The best beers I had this week, shortly after I nurse this collective hangover...
25. Interboro Spirits & Ales Halftime
Interboro is doing some great things just 15 minutes away from my apartment. I visited last Friday night with some friends to try some of their newer beers. This was the best of the night for me, a sessionable galaxy-forward IPA.
Interboro is doing some great things just 15 minutes away from my apartment. I visited last Friday night with some friends to try some of their newer beers. This was the best of the night for me, a sessionable galaxy-forward IPA.
24. Other Half Brewing Mosaic + Waimea
Fresh cans were quite good, but a big green with a bitter back-end. Looking forward to having this towards the end of the week for the usual OH "sweet spot" ~2 weeks after canning.
Fresh cans were quite good, but a big green with a bitter back-end. Looking forward to having this towards the end of the week for the usual OH "sweet spot" ~2 weeks after canning.
23. New England Brewing Co. BBA Imperial Stout (2014)
Bottle #1294 of only 1500 produced. Nice smooth bourbon character. Bonus protein glob! I think this is better than the 2016 version I had a couple months earlier.
22. Threes Brewing There You Are (Galaxy & Hallertau Blanc)
One of my favorite brews from Threes, this variant highlights two great hops. Soft, very clean and crisp, a bit of bitterness and tropical citrus notes.
21. The Bruery Black Tuesday
First time having one of the "weekday" beers from The Bruery. It's good, but it's too much. Definitely a sipper, needed to share my 5oz pour with a friend. You can definitely taste the 20% ABV (okay, sorry 19.9%...) and it got boozier as it warmed.
First time having one of the "weekday" beers from The Bruery. It's good, but it's too much. Definitely a sipper, needed to share my 5oz pour with a friend. You can definitely taste the 20% ABV (okay, sorry 19.9%...) and it got boozier as it warmed.
20. Jackie O's Dark Apparition
First time having a Jackie O's beer. This Russian Imperial Stout was great, smooth motor oil. Usually I'm hesitant about RIS because I can get a lot of soy sauce from them (looking at you Marshal Zhukov) but this was just a really nice malty stout with a lot of molasses notes.
First time having a Jackie O's beer. This Russian Imperial Stout was great, smooth motor oil. Usually I'm hesitant about RIS because I can get a lot of soy sauce from them (looking at you Marshal Zhukov) but this was just a really nice malty stout with a lot of molasses notes.
19. Other Half / Trillium Like Whoa
Over hyped. It's good. Not the best OH beer I've ever had, not the best Trillium beer I've ever had. Street Green was much, much better.
Over hyped. It's good. Not the best OH beer I've ever had, not the best Trillium beer I've ever had. Street Green was much, much better.
18. Two Roads Kriek (2015)
The first barrel-aged beer I've had from Two Roads, and I was genuinely really looking forward to it given the brewer's previous reputation with Southampton, This Kriek was fantastic, tart cherries, bit of funk. I wish I was a bigger fan of the kriek lambic in general, but it was a great representation of the style. Bottle #187 (note: my buddy believed the fruit had faded a bit compared to when he had it back in 2015).
The first barrel-aged beer I've had from Two Roads, and I was genuinely really looking forward to it given the brewer's previous reputation with Southampton, This Kriek was fantastic, tart cherries, bit of funk. I wish I was a bigger fan of the kriek lambic in general, but it was a great representation of the style. Bottle #187 (note: my buddy believed the fruit had faded a bit compared to when he had it back in 2015).
17. Hill Farmstead / Grassroots Legitimacy
Thought I'd had this beer before last Sunday but I guess I have not - really, really soft and sessionable. A nice beer enjoyed between a couple lambics. I guess I like Simcoe more than I believed!
Thought I'd had this beer before last Sunday but I guess I have not - really, really soft and sessionable. A nice beer enjoyed between a couple lambics. I guess I like Simcoe more than I believed!
16. Tree House Brewing Single Shot
This is the first non-pale ale I've had from Tree House. I wasn't blown away, I thought the BBA Plead the 5th was much, much better. But it was just a nice, semi-sweet milk stout. I'm sure the vanilla variant or Double Shot are better.
15. Other Half Brewing DDH All Citra Everything
Other Half has been very, very consistent lately. Finally tagging onto the DDH scene so famously coined/marketed by Trillium, the citra lupulin powder makes a difference. This is one of OH's best beers to date. Better or worse than DDH Double Mosaic Dream? Not sure.
14. LIC Beer Project Gal Friday (Raspberry)
LIC's table sour beer, Gal Friday, was good in it's own right. Finally a local brewery killing the wild ale game. Then they went ahead and refermented it on raspberries.The result is probably one of the best NYC-produced fruited wild ales ever. Utterly fantastic.
This is the first non-pale ale I've had from Tree House. I wasn't blown away, I thought the BBA Plead the 5th was much, much better. But it was just a nice, semi-sweet milk stout. I'm sure the vanilla variant or Double Shot are better.
Other Half has been very, very consistent lately. Finally tagging onto the DDH scene so famously coined/marketed by Trillium, the citra lupulin powder makes a difference. This is one of OH's best beers to date. Better or worse than DDH Double Mosaic Dream? Not sure.
14. LIC Beer Project Gal Friday (Raspberry)
LIC's table sour beer, Gal Friday, was good in it's own right. Finally a local brewery killing the wild ale game. Then they went ahead and refermented it on raspberries.The result is probably one of the best NYC-produced fruited wild ales ever. Utterly fantastic.
13. Dark Horse Brewing BBA Plead the 5th (2015)
Non-BBA Plead the 5th is good. This is fantastic. Huge bourbon barrel character, balanced with a full roasted body. Very smooth and balanced. Eventually had a mini-cuvee of this with the Single Shot pictured - made for a nice combination.
Non-BBA Plead the 5th is good. This is fantastic. Huge bourbon barrel character, balanced with a full roasted body. Very smooth and balanced. Eventually had a mini-cuvee of this with the Single Shot pictured - made for a nice combination.
12. Monkish Brewing Knowledge & Peace
I'm not too into rice saisons, they're usually a bit too dry and bland. This one was fantastic. Aged in oak foudres, it was perfectly tart, crisp and finished dry.
I'm not too into rice saisons, they're usually a bit too dry and bland. This one was fantastic. Aged in oak foudres, it was perfectly tart, crisp and finished dry.
11. Libertine Brewing Framboise
A few months ago, I had this beer and was utterly blown away. I exclaimed it was the best framboise I ever had and quickly traded for a second bottle to save for my birthday. The second time around, I was naturally underwhelmed. The fruit had faded a bit and it wasn't as tart as I remember. It was still a great wild ale and I'm glad I now know about Libertine.
A few months ago, I had this beer and was utterly blown away. I exclaimed it was the best framboise I ever had and quickly traded for a second bottle to save for my birthday. The second time around, I was naturally underwhelmed. The fruit had faded a bit and it wasn't as tart as I remember. It was still a great wild ale and I'm glad I now know about Libertine.
10. Hill Farmstead Twilight of The Idols (2015)
Hill Farmstead's winter porter brewed with coffee and cinnamon with vanilla beans. Quite light and thin, didn't get too much of the adjuncts (maybe age was a factor). However, it was really nice and roasty, surprised it's only 7.2%.
Hill Farmstead's winter porter brewed with coffee and cinnamon with vanilla beans. Quite light and thin, didn't get too much of the adjuncts (maybe age was a factor). However, it was really nice and roasty, surprised it's only 7.2%.
9. Monkish Brewing Foggier Window
I've only had the opportunity to try a select few Monkish IPAs (Really Real, Sticky Green and Bad Traffic, Spock It), but I know they're all the rage on the west coast right now. I can see why with Foggier Window; turbid, citrusy and juicy.
I've only had the opportunity to try a select few Monkish IPAs (Really Real, Sticky Green and Bad Traffic, Spock It), but I know they're all the rage on the west coast right now. I can see why with Foggier Window; turbid, citrusy and juicy.
8. Trillium / Veil Brewing IwanttoBU
I expected this to be good giving the quality of the two collaborting breweries (despite each having underwhelming collab releases recently - Never & Again, Joooseee Boizzz and Topical Depression). It was quite good. 0 IBUs is still a bit weird, but crazy amount of dry-hopping makes this just a super solid NE-style IPA.
7. de Garde Brewing Saison Premiere
A simple farmhouse ale aged in oak wine barrels. Funky and dry, this tart ale was fantastic for one of dG's "simpler" beers (aka not a "The" or "Bu").
A simple farmhouse ale aged in oak wine barrels. Funky and dry, this tart ale was fantastic for one of dG's "simpler" beers (aka not a "The" or "Bu").
6. Tree House Bright W/ Simcoe & Amarillo
We all know TH makes fantastic IPAs. We've been blown away by Green, Julius, etc. I did not expect this to be so good. It's not your prototypical "hazy" NE IPA, but something about this hop combination just worked for me (and I'm not usually one that digs Amarillo all that much). I may be in the minority of thinking that this was one of TH's better beers, though.
We all know TH makes fantastic IPAs. We've been blown away by Green, Julius, etc. I did not expect this to be so good. It's not your prototypical "hazy" NE IPA, but something about this hop combination just worked for me (and I'm not usually one that digs Amarillo all that much). I may be in the minority of thinking that this was one of TH's better beers, though.
5. de Garde Brewing Nectarine Premiere
Thought process from our tasting group: "Wait, this is beer?.....Wait, this is 7%?!?!"
Utterly fantastic, turbid wild ale. Loads of jammy fruit (can't tell you the last time I ate a nectarine, though). While it's pretty one-dimensional (just straight-forward nectarine juice), the fact that it's so aromatic and tasty means I can't knock it down for being simple and not complex like de Garde's other offerings.
Thought process from our tasting group: "Wait, this is beer?.....Wait, this is 7%?!?!"
Utterly fantastic, turbid wild ale. Loads of jammy fruit (can't tell you the last time I ate a nectarine, though). While it's pretty one-dimensional (just straight-forward nectarine juice), the fact that it's so aromatic and tasty means I can't knock it down for being simple and not complex like de Garde's other offerings.
4. de Garde Brewing Imperial Stone Bu
Among the four people at bottle share this past weekend, two preferred Imperial Stone Bu while the other two preferred Nectarine Premiere. Fact of the matter is, both are utterly fantastic. If you like something a little more tart with traces of stone fruit and funk, you'll probably prefer Imperial Stone Bu (like me). This Berliner Weisse style ale is acidic and dry with tons of fruit. Stone fruit sours > everything.
3. Cantillon Lou Pepe Framboise (2013)
I only got a taste or this bottle pour at The Well's Second Anniversary. The nose explodes with fresh raspberry, the most aromatic beer I've had in a long time. Aged for three years and barely any fade to the fruit.
I only got a taste or this bottle pour at The Well's Second Anniversary. The nose explodes with fresh raspberry, the most aromatic beer I've had in a long time. Aged for three years and barely any fade to the fruit.
2. Cantillon Fou' Foune (2016)
After over a year of trying to hunt one of these down, I finally got to try Cantillon's apricot lambic at The Well's Second Anniversary Party. Underwhelmed I could only get a 5 oz pour of the '16 ('15 was also pouring), my anger dissipated quickly once I got to try it. Pouring a pale orange-gold, the lightly tart and funky lambic explodes with apricot juice. Crisp and light, it's the best fruited lambic I've ever had. Not overly tart or 'sour' or funky, and not just straight peach juice, it's a complex, layered masterpiece.
After over a year of trying to hunt one of these down, I finally got to try Cantillon's apricot lambic at The Well's Second Anniversary Party. Underwhelmed I could only get a 5 oz pour of the '16 ('15 was also pouring), my anger dissipated quickly once I got to try it. Pouring a pale orange-gold, the lightly tart and funky lambic explodes with apricot juice. Crisp and light, it's the best fruited lambic I've ever had. Not overly tart or 'sour' or funky, and not just straight peach juice, it's a complex, layered masterpiece.
1. Holy Mountain Midnight Still (Coffee/Vanilla)
I've been saving this one for a few months in anticipation of drinking it on my birthday and it exceeded all expectations. Holy Mountain is a Seattle based brewing company that focuses on oak-aged and inspired beers. I've been lucky enough to try some of their other calling cards - mostly barrel aged saisons, farmhouse ales and grisettes (Misere Au Borinage, a fantastic foudre aged grisette). City of Light, a wine-barrel aged saison was the best I'd had and I didn't think it could get better than that from Holy Mountain given their passion for that particular style.
Well, certainly Midnight Still surpassed City of Light. This variant of Midnight Still (their bourbon barrel aged imperial stout) was infused with Madagascar vanilla beans and Nine Swans blend coffee from Seattle's own Elm Coffee Roasters.
I won't claim to be the world's foremost expert on vanilla stouts (having never tried VR, FO or any of the other heavy hitters ) but this has to be up there with the best of them. About 11 months after blending, smooth vanilla and espresso dominate to combine a marshmallow-dominated body of the beer. Fantastic barrel character, with a syrupy mouth-feel and dark chocolate undertones, the bourbon isn't overwhelming or boozy.
I've been saving this one for a few months in anticipation of drinking it on my birthday and it exceeded all expectations. Holy Mountain is a Seattle based brewing company that focuses on oak-aged and inspired beers. I've been lucky enough to try some of their other calling cards - mostly barrel aged saisons, farmhouse ales and grisettes (Misere Au Borinage, a fantastic foudre aged grisette). City of Light, a wine-barrel aged saison was the best I'd had and I didn't think it could get better than that from Holy Mountain given their passion for that particular style.
Well, certainly Midnight Still surpassed City of Light. This variant of Midnight Still (their bourbon barrel aged imperial stout) was infused with Madagascar vanilla beans and Nine Swans blend coffee from Seattle's own Elm Coffee Roasters.
I won't claim to be the world's foremost expert on vanilla stouts (having never tried VR, FO or any of the other heavy hitters ) but this has to be up there with the best of them. About 11 months after blending, smooth vanilla and espresso dominate to combine a marshmallow-dominated body of the beer. Fantastic barrel character, with a syrupy mouth-feel and dark chocolate undertones, the bourbon isn't overwhelming or boozy.
