Adam's Beer #10 - Great Divide Espresso Oak Aged Yeti

The old rule is, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” but as I said it is an OLD rule.

Great Divide Brewing Company first came out with their Yeti Imperial Stout in the early 2000’s to rave reviews only to follow up a couple of years later with the Oak Aged Yeti...which was a nice upgrade, but unfortunately they only used oak chips instead of the barrel which limited the oaky goodness.

Now, in the last couple of years, Great Divide has fixed a big beer that made it even bigger by adding Espresso to the mix. I am not sure what I enjoyed more…the beer or the suggested food pairings on the bottle: Breakfast burrito, eggs Benedict, hash browns, cheesecake, and crème brulee.

The dark malts give this beer a taste of burnt sugar and a smokiness that makes this the perfect after dinner beer. The tastes are so big I can not imagine pairing this with any food – the mouthful would overpower any other flavors that I would be trying to enjoy.

Overall I gave this Imperial Stout 8 out of 10. I think if I had another bottle I would wait to open it until next winter…hoping that this mythological creature would take on a whole other form.

Adam's Beer #9 - Baird Dark Sky Imperial Stout

“It's like, how much more black could this be? And the answer is none. None more black.” - Nigel Tufnel

I love purchasing unknown Stouts….Russian, Coffee, Milk, Oatmeal it does not matter, when you unlock the bottle it is unknown what is going to empty out. Will it be watery? Will it be more of a coffee color than black? Will it have a lot of carbonation? This was the fun I had tipping the bottle of Baird Dark Sky Imperial Stout.

Let me rewind for one second to explain that Baird Brewing is located in Japan. For this reason, and this logic only, the beer was purchased. The only beer I have ever had from Japan was Hitachino Nest White Ale, which I love. The Japanese have perfected the Belgian Ale, but can they compete when it comes to the world of Imperial Stouts?

Back to the Dark Sky – the stout poured a stunning black into my pint glass with a small amount of coffee colored head; the name of the beer fits perfectly. As I take in the nose I wonder if I am dreaming…is that a bouquet of hops? I had to run to my computer to find if it was true, and yes they dry hopped their stout with two different types of hops. A strong taste of tobacco and chocolate dominate the first taste while other wonderful flavors peak their head out to say hello as it works its way around my mouth.

Overall I have to give this beer a 9.5/10 – it is very hard for a stout to stand out among some of the best beers around, but the Japanese have seemed to figure it out.

Adam's Beer #3 - Dogfish Head Squall

Let me start off by stating that I do not like Dogfish Head beers. I do enjoy a 90 minute as often as Scorsese wins the Best Director Oscar®, but that's about it. Something about the flavor combinations that turns me off, but I have never been able to pinpoint one thing alone. I knew eventually my travels through 52 breweries would make a stop in Delaware so I figured that there was no time like the present.

Just like every other beer conceived by Dogfish Head, the Squall IPA did not blow me over. Being that this is completely bottled conditioned it was smoother than the ordinary 90 minute, but just like the rest produced by DFH it has an uncontrollable sweetness that is trying its best to hide behind the use of six different types of hops.

The best part about this beer is the aroma...filled with beautiful, flowery, citrus scents that can only be enhanced through perfect dry hopping. This is a characteristic that I have tried to emulate in my home brew but never got the results that matched my expectations.

I give the beer a 6/10 - though it was not the perfect IPA, bottle conditioning made it as smooth as the sweet sounds of Yacht Rock (look it up)

I have just realized that I have lied to you in paragraph #1; No, I still do not like a majority of DFH beers, but there is one that I am a HUGE fan of and I happen to have one in the fridge to cleanse the pallet - Palo Santo Marron. I may not have enjoyed my beer of the week as I hoped, but at least I can end the evening on a high note. Cheers!

Adam's Beer #2 - Imperial Stout Trooper

Living in Connecticut is very hard for a beer drinker. 3.4 million people, 5,500 square miles and the 4th most densely populated state only has 4 breweries, with only two of them worth mentioning and none of them worth drinking. But has the Constitution State redeemed itself by brewing Imperial Stout Trooper??? It is hard to believe that such a great beer can make it out of the New England Brewing Company especially when they only have three selections to choose from...none of which are any better than bath water.

Originally I bought this beer due to the bottle being a Storm Trooper helmet, but after reading reviews I knew that it was a true Russian Imperial Stout. I popped open the 12 ounces after letting sit in my beer closet (yes, beer closet) for a year. It poured completely opaque into my pint glass with a very light, mocha head that departed just as fast as it came. At 9% abv, the alcohol was masked by roasted malts and bitter chocolate flavors making this one of the smoothest Russian Imperial Stouts on the market. The taste stayed in your mouth for quite some time, very similar to smoking a cigarette.

It seems that a brewery in CT finally has unlocked the secret of making a good beer, I just wish that they would figure out how to make it year-round. I would also like to give myself a pat on the back for not writing any Star Wars references in this write up...the force is strong in this one (doh!)

Overall: 9/10 - one of the most drinkable Russian Imperial Stouts, right next to Victory Storm King Stout