The Kick Box - On Hip!

wanted to give the flying dog winter warmer another try .. only because the store didnt have anything else higher in abv..
I believe the cinnamon comes thru like ginger. aroma off the bottle smells of xmas. must be the cinnamon.

 

Ahhh, yes! I am now drinking one of the most acclaimed beers in the world from one of the most acclaimed breweries. This is Focal Banger from The Alchemist out of Stowe, Vermont -- the makers of the legendary Heady Topper, which I just had prior to this.

This is an IPA coming in at 7% ABV. Brewed with Mosaic and Citra hops.

Pours a slightly hazy, pale gold color which is much less hazy than I was expecting. This is quite transparent, but with lots of floating sediment.

Aroma is oh so amazing. Tons of fresh green herbaceous hops, fresh cut grass, lemongrass, citrus rind (grapefruit, lemon), and dank pine resin. Lots of pineapple, mango, peach and melon notes also. I'm getting some floral notes as well, along with some faint bready malts in the background.

Flavor is very juicy, with tons of pineapple, tangerine and peach flavors upfront. There is a good amount of dank, resinous flavors, tons of green earthiness, as well as a faint caramel malt sweetness and some breadiness towards the middle of the mouth and into the finish.

Mouthfeel is medium, extremely smooth and creamy, and with a very soft carbonation.

Overall an amazing beer. Incredible!

A+

 

Moving on to yet another beer from The Alchemist, this is their Crusher, a double/imperial IPA.

9% ABV

Pours a beautiful deep golden orange color with LOTS of sediment (as seen below) floating throughout, and an initial 2-3 finger head.



Aroma is of pungent, dank and earthy hops. I am getting citrus notes of orange, grapefruit, passionfruit, mango and papaya, as well as some pine resin, black pepper, onion, honey, and sweet caramel malts. Overall a very sweet and juicy aroma.

Flavor is very dank upfront, with lots of resinous character. Citrus flavors of grapefruit, tangerine, papaya and apricot predominate towards the middle of the mouth, and rather earthy and herbaceous in the finish. There is some caramel-like sweetness from the malts, coupled with a faint breadiness.

Very creamy, somewhat chewy mouthfeel. Medium to full-bodied beer with a very smooth, soft carbonation and mouthfeel.

Overall rating: A+

 

I'm drinking a steele reserve.. yea.. let me have it

 

dood yr gonna get fuckd.

 

Take a couple asprin with it.

 

firestone walker 805... local beer from where i grew up..

 

Had Sandstorm from 3rd wave at the local bar when I was getting my chicken.
Not the best beer they have but it's the best high abv beer they have.
Best value in getting buzzed unless you are slumming it. Aka drinking malt liquor.

 

Mad Dog 20/20 Peaches and Cream.. not as bad as I remember it. I dont intend to get drunk on it. only about 10oz left in this bottle so im not going to let it go to waste, like the person that bought does..

 

I am kushed out and drinking a beer I have been wanting to get my hands on for ages. This is none other than the legendary, world-renouned Pliny The Elder by Russian River Brewing Co. out of Santa Rosa, California.

This is a double IPA coming in at 8% ABV.

Someone on Facebook hooked me up with two very fresh bottles of this stuff, and I can say that the hype is REAL!

This stuff is as smooth and drinkable as it is complex. It is a classic, text book example of a West Coast IPA.

The flavors of this beer emphasize the earthiness and floral qualities of hops as opposed to their solely bitter qualities.

Really, really awesome stuff!!

Everyone who loves flavorful beer needs to try this at least once.

 

Now drinking a beer from what is perhaps my favorite local brewery, this is Swiftwater IPA 9.0 from Swiftwater Brewing Co. out of Rochester, NY.

6.8% ABV

Pours a beautifully hazy, murky straw yellow color with a very small amount of head.

The aroma of this beer is quite unique. I am getting lots of earthy, herbal notes coupled with honeydew, orange, grapefruit, butterscotch, and lemongrass.

In terms of flavor it's very much the same. This is a very subdued IPA and it seems to emphasize the more subtle, floral hop profiles. There is very little bitterness here. In the finish there are flavors of butterscotch and biscuity malts.

Mouthfeel is light bordering on medium with a fairly assertive level of carbonation. The mouthfeel is soft but crisp and smooth.

Overall rating: A

 

I have two bottles of Traditional Kentish Ale.I've cut down to two bottles from three for my drinking sessions so as to stay within the recommended daily alcohol intake.I drink once or twice a week.

A weak ale at 4.5# vol.I'm no beer critic so I won't bother.Is smooth and sweet,then a savoury aftertaste.Well I guess I can bother a bit.Loving the taste and gentle kick from the alcohol.Warming up my tastebuds ready for dinner.

 

Drinking IPW (India-style wheat ale) from Upstate Brewing out of Elmira, NY.

6.5% ABV

This is basically a hybrid wheat beer/IPA.

Pours a dark, hazy orange-gold color with a two-finger head

Aroma is of dank, pithy citrus (orange and grapefruit rind), melon, tea, pine resin, and grassy, herbal notes. I am getting some wheat, honey and sweet caramel notes as well.

Flavor is very much in line with the nose, with again lots of earthy hop flavors that are equally herbal and citrus, coupled with dank and resinous pine The wheat shines through in the finish, coupled with the wheat which comes across as bready and mildly sweet.

Mouthfeel is on the light side of medium with a soft and smooth carbonation.

A surprisingly incredible beer which I have put off drinking far too long.

Overall rating: A+

 

Was on my way home so i went to pick up that 12 back of flying dog Belgian that was on sale.
Last time I was there they had a new belgium variety pack but no price on it.
I was thinking fuck you. No price no sale.
This time though I really wanted something different so I brought the case to the counter and asked for a price check.
Dude says $8.50. I thought I must have misheard him say 1850 at first but this store always has great deals on stuff that is past the recommended date.
So of course I got 2 of them at that price.
It has
Fat tire
Belgo
Ranger
1554
And blue paddle.

Put a 1554 in the freezer when I got home because it was a bit warm at the store. It's been 10 minutes I think it's ready to drink.

 

Faustino V11... Rioja...Always loberly..Hic!

 

The blue paddle is the best pilsner I have had in a year. About this time in 2016 I was at a place in VA. Beach. Got the flight and they had a phenomenal pilsner. It's not often I will say the best beer a place has is a pilsner but that was the case at this brewery.
Although to be fair I rarely drink them because they usually disappoint.
Actually almost always.
But this one is like a light watered down tea of one hop and one malt.

 

I got another beautiful can of top shelf bourbon, Woodstock.

 

Snoopy must be jealous

 

Drinking 'Merica from Prairie Artisan Ales out of Tulsa, Oklahoma. This is a farmhouse ale.

7.5% ABV

This beer is brewed with pilsner malts and Nelson Sauvin hops. The beer is conditioned with two brett strains and wine yeast. The Nelson hops provide a white wine character, while the brettanomyces yeast provides a juicy quality to the beer.

The beer pours a cloudy yellow color with about 1/8 inch of head.

Aroma is of lemon zest, wet hay, horse blanket, pepper, white grape, and some green apple.

Flavor is funky upfront with lots of wild brettanomyces character. This is coupled with a dry, spicy, peppery bite and undertones of lemongrass, lemon zest, and a green herbal character.

Mouthfeel is light, crisp and with a vibrant, prickly carbonation.

Overall rating: A-

 

Moving on to yet another beer from Prairie, this is their Prairie Weisse, a sour wheat ale that would fall under the Berliner Weissbier style of beer.

3.9% ABV

Pours a pale, clear golden yellow color with absolutely no head upon the pour.

Aroma is one of a classic Berliner weisse. Most prominent in the nose is the lacto yeast, followed by notes of sour lemon, passionfruit, white grape, green apple, wheat, and some mildly sweet cracker malts.

Flavor is nicely sour, with a lemon-lime bite upfront. Towards the middle of the mouth you get the flavors of white grape and green apple. Towards the finish you get some nice herbal characters coupled with some sweetness from the malts which impart a subdued grainy character.

Mouthfeel is light and with a soft, delicate carbonation.

Overall rating: A-