Breckenridge Brewery - Vanilla Porter

This caught my eye in the store and I figured I had to try it. I've been to the Breckenridge Brewery in Breckenridge, CO before, shout out to my Boston friends!, and don't remember leaving amazed by the beers, but I was pretty sick during my stay in town, so I forgive them... for now.

This porter has just a hint of vanilla, and it works really well. Sometimes flavored beers can leave me sick to my stomach, but this left me with the desire to go back for more. It's unique, and I dig it, but I wouldn't sit around pounding these bad boys on game day. It's nice for a night after work when you just want a beer and you're up for trying something new. It's heavy and dark, definitely feels like fall to me and I love that.

My beer place breaks down 6 packs for you, so you can just buy 1 if you want. It cost a little bit more per bottle, but it can be worth it. For this beer, I'd go for the 1 and see if you like it.


From the makers:
Deep in the jungles of Papua New Guinea and Madagascar grows the perfect ingredient for an extraordinary Porter brewed in Colorado. Breckenridge Brewery’s Vanilla Porter. An ale that has all the chocolate and roasted nut flavor of a classic Porter, with an enigmatic surprise thrown in for good measure.

Check out all their locations, if you're ever in Colorado!

www.breckbrew.com

New Belgium - Red Hoptober

Love the name, luke warm on the beer. It's nothing to write about anyway...

Um, ya, so it's very similar to the Ranger IPA, but not as hoppy or unique in flavor. Really left me wishing I had went with another beer this time around. Its got some citrus in there, to make it slightly different, but still has that New Belgium character.

I guess trying out unexciting beers is just part of the job...

Oh right. Well.. my advice for this seasonal is to skip it!


From the company:
Fall is here and with it our seasonal ale, Red Hoptober. Shining like autumn leaves in a globe glass this beer pours a dark and lovely garnet as it builds a bright, inviting head. The Eldorado hops are bold and present with a distinct, piney flavor while the caramel malt and roasted barley provide a backbone to stand Red Hoptober upright. Centennial and Cascade hops offer hints of citrus, tickling the nose, while the tongue carries a subtle, roasty tone that pairs pleasantly with the warming bite of bitter. Red Hoptober is perfect for shortening days and campfire nights.

New Belgium - Hoptober

I'm probably a little too late on getting this review up, as we're well into November at this point. However, if you love Oktoberfest style beers, and you see this still on the shelves at your local beer store, it's worth grabbing a few.

I have a hard time finding Oktoberfest beers I'm in love with. I'm also not a fan of any of those pumpkin beers and I usually find the true German Oktoberfest beers not to my liking, though there are some out there. I do love fall though and a nice fall beer gives me a good feeling and takes me places.

New Belgium is best known for their Fat Tire beer, and any beer fanatic has probably given that a go at some point. They know their stuff, so I look forward to trying their other offerings, including their winter brew, Snow Day.

This is their take on a Oktoberfest Golden Ale, with those traditional hoppy and malty characteristics. It was somewhat light, easy drinking and lightly hoppy with a malty finish. Definitely a beer I will be looking out for next year. Give it a try this year if you can still find it!

Enjoy!

Stone - Arrogant Bastard Ale

"You're Not Worthy"

If Stone's Ruination beer took me on a route away from what I have found to love in my favorite beer Dogfish Head 90min IPA, Arrogant Bastard Ale puts them back on track. Not that there is anything wrong with either direction, because I hope to find lots of beers out there worth drinking to add to my arsenal. Variety is the spice of life!

Arrogant Bastard Ale is a lot browner then the Ruination, and attacks with the hops up front. Its caramel-ly sweet and finishes bitter with more piney hops! Don't like Hops? Stay away from this one! Overall, this one is really worth a try and generally not as expensive as the Dogfish, which is a great thing! I'm making myself thirsty right now... and it's only 8am...


I'm loving the things Stone Brewery has to say about their beers, it's a fun read:
This is an aggressive ale. You probably won’t like it. It is quite doubtful that you have the taste or sophistication to be able to appreciate an ale of this quality and depth. We would suggest that you stick to safer and more familiar territory–maybe something with a multi-million dollar ad campaign aimed at convincing you it’s made in a little brewery, or one that implies that their tasteless fizzy yellow beverage will give you more sex appeal. Perhaps you think multi-million dollar ad campaigns make things taste better. Perhaps you’re mouthing your words as you read this.

At Stone Brewing, we believe that pandering to the lowest common denominator represents the height of tyranny - a virtual form of keeping the consumer barefoot and stupid. Brought forth upon an unsuspecting public in 1997, Arrogant Bastard Ale openly challenged the tyrannical overlords who were brazenly attempting to keep Americans chained in the shackles of poor taste. As the progenitor of its style, Arrogant Bastard Ale has reveled in its unprecedented and uncompromising celebration of intensity. There have been many nods to Arrogant Bastard Ale…even outright attempts to copy it… but only one can ever embody the true nature of liquid Arrogance!

Stone - Ruination IPA

Stone Brewing Co. out of Escondido, CA claims their Ruination IPA will not only ruin your palate after one taste, but ruin all other beers out there for you. The latter is a pretty bold statement and a running joke in Stone's lineup, but far from true in my opinion. This is a pretty tasty beer for all us hop heads out there, and worth a try. Amber in color, it does have a nice light hop (light as far as hoppy beers go) and delicious malty taste, but I didn't find it too bitter and thought it was quite a refreshing drink. I would drink it again definitely, but felt it lacked that WOW character I've come to love from my beers. I also didn't find that it ruined my palate, pairs well with grilled meats, burgers and barbecue, great for these warm sunny days and hanging outside!

Allagash - Curieux

Wikipedia is telling me that the nectar of the gods was sometimes termed as Ambrosia. But ambrosia is something of a disgusting recipe families often make for Thanksgiving diner because just one relative has to have it, and then there's lots of leftover marshmallow - sour cream - pineapple - pecan - cherry mess that ultimately hits the garbage can once someone overcomes the loss of such fine ingredients.. that just never should have been mixed together and called a salad to being with.

But I digress..  Let's talk about the true nectar of the gods, Beer! I'm pretty picky about beer, so when I find a great one, I gotta tell everyone about it. Not too long ago, after thinking I'd never find a beer as good as Dogfish Head's 90min IPA.. I stumbled on this one: Allagash - Curieux.

Brewed in small batches at Allagash Brewing Company in Portland, Maine, this amazing beer is barrel aged in Jim Beam bourbon barrels for 8 weeks before being bottled and distributed.

Allagash describes this beer perfectly:
During the aging process in bourbon barrels, the beer is totally transformed, and many new flavors and aromas develop. Most notably, the beer picks up soft coconut and vanilla characteristics...and also a hint of bourbon flavor!

Those flavors pop out distinctively, and this beer is meant to be enjoyed slowly, sips at a time, savoring the amazing flavors that Allagash has been about to develop. I can't say enough good things about it, if you love beer.. you have to try this!


750ml bottle and 11.0% APV