Great Divide Hibernation Ale

Tasting notes

Dec. 13, 2022

I bought a 6-pack to try again after many years had passed since my last taste. Great Divide calls Hibernation Ale an Old Ale. It blurs the line between Old Ale, Strong Ale, and Winter Warmer. I think it is best classified as a Winter Warmer. Burnt caramel dominates the flavor, sort of a  softer version of Arrogant Bastard. It is an interesting sipper.

Rating = 4 glasses.

Brewer: Great Divide Style: Old Ale Tasting notes: (1102) A 3-yr. 3-mn. old bottle. A hoppy brown ale w/ a creme brulee bite. Downgraded from 5 glasses. (1012) A 3-yr 1 mn old bottle. A thin English Barleywine w/ old ale sour flavor. Makes me wonder what more age would do. (1010) A 1-yr 10-mn. old bottle. Cream brulee, heavy on the brulee, w/ a sourish finish. (1001) A two-year old bottle. A toned down Old Ruffian? Old Ale w/ hops? Nice malty start followed by hoppy bite w/ a little sour, chocolate, coffee, and caramel. Seemed a tiche thiner than I remembered, something like Fullers Vintage Ale. May be the age. (6) Sweet caramel malt, an "Old" sourness, and pleasant spicy bite. (5) Burnt caramel. (4) Toffee, coffee, and chocolate. (3) Wonderful. Caramel followed by sour bite. (2) Less impressive. Malt lacking. (1) Wonderful. Caramel malt nicely balanced with a bitter, piney hop finish. Flavorful but not overpowering. An English Barleywine or Old Ale w/ a touch more hops. Good to drink. Fine to sip. I want more. Comments: Great Divide Hibernation Ale is the brewer's seasonal release in Winter. The brewer achieves a wonderful spiciness without adding spices. Spices are frequent trademark of winter beers. It blurs the line between Old Ale, Strong Ale, and Winter Warmer. Previous ratings: 5, 6, 5 glasses Rating: 4 glasses

Hardywood Gingerbread Stout

Brewer's Notes: Made with baby ginger from Casselmonte Farm and wildflower honey from Bearer Farms, Hardywood Gingerbread Stout captures the terroir of Central Virginia in a rich, creamy libation with a velvety mouthfeel and an intriguing evolution of notes from milk chocolate and vanilla, to honeycomb and cinnamon, to a snap of ginger in the finish. We hope Hardywood Gingerbread Stout contributes to your merriment this season.

Reviews

Nov. 25, 2022

I shared the last bottle dated 201612 Alex last night with Thanksgiving dessert. Six years of aging makes the beer a delight. It is plenty sweet with a nice ginger kick. 

Rating: I am leaving the rating at 5.5 glasses but think aged bottles are better.

 

(202002) I drank a bottle dated 201612, meaning the beer has aged a little over about 5 years. Aging makes the beer yummy. Flavors are muted like a three-day old stew. Patsy picked up hints of port. Alex thought that the ginger shined through. I really liked it.

I also drank a glass on draft recently. It was a disappointment. Tasted off. This is my second bad experience with Gingerbread on draft at Postbellum.

Rating = 5.5, up from 5, based on the 5-year old bottle.

(201911) Hardywood Gingerbread Stout is a BIG Milk Stout. It contains vanilla, cinnamon and local ginger and honey.  The taste varies from year to year. I described my first glass years ago as like drinking chocolate gingerbread cake. Last year's version was a disappointment. Hardywood is back on their game this year. Back to being chocolate gingerbread cake with a titch of cinnamon sauce on top. It is a beer you want to drink slowly and best one beer per evening.

Rating = 5 glasses

Fantôme Saison

Nov. 25, 2022

I am hooked on this beer. Corks and Kegs has a good supply and I want to buy a case. I shared a bottle with Alex yesterday with Thanksgiving turkey. A delight.

Rating: 7 glasses

(202202): The biggest gusher I have ever seen. Lost over 50% of the beer.

(201910): Wow, my favorite saison. Funky with a titch of sour. Complex, hardy and quaffable. Everything you want in a saison.

Rating = 7 glasses. Upgraded from 4.

Previous review

Why my head hurt this morning

Nov. 14, 2022

I started with a Great Lakes Oktoberfest.

I also drank a Toppling Goliath Pseudo Sue. Pseudo Sue is a hazy American pale ale. Nice balance of sweet and hazy hop flavor. A titch understated imo.

Rating = 4 glasses, well below its standing on Beer Advocate. My aversion to hazy continues.

Bell's Third Coast Ale

Nov. 14, 2022

Another bottle with about 6 years of age. A delightful combination of brown sugary malt, hop bitterness, and a tiche of sour from somewhere. 

Rating = 6 glasses (and thought about 6.5).

Aug 25, 2019

With second dessert I drank a Bell's Third Coast Ale, an American barleywine. The bottle was relatively fresh. Brown sugar flavor but not sweet. The aftertaste was sort of sour. I think this beer gets better with age. Ratings based on beers aged about 4 years = 6 glasses. Previous review. Today,

Rating = 5 glasses.

Duvel

Nov. 14, 2022

A fantastic beer but may lack the je ne sais quois for 7 glasses.

Rating = 6.5 glasses

May 15, 2020

Duvel is a fantastic beer. It is THE Belgian Pale Ale. A great introduction to craft beer and to Belgian beer. Here are earlier posts. The picture to the right is AFTER a very easy pour. 

BeerAdvocate rates it a World Class, 823rd best beer overall, and the BEST Belgian Strong Pale Ale. I flip flop between 6 glasses and 7.

My rating (today) is 7. 

Triple Crossing VIII

VIII is Triple Crossing's Anniversary selection. It is an imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels. The bottle was a gift from Lauren Glazier on the occassion of my 70th birthday.

Brewer's notes
Eight years in, like sands through the proverbial hourglass, we’ve found ourselves in a place where our spirit barrel aging program speaks loudly, but not often.
However, as we’ve learned through this last year, it ain’t all waiting on us, and gorgeous inky black stout will, if we let it, emerge from barrels come hell or high water. The combination of our purpose-built Imperial Stout grist, a tightly controlled fermentation, whiskey soaked charred deep dark oak, and the end all variable of patience, has again gotten us to this point.
Our annual anniversary stout returns as VIII, comprised of just 4 whiskey barrels from a couple of our favorite bourbon producers, with an average age of 18 months of rest, blended together in one of our 10bbl brite tanks, and then lagered for another 6 weeks, letting the whole thing patiently round itself out.
We taste impressions of bourbon-soaked devils food brownie batter, dark French roast coffee, sweet cinnamon burnt brown sugar, with hints of leather and pipe tobacco. Even though this past year might have been the most challenging in our history, we are constantly reminded that we would not be here without the continued support you’ve all shown us over these last VII years… for however many times we’ve already said so, we thank you again. 12% ABV.

Tasting notes
05 Nov. 2022

Black ink. Motor oil. Need a spoon to pour. Almost no head but not flat. Sublime. Brewer's notes are on spot.

Rating - 6 glasses

Bell's Expedition Stout

Brewer: Bell's

Style: Imperial Stout 

 

202210

I drank the 3rd bottle from the 6 pack. It is just over 1-year old. Still massive. Has a deep burnt charcoal finish.

(202202) I splurged on a 6 pack while shopping in a Trader Joe's in Indy. The beer is a great example of a Russian Imperial Stout. It it massive. Sweet malt with enough hops to balance. I am liking it.

Rating = 5 glasses and I thought about a little more. Upgraded from 4 glasses.

Previous Notes:

(1101) A 3-yr 5-mn old bottle. Last bottle in my cellar. Big and almost mellow. I think fresh is better. 

(1009) A 1 yr 10 mn old bottle. Massive. Cocoa w/ a touch of charcoal and alcohol. Downgraded to 4 glasses from 5. I appreciate the craft in the beer but, in the end, don't enjoy it as much as beers rated 5 glasses. 

(1006) A 2 yr. 5.5 mn. old bottle. Deep, dark chocolate. Upgraded from 4 glasses. 

(1003) A 3 yr. 5 mn. old bottle. Sweet, burnt, dark chocolate. I kept wondering if I really liked it. Upgraded from 3 glasses. 

(1002) A 6.2 yr.mn old bottle. Massive dark chocolate. May rate 4 glasses. I'll continue to age other bottles in the cellar. 

(1001) A 2.4 yr.mn-old bottle. Big and massive with some soy. Went well w/ chilli but at end I was glad to see the bottle empty and did not like what I was tasting. Downgraded from 5 glasses. I think I will try an older bottle in the cellar and then decide what to do w/ the rest. 

(0911) A 2.2 yr.mn-old bottle. Massive. Chocolate and charcoal and hops. Aging nicely. Upgraded from 4 glasses.

Previous review. 

Top 100: 29 December 2005 and 10 March 2007. (Not on 30 January 2009 or 9 August 2009.) 

Previous ratings: 6, 7, 4, 5, 4, 3, 4, 5, 3, 4, 5, 4. 

3 Floyds Dreadnaught Imperial IPA

Brewer's Notes: An Imperial India Pale Ale with an intense citrus hop aroma, a huge malt body and a crisp finish. 100 IBU.

August 2022: The beer continues to impress. Upgraded to 6.5 glasses.

June 2022: Dreadnaught is a classic West Coast Double IPA. The pour is beautiful with a slightly hazy golden body and a creamy cloud of foam on top. Bitterness predominates but it has just enough sweetness to balance. BeerAdvocate rates it "World Class". I agree.

Rating: 6 glasses

Stone Ruination

Brewer: Stone 

Style: Double IPA 

Tasting notes

2208: Super bitter. Upgraded to 6 glasses.

2208: A nicely balanced bitter double IPA. Upgrading the rating from 4 to 5.5. Thought about 6 glasses but think Dreadnaught is a titch better.

1006: Ditto although the grapefruit was not as pronounced as I remember. 

0706: Moved to 4 in new rating. 

0602: Floral, hoppy nose. Plenty of hops taste but milder than I expected (or advertized on the bottle). Strong grapefruit aftertaste. Would be fun to share with a hop head, although my recollection is that Bear Republic Racer X would be a better choice. 

Top 100: 29 December 2005, 10 March 2007, and 14 August 2010. 

Rating: 5.5 glasses

Bingo Lager

I am not a fan of Bingo Lager. The brewer aims for something easy to drink. I found it boring and declined to finish a sample when deciding what to purchase at Osaka: I ordered iced tea. It lacks the hop bite that makes beer beer imo.

Rating = 1 glass

RAGBRAI

Here are some quick notes about beers I sampled while biking with RAGBRAI, the Register Annual Great Ride Across Iowa.

New Glarus Spotted Cow
A decent saison. It was a gift from Nancy and I would have drunk a second one if it was on the table.
Rating = 3 glasses

Cross Plains Esser's Best
A decent Helles. Another gift.
Rating = 2.5 glasses

Big Grove Tailwind
Notes: Tailwind is a celebration of all things RAGBRAI® and Big Grove Brewery. We brewed this light, refreshing golden ale for the “oldest, largest, and longest recreational bicycle touring event in the world.” Relax and embrace the Tailwind.
Rating = 1.5 glasses

Big Grove Easy Eddy
Notes: Easy Eddy showcases big tropical aromatics of pineapple and mango. Flaked wheat and oats make for a brilliant golden haze in this Unfiltered IPA. Hopped with Citra, Mosaic, and Simcoe.
The other RAGBRIA beer. A decent NE IPA.
Rating = 2.5 glasses

3 Fonteinen Hommage

Brewer's Notes: A blend of lambic beers brewed at 3 Fonteinen, with an addition of 30% whole fresh raspberries from the fabled Payottenland and 5% sour cherries. This unfiltered beer will enjoy a spontaneous refermentation in the bottle. No artificial colors or flavor enhancers are added. Lambic is brewed only from 60% barley malt, 40% unmalted wheat, hops and water.

Bottled on 01 July 2020.

Tasting Notes

07 May 2022

Bottled on 01 July 2020

Dry, tart, sour, acetic, with fruit accents. The raspberry and cherries hit me as strawberry. A wonderful beer and I am not a fan of raspberry. The cherries (?) add to the sourness. I want a little less sour and a little more tart. 

Rating = 6 glasses

Pilsner Urquell

Brewer's Notes

In 1842, at our brewery in Plzeň, brewer Josef  Groll introduced the world to the first golden  ‘pilsner’ lager, and changed beer forever. His  invention soon became the most popular  style of beer on the planet.

We’ve brewed Pilsner Urquell in the same  brewery using the same recipe for over 175  years. Today, we still insist on using  traditional methods, like triple decoction and  parallel brewing in wooden lagering barrels. It takes longer but means we never compromise on our taste.

Beer Advocate Notes: While most lagers give away most of their taste profile in the front of the mouth, Pilsner Urquell only hints at its flavour there. Instead, it develops in the middle, followed by a refreshing, clean finish and balanced aftertaste, practically inviting you to have another.

Tasting notes

Pilsner Urguell means Royal Pilsner. It is a classic Pilsner and is brewed in the town of Pizen in the Czech Republic. The brewer is Plzensky Prazdroj and is part of the SAB Miller family.

(2022.04) Pilsner Urquell gets credit for being the first pilsner. I enjoy it but do not love it. It has some grassy and biscuity flavors. I want more crispness and bite. 

Rating = 3 glasses. It may deserve more.

(1002) A bottle @ Avalon. Wet and cold. 

Rating: 2 glasses, downgraded from 3. Click here for previous review.

3 Fonteinen Oude Kriek Intens Rood

Label Notes
This specific Oude Kriek Intens Rood has macerated for almost ten months on five different lambikken from two barrels. Another four different lambikken from another two barrels were used in the blending process. The final fruit intensity was about 442 grams of sour cherries per litre of Intens Rood.

2022.04
I bought a bottle to celebrate filing my 2021 taxes. Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow.

The beer is wonderful. Lots of lambic tartness with a cherry sweetness on the finish. 

Rating = 6 glasses

Hardywood Christmas Morning

Brewer's Notes: Hardywood Christmas Morning lends a cheerfully heightened decadence to our Gingerbread Stout through deep conditioning on locally roasted Blanchard’s Coffee Co. coffee beans. Hints of sweet honey and oven baked gingerbread greet the comforting nuances of freshly brewed morning coffee in this imperial milk stout. Skip the leftover cookies and milk and awaken your senses with this delightful holiday tradition.

Reviews
(202203) The coffee balances some of the sweetness in Gingerbread Stout.

Rating = 6 glasses

Russian River Consecration

Brewer's Notes: Dark Ale aged in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels from local wineries. It is aged for 4 to 8 months with black currants, brettanomyces, lactobacillus, and pediococcus added to each barrel. Rich flavors of chocolate truffle, spice, tobacco, currants, and a bit of Cabernet. Very full-bodied, sip slowly!

202202: MS provided me with a bottle of this rare gem. The craft in the brew is obvious. However, it was too vinous for my tastes. Too much cab and not enough brett.

Rating = 4.5 glasses.

Bavik Petrus Aged Pale Ale

Beer: Petrus Aged Pale Ale 

Brewer: Bavik / De Brabandere

Style: Wild Ale (BA classified it as Flanders Oud Bruin in 2009)

Brewer's Notes: Petrus Aged Pale is a 100% beer from our foeders. Michael Jackson, the beer hunter, chose the name in the late 1990s – and he was the first to sell this beer in his beer clubs. Today, it is still the reference for sour beers in the US. Petrus Aged Pale has won multiple gold medals in beer competitions worldwide. Moreover, ever since the start of the brewery, the beer has been used as a blending-beer with other beers to give them fresh, slightly sour flavors and aromas.

Aged in Oak foeders for over 24 months

From Web site: 

Why use such large oak foeders?

Because we don’t want the taste of the oak, as in cask aging. The wood is simply a special container, a kind of breeding ground for the various micro-organisms that convert the remaining sugars from the main fermentation into acids, higher alcohol content and esters. We also need the wood as a permeable wall: air slowly penetrates the wood and enters the beer, creating a controlled oxidation. This process proceeds very slowly – it takes 2 years to result in a refreshingly sour beer with a very fruity aroma.

During the 24 months of ageing, the microbiological flora in the wood reacts with the beer to produce its slightly sour flavor and distinctive aroma.

Tasting notes

(202202) Wow! Much better than I remembered. Tart and vinegary w/ a hint of oak. Alex said it packed a wallop. I want more.

Rating: 6 and thought about going higher.

(200905) An interesting twist on a Belgian Pale Ale. Aging in oak gives the beer a touch of apple and lemon. Good but not great. I wanted more kick. 

Old Rating: 4 glasses

Fantôme Printemps

Printemps (= Spring) is a seasonal release from Fantôme that varies from year to year.

02 Feb. 2022
From the label: "Belgian Ale brewed with spices." Printemps is a wonderful saison. It lacks some of the funk of Fantôme Saison. It is super carbonated.

Rating = 5.5 glasses

Blaugies - Hill Farmstead La Vermontoise

Brewer's Notes: Collaboration with Hill Farmstead Brewery

Regional beer based on malt, spelt.hops US.as

It was developed and manufactured jointly with our American friend Shaun Hill (Hill Farmstead Brewery, Greensboro, Vermont, USA). It continues to be brewed at our facilities in Braugies.

We exchanged our know-how to create this blond with pronounced bitterness with a slight lemon aftertaste.

From the label: "classic saison brewed with spelt and an abundance of noble hops."

Tasting notes
(202201) A fine saison. I left too much yeast in the bottle while pouring.

Rating = 5 glasses

Toppling Goliath Pompeii

Brewer's Notes

Inspiration for our newest Hop Patrol IPA comes from the House of Faun in Pompeii, Italy. At this site, some of the world’s most famous mosaics were preserved under layers of ash after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. In this fashion, Pompeii IPA preserves and showcases the luxurious taste of the Mosaic hop. This single-hop IPA offers a floral aroma and a truly complex “mosaic” of taste: dark citrus and pineapple flavors, with deep earthy undertones and a persistent bitterness in the finish.

January 2022

What was I thinking. Pompeii is a fine New England IPA but lacks the bitterness I crave. Maybe the beer has lost some of its bite. Best drink by = March 22, 2022. BeerAdvocate classifies it as American IPA, not New England IPA.

Rating = 4.5 glasses

August 2019

Pompeii is a single hop IPA. The single hop is Mosaic. It has tons of California IPA hop bitterness AND New England IPA hop fruitiness. Here is my previous review.

It is my new favorite IPA. Sorry Finest Kind. 

Old rating = 7 glasses.

New Belgium Transatlantique Kriek

Transatlantique Kriek is a dark cherry-red kriek. More sour than tart. Eh?

Rating = 2 glasses

Founders Highball Drifter

Highball Drifter is a bourbon-barrel aged strong ale. Interesting and good but not great. Some vanilla, molasses, and bourbon.

Rating = 3 glasses.

Trappistes Rochefort 8

Beer: 8 

Brewer: Trappistses Rochefort 

Style: #1 ranked Belgian Strong Dark Ale 

Tasting notes 

Jan 2021:Earlier review was accurate. I would add a titch of Belgian yeasty clove. 

May 2009: A bottle w/ best by date of 25 Jun 13, bottled 25 Jun 08, and consumed 2 May 2009. Complex and delicious. Sugar, apples, mild cinnamon, a tiche of sour, a little alcohol, and spicy hops. Both sips and gulps are great. 

Top 100: 29 December 2005, 10 March 2007, and 03 May 2009. 

Rating: Downgraded from 6 glasses to 5