Dogfish Head Black & Blue

Dogfish Head Black & Blue:

Starts off like a Belgian strong ale. Flemish sour comes on... then just before you say, "Well, that's just not quite my thing..." the sour turns to tart and the fruit emerges (currants?). Kinda like a Bar Harbor Blueberry Ale with a tremendous set of cujones.

Served in a chalice, this sweet-tart-rich ale is worthy of a special occasion. Medium bodied magic happens when flavor pops like a berry between your teeth. Trouble is... here we linger between beer and wine and mixed drink. Tor true ale lovers, this is something tart and different but pretty strong fruit flavors prevail. Fruit beer drinkers need to be aware of the possibility that the ale-ish-ness may have the final say. Flemish sour lovers may be left not puckered enough, though ale lovers and hop heads could find it too much for their tastes. But this beer is too good to be left homeless! I'm not sure to cry tears of joy or sadness for Dogfish Head Black & Blue. The reason I love it is the reason others may turn away.

Different as anything. But Dogfish Head is always doing the experimental brewing with crazy results. Embrace the twist that Dogfish Head puts on beer. Subtle to mind-blowing, Black & Blue does not disappoint. But it may confuse you if you're not ready. By the way, I'm not sure but I think DFH B&B is somewhere between 9-10% abv. Another kick in the pants. Expect high style and preference scores, but a little low on the accessibility scores.

Dogfish Head Black & Blue:

Representation: 1.0

Accessibility: .79

Style: .975

Personal Preference: .895

Total Score: 3.66 Flags

Lagunitas Brown Shugga'

Lagunitas Brown Shugga':

That's something different! The easy-going brown ale gets a crafty, sweet makeover. This is a session beer that's spent some time in the weight room -- bursting with flavors that are defined and toned but not bulky. Brown Shugga' is mildly sweet in the way you'd expect -- earthy and deep with a tangy touch. Reminds me of a glaze. Boy, I bet it would be great with a baked ham!

The sweet yet not sweet taste of Brown Shugga' reminds me a bit of Dogfish Head Raison D'etre in the sense that it glows with an almost wine-like dryness despite the sweetness to the tongue. Not caramel, not fruit, but the brown shugga' makes its mark on the taste buds in a memorable way. Brown ale lovers have to give this beer a try. But be warned: Lagunitas Brown Shugga' packs a smooth punch at 9.9% abv.

Tradition, move over. This is a brown ale that has finally seen the next level without going too far over the edge.

Lagunitas Brown Shugga':

Representation: 1.0

Accessibility: .89

Style: .95

Personal Preference: .99

Total Score: 3.83 Flags

Samuel Smith's Imperial Stout

Samuel Smith's Imperial Stout:

I've had some imperial stouts that are so big that they fairly stand up from inside the glass and start ordering you around. Many American imperial stouts explode with flavor and throw their weight around, brandishing an imperial alcohol content somewhere between 9% and 12% abv. Don't get me wrong... I love these, of course. (Check out Weyerbacher Old Heathen, Victory Storm King, and North Coast Old Rasputin for good examples). British beers seem to favor erring on the side of caution (as evidenced by their milder IPA presentation which we Americans have adopted and cranked up to sometimes staggering levels of hoppiness). Samuel Smith has chosen to err on the side of sublimity.

Samuel Smith's Imperial Stout is as finely crafted as beer gets. Every bit as robust as any imperial stout with 50% more alcohol, Sam Smith's Imperial maintains its dignified reputation at a reserved 7% abv. The dangerous thing about this is its smoothness and drinkability. With just the right meal or lively conversation, this imperial stout could accidentally turn into a session beer... Oh good heavens!

Dark as night, with malty and some fruity notes, this hearty stout has a bready warmth, an unbelievably smooth mouthfeel, and a slightly bitter finish. Just enough boozy tang at the end to remind you that it's imperial. Fit for royalty.

Samuel Smith's Imperial Stout:

Representation: 1.0
Accessibility: 1.0

Style: 1.0

Personal Preference: 1.0

Total Score: 4.0 Flags

Atwater Block Vanilla Java Porter

Atwater Block Vanilla Java Porter

Being no stranger to vanilla, java, or porter, I was excited to review this particular beer from Atwater Block. However, I was also hesitant at first because of the presence of vanilla, especially after reading that they add plain old vanilla extract to the brew (couldn't they slow roast imported vanilla beans over an open fire or something?). I was also ready and willing to be critical, having recently sampled other coffee flavored brews.

Needless to say, the Vanilla Java Porter was disappointing because of its tameness and yet simultaneously exciting because of its accessibility. This is clearly a drinking beer and not a sipping beer. Unlike the 8% Flying Fish Espresso Porter or the 12% Southern Tier Jah-Va Imperial Coffee Stout, Atwater Block Vanilla Java Porter (at 6%) strikes me as an after-work beer and not an after dinner-beer. You get just enough vanilla and coffee aroma and taste as you sniff before you drink as well as on the back of your tongue when you let it bubble down your throat.

The subtle flavors make this a great transition beer, helping traditional drinkers bridge the gap between everyday porters and over-the-top imperials. Sadly, of course, it could also be a gateway beer, enslaving unwary drinkers to their new dark masters of the coffee brews.

Atwater Block Vanilla Java Porter

Representation: .8
Accessibility: .9
Style: .85
Personal Preference: .85

Total: 3.4 Flags

National Hat Requisitioned

The Ferment Nation has just requisitioned a new standard issue military cap. Here it is. Sporting the trademark bottle cap logo and the National colors, this cap will give you the air of authority while preserving your beer-fueled sophistication.

Hoppy Easter from The Ferment Nation!

Hoppy Easter from the Ferment Nation!

If you are looking for a breath of fresh hoppy air for this hoppy holiday, look no further than these Ferment Nation reviews.

Victory Hop Wallop
Founders Double Trouble
Weyerbacher's Double Simcoe

Stone Levitation

Stone Levitation

In the craft brew world, a few names stand out as true innovators... Stone is one of them. With the near-perfect-just-out-of-the-average-beer-drinker's-league (Yes, that would be a reference to Arrogant Bastard) to more extreme versions of the same (Double and Oaked) and even mind-melting hop events likely to bring about the end of civilization (Ruination), Stone presents nothing but unabashed quality. They spare no expense and make no excuses.

So who could make a brew so light in body and low in alcohol (4.4% abv) that the term "session beer" needs to be redefined? Stone, of course. In order to fight the effects of a brew that drags you down, one needs the power of Levitation. Stone Levitation has an amazing cache of flavors stored in a very light body. Dry and hoppy, this ale is extremely drinkable and could, given enough servings, allow the drinker to conjure up a supernatural levity that defies the very laws of nature.

Present Stone Levitation to those who seek the knowledge which you have already attained. Small beer drinkers who are looking for something more might be brought across if only they had a beer worth trying... a beer floating just above the rest. And so behold the power of Levitation.

Stone Levitation:

Representation: 1.0

Accessibility: 1.0

Style: .95

Personal Preference: .90

Total Score: 3.85 Flags

De Dolle Oerbier

De Dolle Oerbier:

Belgian delight. Very rich and dark and lovely. If you are a fan of Belgian strong ales like Chimay, this will intrigue you. Rich fruity flavors and a bit of caramel sweetness make this Oerbier a nice dessert beer or possibly a sipper to accompany a nice cheese. I would imagine that after one or two of these puppies, judgment could fog over and Oerbier could be considered "easy-drinking" but one may be enough before moving on to something a little tamer.

De Dolle Oerbier is flavorful-- perhaps a little flamboyant -- but not terribly extreme. Malty and full-bodied, the warming boozy feeling hits you in the belly, not the tongue. The sweetness of candi sugar and malty goodness give Oerbier a signature Belgian flare. And 9% abv is enough to warrant a warning: Take your time and sip this brew! But the flavors alone are complex enough to command respect. I'm kinda getting a cherry vanilla vibe with some oaky hints. Mellow and yet vibrant. Really nice all-around Belgian brew.

De Dolle Oerbier:

Representation: .95

Accessibility: .90

Style: .95

Personal Preference: .925

Total Score: 3.725 Flags

Founders KBS

Founders KBS:

The Amazing Kosmicki's Highly Acclaimed KBS is good for what ails ya. Warms you all the way to your very skeleton. Founders has done it again -- pushed the bounds of normal everyday brewing and kicked boring beers in the groin. How serious is KBS? It takes Founders own Breakfast Stout behind the woodshed to teach it a lesson. Not that the Breakfast of Champions needed any more complexity -- what with double chocolate, oatmeal, and coffee and all. But soak that breakfast in a bourbon barrel and you've got an elixir that's guaranteed to make even the most potent snake oil look and taste like a glass of muddy water.

KBS is a little drier than the Backwoods Bastard and is definitely a stoutish brew with excessive flavor. Step right up and experience a revelation... A veritable sip of Salvation if ever there was one. Stout lovers and Bourbon cask-conditioned lovers need to find this beer if you can. The body is outstanding and the bourbon essence is clearly evident though the bitter chocolate and coffee notes are not overpowered. Black as pitch and deep in flavor, it sticks to your ribs and then kicks you in them. At 11.2% abv, this is a breakfast for the truly fearless (or those with nothing to lose). Now quit stomping around! El Presidente needs his medicine.

Founders KBS:

Representation: 1.0

Accessibility: .85

Style: 1.0

Personal Preference: 1.0

Total Score: 3.85 Flags

Ferment Nation Beer Blog

Ferment Nation News Flash

The VP here with some late-breaking Ferment National News. We have begun uploading our review archives to the Internet. We will be periodically posting and upgrading our YouTube channel at www.YouTube.com/TheFermentNation. For now, check out our review of Founders Double Trouble Double IPA.



We would also like to announce that The Ferment Nation has struck an historic strategic alliance with The South Jersey Beer News Blog. All of our citizens residing in the Delaware Valley should check this out for "News and Clues About Brews You Can Use." Follow their Twitter "tweets" for the latest news.

Founders Backwoods Bastard

Founders Backwoods Bastard:

Bourbon Barrel Aged Ale is fairly dreamy. Don't let the title fool you--this is no Deliverance style backwoods hillbilly rotgut. No, not at all. This groovin' full-bodied ale has enough sophistication to intrigue the palate of the most cosmopolitan among us. The bourbon flavor is apparent, especially if you slug down some of this brew from the bottle (Somehow the aeration gives it a more "shot o' whiskey" feeling to it); but to really experience the complexities of the bourbon and caramel flavors, please pour this backwoods beauty into a chalice-style glass. Besides drinking it, try not drinking it. A few bottles of this brew are worthy of collecting a little dust next to my barleywine collection. The full body, the caramel-like sweetness, the swirling sea-foam head, dry wine finish and fruity nose lend themselves to comparisons with rich ales like the barleywine style. And hell, at 10.2% abv, it should age nicely right alongside my Insanity (Bourbon Barrel aged Blithering Idiot by Weyerbacher).

Who should try this beer?

• Anyone who is adventurous and eager to try new things.


• Anyone who likes other bourbon-aged brews


• Anyone who likes bourbon


• Anyone who likes barleywine


• Anyone who is slightly nervous about the man on the label hacking them to ribons if you don't squeal like a piggy

Founders Backwoods Bastard:

Representation: .975

Accessibility: .975

Style: .99

Personal Preference: .98

Total Score: 3.895 Flags

Related Reviews:
Founders Dirty Bastard
Founders Breakfast Stout

FermentNation.Blogspot.com

Stewart's Belgian Sunset Grand Cru

Stewart's Belgian Sunset Grand Cru:

This gem of a beer is exceedingly mellow -- a red Belgian winter warmer with fruity notes on the back of the palate. A tad bit spicy, with caramel flavors smooth the whole thing over. I'm getting like a red pear- wine thing here. The body is light to medium with not much of a boozy flavor (which is a bit surprising at 8.3% abv).

Actually, considering the alcohol and the complex flavors, I was expecting a bit more body from Belgian Sunset. I did drink this brew via growler as opposed to straight out da tap, so perhaps it lost a bit of carbonation on the trip up from Bear, DE. It still kept quite well, considering. The care that Stewart's puts into its brewing process is evident as always. The First Family loves this hidden treasure of a microbrew pub; Go there when Stumblin' Monk is on tap. You will be blown away.

If you are fond of Flying Fish Grand Cru, give this beer a shot. It will have something for Abbey Double drinkers and a lil' sump'n sump'n for tripel drinkers as well. This is a pretty darn good grand cru, though I typically head in more extreme directions for my own adventures. Please check out Stewart's beers if you can. The quality is exceptional!

Stewart's Belgian Sunset Grand Cru:

Representation: .95

Accessibility: .90

Style: .895

Personal Preference: .90

Total Score: 3.645 Flags

Stewart's Highlander Stout / The VP Does Delaware

Greetings, Citizens! The Vice President here, wanting to tell you about a brewpub nestled in an unassuming K-Mart strip mall in Delaware. One of the most under-rated and over-looked brewpubs on the East Coast (my opinion), Stewart's Brewing Co. offers a fine array of house and seasonal beers, and I had the opportunity to visit them this past weekend.
I began my visit with a seasonal beer: their American Brown Ale. Quite tasty and quite brown, indeed, almost black actually. I really had to hold it up to the light to see its beautiful color shine through. That is until I tasted it. Smooth, solid, what I would call a great drinking-all-night beer. I feel that microbrews sometimes feel the need to over-hop or over-malt their beers to gain attention. This beer kept me satisfied just being who it was. This beer had self-esteem and wasn't afraid to show it.

I also couldn't resist their house black-and-tan: a Highlander Stout floating serenely on top of their Governor's Golden Ale. The Highlander Stout is an incredibly rich and voluptuous nitrogen infused gem of a beer. You don't need to read the menu to know you're tasting the subtle and not-so-subtle flavors of chocolate and oatmeal in this fine, fine stout. I was not too proud to stick my finger in this one to taste the creamy head before diving in. The beer finished on bottom with the Governor's Golden Ale, a smooth house brew that complemented the Stout perfectly.

I was truly disappointed I came too late to try their "Hoppy Ending" and too early to have their "Stumblin' Monk" Belgian style Trippel (You gotta try this one!). In order to have my visit count as an official Ferment National visit, I brought back a growler (Stewey) of the Belgian Sunset Grand Cru for the President to taste. Be on the look-out for that review, and keep your eyes on this site for new features coming soon! --The VP

Happy St. Patrick's Days

Well Hop of the mornin' to ya! Just checking in, dear citizens, to make sure that you've enjoyed the National Holiday responsibly and with much vigor. I myself celebrated in installments: St. Patty's Day proper took me into NE Philly area to check out Kickin' Chickins. They are good friends of the Nation and deserve some recognition: Original (very) hard rock with an old school metal feel. If you like "Poultry With a Side of Metal" go see these guys and support live music.
But the tragedy of the night occurred when your faithful pub servant El Presidente ordered ... a Guinness, of course! I mean what else does an Irish guy drink? And on St. Patty's Day? A no-brainer. But the establishment in question was out of Guinness at 9:30 on St. Patty's Day. Besides screwing the Chickins out of their rightful take of the cover charge, there was not a drop of Guinness to be drunk. Not cool. My reaction was very calm and dignified, however.
So I needed to reclaim the sanctity of St. Patrick's Day and celebrate at a proper establishment: Slater's Pub back in the good old N of J. The snack and craiq flowed freely and the energy of the party slowly began to build as patrons arrived and the brew tastings moved forward.

The celebratory beverages included (but were not limited to):

• Guinness Extra Stout in a bottle. A 4.0 favorite and perhaps the classic beer of all time.
  

• Harp Irish Lager. Nice stuff, and appropriately decorated with festive labels!


• Maudite by Unibroue. I didn't partake on this occasion but it is a winner.


• Moylan's Kilt-Lifter Scotch Style Wee-Heavy. Kinda tart and light for a wee heavy. Pretty good but not my fave.


• Moylan's Dry Irish Stout. I'm not sure if I had this or not. Probably not, though.


• Flying Fish Exit 4 American Trippel. Totally badass. Blends candied sweetness with hoppy bitterness. Expect a full review soon.
  

Some awesome hand-crafted brews made appearances at Slater's Pub as well:

• A growler of Union Barrelworks's Wobbly Bob Doppelbock. Shoutout to Sec'y of Zymurgy Chubby for supplying this spectacular beverage. Smooth and drinkable but complex and savory. Just excellent!
  

• Buddy Love's Irish Red Part II. Really nice rendition. Maybe better than last year's. A hint of tartness gives it a little bite but it's a session beer to be sure.
  

Another handcrafted wonder was Councilman Timmay's homemade Irish Cream. The party really popped when the drinkers of the world united with glasses raised in remembrance of that guy in Ireland who did the snake thing.

Thanks again to the staff of Slater's Pub (that's you, Sis) for providing great times as always. Special props for producing and awesome Patty Pong tournament. Your faithful servants El Presidente and his teammate the Secretary of Zymurgy managed to stage a pretty outrageous comeback in the final game to send that already epic match into overtime... But alas, we were defeated by Big Poppa and the rookie Mary. Congratulations, you guys.

So until the next event (I think I smell Big Monday coming up), keep checking the reviews for new and exciting beverages to enjoy. Also check out Vice Presidente's review coming soon. Keep in touch, good citizens, and a belated Happy St. Patrick's Day to one and all. Grog bless you and Grog bless America.

(Listen to the October 08 Podcast featuring Kickin Chickins!)

Founders Double Trouble Double IPA

Founders Double Trouble Double IPA:

Another wonderful offering from Founders. This Double IPA is really hoppy and bitter and goodness gracious dry! Even though there is a slight floral sweetness to this brew because of the serious hoppage, the finish is outrageously dry like a wine finish. Smooth to the tongue and easy to swallow, Double Trouble has a bigger body than one might expect from a dry, bitter IPA -- but its viscous consistency coats the glass as well as the tastebuds.

Totally drinkable for hop-heads but not for pretenders. At 9.4% abv, choose carefully. Maybe a bit too much to be a "session" beer but then again, a "session" only needs be two beers with this formidable beverage. I actually took about 1/3 of the beer straight from the bottle and it went just fine. But oopen this baby up in a glass big enough to put your nose in. Unlock a lot of complexity by getting all the senses involved.

OK, so what can I compare it to? You should try Founders Double Trouble if you like any of the following beers: Troegs Nugget Nectar (Imperial Amber), Weyerbacher Double Simcoe, Victory Hop Devil or Hop Wallop, Great Divide Titan IPA or Hercules Double IPA. I'm sure there are more comparisons to be made, but suffice it to say that Founders DT holds its own with all of the above. Not extreme, but bold and confident in its presentation. I'll be back for more.

Founders Double Trouble Double IPA:

Representation: .95

Accessibility: .90

Style: .95

Personal Preference: .95

Total Score: 3.75 Flags

Related Reviews:
Founders Breakfast Stout
Founders Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale
Founders Red's Rye

Ferment Nation Beer Blog