High-octane. Motor oil. Squid ink. These are the best ways for me to describe Mikkeller Black, in as few words as possible. That may not sound appealing to some, but for me, it’s right up my alley.

Mikkeller Black is brewed along the same vein as some of my other super-stout favorites, like DFH World Wide Stout and Goose Island Bourbon County Stout. Brewed at an exceptionally high 17.5% ABV (maybe not as high as The End of History, but still) Mikkeller Black is a perfect end-of-evening sipper. According to BeerAdvocate.com, this was a limited edition (brewed once) so if you can get your hands on it, I suggest you do.

As I mentioned above, Mikkeller Black pours pure onyx-black and thick, like motor oil, with no head whatsoever, except a thin ring of coffee-colored foam, touching the edges of my glass. Its aroma was of chocolate, coffee, alcohol and anise. I expected the first three, but the anise was a very nice surprise.

Mikkeller Black, at the start, featured the chocolate, coffee and anise I noticed in the aroma, but these flavors quickly gave way to the heat and desiccation of the alcohol, similar to that of straight bourbon whiskey in the back of my throat. If the taster isn’t like me, one who enjoys bourbon neat (quite often) then this might not be the beer for you. The body was so heavy that "syrupy" might be the best way for me to describe it, with heat running throughout, and nearly non-present carbonation.

Most definitely a nightcap. One I’m glad I got to try and would again, if the situation presented itself. I suggest you do the same.

TAGS [ BEER REVIEWS | MIKKELLER | BLACK | IMPERIAL STOUT ]

Brewed by Brouwerij der St. Benedictusabdij de Achelse (damn, that’s a mouthful), Trappist Achel Bruin Bier is an 8% ABV Dubbel that was definitely complex and enjoyable.

The second in the newly created Atlas Series of beer reviews, we quickly located the map of Belgium and placed this incredibly heady brew on the map for photos. Seriously, I poured slowly and I still can’t believe how tall and frothy that head was - I had to pour the bottle in increments just to get the whole thing in there!

Trappist Achel Bruin poured a lovely burnt sienna color, with no visibility at all through the brew. Its gigantic head lasted as long as the beer did. I couldn’t help but have beer-foam all over my face with every sip. Should’ve snapped a pic of that. Next time, I will.

Its aroma was of dark fruit and yeast. Very sweet smelling. Wicked sweet. Did I mention that it smelled sweet? The flavor mimicked the nose perfectly; black cherry, plum and yeast were prominent for me. Jay noticed a bit of pineapple in there and he’s a [really great] chef, so you can take that little tidbit to the bank. The brew was slightly sour on the sides of the tongue through the finish, which broke up the sweetness quite well. A medium-light to medium body with light effervescence on the tip and sides of the tongue kept it drinkable, even at 8%.

Want to enjoy a good Dubbel? You can count on Trappist Achel Bruin to deliver.

TAGS [ BEER REVIEWS | DUBBEL | TRAPPIST | ACHEL | BELGIAN ]

Last night, Jay and I decided to get a little more creative with our beer review photos. He was looking around the room, thinking of what we could picture along with the beer we were trying first, and had a "eureka" moment - why not feature the brews on the old, gigantic atlas? I loved the idea, so here we have Avery Brewing Co. Samael’s Oak-Aged Ale sitting nicely on a map of Colorado, right by Boulder.

And so begins the Atlas Series of beer reviews, although I promise to try to remember to bring my camera in the future, instead of just a crappy flip phone.

Avery Samael’s weighs in at a hefty 14.9% ABV, and this particular batch was the third of April 2007. Already 3 years aged, I could hardly wait to give it a try. The quote listed on the bottle had me even more intrigued; "Samael is the prince of death, accuser and destroyer….Behold his venom and vengeance, both sweet and tempting, enticing you, his spellbound victim, within his wings."

After reading that, I had certain expectations for this ale, and Samael’s did not disappoint. It poured a lovely ruby brown with piles of sediment pieces, large and small. Its two fingers of head was thick and offered great retention.

The aroma was of straight-up bitter, dark chocolate. I didn’t really notice much of the oak, nor did I find the scent of overbearing alcohol, which I had expected from the high ABV. Upon tasting, flavors of really bitter chocolate (in a good way), molasses and heat from the alcohol were very evident. The bitterness hit hard up front, on the tip of the tongue and smoothed out by mid-palate to the sweet molasses and chocolate.

The heat of the alcohol remained on the sides and the back of the tongue and throat even after finishing the sip. Jay described it as a beautiful anger, and I can vouch for that. Along with the heat, bitter and sweet components, this ale’s body is very heavy with a thick and lustrous mouthfeel. Really enjoyable.

This was my very first taste of Samael’s and I hope very much to try it again. It makes a great after-dinner sipper. I wholeheartedly recommend.

TAGS [ AVERY | SAMAEL'S | BEER REVIEW | OAK-AGED ALE ]

I’ve been looking forward to trying this since I first heard about it a little while ago. I wasn’t disappointed.

As Dogfish Head describes it, Theobroma (food of the gods) is “based on chemical analysis of pottery fragments found in Honduras which revealed the earliest known alcoholic chocolate drink….brewed with Aztec cocoa powder and cocoa nibs, honey, chilies, and annatto (fragrant tree seeds).

I saw it on draft at Coles and, knowing that it’s brewed with chocolate, ordered it for dessert. When it came, it looked completely different than what I expected; a deep rust orange color that was completely transparent and a very quickly dissipating head. I was entirely thinking it would be a deep, dark brown like most chocolate-infused brews. I was more than intrigued.

It smelled floral with hint of unsweetened chocolate. When sipped, at the front of my palate it was fruity and honey sweet. Up the sides of my tongue I tasted and felt the heat from the chilies, especially as it warmed. Surprisingly for 9% ABV, the alcohol was very well hidden.

The finish was pure unsweetened chocolate for me, spiced up by the heat. Its body was, when served, medium-light but as it warmed, the tiny-bubbled carbonation thinned out, leaving it with a more medium mouthfeel.

Certainly a very interesting brew that I look forward to having again. If you’ve had it, I’d love to know what you think!

TAGS [ DOGFISH HEAD | THEOBROMA | CRAFT BEER | BEER REVIEW ]

Brooklyn Local 1 is a Belgian Strong Pale Ale and truly a delicious offering from Brooklyn Brewery, especially after a heavy game of kickball! One of the things I dug most about this brew was how well the 9% ABV was hidden; this one could sneak up on you if not careful!

It poured a hazy, sunshine yellow with a finger of white, fluffy head that seriously wouldn’t quit. An aroma of citrus, mostly lemon, wafted up through the glass, with just a hint of spiciness.

Local 1’s body was medium and perfectly carbonated; effervescent, like that of champagne, especially before it warmed up a bit. The flavor mirrored that of its aroma with citrus being the star. Lemon, grapefruit, green grapes and yeast with underlying malt through the finish.

If you haven’t tried it already, I recommend you pick up a bottle soon.

TAGS [ BEER REVIEWS | BROOKLYN BREWERY | BROOKLYN LOCAL 1 | BELGIAN STRONG PALE ALE ]

A little over a month ago, I had the pleasure and privilege of judging the New York State Fair Homebrew Competition, headed up by the fine folks at the Salt City Brew Club in Syracuse, NY. Always fun as well as educational, this year the results were alittle more "special" than usual, because the Best In Show beer wasn’t a rich Barleywine, a hoppy IPA, an inky Stout, or a fruity Belgian Ale. In a contest where much of the time the big beers flex their muscles and flick the lighter beers off like a bad case of the fleas, to my delight a Kolsch took the top prize. Brewed by Michael Reda of Long Island, an excellent homebrewer who focuses on German styles and has multiple awards from competitions around the state under his belt, his Kolsch was truly a masterpiece (I was lucky enough to have judged/scored it as well). So there’s no time like the present to talk about why YOU need to give Kolsch a chance.

History of Kolsch

Much like Champagne, Kolsch is Appellation Controlled, and defined as well as fervently protected by the Kolsch–Konvention, meaning that only beers brewed in the Koln (Cologne) region of Germany may bear the name. Just as strict as the Reinheitsgebot (The German Beer Purity Law of 1516, which states that beer may only be made from water, barley, hops, and yeast), Kolsch is a top-fermenting ale brewed at higher temperatures, then cold-conditioned giving it some characteristics of a lager. The first time the term ‘Kolsch’ was used was in 1918, to give a name to a beer brewed by the Sunner Brewery originally in 1906. At the time, most of the beers people gravitated towards in Germany were bottom-fermented lagers, and Kolsch never gained much popularity. The devastation caused by World War II didn’t help matters, and it took some time for the breweries to re-establish themselves. The production of Kolsch in Cologne topped out in 1980, and since then has dipped a little, but now there are 14 breweries in and around the region producing the beer, 3 of which I have had and are more than worth seeking out.

Characteristics of Kolsch

The aroma of Kolsch is a clean, pleasant, slightly fruity one, with a low hop aroma and possibly some pils malt floating around. There may also be a small whiff of some yeasty, sulfury notes as well. They can appear very pale gold, to light gold, and many of the authentic versions are filtered to achieve a brilliant clarity. The head may or may not persist, but if it does it will be slightly sticky and be as white as white gets. When it comes to flavor, delicacy is the #1 hallmark of Kolsch. Its palate is a soft, well-rounded balance of malt and a barely noticeable fruity sweetness with a slight bitterness and a dry, slight pucker in the finish. Again, look for that little zing in the swallow, but it shouldn’t be harsh or sharp. The noble hop flavor has a wide range, with some examples having a minerally or sulfury water or yeast character that will showcase its dryness and balance, but above all this beer is meant to be smooth, crisp, and refreshing.

Kolsch Food Pairings

Being very similar to, and often mistaken for, a Pilsner or a Blonde Ale, Kolsch is very versatile with food on the lighter side of things. Salads of any kind, fish as long as it’s not too heavy or oily, and pretty much any type of shellfish find a perfect partner in Kolsch. It could easily replace a mimosa at Sunday brunch, pairing well with eggs, ham, sausages, and bacon. Monterey Jack, brick, or a similar light, nutty cheese is on point to pair with Kolsch. Next time you’re thinking of popping open a bottle of Riesling or Gewurztraminer to pair with your meal, try a fresh bottle of Kolsch and see how well it complements things.

Garrett Oliver nailed it when he said that Kolsch is "A lawnmower beer with flavor." It is yet another beer style that sometimes seems designed for hot weather, and is too often ignored (I feel like I say that a lot). In the past I’ve always gravitated towards wheat beers as my go-to summer session beers, but Kolsch and its delicacy has truly won me over recently, and is becoming a favorite to grab out of the fridge this time of year. Cheers!

Riessdorf Kolsch

Sunner Kolsch

Cape Ann Fisherman’s Ale

Gaffel Kolsch

Stoudt’s Karnival Kolsch

TAGS [ KOLSCH | SUMMER BEERS | BEER REVIEWS ]

One of my favorite beers out there is Southern Tier Gemini, which is a blend of Hoppe Imperial Extra Pale Ale and Unearthly India Pale Ale. The blend is a special limited release, so I’m unsure if I’ll be able to find it again, but I certainly hope I do.

Because I loved Gemini so very much, I thought it fitting to taste and review Hoppe, slated by Southern Tier as "an ale of simple composition." Right on the bottle, I learned that they "craft this much like a sculptor who uses only a hammer and chisel to shape stone into a masterpiece. Hoppe is spawned of these few essentials: barley, wheat, hops, yeast and water. This limited palette is an exercise in minimalism, with refined elements that are deliberately selected."

Beautifully simple in its ingredients, Hoppe is incredibly complex, testing " the skill and ability of the brewer to create something truly majestic." A must-try, if I do say so myself (and I do).

This 8% ABV Imperial Extra Pale Ale pours a beautiful golden, sunlit amber that’s slightly cloudy. To be honest, I really couldn’t see through it at all. The head is a finger high with medium retention; that which rims the surface sticks around for quite some time.

Hoppe’s aroma is slightly floral and sweet with fruit - I detected pear and green grapes here, with a hint of peach. Its body is medium but the carbonation cuts through, which keeps it more drinkable than some other Imperials I’ve tasted before. Very smooth through the finish.

The flavor of this ale is sweet, like the aroma, but with a nice, lightly hoppy kick on the sides of my tongue. Notes most easily detected were those I found in the nose; green grapes, flowers and a touch of peach. The floral hops are balanced well by the malt in the finish. Quite complex, especially for such a simple composition.

I will certainly pick this brew up again.

TAGS [ SOUTHERN TIER BREWING CO | HOPPE | EXTRA PALE ALE | IMPERIAL PALE ALE | BEER REVIEWS ]