The bottle in and of itself has red flags all over it: clear bottle, twist-off cap, pale yellow, and oh yeah – there’s a chile pepper floating in it! Yes, seriously there is a pepper floating in the “beer” I’m about to consume. Poured into a taster glass, it reveals what I already knew – clear pale yellow with a brief fizzy white head that was gone in seconds. No retention or lace to speak of, it’s pathetic looking.

Simply put, the aroma is horrendous. Spicy chili pepper, chili powder, black pepper, jalapeño and dill destroy your senses. That is seriously foul and disgusting. There’s nothing from the “beer” base, if you would even argue it has one, that comes out at all. On the palate, huge chili pepper flavors, peperoncini, chili powder and an overwhelming spiciness/burning sensation through the mouth and throat. Honestly, this is disgusting, vile and foul and is simply not drinkable. Two sips and I was finished, a complete drain pour. There’s a body but it’s what you’d expect; bubbly, extremely carbonated, thin and watery. What else would you anticipate getting, though? On par, yes, though it still is a terrible feel. Add the lingering burn for a good 15-20 minutes after I stopped drinking and this is just a complete fail.

I try not to make it a point to post lengthy reviews for beers I dislike, but this needed to be done for the greater good. It’s easily the worst beer I’ve ever had and this one is completely deserving of its score. The simple fact they bottle this and actually are getting sales for consumption (like me!) is mind-blowing. It seems like they tossed as much chili flavoring they could into the beer, and forgot to sample it before bottling. Although, this might be good to cook Mexican food with.

Rating

1
out of 100

Poured from the 12 ounce bottle, Hopslam is slightly hazy and bright golden/orange in color. It’s topped with a moderate white head, and fantastic lacing and retention – patchy in the middle with thick bubbles along the outside. Opening up the nose are aromas of juicy citrus, pineapple, pink grapefruit, pine needles and honey. There’s a very nice earthy bitterness to it, with a slight sweet note towards the back that I attribute from the honey.

In the taste, a wash of bitter hop oils, pineapple and astringent grapefruit notes start off. Through the mid-palate the pink grapefruit intensifies, and trails off with a sweet honey and caramel malt flavor. It’s so complex, delicious and dangerously drinkable at 10% ABV. The body is medium to full with ample carbonation. Lots of tiny bubbles on the tongue give this a smooth and almost silky texture, finishing with a bit of alcohol heat in the chest.

Well, honestly this beer is simply awesome. There’s plenty of citrus and fruit character, backed by a great amount of sweet honey and malt. It’s big, bitter, citrusy and sticky – perfect for an Imperial IPA in my book.

Rating

96
out of 100

Title photo from: Flickr

Excluded from this list was any beer I tried prior to 2011. So, as much as I love Pliny the Elder and Founders KBS as the next guy, they were eliminated from the nominations since I’ve had them before. Without further ado, here’s the compilation:

10. Voodoo Black Magick – Smooth and full of bourbon, this Imperial Stout packed a decadent and boozy flavor.

9. Cigar City Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout – Chilies, chocolate, vanilla beans, cinnamon? Yep, all here balanced beautifully.

8. Round Guys BerlinerWeisster-WeissterBerliner – Tart, light, crisp and refreshing – this is one to look out for from this up-and-coming brewery.

7. The Bruery Black Tuesday – Even at its massive 18+% ABV, this bourbon barrel aged Imperial Stout drinks so easily and has tons of complexity to go with it.

6. The Alchemist Heady Topper – Probably the best Double IPA you’ll find in a can. With their cannery up and running, there’s plenty hoppy, resiny goodness to go around.

5. Goose Island Rare Bourbon County Stout – Complex bourbon, wood, chocolate and dark fruits lead this one-time brewed Imperial Stout aged in Pappy Van Winkle barrels into the Top 5.

4. Samuel Adams Utopias – At 27% ABV, this drinks more like a fine spirit than anything. Sweet maple syrup and rich malts along with plenty of heat (and the price tag!) make this a special occasion “beer.”

3. Firestone Walker Abacus – The outstanding rich, malty and fruity base of this beer was perfect for bourbon barrels, and what an outstanding beer it became.

2. Dark Horse Barrel-Aged Plead the 5th – My favorite barrel aged Imperial Stout so far. Bursting with overwhelming bourbon notes, wood and plenty of chocolate, this beer is easily a top-notch selection if you can find it.

1. Kern River Citra DIPA – Juicy citrus fruits, oranges, mango, pineapple and the like are seemingly bursting from this beer. Hoppy, bitter, fruity and so drinkable – it was my favorite beer of the year. Once the glass was finished, it was a sad, sad moment.

I wasn’t surprised to see a majority of the selections were Imperial Stouts, as they are one of my favorite styles. All I can say is that I hope 2012 brings as much fantastic beer as 2011 did. And thank you to all who’ve shared or been part of partaking in these fine beers with me. Cheers!

Episode 29: Three Floyds Behemoth (2011) from Passion Beer on Vimeo.

Poured from the 750 ml bottle into a snifter, Fall Migration falls exactly in line for what you’d expect from a barrel aged Belgian golden ale. It has a hazy golden-yellow colored body that became more hazy as I got to the end of the bottle, due to the yeast sediment – pour carefully. A nice fluffy white head sits atop that did dissipate somewhat rapidly, leaving a little lace and retention.

On the nose, aromas of dry oak wood, white wine, white grape flesh, funk, hay and a minor citrus note towards the back end all come into play. It does have some floral hop notes giving it a decent balance of aromas. Very nicely done, and I certainly hope the taste is going where the nose does. One sip and again you’re tasting lots of dry oak up front, followed by a crisp and clean Chardonnay quality. The use of the wine barrels is quite evident. The base beer comes through mid-palate, bringing a nice amount of yeast and spice, bitter lemon and funk. The brett gives it a good bit of funk, not sourness – ending with a very earthy and hay-like quality.

It’s crisp, clean and the barrel didn’t take much away from the body which is good. Only my second “limited” beer from Evolution and this is really well done. I shared this with wine lovers, one who loves Chardonnay, and they really enjoyed this. It’s one beer that showcases how versatile beer can be, especially with the use of wine barrels. Once again, nicely done Evolution.

Rating

93
out of 100

Poured from the white waxed 22 ounce bottle, it actually seems a bit darker than the Four Roses but maybe not. Dark brown color on the pour while it looks completely black in the glass. There’s a nice amount of tan head that faded away into some thick bubbles along the edges, with surprisingly good lacing, too.

On the nose, dark fruits and dark chocolate are evident up-front, followed by a rich and sweet bourbon element. It’s certainly more present on this one than the Four Roses, but it still has that sweet nature to it. The taste follows structure – bourbon is immediate here, semi-sweet and boozy but not hot really at all. Lots of bitter dark chocolate notes, caramel and raisin come through towards the middle. The finish brings another wash of bourbon and roasted malts. It’s really complex, flavorful and delicious – very nice.

Couple those incredible flavors with a creamy, mildly carbonated body, this beer is dangerously easy to drink. Only my second ever Eclipse and this one certainly has many of the characteristics the Four Roses did, but I found myself enjoying this one more. The Elijah Craig 18 Year had more of a bourbon element to the beer which I really like, while still remaining balanced. Seek out immediately.

Rating

95
out of 100

Episode 28: FiftyFifty Eclipse Four Roses Bourbon from Passion Beer on Vimeo.

Episode 27: Avery Rumpkin from Passion Beer on Vimeo.

Title photo from: Flickr

Poured from the 12 ounce bottle into a tulip, Tidings has a cloudy golden orange body with an initially fluffy, creamy white head. The dissipation was fairly standard, and it did leave some minor lacing and a thin foamy ring. Not at all what you’d expect for a typical “winter” beer, but then again this isn’t typical.

The nose has plenty of lemon, wheat, coriander, clove, orange oils, white pepper and a bit of sweet honey/mead in the back end. It’s a very light, airy smelling beer which I really do like about it. Well spiced with tons of aromas are going on – nicely done. The taste has a lot of the same, zippy lemon and orange citrus notes up front, backed with a seriously nice wheat and pale malt backbone. The coriander and clove come in mid-palate and give this a very bright spicy character. The back end has some sweet honey notes and a touch of a peppery flavor. It feels very well carbonated with lots of tiny bubbles around the mouth giving the illusion of a very silky smooth feel. For being 7.80% ABV this is dangerously well hidden.

Port City took a chance at doing something other than your traditional Belgian Strong Dark, Strong Ale or Winter Warmer style for the winter. A Belgian Strong Pale Ale? You just don’t see that as a winter seasonal, but this works really well. It has a lot of Witbier spices with some warming winter-like spices that really make this beer shine. A fine attempt at their first one.

Rating

85
out of 100

Episode 26: Victory Dark Intrigue from Passion Beer on Vimeo.