Sierra Nevada - Hoptimum Imperial IPA (2012)

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Hoptimum Imperial IPA (2012)
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Chico, CA USA
Est. 1980
www.sierranevada.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 10.4 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Rusty orange/copper in color.
Prodigious amount of hops aroma waft up from the body.
Nicely foaming two finger head with good lacing on the glass.
Head dissipates after a while. Leaves a small cap.
Hoppy tasting is an understatement, however, it is not overly sappy/syrupy. 
Rich, medium to full bodied mouth feel. Stinging hops with moderate alcohol aftertaste. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
At 100 IBU's and 10.4% ABV, this whole-cone Imperial IPA is not for the timid of heart. The alcohol is sneaky but oh-so present, especially as it warms in the glass. A full on attack of your senses, Hoptimum will knock you out at every level. Be daring...give it a try.

Looking over the label, you cannot help but notice the rather regal looking "hop head" staring back at you. He is staring at you too, isn't he? He doesn't have any eyes as such, but he's certainly staring at me...

Must be the 10.4% kicking in.

Hop heads, rejoice. Great balance in all things, (as we've come to expect from Sierra Nevada), are present in this Imperial of all IPA's. Cheers.

Karl Strauss - Boardwalk Black Rye

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Boardwalk Black Rye
Karl Strauss 
5985 Santa Fe Street
San Diego, CA USA
Est. 1989
www.karlstrauss.com


Brain Damage Quotient = 8.0 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 22.0


Postmortem Brew Review
Dark black color on the pour.
Carmel and rye nose; nicely malty. Flashes of hop aromas.
Short stout head with strings of lace.
Smooth flavors of caramel, toffee and rye.
Soft carbonation. Nicely drinkable at 8%ABV.
Medium bodied, full flavored. Rich and complex.


Grim Reaper's Eulogy
I held on to this one from the 2011 Beer Bloggers Conference, waiting for just the right moment to pop the cap. Karl Strauss Brewing turns 23 this month of February and they teamed up with Untappd to create an anniversary badge commemorating the event. Timing is everything, so this 8% caramely hopped bomber's time had come.

I had not forgotten how great tasting this was, while at last August's BBC11. I was able to sample much of this black beauty during the event. After aging for a few months in the crypt cooler, all the nicely complex flavors of rye, caramel and west coast hops melded together for a wonderfully flavorful way to top off a Friday night. Glad to have squirreled this bottle away for such an auspicious event...happy anniversary Karl Strauss! I patiently wait for the day that Karl Strauss broadens their distribution reach. For now, I will look for their finely crafted ales whenever I get the chance to visit SoCal.

As for you poor souls in the same predicament as myself - - - seek this one out whenever you get the chance!

Green Flash - West Coast India Pale Ale

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

West Coast India Pale Ale

Green Flash Brewing Company

6550 Mira Mesa Boulevard

San Diego, CA USA

Est. ????

www.greenflashbrew.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 7.3 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 12.0

Postmortem Brew Review

Hazy yellow/orange color tone.

Pleasant, powerful hop scents that are citrus like grapefruit.
Two finger off-white, rocky head.

Head leaves spiderwebs of lace. End of glass still retains a few clumps of froth.
Sticky hops taste that finishes clean without residual bitterness.

Moderate to active carbonation.

Full hops flavor, medium bodied.


Grim Reaper's Eulogy
My second Green Flash, and alas, the last of them in my fridge. I must say that for hanging around 5 months in my mortuary cooler, this beer held up it's hops notes very well. I now wish I had consumed at time of purchase just to see the kind of presence they would have had when freshly bottled. This ale is one to try to get if you want to see what a great West Coast IPA tastes like.

I am now on the hunt for these actively, as they are not sold on the east coast of the U.S. to my knowledge. It is simply a well crafted and tasty ale, like it's brother the amber. Get some. If you fancy yourself a pale ale or India pale ale drinker, you will find that you won't be disappointed.

Columbus, Centennial and Cascade hops make 95 IBU's. Couple that with a 7.3% ABV you shouldn't need more proof as to how good it tastes. But just in case you do, check out the hardware earned on this is a multi-award winning ale:

• San Diego County Fair 
  2008 Best of Show
  2008 Gold - American IPA 
  2007 Silver - American IPA
• California State Fair
  2008-1st Place - American IPA
  2005-3rd Place - American IPA
• Los Angeles County Fair
  2007 Gold - American IPA
• Bistro IPA Festival
  2010 Bronze
  2005 Gold
• National IPA Challenge
  2008 Champion

Anderson Valley - Hop Ottin' IPA

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Hop Ottin' IPA
Anderson Valley Brewing Company
17700 Hwy 253
Boonville, CA USA
Est. 1987
www.avbc.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 7.0 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0

Postmortem Brew Review
Slightly hazy, amber color.
Pine and citrus hops nose.
Off-white, two finger frothy head. Dissipates slowly and leaves a nice sticky draped lacing on the glass.
Great biting hops, mostly citrus in taste, cling to the tongue.
Moderate carbonation. 
Medium bodied. Well balanced and easy to drink.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Anderson Valley's lineup of beers is now available in my immediate area. The previous two reviewed were fetched from a trip to the desert, some time ago.

While the first two were enjoyable, they didn't exceed my expectations for style, but to be fair they were worthy beers in their own right. This IPA is however, an interesting and quite tasty example of what West Coast IPA's are all about. The citrus and pine notes show up well in the nose and are downright show stealers during each sip.

Do be sure to get this under your belt, soon.

Russian River - Pliny The Elder

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Pliny The Elder
Russian River Brewing Company
725 4th Street
Santa Rosa, CA USA
Est. 2003 (vague)
www.russianriverbrewing.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 8.0 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 16.9

Postmortem Brew Review
Mostly golden, with slight orange tint in color.
Pine then fruity/citrus hops; powerful aroma.
Off-white, two finger frothy head. Dissipates slowly. Leaves a thin but sticky draped lace all the way down the glass.
Great pungent hops taste that start piney and then become mostly citrus in taste as it clings to the tongue.
Moderate carbonation. 
Medium bodied. Complex hops from pine to citrus all well balanced. Extremely easy to drink despite the 8% ABV.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Yes, the mighty Pliny the Elder. And oooooh yes, I was bad, and had traded for it. Worth every snarky comment I may receive for the sacrifice, but to be sure, it was well packaged for shipment. Even the Reaper's patience was tested as the 08/18/11 dated bottle was not consumed until it's eighth week. Some may dismiss me and claim it as sacrilegious and others may ostracize me for not opening 20 seconds after it had been capped. Bullshit. This ale is brilliant.

It was as good as billed even though it went through the trials of shipping and 2 months time. And we well enjoyed it. Harrumph. Now, don't get me wrong...I fully understand the dozens of warnings on the label to the contrary that (over)state it is meant for early consumption. To be sure, this is not an ale to sit on over time. But my friend, why would you want to? They'll make more next year and you can enjoy it's harvest seasonality again. Once perchance upon your lips is not enough. No reason to doubt the raves of thousands of hopheads on this beauty.

More importantly than the ale itself, I encourage you to read their website and learn more about Russian River Brewing. Their roots are from wine, (champagne more specifically), in Sonoma County. You can learn how dedication to task and stick-to-it-tiveness ruled the day of this brewery's emergence. It is quite a story of cooperation and partner building. One of the most enjoyable brewery history/stories out there, bar none.

Mad River - Steelhead Extra Pale Ale

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Extra Pale Ale
Mad River Brewing Company

195 Taylor Way
Blue Lake, CA USA
Est. 1989
http://www.madriverbrewing.com


Brain Damage Quotient = 5.6 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 12.0


Postmortem Brew Review
Unfiltered golden yellow color. Yeast suspension at finish of pour.
Spicy, floral hops are present in the nose. Soft grain malts with slight grass aromas.
Two finger, near-white head on pour. Two fingers tall, then rapidly covers to a cap.

Spotted lacing (not much) on the glass.
Hops and malt are well balanced. Balanced up front with mild hops grip at the end.
Light bodied. Easy to drink.


Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Pale Ales just don't get any love. Most are cast aside as erstwhile brews, in favor of their bigger brother the India Pale Ale.


This is an American Pale ale, not an English. The malts are a bit sweeter and the hops give it just the right amount of dryness to the finish. I could easily sit here and drink several of these in a session.  Going back to my opening statement, you see the thing about us Americans is that bigger is better. More, more, more. Well, sometimes less is more. And when it comes to less than an IPA, I'd put money down for this Pale Ale any day of the week. I could be happy with this Pale Ale in any surrounding. And that's coming from someone that quite enjoys a face-melting hoppy beer.

As American Pale ales are only one of three original American beer styles, this one will do just fine, thank you.

Firestone Walker - Union Jack IPA

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Union Jack IPA
Firestone Walker Brewing Company
1400 Ramada Drive
Paso Robles, CA USA
Est. 1996
www.firestonebeer.com 

Brain Damage Quotient = 7.5 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Golden/amber color.
Lots of citrus and pine hops notes on the nose.
Near-white head that does not last too long nor does it lace much.
Heavy lingering hops flavors that turn dry. Slight paper flavor noticed.
Medium bodied, medium mouth feel. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
This is the second Firestone Walker brew I was able to bring back from a west coast trip. As with the other (the Pale Ale) I think something was lost in translation. And I think I know what the culprit may have been. Let me explain...

I have heard and read a lot about this brewer as stated in the previous review of the Pale Ale. As I "boned" up on my homework about this IPA, I noticed the brewer's notes stated the beer was unpasteurized and was best stored at 44 degrees (Fahrenheit). Basically, it required some special handling to ensure it was as fresh a product the brewer intended it to be. I did travel with it for 24 hours without refrigeration, but I can assure you that it was not my mishandling. Looking back on it now, I purchased this and the Pale Ale from a 'big box' liquor/wine/beer chain from their assorted singles shelf, where the customers are allowed to 'mix-a-six' of their own choosing. Those shelves are out in the open and not refrigerated. And although the store had air conditioning, I can reasonably state it was not set anywhere near 44 degrees! As a result, it had a paper flavor that may have been indicative of oxidation.

So alas, fellow beer drinkers - - - I am sad to report that while it was a nice tasting beer, overall, it did not impress due to the off flavor note at the end. As a result, I am chalking it up to the retailer for not having refrigerated the product. And as for me, my selections will be more influenced by how I can better purchase and handle unpasteurized beer in the future. As is my usual course for other beers I have tried and felt may have been mishandled, I will attempt to get an ideal example of this again; likely a fresh refrigerated bottle when next in the western states. It deserves my re-examination as this IPA is a multiple award winning beer, as judged at The Great American Beer Festival.

Lessons learned and shared, so you don't have to learn them for yourself.

Mendocino - Black Hawk Stout

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Black Hawk Stout

Mendocino Brewing Company

1601 Airport Road

Ukiah, CA USA

Est. 1983

www.mendobrew.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.2 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 12.0

Postmortem Brew Review

Deep, near black color with ruby highlights when held up to light.

Roasted malts and chocolate notes shine through.

Caramel colored, creamy, two finger head that covers nearly to the end of the glass.

Moderate carbonation.

Nice amount of stringy lacing on glass.

Clean taste has chocolate and roast malt with hints of roasted nuttines.

Medium bodied with a clean and dry finish. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy 

Let's get the pun out of the way. Black Hawk Down! Yeah, it went down alright from creamy head start to clean dry finish. The light complexity of roasted malt and chocolate notes, along with the nuttiness made for a very pleasant brew. This is an unusually crisp Stout.

An easy quaff at 5.2%ABV, so if you're a Stout lover, this is certainly for you. Once this bird is on your arm, you'll want to remember to remove the hood before drinking.

Bear Republic - Racer 5 India Pale Ale

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Racer 5 India Pale Ale
Bear Republic Brewing Company
345 Healdsburg Avenue
Healdsburg , CA USA
Est. 1995
www.bearrepublic.com 


Brain Damage Quotient = 7.0 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 


Postmortem Brew Review
Golden to amber in color with a slight haze.
Smell of grapefruit and sweet orange citrus hops on the nose.
Off-white head, about one finger high, covers to cap.
Fair amount of lacing down the side of the glass.
Citrus tastes more like grapefruit and lemon zest. It belies the aromas.
Active carbonation.
Light to medium bodied mouth feel. 


Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Here's a pretty darn good IPA. I had heard a lot oh hoopla about this one. So when a recent trip took me out west, I found a bottle to bring home to try. It is good, borderline great for an American IPA. It sure fits the qualifications for a west coast IPA. Citrusy hops smell and taste.

Once again, wish I had bought a whole six pack of this stuff. But being that I can only bring back so much in luggage, it was a one off. I liked it.

What's your take?

21st Amendment - Brew Free! or Die IPA

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Brew Free! or Die IPA
21st Amendment Brewery
563 2nd Street
San Francisco, CA USA
Brewed at:
Cold Spring, MN USA
Est. 1995
www.21st-amendment.com


Brain Damage Quotient = 7.0% ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0


Postmortem Brew Review
Beautiful deep amber color.
Piney and citrusy hops and caramel malts in aroma.
Near-white, two finger head. Nice draped lacing, good head retention.
Hops are off the charts. Malts play in the background with resiny hops taste.
Moderate amount of carbonation.
Medium bodied. Enveloping hops-play on tongue.


Grim Reaper's Eulogy
No less than six kinds of hops (70 IBU's) and two malts make up the structure of this tongue tantilizing IPA. Found in a supermarket on my trip to Portland, OR, a six-pack of the stuff was snatched up, without question. It was the only representation of 21st Amendment's offerings at this store, but a nice find indeed. And the light weight cans made it a no-brainer for packing in my travelling cooler to bring home and share. The Reaper loves the sentiment "Brew Free! or Die" on this whimsical and free spirited container. Honest Abe is bustin' out of Mt. Rushmore much to the delight of Teddy Roosevelt and concern of George Washington. Thomas Jefferson, a brewer in his own right, appears unfazed by all this calamity. Presumably, Mr. Lincoln is going to go get a sixer of these IPA's for the boys.

Everyone that's tried some has remarked how tasty it is. I still have a few tucked away, but fear they won't last long in the mortuary fridge. And when they are gone, well, we'll continue to search out more. Very nicely done west coast style American IPA.


Get some if you can.

Muahhaahaahaa!

Green Flash - Hop Head Red Ale

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Hop Head Red Ale

Green Flash Brewing Company

6550 Mira Mesa Boulevard

San Diego, CA USA

Est. ????

www.greenflashbrew.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.4 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 12.0

Postmortem Brew Review

Deep amber red color tone.

Pleasant caramel malts aromas mingle with resiny pine hop scents along with fruity citrus hop notes.
Two finger near tan colored, rocky head.

Head leaves spiderwebs of lace and covers to a cap right to the bottom of the glass.
Delicious sticky Amarillo hops that are balanced by creamy caramel malt sweetness.

Nice light carbonation.

Medium flavor, medium bodied.


Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Oh, my God....OH MY GOD! This is one delicious smelling, delicious tasting Red Ale!

Where do I go from here? Back to the fridge to look for more, but alas...it was the only one of these I brought back from the west coast. Arrrrrrggggghhhhhhh!!! So sad! Marvelous little Red that packs a punch of malt and hop taste. Tremendous balance and interplay of the malts and (dry hopped) Amarillo hops.

This is a multi-award winning beer that includes these medals:

• Great American Beer Festival 
  2009 Bronze–American Red Ale
  2007 Silver–American Red Ale
• World Beer Cup 
  2008 Gold–American Red Ale
• San Diego County Fair 
  2011 Gold - American Red Ale

The good elf Lupulin performs a 45 IBU tango for two with Madame Malt, and uses your tongue for their dance floor! Sinfully delicious...must get more....

Karl Strauss - Boardwalk Black Rye

Dead Soldier 

Ryan Ross - Karl Strauss Brewing

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Boardwalk Black Rye
Karl Strauss 
5985 Santa Fe Street
San Diego, CA USA
Est. 1989
www.karlstrauss.com


Brain Damage Quotient = 8.0 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 (3 oz. sample)


Postmortem Brew Review
Dark black color on the pour.
Carmel and rye nose; nicely malty. Flashes of hop aromas.
Short stout head with strings of lace.
Smooth flavors of caramel, toffee and rye.
Soft carbonation. Nicely drinkable at 8%ABV.
Medium bodied, full flavored.


Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Round #2
This blog post was done live at the 2nd Annual Beer Blogger's Conference, held in Portland, Oregon. 95 bloggers were in attendance, from over one thousand identified blogs. Luminaries of the craft beer world also attended to serve as presenters and keynote speakers for the event. A "speed round" of blogging was held by brewers, each bringing an exemplary brew to blog. Great craft beers, 12 blogging tables and 60 minutes were allotted in a fun, free-for-all session.

Lagunitas - Censored Rich Copper Ale

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Censored Rich Copper Ale

Lagunitas Brewing Company

1280 North McDowell Boulevard
Petaluma, CA USA
Est. 1993

www.lagunitas.com 

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.75 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review

Clear amber with copper tones.
Smells bready with caramel malt sweetness on the nose.
Nice, fluffy, off-white head, one finger high.
Good amount of ringed lacing on the glass.

Slightly less than average amount of carbonation.
Sweet malt flavor with just a bit of hops bitter finish.

Medium bodied mouth feel.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Got to love the website when it reveals the ingrediatns as malt, hops, yeast and water. Really? What have I been drinking all this time? What? What?!? Whatever! Hey, I didn't start it...

"The original name of this original ale was originally derived from an origin so heinous that we cannot reveal its aboriginal oregeny. sorry. Actually, it's an easy drinking malty Copper Ale that goes easy on the hops. Whatever."

That's from their website, speaking about Censored. We will conclude with the fact that it is good. Gooood. Goooooooood. That is all...I f#ck!n' dig it.

Anderson Valley - High Rollers Wheat Beer

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
High Rollers Wheat Beer
Anderson Valley Brewing Company
17700 Hwy 253
Boonville, CA USA
Est. 1987
www.avbc.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.3 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0

Postmortem Brew Review
Clear pale golden color.
Yeast, fresh bread aromas. Clove spice and a bit of citrus.
White, two finger frothy head. Dissipates soon, leaves yeasty skim cover.
Negligible lacing on glass.
Wheat, lemon and honey in the taste.
Moderate carbonation. 
Light bodied. Easy to drink.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
I found this bottle on a trip out west, but after being home about a month or so, it is now found on the shelves here in Florida. Hmmm, go figure. Just when I think that I have dug up something new, some distributor brings it to me. Curiously, High Rollers Wheat Beer does not show up in their website's lineup of beers. There is a listing for Summer Solstice, however that beer is a different style and does not share the characteristics of this brew. Perhaps it was dropped for some reason? Ah, well.

High Rollers Wheat beer is a fine crisp pale wheat ale, with a snap of tartness. Its dry and slightly tart finish is a great way to beat down the summer heat. "Solar Powered Brewery" is emblazoned on an image of the sun, on top of the bottle cap. According to their site, in 2006 they installed a photovoltaic array of solar panels that powers 40% of the brewery's needs. That is only one of their eco-friendly initiatives to help our mother earth.

So sorry to see that this is no longer in their lineup. Let's hope it's only a temporary thing.

Lagunitas - India Pale Ale

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

India Pale Ale

Lagunitas Brewing Company

1280 North McDowell Boulevard
Petaluma, CA USA
Est. 1993

www.lagunitas.com 

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.2 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review

Rich gold color with copper tones.
Smell of citrusy hops and malt sweetness on the nose.
Nice, fluffy, near white head, one finger high.
Good amount of lacing on the glass.

Smooth hops up front and nicely warming in strength on the back.
Dry malt flavor coming through from start to finsih.

Medium bodied mouth feel.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Oooooo! Lagunitas has a nice IPA here that while bitter in hops, keeps you coming back for more. Easily sessionable at a mere 6.2%, this is a tasty take on the American India Pale Ale style.

Many of their other offerings also include hops strength, but this one is a keeper with me. The malt and hops balance is smooth and interestingly complex. Both get nicely tangled around all of your taste buds. Try some yourself and see if you agree. Visit their website if you have the time...there's a lot going on there.

Buffalo Bill's - Pumpkin Ale

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Pumpkin Ale

Buffalo Bill's Brewery

1082 B Street

Hayward, CA USA

Est.1983

Brewed & bottled by:

Portland Brewing Co.

Portland, OR

www.buffalobillsbrewery.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.2 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 12.0

Postmortem Brew Review

Clear orange amber color.

Masked notes of nutmeg and other spices. A slight hit of malt in aroma.

One finger, off-white head. Foam leaves some good spotted lacing.

Slightly bready malt with clove and nutmeg on the finish.
Adequate, mild carbonation.

Medium mouth feel.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy

Uh huh...I did the unthinkable. I drank a Pumpkin Ale out of season. But before you judge, hear this, it was a gift from a friend and I had never seen this brewery's wares on the East Coast before. So we gave it a try, and it managed to hold up quite nicely.

Now I am not a huge fan of pumpkin style ales. Probably the last thing on my mind. I know some that rave and go ga-ga for them, but not me. Actually if the truth be told, pumpkin by itself is quite flavorless. Don't believe me? Get a fresh one this fall and take a bite. What you think of when tasting a pumpkin pie, are all of the good spices that grandma put inside. Things like nutmeg and cinnamon, ginger and clove. The pumpkin is just the vehicle for all those yummy flavors. Read up on this over-sized member of the squash family and you'll find those describing its texture, rather than taste. That's why we jazz them up with spices. Back to the ale...

It does taste like grandma's pumpkin pie. The subtle ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg were all there. This one was hearty and had good flavor for being about nine to ten months in the bottle. But indeed it was good.

Perhaps this fall, I will place a few bottle away for aging to see if the mingling of the spice flavors hold up, or fall flat. It should make for an interesting storage experiment at the crypt.

Anchor - Porter

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Anchor Porter
Anchor Brewing Company
1705 Mariposa Street 
San Francisco, CA USA
Est. 1896
www.anchorbrewing.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.6 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Deep brown. Nearly solid in color.
Malty sweetness with a slight air of roasted malt (chocolate.) Hops are noticeable.
Dark tan head that produces two fingers of nice foam with tight bubbles. Leaves a nice cover.
Some stretched and spotty lacing on glass.
Toffee and chocolate roasted malt notes with a dry pop finish.
There is a pronounced hops presence in the finish, along with a slight coffee flavor.
Very smooth and easy to drink.
Medium bodied. One or two hits the spot.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Another finely crafted ale from the Anchor house. This porter was quaffed after a long day's work when I was looking for something to "fill the hole", rather than refresh. It is quite sumptuous and a surprisingly good porter. Actually, I don't know why I was surprised. Anchor produces some really quality stuff. They use all natural ingredients and time honored brewing to craft their beers. This porter recipe dates back to the early to mid 1970's for their brewery. It's one of their first commercially made brews.

Put this one up against your regular porter, anytime...

Mendocino - Blue Heron Pale Ale

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Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Blue Heron Pale Ale

Mendocino Brewing Company

1601 Airport Road

Ukiah, CA USA

(Saratoga Springs, NY)

Est. 1983

www.mendobrew.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.1 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 12.0

Postmortem Brew Review

Amber golden color with very slight haze.

Yeasty smell.

Off-white head that covers nearly to the end of the glass.

Moderate carbonation.

Nice amount of stringy lacing on glass.

Crisp taste with light malts and nice hops finish.

Light bodied and easy to drink. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy 

Another in the "birds of prey" beers by Mendocino. This pale ale is an easy to drink brew. Must be the great ingredients listed from their website such as the premium two-row Pale malted barley and two types of hops; Cluster, used for bittering and Cascade, used for the finishing.


This magnificent bird of prey (the Blue Heron) is found right here in Florida, in great abundance. We are also home to the White Heron variety. Both species frequently drop into the back yard of the crypt, usually with a fish in their beak, caught from the nearby lake.  Next time one stops by, I will reach in the fridge for one of these, Salute!

Stone - Double Bastard Ale (2010)

Dead Bastard

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Stone Double Bastard Ale (2010)

Stone Brewing Company

North San Diego County

Escondido, CA USA
Est. 1996

www.stonebrew.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 11.2 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 22.0

Postmortem Brew Review
Brilliant copper color.
Sweet malts, fruity citrus hop oil aromas.
Minimal off-white head with dots of lacing on the glass. Head disappears quickly.

Aggressively hopped flavors. Bready malts and a bit boozy on the back part of the sip.
Good amount of carbonation.
Complex flavored, full body. Oak flavors as it warms.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
"Ye Shall Know the Bastard, and the Bastard Shall Set You Free" written at the bottom of the bottle, as it is on the Bastard series, serves to warn you of what lies ahead. If you've had any of the others, the original Arrogant Bastard, the Oaked Bastard or the Lukcy 13asartd, you had better take notice that this time the warning should really be telling you something.

This over the top hopped, over the top ABV brew will really ring your bell. So take it slowly and settle in. You'll be arm wrestling this Double Bastard with both hands. The ABV of 11.2% is pronounced subtly but firmly as you work your way through each sip. The unclassified nature of the hops and the fact there are somewhere well north of 100 IBU's should also give you a heads up as to its potency.

The back label diatribe warning leads off with, "Double Bastard Ale is not to be wasted on the tentative or weak. Only the worthy are invited and then only at your own risk." So easy mate. Share with a worthy friend, or slowly and steadily at your own pace. You have been warned. Muaaa haha haaaa haaaa!