do too much. This is not an afternoon BBQ beer, but a nice steak dinner brew for those looking for a change.

Smithwick's Irish Ale (by Guinness)

A- / 4.05
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4
Bottle (pint glass)
Cold but not frigid

Appearance: Smithwick's has a very smooth pour and begins to develop a nice head that builds as you pour, the head was very white and built to about an inch or so, it faded about half way before my first sip but held through the drink finishing with a layer over the brew as I finished, it gave a nice lace but didn't cover the entire glass. The brew is a dark amber color, that looked to me like a cola drink that had been watered down, or a very dark iced tea, it has a great clarity with no murkiness at all. I saw light carbonation bubbles coming from the bottom of the glass. I liked the head on the brew, but the coloring seemed like it was trying to be two things amber and black so that left me questioning what was coming.

Smell: I smelled immediately after popping the cap and was hit with the spice of hops. After pouring, the smell dissipated a bit but the hops were still very noticeable. It smelled very much like a lighter ale with a bright smell, and what I would guess is a floral scent but not overly sweet. I think I detected a hint of citrus as well though if present it was hidden fairly well. Over all the scent was pleasant but not overbearing. The abundance of the spice was very noticeable but not unpleasant at all.

Taste: The first thing I noticed was the hoppy spice taste on my tongue, the more I drank the more I noticed the malts. If I gave an order I would say it started with a stronger hops taste then shifted to a more mild malt, then finished with the spice of hops again. When lightly swirling the brew in my mouth I could taste and feel the spice of the hops on the back and the sides of my tongue. When exhaling through my nose under the spice I could smell the malts. The taste seemed much lighter than the coloring might have indicated, but it was still robust and not watered down in the least. There also was no discernable alcohol taste or smell.

Mouthfeel: One of the first things I noticed was that the brew felt as smooth as it poured, and left a buttery feel in my mouth. This was certainly thicker than a Pale Ale or a summer ale, and rolled nicely in my mouth, almost creamy. The carbonation was a bit surprising as it fizzed a bit in my mouth even as I didn't notice that much in the pour or while looking at it in the glass. When sliding the brew in my mouth I could really feel the thickness which seemed to create a bit of foam in my mouth with very little effort, the effect was a very creamy texture that was quite pleasant.

Drinkability: This seemed very drinkable, and even with the fizziness I did not feel bloated at all. I cannot imagine downing these quickly but over the course of an evening I don't think it would be unpleasant to have a couple of these. I would definitely recommend Smithwick's to someone wanting a bolder take on an ale, and I will be adding this brew to my repeat business list.

Dogfish Head Chicory Stout

C+ / 3.2
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | drink: 3.5

Temp: near room temp slightly cooler
Pint stout glass

Appearance - A very dark brew, near black but up to the light it is amber around the edges although try as I might I could not see the light through the glass. The amber on the sides appeared clear and not murky like an unfiltered wheat. As I poured I was actually expecting more of a head to build, what did develop was about a ¼ inch head that was quite dark in color almost the color of a wheat bread, unfortunately the head dissipated rather quickly leaving only a thin rim around the glass which hung on nearly to the end of the glass. Considering how little head developed I was not expecting much carbonation and even after the head dissipated I did not see any real sign of carbonation bubbles. The blackness looked very inviting to me, but the lack of a sustained head was a bit of a disappointment (this may be a feature with stouts but from what limited experience I have I was expecting a fuller head).

Smell - I could smell roasted malts and a very dark scent, although it was not overly strong. There was a bit of spiciness or bitterness to the scent but it was covered by the dark malts. My first impression was that the smell was more subtle, and there was a hint of sweetness.

Taste - I tasted hints of coffee, but not as much as I was expecting from the description on the bottle. There was also some prominent bitterness, along the lines of a pale ale, however the malts were equally present. There was also some spiciness to the stout that was not hops, it was almost like a very mild jalepeno or chili taste. All of these flavors were fairly well blended and none of them really over powered the brew. The hops was what I tasted first, then breathing the aroma through my nose while holding the brew in my mouth I could smell and taste better the coffee, it was afterwards that I began to taste, rather feel the spiciness. This was definitely a more aggressive approach to stouts than I have tried before, which have been on the sweeter side.

Mouthfeel - My first impression on tasting was just how much carbonation was in the drink, it immediately started to bubble on my lips and tingle my tongue. The stout itself was thicker and felt heavier when I slid my tongue around in my mouth. After swallowing I could feel the brew lingering in my mouth. I noticed the way the foam in the glass slid downward almost like a very thin syrup would move, this is how it felt covering my mouth, but it cleared fairly quickly, leaving a light slickness. For me this brew was more carbonated than I was looking for or even expected, its carbonation was like a warm cola quite effervescent.

Drinkability - I could not see drinking several of these in one evening, or even chasing one with another, but even after drinking the pint I was not full, nor did I have a bloated feeling that I would have expected with the amount of carbonation in the brew. This was definitely a new style for me, and quite removed from what I have experienced to date and while I appreciate its complexities, I believe the carbonation and the level of hops would prevent me from enjoying another Chicory Stout from Dogfish Head.