Left Click the Pic to see a pic of each!
| Beer/Brewery | City, State | Tasting Notes | Style | ABV % | IBU | Cal | On Style | Look | Smell | Taste | Mouth Feel | Total Rating | Pic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mars, |
Comstock, MI | Let me start by saying this is a malt forward with a mild hop finish. It reminds me of Brigadoon Brewery's Green Ogre so it should come to be no surprise that I love this beer. The hop flavor and aroma is complex, with notes of tropical fruit, pine, and citrus. A generous addition of Munich malt gives Mars it's toasty, deep malt character. They do not list the IBU's. I would estimate it to be around 90 IBUs but with the malt being the star it really does not matter. Hopped at a ratio of about 3.4 pounds of hops per barrel, the recipe for Mars was developed from a trial batch called Larry’s Latest Double IPA brewed in their original brewery located adjacent to the Eccentric Café in downtown Kalamazoo. Released initially in August, 2014 as the first beer in the Bell’s Planets Series, Mars (The Bringer of War) is a double IPA with a complex hop character and a malty backbone. Mars returned again in 2017 and again in 2021. If you like double IPA's this is a must try!
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Double IPA | 10.10% | ? 90ish | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.6 | Pic | |
Bourbon County Stout 2021, |
Chicago, IL | Some will say that Goose Island is big beer and they would be right but when you think of the fall and bourbon barrel aged beers Bourbon County should come to mind. This rich Imperial Stout is blended from a mix of bourbon barrels from distilleries such as Heaven Hill, Wild Turkey, and Buffalo Trace, each aged in freshly emptied bourbon barrels for 8-14 months and then bottle aged for 5 years. Complex but well-balanced flavor that includes chocolate, vanilla and notes of the barrel. Flavors of chocolate and vanilla, oak, whiskey, and molasses, followed by caramel, berry fruit, and almond. Pleasant warmth but not overly boozy.
This beer is an experience best enjoyed over a long period while reading or just sitting and watching the stars on a cold night. |
Barrel Aged Stout | 14% | 60 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | Pic | |
Bourbon Barrel Quad, |
Kansas City, MO | Great caramel/amber color with a tan head that quickly disappeare. Smell of bourbon, Cherries and a hing of carmel. Great mouth feel. You can taste the boubon, toffe and a hint of cherry. This abbey-style quadrupel is separated into a number of oak bourbon barrels where it ages for varying lengths of time, some for up to three years. Cherries are added to make up for the “angel's share” of beer lost during barrel aging. Selected barrels are then blended for optimum flavor. The resulting beer retains only very subtle cherry characteristics, with toffee and vanilla notes coming to the fore. This is another great cold weather beer! |
Barrel Aged Abbey-Styl Quad | 12.2% | 26 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.3 | Pic | |
The Imperial Texan, |
Fort Worth, TX | I have not had good luck with Martin House beers in the past but I have to give credit to them on this beer. Great lace, mouth feel, malt forward with a hop finish. This is a heavy-duty 9% abv red ale, which not many breweries do, with a profusion of hop flavor and aroma. This beer is as big and proud as Texas. Because we add almost two pounds of American hops per barrel very late in the beer making process, The Imperial Texan is able to retain a wondrously piney and resinous hop character that perfectly balances its smooth but strong and dry malt backbone. Well worth a try. |
Red Ale - Imperial / Double | 9% | 100 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | Pic | |
Cowabunga, |
Conroe, TX | I love the name! I had this on tap at a local establishment. Classic West Coast Double India Pale Ale dry-hopped with righteous amounts of Simcoe and Strata hops which provide stonefruit, dank, and tropical flavors with a crisp bitter finish. Overal a pleasant experience. |
IPA - Imperial / Double |
8.5% | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.9 | Pic | ||
Doc Hoppiday IPA, |
Webster, TX | Disclaimer, I am not a fan of Hazy IPA's. Having said that I must say that Saloon Door has done a great job with this beer considering the style. Pours a very cloudy, opaque golden color with a finger width foamy head. Head retention is decent. Lacing is good. Has a nice, juicy, sweet citrus aroma. Maybe some mango or papaya. Tropical and citrus flavors. Juicy and easy drinking with a hint of some grassy bitterness at the end. Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. If you like hazy than this is one for you. |
Hazy IPA | 8.8% | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.8 | Pic |
