Quick Sips: August 2010

Here is our first entry of Quick Sips, a super condensed and brief synopsis of some beers that we've had in the last few weeks. This one will include thoughts from the last few months.

• Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA tastes amazing fresh (less than 2 1/2 weeks old)
• Weyerbacher Tiny is incredibly delicious (on our fourth bomber)
• Dogfish Head SahTea isn't as good as last years (not enough cinnamon, clove and ginger spices)
• Southern Tier 2XIPA is amazing (but make sure it is fresh.) Blows away most IPAs.
• Bell's Hopslam wasn't as good as last years. Like most IPA's- Make sure it's fresh.
• Great Lakes Holy Moses was a great choice for a spring beer. Glad to see it back.
• Thirsty Dog has come out with three new crap beers (Barktoberfest, Whippet Wheat and Twisted Kilt) and one decent one (Cerberus)
• Some batches of Founders Devil Dancer taste like a THC producing plant.
• Heavy Seas Below Decks Cabernet Barrel Aged is probably the best fresh barleywine out there.
• Goose Island Green Line Pale Ale (Pub Exclusive) is just plain gross.
• Heavy Seas Smoke on the Water wasn't as generic as it's name. Worth the buy.
• Lagunitas A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale is a refreshing summer IPA.
• Great Divide Brewing has some great beers out there (Colette, 16th Anniversary, Titan, Yeti.) We're excited to try more
• Dark Horse has yet to come out with a beer I thought was above average (Crooked Tree, Sapient Trip, Scotty Karate)
• Great Lakes Lake Erie Monster was great fresh but had a tinge too much alcohol flavor.

Goose Island Night Stalker Imperial Stout

Based in Chicago, Illinois, Goose Island has always made a decent beer. Some are better than others, but we wouldn't call it one of our favorite breweries. Sure, Matilda, Bourbon County Stout & Pere Jacques were great but their year round brews are just a bit weak. When we got word that they had just released a "heavily-hopped imperial stout," our jinies tingled. A 11.7% ABV hoppy imperial stout was something we could not pass up.

Night Stalker pours black with a carmel head and has a strong citrus smell. This is by far the strangest tasting imperial stout we have ever tried. It has medium body with an alcohol burn as it leaves the mouth. When it hits the pallet- citrus, fruit, toffee and chocolate dance on the tongue. This beer has us just about stumped. At first we didn't even want to finish our glasses but the following sips got better so we let the beer warm up to get a better effect. There is a fruity sweetness to Night Stalker that some would welcome with open arms but we would call a nuisance.

The beer lets its alcohol presence be known unlike a good stalker. You have to give credit to Goose Island for creating an imperial stout that taste NOTHING like what is typically associated with that style. This brew is a true sipper meant best to be shared with a friend or two but you have to have the right palette for this one. Mike and Oz can both agree on its originality, the flavors just don't come together well and the alcohol ruins what was a good concept. We are going to file a restraining order.

Oz Scale: 6.0

Mike Scale: 5.8

Introduction & a New Black & Tan Recipe

Oz and Mike like to call themselves beer connoisseurs. The beer authorities in a Bud-Light town. Hell, if you were to go to a bar in Ashtabula, OH, the most "exotic" beer you'd find is a Killians. If you asked for an import, the bartender would respond "Corona or Labatt?" We, being the well versed enthusiasts we are, like to expand our knowledge and expand our taste buds any chance we get. Today, if you looked in our fridge, you'd find nine different types of beer.
In our thirst for thirst quenching knowledge, we have cuddled many a six packs to sleep and kissed the mouths of strange bottles in stranger places. Throughout our journeys we have sipped the standard black and tan (Guinness and Harp) but it wasn't until August 22nd that we realized the formula was wrong.
Over some vinyl Cat Stevens and Donovan, Oz and Mike separately bought Goose Island Oatmeal Stout and Harp. After a sipping down some Summit Octoberfest, we had an epiphany: Why not mix the two beers?
The beer gods were great to us that night- they blessed us with a flavorful beverage that could not be touched in its class. We had invented a new black and tan. Guinness is Guinness, Oatmeal Stout is great on its own but it was meant to breed with Harp to produce its tasty children to slide down your throat. It sings with goodness, shouts its color (does not separate the way Guinness and Harp do) and dances on your tongue. This is a beverage that can be enjoyed daily or on occasion. It will warm a cool night and can be drank in pairs (or more.)
With the utmost greatness of the combination of two excellent brews:
Overall---
Mike Scale: 8.5
Oz Scale: 8.3

Let it be know--- While we have to yet to give any a perfect score, you should comprehend a score above 8 will assure you a brew worth your dollar, time and taste.