Oz 'n' Mike's Top Beer of the Year

It's been (just over) a year since the birth of our beer blog. I know the title promises beer AND music, we just happen to play music together so when we beer, we music too. Don't think about that one too much. Anyway- here are our top picks for the year (in this list only Oz & Mike's scores count.)

Average Score:
1. Bell's Hopslam - 9.90
2. Dogfish Head Sah'tea - 8.95
3. Jolly Pumpkin Ordo de Calabaza - 8.90
4. Weyerbacher Double Simcoe IPA - 8.75
5. Unibroue Trois Pistoles - 8.55
6. Heavy Seas (Clipper City) Winter Storm - 8.45
7. Brooklyn Brookyler-Schneider Hopfen Weisse - 8.40
8. Dogfish Head World Wide Stout - 8.30
Stoudts Winter Ale - 8.30
Rogue Santa's Private Reserve - 8.30
11. Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale - 8.25
12. Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA - 8.15
13. Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout - 8.00
14. Lagunitas Brown Shugga - 7.95
15. Great Lakes Christmas Ale - 7.90
Stoudt Double IPA - 7.90
Dogfish Head Immort Ale - 7.90
18. Rogue Dry Hopped St Rogue Red Ale - 7.85
19. Dogfish Head Punkin - 7.70
20. Troegs Mad Elf Ale - 7.65
21. Great Lakes Oktoberfest - 7.55
Bell's Christmas Ale - 7.55
23. Weyerbacher Zotten - 7.25
Corsendonk Christmas Ale - 7.25
25. Founders Centennial IPA - 7.20
Sierra Nevada Torpedo - 7.20
27. Jolly Pumpkin Lucienrnaga - 7.15
28. Jolly Pumpkin Bam Bière - 7.05
29. Founders Old Carmudgeon - 6.90
30. Great Lakes Glockenspiel - 6.90
Magic Hat Roxy Rolles - 6.90
32. Stone Sublimely Self Righteous Ale - 6.85
33. Bell's Expedition Stout - 6.75
34. Heavy Seas (Clipper City) Holy Sheet - 6.70
Blue Moon Full Moon - 6.70
35. Bell's Sparkling Ale - 6.50
36. Rogue Morimoto Imperial Pilsner - 6.40
37. Summit Winter Ale - 6.35
38. Three Floyds Brian Boru - 6.25
39. Dogfish Head Midas Touch - 6.15
Dogfish Head Theobroma - 6.15
41. Flying Dog K-9 Cruiser Winter Ale - 5.8
42. Avery Old Jubilation - 5.65
43. Weyerbacher Winter Ale - 5.60
44. Sam Adams Winter Ale - 5.55
45. Thirsty Dog 12 Dogs of Christmas Ale - 5.50
46. Abita Christmas Ale - 5.40
47. Michelob Winter Cask Ale - 5.35
48. New Holland The Poet - 5.15
49. Breckenridge Christmas Ale - 4.95

Black & Tan Recipe - N/A
Old Milwaukee Beer - N/A
Atwater Block - Atwater Hell - N/A

Double Dogfish Head: Sah'tea & Theobroma

Dogfish Head takes more risks than having unprotected sex with fifty partners. Their beers, though not alway good (see Golden Elixir post,) are at least interesting and stampworthy. The company keeps pushing the boundaries of what a beer can be. Recreating ancient recipes, creating multiple ales that are 18% ABV and crafting a brew with ingredients from every continent are just some of the interesting things this brewery is doing. We know that it might seem that we review them a little more than the rest, so our last review of Dogfish Head this year is a double one: Sah'tea & Theobroma.

First released this May, Sah'tea is a "modern update on a 9th century Finnish proto-beer." It smells and looks just like a Belgian ale. Though it does have a decent amount of body and mouth feel to it, it is still easily drinkable (even at 9% ABV.) Cinnamon, clove and ginger spice up the palette and makes us miss Great Lakes Christmas Ale. This brew would best be drank on a cold winter day with a couple of good friends... or on a Monday night in September as you watch your roommate play Call of Duty 4 for hours on end. That kid is addicted, seriously.

Oz Scale: 9.0
Mike Scale: 8.9

First brewed in 2008 (our bottle dated 2009) is Theobroma. Per DFH Website: "This beer is based on chemical analysis of pottery fragments found in Honduras which revealed the earliest known alcoholic chocolate drink used by early civilizations to toast special occasions." It pours an almost amber color with a sweet smell. With all the hype about chocolate flavor, this beer has very little if any at all. A slight chili taste on the back brings together a sweet, almost nutty taste. High drinkability or as Oz puts it- "I'd pound a six-er of this. You know, just drink this to get drunk and forget feelings. Our UAV is online!" I'm sure you would get there with its high, 9% ABV. There is a lot here- but nothing seems to stand out.

Oz Scale: 6.0
Mike Scale: 6.3

Rogue Morimoto Imperial Pilsner

Pilsner- the Webster's dictionary defines this style as "a dumbed down beer for frat kids and rednecks." It is not the preferred style in any beer drinker's book but what drew us to this brew were two words - "Rogue" & "Imperial." Fifteen dollars for a bomber seemed a little excessive but any imperial brew from Rogue can't be that bad, right? Joining us today, for the first time, is the newb x-Tina.

The brew pours a cloudy light honey color and a citrus smell. Upon delivery to the beer hole, you experience a different mouth feel than that of an American pilsner- much heavier as it leaves an almost chalk like trail when it drains down the throat. Smell and taste collide when lemon undertones come out from hiding. The alcohol taste is hidden, though hops are definitely prevalent on the back end of the brew.

In the end, Morimoto Imperial Pilsner would be better classified in with classic European-style pilsners. It is, however, overpriced. Fifteen dollars for a 750ml bottle could better be spent on a four pack of Founders Breakfast Stout or it is almost enough money for a six-er of Hopslam. For what it's worth, it is a good brew. If we weren't the snobs we were, it would rank higher. It's hard to get over the negatives this style brings to our palette. Even a TV Chef couldn't help us overcome these convictions.

Oz scale: 6.4
Mike scale: 6.4
x-Tina scale: 5.6

Weyerbacher Zotten

Weyerbacher has long caught our eye when it comes to beer despite the subpar labels on the bottles. From our very first sip of Double Simcoe IPA, we grew ever eager to try more from this brewery. Many have dominated our taste buds (Heresy, Blasphemy and Imperial Pumpkin Ale to name a few) so we were excited that these kind brewers would bless us with yet another beverage. Weyerbacher's newest creation, Zotten, is a Belgian Pale Ale. At 6%, this "session beer" still beats any of the ice domestics you can get at your local NE Ohio grocery in ABV.

Zotten, Belgian for "joker," pours a clear amber color with a Belgian Ale style smell and frothy white head. The brew has a creamier taste than what the label promises with hops hidden beneath its classic Belgian fruit flavor. The brew flows freely down the throat making it incredibly drinkable given the style.

Zotten is an every day style beer. Given the drinkability, its shocking that the brew comes in just four packs. There is nothing too innovative about it, just a slight different take on a classic. We would like more of a bite on the back end of the brew. The hops are promising but lead to a dead end street. This could be a great trasitionary brew to get someone into the style, i.e. Mike's girlfriend. Now if he could only get her to swollow something else frothy and creamy...

Oz Scale: 7.2
Mike Scale: 7.3

Dogfish Head World Wide Stout

Hi, Mike here. Oz and I have taken back the blog from those blasted good ol' boys. However, today we have a special brew so I decide to roll solo for a one time, one night only review:

Oh, Ohio and your pointless laws! Two of my least favorite Ohio laws are the limit to what percentage of alcohol beer can not be over (12%) and the illegalization of intoxicating ducks with alcohol. Why do you have ruin all the fun? I had to put my ducks in a row and lined up a beer trade with JoeyBeerBelly on Beeradvocate.com to trade for Dogfish Head World Wide Stout. Weighing in at 18% ABV, this brew is not for the novice and definately not for the faint of heart. A single 12 oz bottle retails for more than most craft six packs and around the same price as a 30 pack of Old Milwaukee. Being a dollar an once, this is liquid gold (only if gold meant an insane amount of barley.)

The brew pours a thick black solid color with a brown foamy head. Smells of alcohol, raisins and smoke let you know you are about to be taken for a ride. First sip reminds me of a strong rum & coke with chocolate swirled in. WWS is as full bodied as expected but nowhere near as syrupy or thick as I was anticipating. The imperial stout flows surprisingly smooth down the throat as it leaves alcohol on the tongue. As I continue operation 'Move Beer from Glass to Stomach,' the brew becomes more drinkable and more sweet.

This is nowhere near a session beer and I had to clear out a night in my schedule to fully appreciate something so high in alcohol. I would not reccomend this to pregnant women or everyday Guinness drinkers. There is so much barley and an incredible completity to the brew that I would not dare share a brew with someone who would not appreciate. Dogfish Head is known for their creativity in craft beer and maybe it's the alcohol talking, but this beer is fucking sweet.

Mike Scale: 8.3

Dag Gum Beer Re-View: Old Milwaukee Beer

Hey y'all. We done stolen our sisters virginity, this web site and a 30 pack of old milwaukee Beer. We got tired of them thar prissy beers and decides us to drink a real man beers. We got these here beer cuz it have red and white on the box. hAlf the American flag. Dya no what? Whuts better than cornholin yar old yeller behind the barn, some Capps pizza and old Milwaukee.

First wed like to note the smell. It smell like steel. the steel that my great granpappy used to build the best nation in the world. America. Drinks like mississippi. clearer than. sounds like a roarin Leonard Skinner concert. Great for beating your wife. You can drink a lot and it dont make you no fool. You can mov e real kwicke like. My favorite things about it is how it tastes. America. Glad no goddam japs aint ruined no American pastime. This be the old milwalkee. even our coondog otis loves it two. i tell you whut.

Its one of them beers where you drink one of them beers and then you drink another one of them beers before anutter you done drank all them beer and aint even know it. That good. like AMerica. just like my cousin bobby james said 'if it looks like your sister- fuck it. if it looks like your wife[ beat it. if it looks like old millwalkey- drink it.' i'm done bringin a case to my next Brick Stonewall & the United States of Awesome show. real merican values for real amercans.

on a ten chart. ten being papst blue ribbons- the best. zeros being genny cream ale.

Ozzy James Dio skales - Flat 6 LIKe my cuz
Mickeys Malt Fister slakes - like the age of my dream girl 7
Nicky Jo skales - 7 like the fingers i's gots

Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale

The Escondido, California based brewing company, Stone, has yet to let us down. They have produced some of our personal favorites, Russian Imperial Stout & Ruination IPA. So when we saw their new limited release, Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale, we had to pick it up. Being sublimely self-righteous ourselves, it seemed fitting that we had to review this beer.

SSRA is an American strong ale weighing in at 8.7 ABV with 90 IBUs. First impressions can be decieving and this brew proves it. It pours an almost black color with a head similar to a chocolate stout and smells like other Stone brews, but tastes nothing like it's brothers and sisters.

This brew has more kick than its Belgian counterparts. However, the earthy tones remind us more of the dirty hippies in California compared to the Arnold Strongs. While this beer is above average, it does nothing for us like the 08.08.08 Epic Ale or even the Double Bastard. In our sublimely self righteous opinion, it does not smoke our taste buds and it's not the arrogant bastard we were looking for.

Oz Scale: 6.8

Mike Scale: 6.9

Dogfish Head Punkin Ale

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