Deliverance comes in a small 375ml bottle finished with a cork, and caged. Poured into a snifter, it sits still looking jet black with almost (okay, really) no head. With that, no lace or retention was present. The aroma was very pleasant and exactly what you would expect from a blend of beers aged in bourbon and brandy barrels. There is a subtle hint of alcohol towards the back but I attribute that to the brandy and bourbon. And I’m not really surprised considering it sits at 12.5% ABV – call it a night before having this.

On the palate it’s very nice, although immediately there is a little bit more alcohol than I wanted. The bourbon and brandy are very evident in this beer, much more than the Dark Intrigue we had recently, or our upcoming video review of Santa Fe Brewery Bourbon Barrel aged State Pen Porter. There are notes of chocolate, caramel and a sweet malt element that come through once you get past the spirit influence. Very complex and quite delicious.

Take your time with this one, and let it warm as the flavor profile does change nicely. The complexity of this beer makes this one worth seeking out if you can find it in your area.

Rating

94
out of 100

I initially poured about half of the 11.2 oz bottle into my snifter glass, let it settle and the finished it off. L’Ultima Luna poured a deep rustic brown colored body with minimal off-white head and lacing. It appears to have very low amounts of carbonation, too. The nose opens up with dark roasted and caramel malts, compliment by dark fruit undertones. It reminded me of taking certain dark fruits (raisins, plums), some apple pieces and dipping them in caramel and chocolate. The aroma alone is so complex that you can have several very different opinions of flavors being picked up if you’d share this bottle.

The taste instantly reinforced what I got from the nose. The malt notes are amplified through the caramel and roasted flavors. A slight oak element comes through in the background but this is predominantly fruity from the residual wine flavors in the barrel.  The mouth feel on this beer is stellar – it’s smooth from the low carbonation and even at 13% ABV the only hint of alcohol is a nice warming sensation when it goes down.

For me, this was a wonderful Barleywine from a relatively new brewery (circa 2007). The barrel aging process really elevates the traditional components of the style, and establishes Birrificio Del Ducato as a force to be reckoned with. While it is a little more on the expensive side, this one is definitely worth seeking and sharing with a friend.

Rating

94
out of 100

The Duchesse De Bourgogne pours out a deep, dark ruby colored body. The head consistency was perfect – a thick and creamy beige color with frothy bubbles. The carbonation was steady and highly effervescent, similar to a champagne. The aromas were wonderfully pleasant; you get a nice oak aroma from the barrels followed by spicy Belgian yeast. There are nice ripe dark red fruit undertones that really played well into the overall aroma profile.

On the palate, I should say the taste is an acquired one, especially if you’re not into “sour” (a catch-all for the styles that exemplify the characteristic). I shared this with a few friends and not everyone enjoyed the sour/tartness. Hints of red wine and red berry fruits come throughout the front and mid-palate. The oak is the predominant flavor towards the back end, accented with light floral hop notes. It finishes with a dry tannin-like tartness that leaves a puckering effect as it lingers around.

Duchesse De Bourgogne has quickly become an easy and reasonably priced choice for me if I am in the mood for a sour. This is a well-crafted beer that strikes a nice balance of fruitiness with a tart and sour backing. If you are on the edge about whether or not this beer is for you, I’d still say try it if it sounds intriguing to you. I don’t think many will be disappointed.

Rating

89
out of 100

Since I had already been drinking earlier in the evening, Shane and I split a 12 ounce bottle, pouring it into two tulip glasses. The Wee Heavy pours with a very dark brown toned body with some slight reddish hues around the edges. That’s topped with a moderate half finger tan colored head which is respectable, especially for a 6 ounce pour.

The aroma had a nice sweet caramel malt note up-front, but was quickly balanced with a nice smoky aroma. Dark fruits came in, followed by some toasted malts and perhaps even a touch of peat. Initially on the palate it’s quite bitter though they do a nice job of balancing the flavor with sweet caramel and dark malts. The smoke is in the drink too, making itself quite noticeable towards the back end. It’s welcomed though and brings a touch of booziness with it lasting into the finish. Flavorful, robust, medium-bodied – all around a well made beer.

For me, this was enjoyable to try something a bit out of the norm for Samuel Adams. I have to say, they did well with this beer and it’s certainly something I’d recommend trying. It would be interesting to see how this would age, considering the smoke is fairly dominate right now, time might help mellow it out.

Rating

87
out of 100

Packaged inside the traditional Sixpoint box and branded 16 oz can, I poured the Diesel into a snifter glass. Diesel pours with a nice deep dark brown, borderline black, colored body with a two finger creamy off-white head. The lacing and retention were pretty nice, all things considered. This one has a pretty interesting aroma to say the least – it’s full of roast, dark & caramel malts, and has a nice amount of bitter earthy hops coming through.

The taste is certainly not what I expected from an American Stout, though still very good. The flavors begin quite traditionally; more caramel & dark malts and coffee beans are up front, while the middle melds into a smooth sweetness. The hops show up in the back end of the palate blending themselves with a roasted malt backbone. Hints of chocolate and oak come and go throughout the entire time. It’s interesting, different and works very well for the style.

Diesel is a nice is a full-bodied, flavorful and very easy drinking American Stout. It’s beers like this that make the balance and blending of both hops and malt seem easy and approachable. Don’t pass up trying the newest addition to the Brooklyn canning line.

Rating

91
out of 100

Poured from the corked and caged 750 ml bottle into my tulip, Tripel Overhead has a golden colored body with about a finger worth of foamy white head that quickly dissipated.  The head did not leave a lot of lacing but didn’t stop me from diving in. The aroma started with a sour fruity note up front, backed by a strong yeasty element. Oddly enough for the style, hints of dark fruits namely sour cherries came through as well. Minor alcohol notes were on the back end, not entirely surprising for a 9% ABV beer.

Yeast notes dominate the palate on first sip, so much I felt it was perhaps overly yeasty even for a Tripel. It does have nice sweet caramel malt backbone to help with balance. Strong sweet citrus notes with a slight twinge of bourbon are on the back palate and left into the linger. Medium-bodied and highly active carbonation gives this an impressive mouth feel, a testament to matching the traditional style.

I was hoping for slightly more from Mother Earth on the Tripel Overhead. The feel and appearance were all there but this one takes a hit because the taste and aromas weren’t as balanced as I would have liked. If you have a chance to try a bottle I do recommend it, but you don’t need to go out of your way to hunt this one down.

Rating

86
out of 100

Poured into a globe glass, Plank I has a medium-dark copper, rustic mahogany colored body with an off-white two finger head. There’s nothing too surprising about the beer’s appearance, meeting my expectations for the style. The aroma is where this beer really opens up. Immediately noticeable are rich woody and dark roasted caramel malt notes. A smokiness from the malts imparts a distinct aroma and having that secondary fermentation on the wood really emanates from the beer.

After the nose, the taste had a lot to live up to – something I think could have been improved upon. Initially on the front palate is a smoked dark malt flavor, that perhaps is a bit too heavy on the smoke, and too mellow on the base malts.  The yellow poplar was an interesting choice to age the beer on, as it almost made it more of a hard wood taste rather than the softer feel you get from oak aged beers.

Overall, Plank I was not overwhelmingly special like I was hoping. This is the first beer brewed having the secondary fermentation take place using yellow poplar; however, it just didn’t amount to anything that was overly exciting. I would recommend splitting a bottle with another craft beer lover, but don’t recommend trying to introduce a non-craft beer drinker using this beer.

Rating

81
out of 100

The Hop Crisis poured with a vibrant golden/orange color and a fluffy, soapy two finger head. The head eventually settled after some time and left sticky patches of lacing along the walls, as well as a foamy cap. The aroma starts with a big citrusy hop profile with a decent amount of bitterness to it. But, don’t let that throw you off as there are sweet caramel malts notes that give the nose a nice cut in flavor.

In the drink, a balancing act is underway between the rich, malty undertones of the beer competing against the bitter hop flavors. Along with this are some oak wood accents from the spiral aging process. The citrus hops from the aroma are prevalent through the middle and end of the beer. A slight alcohol presence is in the finish but for a higher alcohol content beer, I can accept that. It’s very complex, robust and has some quite active carbonation good for the style, and just enough to give it a nice medium body.

Overall, the Hop Crisis certainly has some nice complexity from the oak undertones, to the sweet citrus hops balanced by the grounded malt base. It’s definitely one I recommend picking up if you can. 21st Amendment’s Hop Crisis is a prime example of what the West Coast Imperial IPA should taste like [even with the added oak].

Rating

92
out of 100

Poured into my tulip glass, the Pere Jacques has a cloudy, dark maroon colored body with a substantial khaki head. There’s some gorgeous lace on the glass as the head dissipates at a moderate pace. Big and powerful caramel, molasses, spice and dark fruits are all displayed on the front of the aroma. The Belgian yeast and more malt notes carry through into the back end of the aroma; assuming this is all greatly enhanced by its time in the bottle.

It’s obvious Dubbel nature is evident upon first sip with a welcoming coating of rich caramel malts. In line with the style, it’s heavy on the malt notes, along with a strong yeasty flavor. Although the carbonation is moderate and has a bubbly medium body, there’s a bit of a syrupy nature to the overall feel. It could be due to lower levels of carbonation over time or exactly the brewer’s intention – a fresh bottle would end the debate.

In terms of a Belgian Dubbel, I think this beer is a good testament to the style with perhaps a few caveats. It has a very nice sweetness to it with a grounded malt base which perhaps is a double edge sword in being quite overpowering. It would get my recommendation in trying to grab a bottle; however, I’m not too sure if aging it is necessary. Although, it’s always a fun experiment to drink one fresh and age one.

Rating

86
out of 100

The Pinstripe Red is made with liberty hops and caramel malts which helps create the crisp, clean aromas and appearance. The beer pours a clear, amber / golden color with a steady, soapy white head. The carbonation is evident and with its slow dissipation that left some mild lacing around the glass. Hoppy and slightly bitter notes come through on the nose, but you can tell this beer seems to be malt driven in its base. Hints of floral hops, bready malts and a touch of pine give this a well-rounded aroma.

In the taste, the caramel malts make an immediate footprint coating the palate with sweeter caramel and roasted flavors. The hops bring about a  subtle bitterness towards the end, along with some citrusy undertones as it warmed. A medium body gives this a very clean and crisp feel, without leaving anything sticky in the finish.

Ska’s Pinstripe Red Ale was quite a refreshing and sessionable beer for me. It wasn’t anything overly complex, which is standard for the style, but did display a nice balance in flavors. Personally, it’s not my favorite from Ska but was very accurate and tasty for a Red Ale.

Rating

86
out of 100