Crème Brûlée Imperial Milk Stout

'We are not the harbingers of truth as some may suggest but it may indeed be argued that our brewing philosophy is tantamount to a dessert with a bellicose past. How, you may ask, would a brewery determine a likeness to hard-coated custard? Our response is simple; it’s all in the power of history, and of course, the extra finesse needed to top off a contentious treat with definition.

By comprehending the labyrinthine movement of time, one would not think it strange to trace the errant path of an ordinary object such as a cream dessert only to discover that it has been the cause of cultural disputes since the middle ages. The British founders of burnt cream and from Spain, crema catalana, both stand by their creative originality and we respect that, but it was the French Crème Brûlée, amid the strife of contention, that survived to represent our deliciously creamy brew.' -Southerntierbrewing.com

Damn you blogger, why do you hate this photograph so much? I cannot for the life of me get this damn thing to format right. Fuck it, I was trying to make this blog more 'professional' or something, but that just isn't going to happen. Sorry readers! (all ten of you). On to the review of this beer that has something to do with time travel in labrynths, I think.

Southern Tier's Crème Brûlée Imperial Milk Stout is the definitive 'dessert beer'. This beer does not skimp on flavors at all- I tasted cream, chocolate, coffee, caramel and powdered sugar right off the bat not to mention a little alcohol and malts in the aftertaste. This is a prime candidate for you fatties out there who like to make 'beer floats', 'beer sundaes' or maybe 'beer fried ice cream'. This drink is a unique experience to be sure, but by the end of this brew I was wondering how much actual beer was in there with all those great milky sweets. This is not the kind of beer you grab from the fridge when you are in the mood for 'any beer', this is something you hold on to for a special occasion that probably involves a BYOB restaurant with a hearty menu. Good stuff, a little too on the 'foody' side for me, but that is what I expected from the getgo.

Musical pairing: the Lightning Seeds- Sense (Pop songs with so much saccharine, You'll get tooth decay after a few listens)

O'Fallon Pumpkin Beer

'5.6% ABV Like pumpkin pie in a bottle...we add 120 pounds of real pumpkin to the three-barley mash and then season the finished beer with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.'

      -OFallonbrewery.com

My friend Steve has been raving about this stuff for awhile, but I was skeptical myself. This may have been because I really don't care for pumpkin products or I just don't trust Steve. Either way- I was wrong to dismiss this beer out of hand.

You can really taste the spices right off the bat with this brew. In fact I find the pumpkin to be very muted until the aftertaste hits you, the spices have a nice healthy kick to them. My palate picks out the cinnamon first and that leads nicely to a blend of the nutmeg and herbs. It really is a well crafted beer, which I was not expecting because the label looks to be designed by someones ten year old kid in Microsoft Paint. Well appearances are more often deceiving than not and this beer is a perfect example of that. 

Now if you excuse me I have to go drink the rest of these puppies with a quickness. More updates tonight, its going to be one of those nights. 

Musical Pairing: Dinosaur Jr- Green Mind (Great fall album, lousy cover!)

New Belgium Springboard

'Ale brewed with wormwood, goji berries, and schisandra. Deftly, this spring brewed venture lands on its feet. Springboard combines oats, ancient Chinese herbs and Mt. Hood hops to maintain a balanced equilibrium for such an exhilarating ale. This cloudy blonde has a spirited threshold, and a creamy body, followed by a refreshingly dry finish.'

Ancient Chinese herbs? Did Egg Shen pull them out of the six demon bag or something? Once again I call bullshit, but I think this was more of an attempt at humor than anything else.

Lemon oriented citrus that I would swear was a wheat beer at first. Some spices I do not recognize (maybe the schisandra? I see a wikipedia search in the future) definitely fill this beer out. The more of this I drink the more complicated the taste becomes. I think I like this more than the other New Belgium beers I have had, but it is more of a starter beer than anything. Its refreshing and invigorating just like Spring itself. Springboard has me aching for 65 degree weather so I can drink a sixer of this stuff properly. An extremely well done seasonal beer. Recommended (in a few weeks).

New Belgium 2° Below Winter Ale

This stuff tastes like Christmas. I think by this point I can spot a roasted malt rather than your every day malt, which is cool. I have learned a lot about beer since I started this blog, I am kind of scared to read my first posts over again! Anyway, I taste something like the juxtaposition of caramel and cinnamon in this beer which make it a bitter yet sweet drink. I would say this is a 'fireplace ale' for those days when the cold just won't leave your bones. I have been cranky as hell this month, mainly because its still around ten degrees in mid February, but 2° Below Winter Ale is lifting my spirits as I write this. Very recommended, it's a shame its going to be hard to come by shortly, since spring is close (everywhere except Chicago).

Someone was telling me this stuff was hard to get past the Mississippi. Any of my blog buddies want some let me know, I'm sure we can work something out. You will also have to instruct me how to ship beer without it exploding. I am a noob at this kind of thing you know!

Blue Moon Rising Moon

'Celebrate the end of winter with Blue Moon Spring Ale. The smooth, balanced ale is brewed with three varieties of specialty malts and an infusion of fresh Kieffer lime leaves and lime peel to bring out the freshness of spring'

I will be the first one to say I am not a fan of Blue Moon's flagship beer, so I was a bit skeptical when a friend grabbed this out of the cooler at the grocery store and told me to buy this stuff. Then it said it had lime leaves and lime peels and I almost put it back, but what the hell. Sometimes you have to try things you would never try if not pushed by someone else. It was on sale too, which I admit helped the decision.

Thankfully the lime in Rising Moon isn't the overwhelming flavoring I was expecting. The bottle makes it seem like this is going to be chock full of citrus but it is only hinted at, which I appreciated. The ale itself is definitely nice to look at- very amber in color with a nice off white head that lasts. This stuff tasted of wheat, which I liked so I drank a few of them. After about three of these beers the novelty of the flavoring really wears thin and the odd flavoring starts seeping more into the aftertaste which becomes a bit too much. Definitely a novelty beer, but something I could tolerate and enjoy in small doses. Recommended.

Sprecher Mai Bock

'This traditional springtime lager is aged throughout the cold winter months to develop its robust character. Additional dry-hopping gives this blonde bock a distinctive flowery aroma and a crisp hop flavor.'

Not the best of nights for me as far as tasting new beer. I probably shouldn't even be talking about this beer because I have never had a Mai Bock that I enjoyed before, this one included. It isn't a bad beer and I am sure that people who enjoy the style will love it but Bocks always taste antiquated and strange. Its like sipping something that has been in a cask since the middle ages, dust and all. I think that Gruit might have tasted a little like a bock. Look up Gruit on wikipedia if you dont know what it is, its kind of like a beer stew.

I found this beer passable but not terrible by any means. It certainly wasn't boring and it was neat to taste a sweet beer that didn't have much of a fruity flavor to it. There is also an understated herb taste to it that I did appreciate. Beers like this give me the impression that you will have to develop a taste for them to truly enjoy them, but thats not something I have the patience for. So yeah, worst review of anything ever, but I still didn't like it. Not recommended.

Wingwalker Winter Brew

Wingwalker is 2 for 2! My buddy bought me this six pack and I am very glad that he did. Wingwalker Winter Brew tastes exactly like a winter brew should- crisp, hoppy and completely refreshing when its total garbage outside. In Chicago it is 10 degrees outside with sheets of ice that are covering a few inches of snow which has already turned greyish brown. Chicago needs this kind of beer. The aftertaste has a hint of citrus and has the slightest smokey yet sweet zing to it that really makes this beer. My only complaint, and this is really reaching for something here, is that the carbonation of this beer is a bit too high.

This is one of the few beers I have opened that met all of my expectations to the letter. Wingwalker Winter Brew is a great beer when you finally succumb to winter. I wish I had a fireplace to warm up to while drinking this beer, maybe lay out on a bear rug and gulp away on this stuff. Recommended!