Back pages of beers (Late 2018 edition)

Some beer notes from the second half of 2018... 

Devil’s Canyon Wild Boar Bourbon Barrel Scotch Ale
Aug. 18, 2018

Whoa. My last remaining beer from the late, lamented beer service beerjobber.com has been emptied. Five years in the dark has turned this sour, barrel-aged Scotch ale into a bone-dry monster. Wilf Boar pours with a pretty thick head and lace – no one would guess this beer’s age based on carbonation. Still lots of chocolate and peated malt notes, but the sour has become pleasant with age. The body still has some heft to it; five years later this remains a malty beer. The level of ambient sour dries out all the Scotch ale tones. This beer lacks any boozy hints, which is downright shocking – at bottling, it had an ABV of 9.4 percent, and beers like this don’t usually stand pat in the dark. Bitter and dry, then more bitter and dry. This release of Wild Boar lacks almost any sour backbite. It’s complex but not the flavor of a barrel-aged beer spoiled by lactobacillus. The sour character is just a gentle backdrop that creeps along with punching a hole in the side of this beer. I almost wish I had not tampered with Wild Boar and let it sit a few more years. But what I tasted tonight was sublime.

Bell’s Brewing Larry’s Latest Sour Ale

Aug. 25, 2018
After seven months, the dry-hopping on this is undoubtedly diminished but I won’t let that stop me. Bell’s recommends drinking within six months, leaving me a good two months overdue. There are some strong tropical fruit notes surrounding a pretty strong sour character that does not waver. I detect kiwi, grapefruit, and papaya emerge among infinite citrus. The bitter sour combination on the finish is pretty sublime. After a long week, the sour that remains fits me pretty well.

Bell’s 30th Anniversary Cherry Stout Reserve 
Aug. 25, 2018
Bell’s regular cherry stout has always been one of my favorite dark beers. This higher octane version clocks in at 9 percent ABV and touts a much heavier concentration of cherries in the brew process. Pours with a fine brown lace that fines quickly. No light escapes from the body Reserve has a soft, velvety feel early on the palate, then the cherry notes bulldoze through the rest of every pass. The murky stone fruit notes almost mask Reserve’s boozy streak - almost. This anniversary produced a stout even more complex than the original, although one 12-oz. bottle is more than enough dessert in one beer.

Bell’s The Oracle Double IPA 
Aug. 25, 2018
Didn’t expect a third straight beer from Bell’s, but a single bottle of this Double IPA sat in the cooler at a local shop. With a packaging date of July 16, I felt comfortable that whatever hops The Oracle offered would still be vibrant. It definitely falls in line with West Coast DIPAs, as the hops are not in your face but the body gradually reveals that heaps of them were used in brewing. The Oracle is bright and better, with many fingers of citrus unfurling as it glides across the palate. I haven’t had a DIPA like this in a while. It might not break new ground, but beers like The Oracle are a good refresher in the DIPAs of old (e.g. 10 years ago).

Little Harpeth India Pale Kolsch 
Aug. 26, 2018
Little Harpeth only makes lagers, but this one pushes the limits of what kolsch can be -That’s a compliment. By adding Citra hops to a kolsch, Little Harpeth crafts an exquisite beer, not the usual realm of the light, bubbly German style. On the nose, I detect a strong aroma of peaches from the hops. All throughout, the Citra adds a pleasant veneer of fruit – peach, mango and orange, among others – atop that foundation, that the beer positively soars. This was the beer I expected the least from, but the one that deliver the most unique profile. Next time I will grab a full sixer.

Evil Twin Rainbownade 
Sept. 3, 2018
Most days, you don’t see an IPA with grapefruit, mango, passion fruit, blueberry and raspberry. This IPA pushes some boundaries with a ton of fruit. None of the many flavors cancel each other out. The body is a dark grapefruit. The full spectrum of fruit notes cancels out any hint of alcohol content. This is a summer IPA, taking a orchard’s harvest and somehow all the fruits work in concert. Just like an actual rainbow, Rainbownade flashes its colors but only lasts for a brief time in the glass.

Abita Hop-On 
Sept. 3, 2018
Thoughts of hoppy beers usually don’t bring Louisiana’s Abita Brewing to mind (although their grapefruit IPA was delightful). This one won’t necessarily win any new fans, but it’s a solid offering from a venerable brewer.

Monnik George Mild
Sept. 4, 2018
Mild is the most underrated beer style, period. Essentially a dark ale with all the flavor and character of stout and porter but eminently sessionable, Monnik’s take is no exception. George has a creamy lace and a delightful amber body. Roasted nuts and chocolate are abound, and every glass goes down smoothly (I had a growler filled at the brewery).

Bearded Iris Mood Ring Double IPA
Sept. 13, 2018
Oh my, another fruited IPA fro Bearded Iris and this one a double. My good friend Trev supplied a can and as always I am thankful. Let’s start with peach, always a favorite brewing addition. Peach dominates and the milk sugar smooths out the rough IPA edges, making this more of a milkshake IPA. There are only slight traces of cinnamon, while the peach bouquet is strong enough to taste notes of the flesh and the skin. There is a good bitter kick at the end, not to the level of West Coast DIPA but stronger than the even-keel fruit profile would indicate. The alcohol content is masked almost perfectly. Dubious as I am about the use of lactose, I needed that bitter kick.

Duvel Tripel Hop
Sept. 14, 2018
Just try to find that third hop, Experimental Hop No. 291, in this this bottle dated six months old. While I enjoy everyday Duvel, I once again run until the old beer problem. When Duvel touts lavender and black pepper textures, I expect those fade extremely fast. Every Duvel has a nice nose perfumed with dry ester and herbal textures. I haven’t had Duvel often since they traded the cork and cage on their 750 mL bottles for caps. Still a delightful pour, but don’t ask me for any description or impact related to Experimental Hop No. 291.

Dorcester Brewing Company Citrus Citra
Sept. 14, 2018
Citra-hopped DIPA with orange peel added - that’s a beer I can get behind. Big, cloudy orange body is no surprise with the name or the style. This one runs more bitter than typical New England-style IPA. The orange peel elevates the hop bitterness. Citrus Citra doesn’t have the mouth-feel of an IPA anywhere close to 8.5 percent, which I like. It has no right being this drinkable at that ABV. There’s an herbal leafy finish that I enjoy. Flavors are abound in Citrus Citra – my palate runs across apricot, mild grapefruit, tangerine and even a touch of papaya. For as much Bearded Iris has I have tasted in the past few years, this DIPA fosters a different flavor that owes plenty to the orange peel addition. Anyone can brew an IPA amenable to the masses, but this beer isn’t afraid to present a bitter side.

Southern Grist Mixed Greens DDH 
Oct. 1, 2018
This iteration of Mixed Greens was double dry-hopped with Citra, Mosaic, El Dorado and Amarillo. Very soft mouth-feel. A firm Amarillo sizzle sharpens late on the palate, ushering in an assertive piney feel. As with most NE IPAs, the fruit profile is immense, running from orange to papaya (yes, that again) and a spritz or two of pineapple. At 6.2 percent ABV, it’s quite drinkable but has more hop boldness than some NE IPAs. This one has elements of the Pacific Northwest IPAs.

Little Fish Farmhouse IPA 

Oct. 1, 2018
Ice cream head takes forever to settle on this beer but once it does, Little Fish treats the drinker to a wild yeast IPA that has the right flavors but none that overwhelm. I see Brett and I cringe, but this IPA does not have an overdose. It radiates tropical fruit, albeit slightly sour versions of pineapple, honeydew, grapefruit and mango. There is an amazing confluence of flavors. This brett IPA is more herbal and medicinal, not swarming with notes of mustiness and horse blanket flavors. You must appreciate Little Fish’s warning about chilling these brett beers to avoid “gushers;” as someone who has had too many of those over the decades, it’s nice to see a brewery admit that wild yeast needs a certain temperature.

Bearded Iris Drip Drop
Nov. 4, 2018

Damn, this IPA is easy, and it isn’t even a NE IPA . the hop complement runs Mosaic, Centennial from Michigan, Citra and El Dorado. Drip Drop hides its 7.1 percent ABV with a strong hop sizzle that does not burn out the palate. If it weren’t $16 for a four-pack AND above 7 percent I could rationalize this one as an everyday IPA. But Drip Drop is not a slowly developing nuisance – it’s an easy wingman. Not a bruise, Drip Drop builds slowly with its hoppy goodness. Bearded Iris Imperial Milk Stout Sampled: December 2, 2018 Brewed in collaboration with Weldwerks, I finally run into a milk stout that defies my lactose-hating expectations. This stout is rich and roasted – holiday nuts and chocolate just radiate off the nose and across the palate. An ambient sweetness lurks behind those big flavors. After a few misfires, Bearded Iris is getting its stout legs under it. At 8.2 percent ABV, alcohol is well-tucked beneath the flavor.

Southern Grist Imperial Vanilla/Black Currant/Boysenberry 
Dec. 9, 2018
It’s boysenberry for the win! Seriously, there are faint notes of vanilla and a black currant undercurrent, but boysenberry asserts a strong, layered presence to this kettle sour. Fruit notes are rich and borderline overpowering. The sour character sizzles from mid-palate to the finish, fading somewhat quickly but having a very high peak. The vanilla has a nice influence on the boysenberry, adding a softness when the fruit threatens to run away. As much as I still prefer traditional sours to quickly brewed versions, it’s hard to argue with the beery-heavy bouquet of this black currant/boysenberry combo.

Southern Grist/ Definitive Jamarind
Dec. 31, 2018

As a lover of Jarritos Mexican sodas, I couldn’t skip SG’s attempt at a tamarind sour. Tamarind, lactose and vanilla form the core of this kettle sour, which is another nice experiment from Southern Grist. It’s an interesting choice for a lead fruit in a sour, but it is remarkably effective. The vanilla character reins in the tamarind and sour characters, which could turn punishingly sour without another flavor to level it out. The aftertaste is rich with tamarind as the sour notes pull back. This beer does not ruin tastebuds. Easily the most inventive kettle sour I have tasted in recent memory. Not a bruiser, but only for those who enjoy tamarind.

Bearded Iris Cameo DIPA
Dec. 31, 2018
Big, creamy and bitter – a perfect Bearded Iris number upon which to end the year. The hop trio of Nelson Sauvin, Citra and El Dorado proves complex and drinkable. The flavor spectrum is broad, from melon to grapefruit to tangerine to pear. Pick your fruit and you’re likely to find a note or two in here. The Nelson adds a sizzle to complement the Citra. Alcohol content of 8 percent ABV remains well-hidden, with not a booze note to be found. Despite those bitter notes, Cameo is still surprising smooth, a core of mellow orange orbited by strong, more aggressive fruit flavors. I rarely come back around on the BI releases, but this one is worth seeing another production run. It’s big, complex and hard to deny.



Also, not everything gets reviewed anymore, especially when drinking with friends. But there are some really notable bottles in here, especially the one on the end in the first photo. 

Drank but did not review - Goose Island Islay might be the best stout ever