Trader Joe's Stockyard Oatmeal Stout

Another beer I received in a beer trade with the Beer Club 4 Men was Trader Joe’s Stockyard Oatmeal Stout. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan colored head that leaves a bit of a lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of chocolate, cardboard, warehouse (weird), and toasted malts. The taste has dark chocolate and is a little bitter with toasted malts. There is a bit of a cardboard flavor before a coffee accents comes out on the tongue. The alcohol content is 5.2% ABV. I can’t say I was a huge fan of this beer. I was surprised that it smelled like the warehouse that it came from, and had hints of cardboard.

New Belgium Dig

I received a bottle of New Belgium Dig as part of a beer trade from my buddy Rich in San Diego. The beer pours a golden color with a frothy white head that leaves a neatly organized lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of lemon, tangerine, grass, and caramel. The taste is dry and slightly bitter. It has a solid caramel base with a strong lemon, tangerine, and pepper bite on the finish. Citrus lingers behind with some grassy hops. The alcohol content is 5.6% ABV. This was a nice and refreshing pale ale that I could see myself drinking over and over again. It was built very well and would be enjoyed by most people, as it wasn’t overly bitter.

Kuhnhenn Dark Heathen Triple Bock Lager

I picked up a bottle of Kuhnhenn Dark Heathen Triple Bock Lager while at DiCicco’s in New York. The beer pours a black color with a thin bubbly off-white colored head. The aroma consists of caramel, alcohol, molasses, plum, banana, marshmallow, raisin, and fig. The taste is big and bold with plenty of sweet flavors including banana, plum, molasses, raisin, and fig. Hints of molasses and caramel come out on the finish with a smooth alcohol burn. The after taste leaves behind some graham cracker and chocolate malt flavors. The alcohol content is 12.5% ABV. This was an intense and sweet beer that really took the tongue for a ride. I loved the sweet flavors, and they were very well balanced by the alcohol burn.

Stone-Bear Republic-Fat Head's TBA (Texas Brown Ale)

As part of a trade with my buddy Rich in San Diego, I received a bottle of the Stone-Bear Republic-Fat Head’s collaboration TBA (Texas Brown Ale). The beer pours a brown color with a lofty and frothy cream colored head that lingers for a really long time. The aroma consists of lemon, pepper, caramel, toasted malts, coffee, and pine. The taste is nicely bitter with a toasted malt flavor and caramel backbone. The hops bring out lemon, pepper, and pine. The alcohol content is 7.1% ABV. I like the added hoppiness to this brown ale, and it was an aggressive representative of the style. If this is brew true to historical style, I would like to see more of these made in the future.

Stone-The Alchemist-Ninkasi More Brown Than Black IPA

While I was in New York at DiCicco’s, I picked up a bottle of the Stone/The Alchemist/Ninkasi collaboration More Brown Than Black IPA. The beer pours a dark brown color (implied in the name!) with a lofty and frothy beige colored head that leaves speckled lacing on the glass. There are lots of floating materials in this glass, and they settle together on the bottom. The aroma consists of lemon, tangerine, grapefruit, caramel, roasted malts, and caramel. The taste is lightly chocolaty with bitter lemon, grapefruit, and tangerine. As the beer finishes on the back of the tongue, a nice coffee accent comes out to play. Toasted malts are left behind with a mix of bitter grapefruit. The alcohol content is 7.4% ABV. This was quite a delectable beer with a great chocolate based that balances bitter citrus flavors well. The best part of it was the slight coffee flavor on the finish, which blew my socks off and completely impressed me.

Lost Abbey Carnevale

I ordered a glass of Lost Abbey Carnevale while at TJ’s in Paoli. The beer pours a golden color with a frothy white head. The aroma is funky and has hay, lemon, pepper, and light caramel in it. The taste is light butterscotch and caramel on the front end before it transforms into a light funk. Lemon and hay come out before a dry peppery finish takes over the mouth. The alcohol content is 6.5% ABV. This was a nice saison, but I did feel that the brett was more influential in the aroma rather than the taste. I would drink it again, but there are other saisons and other brett-induced beers that I would prefer.

Clown Shoes Chocolate Sombrero

I went to TJ’s in Paoli for dinner after a day in Philadelphia for training and I ordered a glass of Clown Shoes Chocolate Sombrero. The beer pours a black color with a bubbly tan head that leaves a film on the glass. The aroma is noticeable from a foot away and consists of dark chocolate, roasted malts, spicy chili pepper, and chipotle. The taste is bold with chocolate with a nice spice, a little bit of kick from pepper, and finishes with toasted malts. The toasted malts actually help accentuate the pepper spice, so the beer really blends well. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. I thought this was one of the more solid pepper-infused beers that I have had. It had a nice chocolate based that sees itself through the spicy kick all the way to the toasted malt finish.

Grandview Brewing Berry Nice Tripel

My buddy Brad brought some of his homebrew, Grandview Brewing Berry Nice Tripel. The beer pours a red-tinted amber color with a thin filmy white head. The aroma consists of raspberries, blackberries, pie crust, and vinegar. The taste is light and dry with a very blackberry and raspberry forward flavor. There is a bit of a banana background with some vinegar and candy-like flavor peeking through. The alcohol content is 10.2% ABV. This beer models itself after a sour candy rather than a sour beer, so the sourness hides in the background. It has a great fruit flavor and leaves a nice dryness behind.

Brasserie Artisanal du Flo Cuvee du Flo Blonde

As part of the March selection for the Michael Jackson Rare Beer of the Month Club, I received a bottle of Brasserie Artisanal du Flo Cuvee du Flo Blonde. The beer pours a golden color with a lofty and frothy white head that leaves a nice lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of flower, elderberry, toffee, pepper, grass, and a yeast sweetness. The taste is extremely floral and dry with some elderberries on the front end. It finishes with a great earthy and grassy flavor with pepper and other spices tickling the tongue. The alcohol content is 7.5% ABV. If you love flowers, this beer is for you. It somewhat reminded me of SAVOR flowers, and had a great floral profile. I was more than impressed with this selection from the club, and I’m glad I have one sitting in the cellar.

Upland Kiwi Lambic

My buddy Brad brought over a bottle of Upland Kiwi Lambic to share with me and another friend. The beer pours an orange color with a bubbly white head that dissipates rather quickly. It sounds like Rice Krispies with freshly poured milk. The aroma consists of vinegar, funk, hay, barnyard, kiwi, and strawberry. The taste is tart and puckering with plenty of vinegar right on the front end of the taste. Strawberries and kiwi provide a touch of sweetness before a funk takes over on the finish. The alcohol content is 6.0% ABV. This was a rather tart beer and plenty puckering, but the kiwi flavor was quite exceptional, as it played very well with the strawberry flavor as well.

Alchemist Heady Topper

I have to give big ups for my buddy Deuane for providing me with a can of Alchemist Heady Topper. The beer pours an orange-copper color with a frothy white head that leaves some speckles on the glass. The aroma consists of orange, tangerine, marijuana, and caramel. The taste is bitter and pungent with orange, tangerine, marijuana, candy, and caramel. On the finish, a dank flavor takes over the mouth with pepper and pine accents. The alcohol content is 8.0% ABV. So I didn’t drink this beer from the can as directed as I was splitting it with three people, but I completely loved how dank and bitter this beer was. It really takes over the mouth with bitterness, and was completely enjoyable.

Clown Shoes Eagle Claw Fish Imperial Amber Ale

I picked up a bottle of Clown Shoes Eagle Claw Fist Imperial Amber Ale from Al’s of Hampden. The beer pours a dark amber color with a frothy beige colored head that leaves some lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of caramel, tangerine, orange, passion fruit, and pineapple. The taste is bitter with tangerine, passion fruit, and pineapple. There is a toasted toffee flavor with caramel accents underneath it all. A bit of pine and pepper burn the back of the throat on the way down. The alcohol content is 8.0% ABV. This was a decent Imperial Amber Ale with plenty of bitter citrus flavors. It may have erred on the sweet side, hurting it a bit, but was a bit redeemed by the finish and lingering flavor.