Brewery Home: Munster, Indiana

Serving Style: 2 glorious, wax-dipped 650ML bottles, 2009 vintage.

Beer Style: Russian Imperial Stout

Appearance: Blackness. Definitely two cups of rice (Metalocalypse reference, get with it). Viscous and truly ‘like motor oil’. Swirling it around in the glass leaves a brown layer clinging to the sides. Small, dark tan head; bubbles struggle to get to the surface, many get crushed mercilessly on the way. No lacing from the head, the blackness of the brew destroys all. Tom: “it’s blacker than the blackest black times infinity” (another Metalocalypse quote, and quite fitting really). This beer (and bottle, woah…) is incredibly metal. We are all geeking out while we thrash to Hot Cross on the stereo.

Aroma: Hold on tight, a hop hurricane is coming through. Very strong hoppy front that melts into an awesomely weird soy-sauce-milkshake-godly-vanilla tidal wave. Cannon gets sweet fruit (raisin) and brandy kicks too. Think dark fruits and dark roasts. On fire. In a deep dungeon. With Slayer turned up to 11.

Taste: Wow, that’s easily the greatest beer we’ve all suckled on so far. The collective room just had their minds blown. Many people are screaming with excitement and Hot Cross is blasting so here is a group stream of consciousness description of the dark flavor: “DELIVERS. warm wood…starts salty and ends sweet…excellent mouthfeel, smooth and almost creamy, coats the throat…it’s warming me from the inside…beer milkshake…aggressive hop front that morphs into warm (bourbon-y alcohol) roasts and finishes dark and wonderfully evil. Brian: “I wonder what tree this was fermented in.” Scott lays down the understatement of the night: “Wow. Now that’s a fucking beer.” Andy/Jim: “when you get this you get this incredibly euphoric feeling as it goes down your throat.” Some may say that this beer overly sweet, but regardless I think this is right up our collective alley.

ABV: 11.0%

Drink one or all?: One. Enjoy slowly.

Cost: $15/bottle + Golden Ticket + 36 hours of consciousness – some self-respect

Overall: 21/20.
There is a TON of hype around this one (ourselves included). We think this beer can deliver on most of it.

Brewery Hometown: Munster, Indiana [Yes Andy, due to this  brewery Indiana is a decent state. Or this place is just Indiana's Heaven]

Appearance: A deep amber color. Like burnt Orange. On the pour a good amount a head developed and about a half of inch of faded tan almost white head stayed. Left some decent lacing behind.

Aroma: A very wonder citrus hoppy smell. A strong mando/peachish smell around with malty caramel tone to it. A bitter citrus thought kinda like grapefruit. Very complex. This smell just jumps out at you and makes you want to drink it. Its like a citrus hops wonderland in my noise.

Taste: Oh man it tastes like greatness. Just so fresh and crisp yet still an IPA.  It has a strong bitterness to it but not like a giant hop kick in the mouth. It takes overs yet lets all other flavors come out.  Not very thick but not watery. A good medium balance.  Its smooth.  There’s a great citrus kinda a sweet grapefruit taste to it. Ends with a smooth caramel malty tastes. Kinda a sticky feel to it at the end. It taste so good I just want to drink it all up as fast as I can but there is such an amazing complex flavor to it that it keeps you drinking it nice and steady. The flavor just stays in your mouth and never goes bad. It smelled like a wonderland and tastes like heaven in a bottle. And 9.5%

Alcohol: 9.5%

Drink one or all?: I’d drink this all day if I could.

Cost: 10$/22 Fl OZ

Overall: 20/20 The last IPA I had was good. This was is even better. It’s has a strong hoppyness to it yet is so complex and refreshing. Kinda expensive but soo good. I might have a new favorite beer. I mean I do have a new favorite. Get it. Get it now if you can.

But were going back to one of my favorite Beer companies; went to a beer tasting this company had at a place called Lush by me about a year or 2 ago. I mean they work with Penn state apparently the guy said and figure out recipes from random places all over the world.  I mean who really does that? they do. And this company is money. And back to something hoppy. Something I will love I’m sure.

Brewery Hometown: Milton, Delaware

Appearance: Clear amber in color with a nice think tan head on top. Looks good. Lacing doesn’t stay too well but there’s always a thin layer of head on top that doesn’t go away.

Aroma: A strong hoppy smell. Almost a floral hoppy smell. Very complex with a kinda malty tones underneath.  Can’t wait to try this baby.

Taste: First right off the bat it feels thick. This isn’t some water down crap.  It just feels good in your mouth.  Starts off smooth and then has a nice sharp bitter kick.  Not overwhelming, just good.  And feels nice and warm going down.  Has a slight fruity but more honey taste to it underneath it all. And some hidden malty taste. Its complex but yet just what you want.  Comes in smooth and finishes smooth. Can’t even notice its 9.0%, hides it amazingly.  I guess its just want you would call a smooth beer with a kick of hoppy bitterness.  Exactly what I’ve been wanting. Very easy to drink. Once you start you won’t want to stop.

Alcohol: 9.0%

Drink one or all?: I’d drink it all night if only I wouldn’t get drunk off it fast. But that is what makes it so great.

Cost: 10$/4 pack

Overall: 19/20 Its good. Really good.  Its smooth. It has a bitter kick. Nothing fancy. Its just what you would expect. If you haven’t tried this Brewery yet you should. And if you have tried this beer yet. You should. It’ll be one of the best you’ve had. This IPA is FTW.

Figured I finally try this Brewery since it looks cool. Bought the variety 12 pack when everyone was over last weekend. And I’m pretty sure we tried once of each and then pass the drink miller lite because it was better.

Brewery Hometown: Durango, Co

Appearance: Dark Brown. Not much head.

Aroma: A light Nutty sweet smell. Nothing too strong.

Taste: Malting woody nutty taste. Not very complex or strong; very light nutty taste. It would be tons better if it was either heavier or smoother.

Alcohol: 5.15%

Drink one or all?: Had one, won’t care for it again.

Cost: 8$/6 pack

Overall: 14/20 Not a big fan of this brewery. Best part is the look of the bottle and the music on the website. Other than that, this beer can be passed on.

Brewery Hometown: Durango, Co

Appearance: Small amount of head came out on the pour. Didn’t stay too long. Guess this brewery doesn’t like head. Nice kind of amber color…but WHERES THE RED? It’s called RED ale right, it should be somewhat red? If it’s not, what is the point. Mostly clear with a slight haze.

Aroma: A sweet malty smell.  I’m getting tired of these malty smells..I think I’m due for something hoppy. I like those more.  Slight citrus smell lingering about.

Taste: First taste was kind of funny…figure it was because I had after taste from the other beer so some Mike and Ikes will clean my pallet right? After that I guess was slightly better but still not good. I’ll give it that it’s balanced. Nothing sticks out too much, not bitter, not hoppy. A caramel bit at the front and settles with a fruity taste. Kind of water-y light feeling.  According to the website it won a lot awards but personally I don’t see how. I mean it’s not so horrible where you don’t want to drink it; in fact it leaves a dry after taste that makes you want to drink more…but maybe not this beer.

Alcohol: 5.15%

Drink one or all?: I drank one and personally wouldn’t care about having it again.

Cost: $8/6 pack (bought it in a 12 pack variety pack but it would cost this much )

Overall: 13/20. It was alright…If it maybe had a slight hoppy kick it in it would be better, but no need to try this.. average at best.

Overall view on Ska brewing after having a few of them: hit or miss. Some are good and some are just bad. Nothing stands stand out enough to truly like this brewery and when it comes to the bad…its just bad.

Brewery Hometown: Durango, Co

Appearance: Well its a milk stout. So its dark, of course.  Barely any head came out on the pour and none of it stayed at all.

Aroma: A chocolate sweet smell. Kinda malty.  Stronger then the other 2 beers we review yesterday but still nothing over powered. Kinda like a working class, it’s there working hard…just not sticking out much.

Taste: I thought this was going to be that really bad smokey beer we had when I got this pack..but it wasn’t.  Very smooth. It says milk stout and that what it kinda is. It’s texture is kinda milky/creamy. Not a strong taste.  Slight earthy tones with some chocolaty smell. Kinda taste the same way all through. Not like most beers where you have a bite of something and then you have a bitter or something weird after tastes. Just kinda a smooth slight chocolate/coffee taste. Not as thick as you think it would be. Its milky but more like skim milk or maybe 1% not no 2% or whole milk shit.  Just a smooth milky taste that just stays through out it.  Again kinda like the working classes, its solid and good but doesn’t really stand out with anything.

Alcohol: 4.5%

Drink one or all?: I drank one and wouldn’t mind another unlike the other beer we had yesterday.

Cost: $8/6 pack (bought it in a 12 pack variety pack but it would cost this much )

Overall: 15/20. Was very smooth and enjoyable just not amazing.  Its a milky beer..sounds gross but is pretty good in the end.

Brewery Hometown: Mendocino, California

Appearance: Kev: Is this guy fucking hunting whales?! (Looking at the box) It is an elixir, does that mean I get health and Mana back?! Ok so despite Kevin’s nerd out, it’s a dark dark porter with a good head. Dan C: “look at this head! it holds its shape!” (He poured his pretty shitty…) Holding it to the light, NOTHING is getting throught it. Everyone’s pretty amazed by the “Good head”, it just lasts sooooooo long (fitting because this beer came from a liquor store next to a hair cut place simply named “Best Head”).

Aroma: “I think if it smells like anything, it smells like… something…” Thanks Kev…but its got a sweet malty scent that I think has a subtle burboun smell (we can’t decide which hard liquor it ultimately smells like though). Dan C. is convinced that it smells like a car bomb (he convinced adam too). Actually they can’t decide who convinced who and now they’re in a fight.

[Click on the bottle to closely view Rasputin]

Taste: Dan C. says that the picture of crazy old rasputin on the bottle depicts the taste perfectly. Apparently that is all he has to say about rasputin and this beer, so for people who don’t know – he was poisoned, shot, then attacked his assassins, then bound and tossed into a frozen river… “and who says we can’t be interlectrical people?!” (KFAZ as usual). It has a malty lingering flavor and at 9% the alcohol is hidden very well. Kind of smokey aftertaste. Little  bitterness to it, just a lingering stout flavor at the end. Apparently no one wants to keep drinking this beer at the point of reviewing it because it just doesn’t make sense to us…

Alcohol: 9%

Drink one or all?: Keep it at 1 kids

Cost: $9, 4pack

Overall:

Brian:  12/20 If I knew what I was tasting other than Lake Erie I might like it better

Dan C: 11/20 After 15 minutes the glass is still half full. (Clearly an optimist, what a bitch)

Adam: 13/20 He thinks it’s better than the last beer, but just doesn’t care about this one…

Kev: ??? Kev’s to busy swirling it around to give us a number… it’s better than the last one and I gave it a 14 and that just seems wrong now… he has too much respect for Rasputin to rate him badly. He would drink it while killing zombies!

I’d rather drink this beer than die!

I’d rather drink this beer than be Rasputin!

Cock beer. Whats that cock? Beer?

Brewery Hometown: Cleveland, Co

Appearance: A healthy brown head on top of a very very dark brown. No matter which glass we have it in its pretty much impossible to see through, but you can tell on the sides that it is a brown color. 

Aroma: Dan’s finding the light chocolate scent to be very inviting. Adam: “Chocolatey with some coffee stuff…”  its a sweet beer, but not over whelming for how dark it is. We expected it to smell as dark as it looks but its actually light and inviting.

Taste: Sooooo smooth (the carbonation is very present in looks but it seems like the thickness of the beer is making it go down real easy like.). More complex and flavorful than the smell leads you to believe. Adam is not a fan of the bitter coffee after taste. “Its kinda like someone injected your beer with coffee.” The chocolate scent is less apparent in the flavor, kind of makes it bitter sweet. Kevin believes that it should be a Christmas ale. I think it tastes like a coffee’s drinkers breath. Pretty much no hoppy kick to it, but still a bitter aftertaste. A robust porter. Adam’s decided that he does not like porters…but Dan does! (He also can’t read the screen and keeps insisting to add Bitter Sweet Coffee!!!) As it warms up it gets a earthy, smokey, woody taste to it. This would go great with food; a steak would really help the situation of this beer.

Alcohol: 5.8%

Drink one or all?: Kev and Adam: 1, Me and Dan: 1-2 (Its good, its just a session beer that you want to chill with and relax than move on.)

Cost: $9 6pack

Overall:

Brian:  16/20 Right place and time and this is pretty good shit. Give it a try if you want a nice warm feeling.

Dan  C.: 14/20 its a 1 beer queer… I’m looking for more of a man.

Adam: 13/20 Not a bad beer, i like the initial taste, its just the after taste killed it for me. Just couldn’t get into it.

Kev: 14/20 in the end its kind of plain, after a whole beer’s worth its just kind of smokey.

Group consensus: Its very drinkable and not bad for something new, just don’t go out of your way to find it. Its just got its own time and place.

Dan C: It does not make you fucking burp…I just want some IBS…

Brewery Hometown: Glendale, WI

Appearance: First off the bottle says :Beer so good… It deserves a wine glass!” with a picture of a wine glass and the happy couple who look very Italian by wearing chef’s hats. When poured into the glass it is clearly an unfiltered brew, We’re pretty sure there’s garlic and oregano bits floating in here… It’s like a dark yellow? but still very orangie… Adams glass was passed around to Kay and Scott and kinda lost its head after a few sips. Mine however still retains a little lacing around the top. (KFaz: It looks like DFaz was drinking a 312 and backwashed his pizza into it?!)

Aroma: A Its definitely pizza… Adam claims the basil is standing out. KFaz just showed up, he says the garlic smell is standing out to him as well.  It just smells like cold pizza.

Taste: The label is not lying when it says that its brewed with all those ingredients, oregano, basil, tomato and garlic are all strong enough to know they are there. KFaz doesn’t seem to think it tastes like beer really, theres no hoppy or bitter taste. Adam seems to agree with that notion. Kev found extra chunks at the bottom of the bottle and poured them into Adams, he said it makes it taste extra pizza-esk (Is the secret in the chunks?) This beer reminds me of Dan’s magic bullet extravaganza, but actually good. like someone put pizza and a light beer in the bullet.

Alcohol: 4.6%

Drink one or all?: 1 would probably do it for you

Cost: $2/16oz portion

Overall: This beer we don’t even want to rate on our scale of beers. It really isn’t even a beer in our view. It is good and would go very well along side a GIANT pizza pie but it just wouldn’t be considered beer by us. Give it a try for shits and giggles but don’t expect your new favorite brew.

Brewery Hometown: Chicago, Illinois

Appearance: Clear, crisp dark brown. Carmel colored and clear. Strong head. Surprising for a winter beer.

Aroma: Dark and very spicy (not in the hot sense). Hoppy. Cinnamon? Hints of caramel.

Taste: Andy: “strong…very wintery…I know that it is a pathetic description but it’s almost like spice cake” Kevin: “it has a nice nutmeg/spicy taste but it’s overall light and pretty well balanced” Adam: “A lot of different tastes, maybe a little chocolate/caramel with the after taste, not to overwhelming compared to other winter beers…subtle…more refreshing than a thicker winter beer. I think it tastes significantly better on tap” It’s a mild winter beer! WOAH! CRAZY!

Alcohol: 5.6%

Drink one or all?: 2/3. It’s a fun winter excursion.

Cost: $9/sixer

Overall: Andy: 16/20, Adam: 16/20, Kevin: 14/20. Good winter beer, not outstanding. :)