Recently while on a mini-vacation in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware my girlfriend and I met up with my good friend Matt. In addition to an awesome blind gueuze tasting (article forthcoming), we tasted two vintages of Portsmouth’s Kate the Great, 2011 and the newly released 2012. This massive beer is a 12% ABV Russian Imperial Stout aged on port-infused oak spindles. While there were some similarities and clear differences, in my opinion only one emerged as the favorite.

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Michael Jackson’s (no, not him, the beer writer) Rare Beer Club has introduced me to stellar beers in the past and this month’s selection was no exception. Available only at the brewery and to members of the RBC, Cigar City puts a spin on their standard José Martí India Porter by aging this one on French Oak Spirals. If there is one brewery that knows how to utilize spiral aging properly, Cigar City would be it.

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