Review #9 Captain Lawrence: Smoke from the Oak batch #4

I didn't get to make it to the release for this beer a few weeks ago, but luckily my buddy and fellow beer lover @paul_mar hooked me up with a couple of bottles.

This is the fourth batch of Smoke from the Oak, a smoked porter that was aged in wine barrels.  The three previous releases were done in rum, apple brandy, and port barrels.  The next one in line is currently being aged in bourbon barrels.  Get pumped!

The white label on the bottle reads:
Highly Carbonated
Refrigerate at least 24 hours before serving

What it should have said:
Grab a fucking tarp and a mop, its gon' rain!

All joking aside.  Open this in the sink, or maybe the bath tub.  Once the geyser is done erupting you are left with one hell of an awesome beer.  It is very deep brown in color, almost like a cola, and smells sour, fruity, vinous (thanks thesaurus.com), and malty.  The flavors of roasted malt, sour fruit, and wine permeate through the beer.  There is a definite acidity present, along with a little vanilla, a little smoke, and call me crazy; but I detected some chocolate in there too.  This beer is awesome.  Everyone who tried it with me seemed to agree as well.

What it is, yo?:  I don't think you can get this anymore, so I can't really say "GO GET IT!" like I would want to.  What I can say is that if you are in the NYC area for one of the upcoming Smoke from the Oak releases at Captain Lawrence, you should definitely check it out.  I will be there.  Also, luckily for me, I have another bottle in my fridge.

Review #7 Avery Brewing Co: Dépuceleuse

One of my beer guys at work told me about this beer just after ordering it.  Immediately the words zinfandel barrel-aged, and sour cherries peaked my interest.  This is the 4th beer in the series of Wild Ales that Avery is producing, which really don't conform to any standard style or categories.  I knew I would have to snag one when they came in, I mean c'mon, sour cherries?  I love sour things!  (Beers included).

When the beer came in I was alerted and went to grab a bottle before they hit the shelf.  Then they pointed out the name.  Funny.  Nice giggle factor.  I have definitely had a few good chuckles with it, especially when customers ask about it, or try to phonetically sound it out.  Go ahead, do it.  Cute, huh?

On to the beer itself.  It pours a hazy reddish copper, with just a tiny bit of creamy head that doesn't stick around too long.  Aromas of oak, cherries, wine and a little funk give it a pretty awesome character.  It's almost prickly, but still creamy carbonation (probably from the Brettanomycyes fermentation), gives way to a really pleasing sour beer.  It's tart, and sour, and pretty much tastes just like a Flemish, only with a great flavor of oak, and a hint of zinfandel from start to finish.  It is very easy to drink, and I really couldn't tell that it clocks in at 9.59% ABV.

OK, so what now?:  If you like sours, definitely give this one a try if you can find it.  It has me excited for the rest of the barrel-aged series from Avery as they become available.  Who knows what they will come up with next?

Review #2 Stone, Ken Schmidt, Maui: Kona Coffee, Macadamia, Coconut Porter

So I suppose I will do the first collab in this series next, kind of working backwards, but whatever.

This wondrous creation of all that is good in the world tastes like a chocolate macaroon being served with a great cup of coffee. I really dig porters, but I have been not so happy with most of the ones I have recently tried. It's not that they were bad, they just weren't something special. This brew ends that streak.

It pours out black, with little to no head. Then it punches you in the nose with a HUGE sweetened coconut right hook, and follows up with a left jab of coffee and chocolate. It's silky and smooth to the taste where the coffee takes over, and the coconut and chocolate become a pleasant backdrop. Then you get some nice fruity hints from the hops. But wait- there's more! Just as it hits the back of your tongue and you are ready to swallow you get a nice kick of tasty roasted macadamia nut goodness. OMG!

My verdict: This beer should be available all the time! I would shell out the $6.99 to drink 12 ounces of this again and again. But it's not, so I have cellared a few for a rainy day, as you should too.

Review #1 21st Amendment, Firestone Walker, Stone Brewery El Camino (Un)Real Ale

The second this beer was ready to hit the shelf at work I snagged one and was pumped to drink it. I love strong ales of all types, but was especially ready to try this one because of all of the odd ingredients put into the brew. Fennel seeds, figs, pink peppercorns and chia seeds. I mean, who puts chia seeds (one of the newer health food fads) into a beer? But hey, I like all three breweries on the collab, and knew it would be awesome. It did not disappoint.

Once you pour this 12 ounces of joy into your glass, you will notice that it is almost pitch black and has a nice tan head that hangs around for a long time. It has a nice grassy, floral, peppercorn, and tobacco aroma which only made me want to drink it more. Once I did, I was delighted by the sweet fig (almost date) flavor that blended perfectly with the dark chocolate malts, hints of caramel, and slight citrus notes. This beer has girth, it's meaty, creamy, kind of chewy, and you can barely tell that it has an ABV of 9.5%. It kind of reminded me of the perfect adult granola bar.

My verdict: I bought more. You should get some if you can. But beware, it goes down VERY easy for a 9.5%, and could be dangerous.