Fort George Brewery 1000 Years of Silence

Sweet Virginia Seriers
Mexican Chocolate Imperial Stout

22 IBU

10.5% ABV
Beer Advocate  - 4.06/5
Untappd - 4.1/5

20C. Imperial Stout

An intensely-flavored, big, dark ale with a wide range of flavor balances and regional interpretations. Roasty-burnt malt with deep dark or dried fruit flavors, and a warming, bittersweet finish. Despite the intense flavors, the components need to meld together to create a complex, harmonious beer, not a hot mess.

Beer found at the Market of Choice.

As I was pondering what cheeses to buy for our first Christmas (the missus' side), I also was pondering what Mexican Chocolate Imperial Stout would be leaving the store with me. It came down to Epic Brewing and the one I eventually decided on from Fort George Brewery located in the wonderful little town of Astoria, Oregon. They both sounded wonderful but the 1000 Years of Silence was just a tad bit less expensive (also, a really cool name, couldn't pass it up). Considering I was buying relatively spendy cheeses, I thought it prudent to save a few bucks knowing I was still getting a quality beverage (Fort George is above reproach). Now, let's dive into what I found out!

Aroma: When I put my nose down into the glass, the first thing that hit was a nice sweet malt chocolate fragrance. I also detected some vanilla and a bouquet of spiciness. I am guessing some cinnamon and something else... my sniffer can't quite distinguish.   8.5

Appearance: It pours out a very dark, velvety smooth liquid with a thick, caramel chocolate head. I am being honest when I say that the head lasted for a at least ten minutes after the pour.  9

Flavor: Definitely Chocolate, cinnamon and vanilla. What surprised me was the kick of some sort of pepper (found out later it's Pasilla and Ancho) at the beginning. You can actually feel the spiciness tingle in the nose. Wow! 9

Mouthfeel: Nice level of carbonation. Creamy and silky smooth. I could sip this beer for hours and not grow tired of it.  8.5

Overall: I really, really enjoyed this brew. Great job by Fort George Brewery. I especially loved the zesty spice up front from the Pasilla and Ancho peppers. Together they gave the stout an extra kick. As you can see, the rating of this beer is much higher than the already high marks of beer advocate and untappd. It's not much of a surprise given my bias towards dark beers. This one though, ranks with the best. I might have to make this one a Christmas tradition! 8.7

Matt's mark: 4.35/5

I hope everyone has a great Christmas and many blessing to you and yours!

Baerlic Brewing Company Special Collusion Edition

Wood Worker Barrel Aged Series
Dolce De Leche Russian Imperial Stout

65 IBU 10.5% ABV
No rating on Beer Advocate
No rating on Untappd

20C. Imperial Stout

An intensely-flavored, big, dark ale with a wide range of flavor balances and regional interpretations. Roasty-burnt malt with deep dark or dried fruit flavors, and a warming, bittersweet finish. Despite the intense flavors, the components need to meld together to create a complex, harmonious beer, not a hot mess.

Beer found at the Market of Choice.

When I was perusing the options, I stumbled upon this magnificent looking bottle... and you know me, I can't pass up the chance to try another bourbon barrel aged brew! I immediately thought, "hey, at $9 a bottle, this barrel aged stout comes in at a lower cost than others I have tried and liked...I wonder if I can detect any differences in quality...". Sure enough, it's what I brought home for a review!

Aroma: The missus think it smells like gingerbread but I get a big whiff of bourbon toastiness layered with a bit of chocolate, coffee and an appealing aroma of vanilla. There is something else on the back end which is reminiscent of toasted coconut but I am not sure. My mouth is watering.   9

Appearance: A deep, dark brownish color that is clean. Not surprising considering it's a stout with coffee added in. A nice milk chocolate head that lasts for awhile leaving a decent amount of lacing behind.   9

Flavor: Wow! It tastes like a heavier version of a coffee cocktail. Strong coffee character with the punch of bourbon and cocoa (holding the heavy cream of course... although, it does have creaminess to it). It's a little on the sweet side (maybe more hop bitterness needed?) but the flavors are quite enjoyable.  8

Mouthfeel: The carbonation comes through at a nice low-medium level. As mentioned above, a decent amount of creaminess. The brew coats the mouth, leaving the sweet aftertaste for a time. An after dinner sipper.  8

Overall: Baerlic Brewing Company did a nice job with this brew. I am actually shocked at the price point compared to others in its class. I found it to be a complex brew with many layers to it... all of which complimented each other quite nicely. The one draw back I did find, the sweetness comes on a little strong. That is just a preference of mine though, others may enjoy it more (I prefer my beers to stay firmly in the beer category, I think a little higher hop profile would suit this just fine). I started drinking the brew before dinner and a third of the way through I decided it would be better after dinner as a desert. It was a smart choice. 
8.5

Matt's mark: 4.25/5

Life's a Peach & Then You Die Peach Milkshake IPA from Riverbend Brewing Company

65 IBU 7% ABV
Beer Advocate - 4.02
Untappd - 3.92

21B. Specialty IPA

Recognizable as an IPA by balance – a hop-forward, bitter, dryish beer – with something else present to distinguish it from the standard categories. Should have good drinkability, regardless of the form. Excessive harshness and heaviness are typically faults, as are strong flavor clashes between the hops and the other specialty ingredients.

Beer found at the Market of Choice.

Surprise! It's a midweek beer review! I couldn't decide last week what brew I wanted between the Brut IPA and the NE Style (Hazy) IPA. So I came home with both! So, here we go!

Aroma: Big on the sweet fragrance of peach and mild citrus. The hops give it a nice dankness.  8

Appearance: Chunky and hazy (living up to it's name I guess). It actually looks like pulp floating around in golden hazy liquid. Have to admit, it doesn't look appetizing to me. The head is almost non-existent.   5.5

Flavor: Good hop resiny bitterness up front that quickly goes away. It leads to a fair amount of peachy sweetness (from the lactose I presume) with just a hint of vanilla on the back end. A decently balanced brew. 7

Mouthfeel: Astonishingly smooth and creamy, reminiscent of a smoothie. A little weird in a beer but definitely not unpleasant. I am taking a wild guess that oats were used in the mash to create some of the feeling (along with the lactose).  7

Overall: This was my first NE Style IPA. I thought it was an enjoyable experience. I have to admit though, I don't think I am a huge fan of the distinctive look of a hazy IPA. It just looks messy to me. Maybe I am just a curmudgeon and have no idea what I am talking about...it IS all the rage you know. Well, I do have an idea of a way around this problem (cause it is a problem and I do like the flavor), I could just drink the beer from the can! That way I don't have to see it. Look at me solving my problems! (pats self on back) 7


Matt's mark: 3.45/5

Ecliptic Brewing Star Party Brut Imperial IPA

35 IBU 8% ABV - 2018 Edition
No score for Beer Advocate
No score for Untappd

21B. Specialty IPA

Recognizable as an IPA by balance – a hop-forward, bitter, dryish beer – with something else present to distinguish it from the standard categories. Should have good drinkability, regardless of the form. Excessive harshness and heaviness are typically faults, as are strong flavor clashes between the hops and the other specialty ingredients.

Beer found at the Market of Choice.

I saw this bottle of beer and thought to myself "A star party sounds fun, I ought to try it!" Of course, I have had many IPA's but this new style had me intrigued. Don't get me wrong, I like a nice IPA. Sometimes though, you start sipping on one and it just tastes like hops and you say to yourself "yep, tastes like an IPA." So here's to trying a new style of IPA, read on to see what I thought about it.

Aroma: A nice bouquet of  fruity hop aromas. I teased out some mango and passion fruit. I think some stone fruit but which one I am not positive on. If I had to hazard a guess, I would say peach...definitely peach.  8

Appearance: Well, it kinda resembles the appearance of a Brut wine...color me shocked! A nice effervescent, straw colored brew with a fine white head that lasted for a few minutes until it quickly dissipated and left a decent amount of lacing left behind.   7.5

Flavor: On the forefront, it's a nice kick of hops of the citrus variety. Bitter, but not too bitter. The brew then smooths out quite a bit and has a sweetness on the back end that kinda surprised me. A well balance IPA for sure. Not too bitter and a subtle sweetness that leaves you wanting more. 8

Mouthfeel: Bubbly and dry and dances on the tongue.. Obviously this is what the style hopes to capture and Ecliptic did a nice job. 8

Overall: It never ceases to amaze me the style of beers that are always being created. A super dry and crisp IPA? Yeah, sure, we will just add this enzyme that does that for you! Ecliptic did a nice job creating an enjoyable drink that not only quenches your thirst, but is light enough to continue drinking well into the night... and it's an imperial. And by sheer luck, I discovered that this particular brew pairs really well with fresh made Italian pasta. Luckily, I was on two different adventures tonight, first time making pasta with a pasta maker (I did fine muddling my way through it) and trying a Brut IPA. I'd say the adventuring left me feeling mighty fine... now, only if I had the forethought to buy another Star Party. This brew is an enthusiastic thumbs up from me. 7.8


Matt's mark: 3.93/5

Wolf Tree Brewery Spruce Tip Ale

25 IBU 6.3% ABV
Beer Advocate score - 3.8
Untappd score - 3.56

19C. American Brown Ale

A malty but hoppy beer frequently with chocolate and caramel flavors. The hop flavor and aroma complements and enhances the malt rather than clashing with it.

Beer found at Whole Foods.

The reason for choosing the Spruce Tip Ale was the experimental side in me saying "Spruce tips? I wonder if that makes the brew more or bitter than being brewed with hops?" With a relatively low hop profile, that was a obvious question I had to ask myself. So on to the review to see what I found out!

Aroma: It's like taking a stroll on a trail through the forest. Nice, sweet earthiness and floral notes with a freshness of being among the trees.   8

Appearance: I was expecting a pale ale but was surprised to find out it poured a dark amber color. Tells you how much research I did before purchasing. Turns out it's a brown ale with a light tan frothy head with medium lacing.  7

Flavor: A nice floral and resin flavor on the forefront, which is what I was kind of expecting. What I didn't expect was a bite of woodsy spice that gave way to a sweet malt shining through to create a balance that is refreshing rather than extremely bitter. Interesting. 7.5

Mouthfeel: A crisp, refreshing brew. Definitely not a sipper, something you can throw back a couple before dinner and not miss a beat.  7

Overall: I didn't know what I was getting myself into when I bought this beer. I definitely questioned why anyone would put spruce tips in any concoction meant for enjoyment and not medicine. I was surprised by how fresh it was... and also how the bitterness was balanced out with the sweet malt of the brew. It was quite an interesting taste experience that made my taste buds do a happy dance. Wolf Tree did a nice job coming up with a concoction that has a unique taste experience. Will definitely buy again. 7.25

Matt's mark: 3.68/5