Day #303 – Breckenridge Autumn Ale

I love it when I open my fridge and it smells like hops!  I am most certainly brewing this weekend!

Breckenridge Autumn Ale

This is the fall seasonal from Breckenridge and is classified as an Old Ale.  ABV of 6.7%.  They bill this one as a fresh take on the Oktoberfest beer, as it has traditional German malts with Bavarian hops but is just a little askew from the standard Oktoberfest style.  It fits more in with the Old Ale style at this point.  This style fits along the lines of the strong dark Old Peculiar beer that is hugely popular in Europe.

This beer pours very dark, much darker than I was anticipating.  It appears to be dark brown until you hold it to the light and then just a bit of rosy red shines through.  It forms a tall tan colored head that slowly dissipates.

The aroma is sweet caramel malts, darker grains and a bit of alcohol spice.  It smells larger than it is I believe.

The flavor starts off with dark roasted malts and sweet caramel flavorings and then morphs into a strong alcohol finish that leaves quite a tingle on your tongue.  Maybe just a bit too boozy for a thin bodied beer such as this?

Cheers!

Day #302 – Rahr & Sons Angry Goat

Today was an awesome day. I was able to participate in a home brewing competition. It was really cool; it was similar to the Iron Chef competition in which they gave us ingredients and we had to make something out of it. The group I was with was WAY more knowledgeable than me about brewing and beer. I feel like I learned a ton and even more importantly, I’ve got the brewing bug again!

Rahr & Sons Angry Goat

The competition was held at the Rahr & Sons brewery. Those folks were so gracious to let us use their facilities. One of the employees brought out Rahr’s newest beer which I have yet to try! Very glad to see it. This is a Weizen Doppelbock at 8%.

This beer pours a murky brown color with a touch of orange near the edge. Tan colored head.

Aroma is pretty nice. Lots of chocolate malt, banana, clove, some spice and citrus. Bit of everything in this!

The flavor is about the same as the nose, with the chocolate notes coming through big time. Banana and clove as well, however the mouthfeel is a little thin. Not bad.

Cheers!

Day #301 – Avery Old Jubilation Ale

Avery Old Jubilation Ale

This is an English Strong Ale from Avery Brewing Company. ABV 8.3%.

This beer pours a clear dark ruby color with orange highlights. Foamy beige colored head.

The aroma is very spicy and nutty, with heavy sweet malts coming through. Certainly sweet and spicy.

The flavor is a mix of winter spice, caramel malts, bitter leaves and a touch of alcohol tingle. Very nice.

Cheers!

Day #300 – Rahr & Sons Winter Warmer

Day #300!!! Holy crap I never thought I would make it this far but I’m glad I did. It’s been difficult and becoming more and more so as I near the end. Only 65 more days to go…I can do this!

Rahr & Sons Winter Warmer

This is absolutely one of my favorite beers from Rahr. It was one I had early on and loved it from the moment I had it. It is an English Strong Ale at 8%. Look for a very nice review in December when I get my hands on the barrel aged version of this guy!

This beer pours a dark brown color that reveals reddish highlights when held to the light. The head is colored an off-white hue to stand out next to the brown.

The aroma is fantastic! It’s a lovely mix of dark malts, roasted notes, chocolate, coffee, winter spices such as ginger and cinnamon with a light touch of alcohol. Such a lovely smell, almost a bit of nuts in this as well.

The flavor relays several of these scents as well. Dark malts and spice are the main flavors, with caramel notes as well as a slight roast. Some chocolate near the finish. This is definitely one of my favs from Rahr.

Here’s to the last remaining 65 days left of this project!

Day #299 – Saint Arnold Santo

Rangers lost a tough one last night. Very rough. To cheer me up I’ve got a brand new beer from Texas!

Saint Arnold Santo

Santo is brewed by Saint Arnold Brewing company. It is being billed as a Black Kolsch, which technically does not exist as a style but that’s what they are sticking with. It’s a kolsch recipe with some darker malts tossed in. It has an ABV of 4.7%.

This beer pours a dark amber orange color that appears very clear. Tall white head sits on this.

The aroma is fairly nice. Definitely grainy on the nose, light and some caramel notes. Light fruit.

Has a light body reminiscent of a kolsch with a grainy flavor. Dark malts certainly bring a lot to this. Some roasted notes but overall remains light.

Cheers!

Day #298 – Kona Pipeline Porter

Kona Pipeline Porter

A beer from Hawaii! Yay! Well at least another beer from there. I think I’ve reviewed a few in the past. This beer is a porter at 5.3% ABV.

Pours a dark brown color with a nice tan head.

Aroma is dark malts, coffee notes and chocolate sweetness. Very nice smell.

Flavor is dark malts, sweet chocolate and light coffee. Tasty most certainly.

Day #297 – Left Hand Fade to Black Volume 3: Pepper Porter

Left Hand Fade to Black Volume 3: Pepper Porter

This is a porter from Left Hand Brewing Company. It is the 3rd in the “Fade to Black” series. 7.2% ABV.

This beer pours a dark brown color with slight ruby highlights. Light tan head.

Aroma is certainly roasted and very smoky. Definitely some peat in this.

Flavor is dark roasted notes, smoke, and beef. Light chocolate and dark bitter malts.

Cheers!

Day #296 – Beer 30 Light

Watchin the Rangers game tonight. They need a win badly, and I need a beer. I think watching a sports game is a good excuse to break out a pale lager.

Beer 30 Light

Beer 30 Light. I mean even the name just sounds awful. Their slogan is “anytime is the right time.” This beer is brewed by City Brewing Company. This is the same company that has brought us such gems as Bootie Light, Jack Hammer High Gravity Lager and The Cat Malt Liquor. Obviously my expectations are very low. Pale Lager at 3.8%.

I chilled my Coors Light shaker in the freezer just for this occasion. Look how blue the mountains are!! This beer pours a very clear straw yellow color with a foamy white head.

This beer smells. Just smells. Light grain, metal, corn and some cardboard. Not the best smelling beer.

The flavor is metal, corn and bitterness. Not flavorful in the least. I wouldn’t recommend this. Apparently anytime is never the right time.

Cheers!

Day #295 – Victory Golden Monkey

Rangers tied up the series to make it 2-2. That deserves a treat.

Victory Golden Monkey

This beer is another one from Victory Brewing Company. It is an Abbey Trippel style with a high 9.5% ABV.

This beer pours a clear yellow-gold color with a fizzy white head. The head fizzes up and out fairly quickly which is a bit odd for this style of beer.

The aroma is a mix of banana, clove, spices and alcohol. It’s a higher alcohol beer and you can certainly pick that up on the nose.

The flavor starts as banana and spice but turns into a alcoholic burn towards the finish. It has nice flavor but certainly has a kick.

Cheers!

Day #294 – Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout

Ahhh. So glad to finally be getting around to this beer. It’s a biggie!

Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout

This is one of Brooklyn’s most revered beers. It is an imperial stout at 10.6%.

This beer pours a very dark black color with a tan colored head.

This beer has an aroma that changes over the time it takes to warm up. Maple syrup, warm chocolate, wood and a certain booze quality fit the nose.

The flavor is dark chocolate, and big toasty notes. Roasty and smoked almost for sure. Big chocolate notes, booze and a slight sweetness fill the palate. Very good.

Cheers!