An Austrian powerhouse not named Schwarzenegger.

Brewery: Brauerei Hofstettena
Location: St. Martin, Austria
Named: Seit 1229 (At least that's what I think its name is)
Type: Barleywine
This was another Tessa special...she knows me well!! This majestic import flows freely in the form of a beautiful cascade of dark ruby and brown. Like most barelywines the head on 1229 peaked early with a slight off-white color. Hell of a bouquet on this one, folks! I caught the nose from about 6 feet away from this bad boy. BIG malt gets up in your nostrils and then dances with a mixed fruit potpourri consisting of apples and cherries. Past all that is a slight hint of alcohol, though the alcohol is not the main attraction. Seit 1229 comes in at a respectable 8.3% ABV. In spite of this alcohol content, 1229 is alive with carbonation as little bubbles of happiness leave a pleasant mouthfeel. What's it taste like? Right. Not surprising is the tart and tang of fruit that 1229 starts off with. Once the slightly sour taste fades toffee jumps in for a quick "Hello!" and then bows out gracefully for the strong coffee finish. It really is all like that. I was pleasantly surprised! I found this beer to be incredibly enjoyable. Even with my partial bias towards barleywines I would recommend this beer to just about anyone who falls into 1 of 2 categories; Category 1: They like a good beer and are looking for something new and exciting, or Category 2: A Europhile.

Sidenote: I couldn't find a picture of the label, so you get Johnny Questionmark up there. Also, I spelled Schwarzenegger correctly without the help of the internet, or a copy of Commando.

There can be only one.

Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Location: Milton, DE
Name: Immort Ale
Type: Strong Ale
This, my friends, is the beer version of "the Quickening." It's a decent reference if you don't know what I'm talking about. Immort pours velvety smooth, like liquified chocolate. The glass filled quickly with a dark, honey gold color that would make Midas himself happy. To give a better reference point, the color of the beer matched that of a beer bottle with slightly higher yellow hues. Bad for other immortals, this beer lost its head super early. In fact, it was barely there to begin with. I blame this massive amount of alcohol this beast carries, 11.0% for those keeping score at home. Staying true to what the label says, you will pick up mild hints of vanilla and maple. The nose is that of sweet, syrupy malt laced with dark, tart fruit; similar to that of a barelywine. Your first step will leave you confused and wanting more. I, being the consummate beer journalist that I am, dove in for another mouthful...and another... You do get some vanilla right up front and then blasting through like a bull is a nutty taste. Once you get past the tang there's a wonderful finish consisting of roasted malt and burnt caramel. Making a late showing is the maple...a nice little treat at the end! There isn't a whole lot going on in the carbonation department, but what little it has plays nicely with the flavor profile. Dogfish Head does work! Immort Ale is definitely a masterpiece worth investing in. In fact, I'm willing to bet that this tastes better than anything Picasso ever painted.

Thanks!

Just wanted to say a quick thanks to those who take the time to read my little slice of internet commentary! 10 votes on the last poll...pint glass owns all other vessels it seems! This week's poll is a little more difficult to vote on, choose carefully!

Still taking suggestions for beers to try. Donations to get those beers in my hand are greatly appreciated! If you need my mailing address, let me know.

In the mean time, enjoy your beer!

Not of this Earth, nor Belgium for that matter.

Two on the docket tonight...

Brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Co.
Location: Lakewood, NY
Name: Un*Earthly
Type: Imperial India Pale Ale
So there it was, positioned on the top shelf, in the corner no less, in the cooler of a local grocery store. A 22oz. bottle of Un*Earthly. It's almost as if the person stocking the cooler didn't want anyone to know they had it in stock. Once I saw it, I knew I had to get one at the behest of no fewer than 2 friends (Thank you Mr. Fischer and Mr. Parker!). I dove in head first. The mug Tessa got me worked wonderfully! It's 20oz. capacity didn't even flinch at the big bottle. The IPA flows from bottle to mug in a cascade of a color that of light maple syrup. The head, albeit thin and modest, was a slight dirty white. The bouquet opens up in a 1-2 punch combination of bold citrus hops and malty booze. No surprise with the booze, the magic word (imperial) brings this behemoth to a whopping 11% ABV. I have to say that this is one of the smoothest feeling beers I've ever had. I actually ingested Un*Earthly at a slightly warmer temperature than usual as the bottle suggests drinking it at 42 degrees. The smooth mouth feel makes this beer incredibly easy to drink and the high alcohol content is barely noticeable. The flavor is out of this world! Yup, I went there...puns are hard to pass up. A complex cadre of pineapple-y yet slightly piney- hops is joined by a support cast of buttery caramel finished off with a nice alcohol finish. This IPA is a big brew! Enjoy in moderation but enjoy when you can!

Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Co.
Location: Denver, CO
Name: Belgica
Type: Belgian-Style India Pale Ale
Though simple, I really dug the label of this bottle. Call me superficial but I liked it. This was another gift from Tessa and I have a sneaking suspicion that she has a pretty good understanding of what I like to drink! Belgica looks like a hazy summer morning, the color of the sun pouring through fog. The head was a stark white which was fairly thin and lost fairly quick. The bouquet was amazing, incredibly diverse. First you get a thick sweet and malty scent which yields to a tart and yeasty aroma finally finishing with a dose of familiar floral and citrus-y hops. The mouth feel was smooth and clean. The flavor profile was pretty amazing. I picked up very slight hints of banana and a large portion of spice. Coriander and ginger came through easily. The hops leave behind a moderately floral finish back by a hint of bitterness. This potent (7.2% ABV) IPA is easy to drink which makes it easy to enjoy. I've had a few Great Divide brews in the past and like those, I would strongly recommend Belgica to anyone interested in a robust flavor profile.

Let's Give Em Sumpin To Talk About...

Brewery: The Lagunitas Brewing Co.
Location: Petaluma, CA
Name: A Little Sumpin' Sumpin'
Type: Ale
I imagine the title of this entry being sung by Will Ferrell. Let it sink in. First, I want to thank Tessa (my girlfriend...in case someone who reads this doesn't really know me all that well) for surprising me with some beer. A 4 pack of wonder that contained this magnificent gem from Lagunitas. This beer cascades from bottle to glass in a brilliant light amber with the slightest hint of wheat-like haze. Simply put, it's a pretty beer. I almost felt guilty for drinking it...almost. The head is robust and rapidly disappearing leaving little to no lacing (rings of foam) on the glass. Immediately you will pick up on the very familiar aroma of hops, this one laced with pine and grapefruit with mild notes of peach coming through. As you would expect the taste is close to that of an IPA with its hop heavy, though not overwhelming, taste. The nice thing about Sumpin' Sumpin' is that it has a pleasantly crisp snap to it which leads it to be incredibly smooth, almost as if you were drinking a lighter, wheat based beer. The aftertaste has a sweet (peach again) and mildly bitter taste to it, but it's not off-putting. Even better is that the 7.5% ABV does not come through! Needless to say, too many of these and you'll feel it quickly. BUT! You should all drink one. Immediately. You should all get A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' while you can... Pun intended?

It has stuff in it!

Brewery: Smuttynose Brewing Company
Location: Portsmouth, NH
Beer: Dry Hopped IPA
Huh? Dry hopped? What does that mean you ask? Well, it means it has bits floating around in it! Sweet, glorious bits of hops! The dry hopping process (adding hops straight into the fermenter after fermentation) enhances the hop aroma and flavor to the max. This IPA comes out with a splash of hazy, somewhat orange-yellow color and is capped off nicely with creamy, robust head that peaks nicely. You don't even have to get your nose close to the glass to catch the ever-so-lovely citrusy pine hops wafting up. I like to think that one day I will eventually educate myself enough to be able to ascertain the different nuances of the many types of hops...until then I will continue to drink beer in hopsignorance. The nicest thing about this beer is that its super smooth, even with such a strong bouquet. You don't even get attacked upfront with harsh hops, instead you get a mild yeasty flavor supplemented by grapefruit. The grapefruit will eventually intensify and leave you with a mouth watering for another drink. The sediment in the bottle may throw some people off but this IPA is totally worth a shot or 2. Plus, the dudes on the label look like they can throw down...and you wouldn't want to disappoint them by not drinking good beer, right?

You've reached the Beer Consumption Hotline, please make a request.

Ok, so I changed the layout. Well, not so much the layout, but the color scheme. I can only assume that that was what the strong majority of you (3) disliked so much about it. In any case...allow me to get to my point.

I'm curious as to what beers you guys would like me to take to task. I'm pretty daring and will honor all suggestions. Just don't be offended if you request your favorite and I skewer it, those are just the risks you all will have to be willing to take. I'm curious to see what you guys come up with. Just leave it in the comments section to this post and I'll see what I can do.

Don't let me down! I welcome all challenges! Do your worst.