Rodenbach 2010 Oak Aged Ale (Barrel No. 144)

For the December shipment of the Michael Jackson Rare Beer of the Month Club, I received a bottle of Rodenbach 2010 Vintage Oak Aged Ale (Barrel No. 144) The beer pours a red-tinted brown color with a thin bubbly white colored head. The aroma consists of cherry, vinegar, tartness, sugar, pie crust, and oak. The taste has a nice pucker to it with a strong cherry and vinegar flavor to it on the front end before sugar and pie crust arrive on the finish. An oak dryness lingers after all the other flavors arrive. The alcohol content is 7.0% ABV. This was an absolutely spectacular beer and was even better than the typical Rodenbach Grand Cru. The age and oak added an entirely different dimension to this beer and made it more than enjoyable.

Cantillon Zwanze 2010 Blanche de Quenast

While at Monk’s Cafe in Philadelphia for the Pliny the Younger event, my buddy Matt and I decided to order a bottle of Cantillon Zwanze 2010 Blanche de Quenast and share it (the $50 price tag helped encourage sharing). The beer pours a pale and cloudy straw yellow color with a thin bubbly white head. The aroma consists of hay, barnyard funk, grass, lemon, and wheat grass. The taste is funky and dry with bits of hay, straw, and barnyard funk. Hints of lemon and vinegar peek through from the background, and there is an oat and grassy spice on the finish. The alcohol content is 4.0% ABV. This was a wonderfully dry and grassy beer and it feels like drinking while on a farm. I loved its funkiness, and the light citrus accents were well balanced.

Schlafly Reserve Imperial Stout (2010)

I picked up a bottle of Schlafly Reserve Imperial Stout (2010) from Discount Wine and Liquors in Boonton, NJ. . The beer pours a dark brown color with a thin bubbly beige colored head. The aroma consists of sweet bourbon, vanilla, caramel, dark chocolate, and toasted malts. The taste is smooth with plenty of dark chocolate and toasted malts on the front end. Then a sharp bourbon bite comes in, but isn’t too intense, with a wonderful vanilla addition to the beer. On the finish, a dry oak flavor comes out and balances the beer very well. The alcohol content is 10.5% ABV. The bourbon aging in this beer adds a wonderful accent to the beer without being too intense or dry. The vanilla accents are over-the-top excellent and really provide a touch of sweetness that is delectable.

2010 BFM Brasserie Des Franches-Montagnes Abbaye de Saint Bon-Chien

I went to TJ’s in Paoli for their 8th Anniversary party, and I ordered a glass of 2010 BFM Brasserie Des Franches-Montagnes Abbaye de Saint Bon-Chien. The beer pours a red-amber color with a thin filmy white head. The aroma consists of raspberry, cherry, tartness, and some sugar. The taste is puckering with slight hints of vinegar, but mostly consisting of raspberry and cherry. Tartness comes out just before an oak finish with a pinch on the side of the mouth. The alcohol content is 11% ABV. I was wholly impressed with this beer, as its sourness was well hidden and it only let some tartness escape, causing a slight pucker.

Brauerei Schloss Eggenberg Samiclaus Bier 2009 vs 2010

When I was at Braushaus Schmitz in Philadelphia, I noticed that they were offering a vertical of Brauerei Schloss Eggenberg Samiclaus Bier 2009 and 2010. Both beers pour a dark amber color with the 2009 having no head and the 2010 had a thin filmy white head. The aroma of the 2009 has much more pronounced raisin and plum when compared to the 2010. The 2009 is sweeter and smoother and the 2010 maintained more of the raisin flavor. Both beers had a biting finish, but the 2010 was more warming in the throat. The alcohol content is 14.0% ABV. I would have to say that I think I liked the 2010 version better, and it felt a little more balanced and had a wonderful warming finish to it.

Mill Street Barley Wine 2010

I picked up a bottle of Mill Street Barley Wine 2010, Batch Number 10-16-20, while I was in Niagara Falls and looking for craft beer. The beer pours a dark amber color with a think filmy off-white head. The aroma consists of sweet malts with fig, raisins, and hints of orange. The taste is smooth yet strong and biting on the tongue. There is a large amount of sweetness in this beer, akin to maple syrup, with lots of malts, fig, and raisins. The finish has a little carbonation bite to it and puckers the back of the tongue. The alcohol content is 10.0% ABV. While I did enjoy the Mill Street Barley Wine, I would put it in the somewhat too sweet category. There wasn't a lot of hop balance to the beer and I think that is due to the Canadian love of maple syrup. Still, this is a beer worth trying if you are in Canada.

East End Homewood Reserve 2010

I was lucky to grab a bottle of East End Brewing Homewood Reserve 2010 from Al's of Hampden, as Al brought back some bottles from Pittsburgh. The beer pours a deep black color with a bubbly brown head. The aroma consists of chocolate and toasted malts with some molasses and caramel. The taste is light bodied and with a solid chocolate base before a sour cherry twist comes out to play. The finish dries out with toasted malts and dark chocolate and the after taste lets the chocolate linger with a coffee accent. The alcohol content is not available online but I would estimate it to be around 9.0% ABV. There is a great amount of flavors in this beer, but I was slightly surprised at the lack of a body. The beer is more like liquid chocolate than a beer, but the sour twist really makes this beer enjoyable.

Shmaltz He'brew Rejewvenator 2010 (Year of the Grape)

I stopped in to Al's of Hampden to pick up a growler of Shmaltz Brewing He'brew Rejewvenator 2010 (Year of the Gape). The beer pours a purplish red color with a bubbly off-white head. The aroma consists of sweet malts, grapes, and floral hops. The taste is sweet and malty, grape juice accents, some Belgian yeast, candisugar, and a slightly sour finish. The mouth feel is big and bready and the after taste lingers in the mouth with an earthy and floral bite. The alcohol content is 8.2% ABV. The addition of the grape juice definitely makes this beer lean to the sweet side, but not in a bad way. There is a lot going on, so a second glass is recommended to full gather all of the flavors.

Sierra Nevada 2010 Bigfoot Barleywine Ale

I picked up a bottle of Sierra Nevada 2010 Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale from Ron's Original Bar & Grille in West Chester. The beer pours a copper color with a frothy white head. The aroma consists of caramel and light fresh hops. The taste is fresh hops on the front end and has a light citrus lemon taste followed with some caramel accents. There are some flower tastes on the finish. The alcohol content is 9.6% ABV. I really enjoyed the Bigfoot. It may be a little hoppier than most barleywines, but it was a great variation on the style and extremely complex.

Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine 2010

Seeing as my friends and I were thoroughly impressed with the Stone Brewery, we dropped back in for dinner on our way home from Las Vegas to San Diego. To start the evening, I ordered a glass of Old Guardian Barley Wine 2010. The beer has a dark red amber color with a thin bubbly white head. The aroma is sweet and malty with toffee accents. The taste is sweet and very bitey, with toffee and caramel adding big flavors to this beer. There is a light hop finish. The alcohol content is 11.26% ABV. I thought the Old Guardian Barley Wine 2010 was an amazing beer and a great example of a barley wine.