Recent Drinks

Here we are again with another week's worth of drinks. Last week it seems I was big on lighter beers and this week I ended up with a relatively heavy and dark selection. My semester in college ends in about ten days, so expect to see a few more beer posts and definitely more consistency in my musical updates. As always, thanks for joining in on the fun and feel free to recommend some good drinks!

Troubador Magma (The Musketeers)
With a nose like a creamsicle and a large frothy head, this beer has all the appearances of a delicious beer float of some sort. However, this peculiarly mixed Belgian triple IPA is far more refreshing than such a description would convey. This drink has light elements of citrus and tropical fruit thanks to a marvelous pairing of hops and Belgian yeast. I'm not sure what makes this drink so compelling, but it's smooth and perfect on a warm spring evening.

Old Heathen Imperial Stout (Weyerbacher)
As I often do when picking new beers, I completely ignored any relevant descriptors such as style, IBU, or flavor characteristics. When I looked at this beer, I saw that it was called Old Heathen and it had a dude who looks like Garm on the label. To be perfectly honest, this beer rules either way. Whether it's because everything about this beer is as traditionally black metal as a beer can get or if it's because this is just an incredibly well made imperial stout, it's fantastic either way. Pours as dark as you'd expect, with delicious chocolate notes in nose and taste and a surprisingly smooth flavor for an imperial stout. Definitely a good one to show someone who is new to imperial stouts yet has enjoyed the stout style in the past.

Storm King Imperial Stout (Victory)
Victory shows up again in my list due to their accessibility and consistent quality. Storm King's long been a favorite of mine but it's probably been the better part of a year since I've had it. No idea why, since this is an imperial stout with a remarkable level of bite. The head on this beer is nice and thick while the drink is bitter and dark in all the best ways. A perfect beer when locked in on a stormy night, or even just good casual drinking for those of us who like our beers dark and intense. I've heard that the special edition Dark Intrigue is also perfect, but I've yet to run across a bottle of it at a time when I've had the financial ability to justify purchasing it. Grab this guy if you like it heavy and grab its big brother if you're feeling particularly feisty.

Beer Review: Weyerbacher's Imperial Pumpkin Ale

So here I am, the pumpkin beer skeptic posting another review of a pumpkin beer. Why? Because this one's too damn good not to share. I don't have an immense amount of details to share because it's a simple yet blissful experience. You may have noticed that I haven't posted many reviews of pumpkin beers. I tried quite a few, but felt they weren't worth reviewing. It's not really in my nature to waste anybody's time just to say "you probably shouldn't buy this," so despite my previous promise to share my favorite pumpkin beers, there just haven't been that many. Despite my aversion for the style, it's safe to say that Weyerbacher pretty much always impress me with their commitment to brewing some of the highest quality craft beers I've had the pleasure of tasting.

This partcular beer is a bit on the bitter side, but that's where I prefer my drinks anyway. The dominant flavor here is cloves rather than the sweeter cinnamon and nutmeg which overwhelm most other pumpkin inspired beers. This beauty pours a thick amber colored body, with a moderate but not extreme head. The scent is appropriately autumnal: slightly spiced and slightly sweet. Drinking this beer evokes more than just pumpkin in my mind. I remember the chilly autumn afternoons when I used to smell the fallen leaves. I smell and taste autumn as a whole in this beer. It's the summary of the smells and tastes of the season with an emphasis on the pumpkin pie that brought the whole family together. If there's any one pumpkin beer you try this year, be sure to give that honor to this delicious treat.

As this is a seasonal ale, I seriously recommend you grab yourself a bottle or a pack of it now. While the price might decrease after the month or season end, it's more likely that the stores will be out of stock before this beer's run is over. It's that good. Get it now and impress your friends with your stunningly good taste.

Beer Review: Weyerbacher's "Insanity"

So, I'm cheating today and reviewing a beer I already love. This is probably the first barleywine I've reviewed, and is one of my favorite beers of all time. Weyerbacher's Insanity is an oak-aged version of their Blithering Idiot barleywine, which is also an incredible beer. The worn-out saying is that insanity can be defined as doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. I personally believe this beer should be consumed again and again regardless of results. It's absolutely delicious. You may notice this review is shorter than usual. I really don't need to say much about this beer other than how crucial it is. Read below for details, then get yourself to your local beer retailer and buy this before somebody else does.

The initial aroma upon pouring is sweet with hints of honey and raisins. It's not the sickly sweetness of fruit-flavored beers, nor is it wine-like. It's a rich and deep aroma that invites you to lose yourself in a stellar glass of beer. Initial sips taste similar to the scent, but also with slight hints of coffee as well as the sharp and wonderful bite of bourbon of the oak casks. Insanity is a beautiful opaque brown, appearing and tasting much softer than its remarkably high (11%ABV) alcohol content. Due to its potency, and the fact that your friends and loved ones deserve such a great beer, this is one I highly recommend sharing. It's sold in four packs, but even splitting a single bottle with a friend is sufficient in my book. Normally I have more to say about a beer this great, but there really isn't much more to say. This beer is uncommonly good and you need to buy a bottle and try it for yourself. It's not the cheapest beer on the market, but it's worth the high cost. If any beer on this blog so far could be considered a "top 5" type beer of mine, this is absolutely it.