Brewed By: Weyerbacher Brewing Co.
Brewed In: Easton, PA
Type: Wheat Wine
ABV: 11.8%

What they say: “To honor 14 years of making craft beer we decided to brew a wheat wine. This unfiltered brew is made with over 50% wheat to give it a distinctly spicy character. Enjoy it now, or if you have the patience, give it some time in your cellar. When you are ready, expect to find notes of tart wheat, grapes, and honey with crisp bitterness and carbonation.”

Website: Gone over in the last post. I’m not a fan of it. The beers are easy enough to find, and the section even includes past brews not available any more.

Why this one, Show? Number five in the Big Show’s Big Six Smix Pack series. I tried the Fourteen at Cambridge Common (Warning: Site opens with music) some months back because I was intrigued by the idea of a wheat wine as opposed to a barleywine.

First Thoughts:
Head: White, moderately thick, quick to recede.
Nose: Banana, clove, lemon.
Color: Hazy golden brown

Presentation (5): The Weyerbacher anniversary beers share some similar label conventions. The date range of 1995-xxxx is always given to show where the name comes from. There is a large Roman numeral in the background of the label. It’s something done only for these beers, and I appreciate that commitment to uniqueness. 5

Originality (5): I’m a big fan of shaking up the standard strong beer track by using wheat alongside the barley. Since many of wheat beers tend to be citrusy, crisp in flavor, and light in ABV it’s nice to see Weyerbacher crank the amp on a style that isn’t widely-known. 4

Body (10): Oof, this is a heavy one. The beer is heavy, with a decent carbonation bloom. The sip feels like it gathers in the back of the mouth before dropping down the throat. It’s not out of character for a beer this big, but it still takes some work to power through it. 8

Taste (10): The beer tastes like you think a wheat beer and a barleywine would taste. There’s notes of raisins, but they’re side-by-side with flavors of banana and something like honey-flavored rock candy. At the back of the sip there’s a balance of hops, so this doesn’t stray too far into too-sweet territory. Bottom line: it’s good. 8

Efficiency (10): Not too hard to call this one. A near-12% beer that doesn’t taste like a pinecone? Sold. 10

Versatility (10): This is a bit harder to call. The flavors don’t really work unless as a compliment to creamy pastry desserts: a nice lobster tail or some fancy Boston Cream Pie. It’s certainly a good candidate for a nice digestif. The strength and style also make this one for the cellar. Good to bring to a beer-tasting party as it’s most likely something that would be passed over in favor of bigger cork-and-cage bottles. 7

Final Score: 42 – Great Beer

Brewed By: Weyerbacher Brewing Co.
Brewed In: Easton, PA
Type: Barleywine-Style Ale
ABV: 11.1%

What they say: “Our barleywine is made in the British tradition of balanced hearty ales. Blithering Idiot is a deep-copper ale with intense malty notes of dates and figs on the palate that follows a pleasurably malty aroma to your taste buds. The finish is warm and fruity, and begs for the next sip. Enjoy Blithering Idiot in a brandy snifter or wine glass with full-flavored meats and cheeses, or as an after-dinner drink.

Lay a few down. Aging only helps a barleywine develop more complexity. At 11.1% ABV this fine ale will keep for years. We feel comfortable setting our “Best By” date out to five years past the bottling date. This wonderful brew is available year-round.”

Website: Holy Freshman Year is this thing bad. Once you get past the “Enter Your DOB” nonsense screen, the whole site is a blog, and I mean the WHOLE site. Comments can be made for any article written, whether that is an entry in the “Beers” section, or any of the other category pages. While more funny than annoying (hey, it’s not one big flash animation), it comes off as less like a professional website and more like a website done for a CS 100-level class project. The “What’s On Tap” posts on the first page let you know what’s going on at brewery’s Visitor Center, and the beers are easy to find and are categorized nicely, so I can find what I need to find and those certainly get a few points.

Why this one, Show? A long time ago when I was living in PA and only able to purchase beer in cases, Weyerbacher put out a big beer case consisting of a six-pack each of this beer, Merry Monks‘, Old Heathen, and one other that skips my memory (possibly the Quad because hey, why not?). Since that weekend and the great time I was told I had, I’ve not enjoyed any of those four beers. Seeing this on the shelf at Julio’s made me realize how long it’d been since I drank it. This is beer number four in the Big Show’s Big Six Smix Pack series. We’ve broken the 10% ceiling; there’s no looking back now.

First Thoughts:
Head: Giant, full, and thick, filled half of a brandy snifter.
Nose: Nuts, straw.
Color: Hazy reddish-brown.

Presentation (5): I’ve always liked Weyerbacher’s bottles. The Blithering Idiot bottle incorporates a court jester looking like he’s quaffed too much of the court’s mead. The black/purple/green color scheme works. The drawing is cartoonish without being childlike, letting you know that this beer may be more serious than its name lets on. 5

Originality (5): Well, it’s a barleywine, and by now we know that barleywines are nineteenth-century English in origin. So while the style may not be something brand new, I know from personal experience that they’ve had this on the shelves since 2002 (and most likely well before that), as that was when I purchased my first case of Weyerbacher. Split the difference? 3

Body (10): This beer is lighter in the mouth than I thought it would be. There’s a very light carbonation bloom to the sip that allows it to almost float through the mouth. If there’s a difference between “easy-drinking” and “light-drinking”, this trends toward the latter. 8

Taste (10): The flavors here are light as well. As the beer warms in the glass, there’s some flavors of nuts, fig jam, and a nearly nonexistent hop bite. It doesn’t taste BAD—and in fact it’s quite sweet and pleasant—but I wish the flavors had a bit of a richer taste. A barleywine of this strength I feel needs to have a big bold taste to make its presence known, and this is more subtle. 7

Efficiency (10): Where the beer falters in taste, it rises in Efficiency. With a light taste, faint carbonation, and not a big hop smack, this beer goes down much easier than it has any right to. That means that the 11% ABV can sneak up on someone really quickly. That also means…well, you know what that also means. It’s not called Blithering Idiot because it turns you into a loquacious man-about-town. 10

Versatility (10): This beer is really good for aging, good for an after-dinner beer, and good for strong cheeses or savory desserts. All these combined make it excellent an application like the Big Show’s Big Six Smix Pack. This beer is not so much for the backyard BBQ, or taking six somewhere without planning on sleeping over first. 6

Final Score: 39 – Really Good Beer

Brewed By: Boston Beer Company
Brewed In: Boston, MA — also aged there, per the press release.
ABV: 10%
Type: Belgian (style) Tripel

What They Say: Pale gold in color, this ale is big, flavorful and complex. A special Belgian yeast strain adds tropical fruit and spice notes to the crisp dry ale, while Saaz hops add a subtle herbal note. (~10% ABV). Sadly, the neck booklet didn’t make it to New York on this beer.

Website: Other than the press release, I can’t find much info on this beer on their website. According to my newsletter, these are still available at the brewery but I don’t know if they’re anywhere else.

Why I Picked It: In various trades with The Big Show, I managed to get my hands on all three of these. I saw the press release a (long) while back, really wanted them, and eventually got them. They sat in my refrigerator for quite awhile waiting for the perfect weekend. As it turned out, Mets/Yankees Subway Series 2 + UFC + World Cup turned out to be that weekend. This is the first of three beers in the Samuel Adams Barrel Room Collection series.

–

Presentation (5): I love the whole idea of these bottles. I like the caged-cork, I LOVE the BRC logo, and I like the bottles looking vaguely like barrels. Sam usually does a pretty bang up job with the packaging of their specialty offerings and these are no exception. This is what being big enough to have a marketing department allows. 5

Originality (5): This is more “eh” in originality than the other two. I’ve mentioned this before: I’m not a huge fan of American breweries doing Belgian styles because, well, they really don’t do them better than the abbeys that have being doing them for, in some cases, hundreds of years. As also mentioned before, there is one brewery that does Belgians well, and it should, by law, be served on taps at every baseball stadium due to its location in Cooperstown. 2

Body (10): This smells, pours, and looks like a Belgian. The expected heavy-yeasty aroma is cut a bit by citrus. The beer pours a hazy gold with some yeasty, floating sediment. Decent head in a tulip glass that reduces with some nice lacing. It’s a satisfying thickness for the type, with a smooth, creamy mouthfeel that’s quite nice. The carbonation here is just right, but slightly difficult to separate from the burn of the alcohol. 5

Taste (10): I originally decanted in to a Guinness glass until I read the press release which suggested a tulip glass. The rest of the bottle went in to the tulip. The flavors and yeasty aromas really did become much more intense. Honestly, I had a hard time picking up any flavors other than the yeasts, alcohol, and a touch of fruit. Between the citrusy acid, the carbonation, and the strong alcohol it had a very warm finish. The barrel aging, if anything, took away some of the Belgian flavor. As fake Belgians go, the flavor here wasn’t my favorite. Ommegang, as usual, does it better. 6

Efficiency (10): The 10% claim almost seems low. It’s possible I was tricked by the strong alcohol warmness in the finish. I’m not sure if the aging process (about three months) made the alcohol more distinct, but this would be tough to call efficient. Due to the trading situation, I’m not really sure what this cost so I’m working on the assumption the bottles were $7 – $12. The pinnacle of efficiency for this type is Three Philosophers from Ommegang and, well, this just doesn’t get there. 6

Versatility (10): Incredibly low. This is a cute beer and I love Sam trying to claim some of the “we’re going to make some obscure stuff” title from Dogfish and Brooklyn but there are many better Belgian styles on the market. As a Sam completest, this was worth it for me, but I’d never recommend this over some of the other, better ones. 3

The Snob Sez: Acceptable beer, but like I implied in the review of Saranac’s Belgian: it’s a crowded market between real Belgians and Ommegang. If a brewery’s going to bring it, they need to bring it hard. This doesn’t quite bring it hard enough.

Final Score: 27 (of 50) — Good beer.

Brewed By: Uinta Brewing Company
Brewed In: Salt Lake City, UT
Type: Barleywine
ABV: 10.4%
Awards: 2010, Silver Medal, Australian International Beer Awards, Scotch and Barley Wines
2009, Silver Medal, World Beer Championships, Barley Wine Ale
2009, Silver Medal, North American Beer Awards, American Barley Wines
2007, Bronze Medal, Toronado, Barley Wine Festival
2007, Bronze Medal, North American Beer Awards, Mild Brown Ale
2004, Gold Medal, North American Beer Awards, Barley Wines
2004, Silver Medal, World Beer Cup, Strong Ales
2002, Bronze Medal, North American Beer Awards, Barley Wines
1999, Gold Medal, North American Beer Awards, Barley Wines

What they say: “First brewed in small batches annually to commemorate Uinta’s anniversary, this soul-warming brew is now available year-round. (Uinta’s anniversary is observed and noted by the change of the roman numeral on the label.) Uinta’s award winning barley wine has a dark amber hue with a rich malty character. Serious amounts of hops are used to balance its hardy alcohol content of over 10% ABV.”

Website: Requisite annoying “Enter Your DOB” screen, but the site is well laid-out. Links for “Inside the Brewery”, “Brewhouse Pub”, and “Brewery Blog” are up top. Below that are the things people would look for first, like Where is Uinta?, Where do I find it?, Events, and whatever is the current seasonal beer. The beers page is laid out with the labels, and clicking on a beer brings up a description, tasting notes, availability, and any accolades received. Nothing extraneous or annoying; everything is very well done.

Why this one, Show? This is the third beer in the Big Show’s Big Six Smix Pack series. Things that brought me to this beer: it’s a special anniversary brew, it’s from a brewery I don’t think I’ve ever tried before, and it slots in nicely with the other strong beers in this series.

First Thoughts:
Head: Thick and rich, with good cling.
Nose: Figs, toffee, raisins.
Color: Deep ruddy brown.

Presentation (5): In looking at the labels on Uinta’s website, all of the labels are bright, cheery colors with outdoorsy pictures of fish, camping, and skiing, or natural formations like mountains or the sun. All except this one; the label is a muted off-white with red lettering. Since it doesn’t look like the rest of the beers it’s shelved with, it makes you take a second glance at it. I’m on board with that. 4

Originality (5): According to the website, barleywines originated in England during the nineteenth century. While that sounds like it should get no points here, the American craft beer movement didn’t really get off the ground until the 80s and 90s, so this style hasn’t always been readily available. If they’ve been brewing this beer for sixteen years, I’ll award some strength here. 4

Body (10): No surprise, the body is big and full. Not a lot of crackly carbonation, but enough to wake up the mouth as you sip. It’s not too syrupy, so it goes down easier that one would think. Personally, I enjoy a good full-bodied barleywine, and if you’re looking for a light sip you won’t find it here. 7

Taste (10): All the flavors you’d want in a good barleywine are present here. There’s the earthy notes of nuts and stonefruit, the sweet notes of figs and cherry, and a slight hop bitterness to balance it all out. Without that last bit of bitter, the beer would be too sweet. I can see why Uinta decided to produce this year-round; if the body was slightly less heavy this would be dangerously good. 9

Efficiency (10): I suppose it goes without saying that everything in the BigShow’s Big Six Smix Pack series is going to score high in this category. While not the most easy-drinking, the sweet flavors and easygoing hop bite conspire to make this a beer that would go down quickly. Ordering one or two more will give you a nice rosy glow, but you may not be celebrating the next morning. 9

Versatility (10): The flavors would do well with big, savory foods like roasted sauced meats or fowl. Bringing a six pack of these to a beer-tasting party is almost guaranteed to get you invited back, especially if three or four wind up getting left in the host’s fridge. I even have to nudge this score north for the ability to buy just one of these in the store, since six of these are definitely not what you want to bring to your buddy’s house for the game if you plan on driving home. The only thing knocking this down is its strength. 8

Final Score: 41 – Great Beer

Brewed By: Brooklyn Brewery
Brewed In: Utica, NY
Type: Barleywine
ABV: 10.1%

What they say:

Website: “Available from December through March. Brooklyn Monster Ale is a classic barley wine, a style of ale originally brewed by the butlers to the English and American aristocracy.”

Bottle: “Brooklyn Monster Ale is brewed in the traditional barleywine style. It is made from three mashes of the finest British malt and aged four months, achieving a burnished copper color, an aroma of sherry, hops and fruit and a soft, warming, complex palate. Excellent after dinner, with dessert, or aged cheeses or a cigar. Serve in a goblet, lightly chilled.”

Website: All animations, all the time. Everything has a sound when you mouse over it and everything takes time to load. Fellow Beer Snob Tom loves it; I’m kind of ambivalent. Sure, I can find what I need, but I shouldn’t have to click on four or five different links to get detailed information on each beer. Be that as it may, the site’s easily navigated, the graphics are nice, and there is loads of info, a blog, a recipe section, and a store.

Why this one, Show? This is the second beer in the BigShow’s Big Six Smix Pack series. A while back, I ventured to Julio’s Liquors with the intent to assemble the strongest mix six I could. Now, for you, I take on these six beers in strength order.

First Thoughts:
Head: Thin, off-white, quickly fading.
Nose: Like a red ale.
Color: Deep reddish-brown.

Presentation (5): Brooklyn’s Monster looks like none of their other 12 oz. bottles. The label is simple; it’s silver with stark black lettering and a white-on-green Brooklyn “B” logo on the bottle and neck. Bold white lettering denotes when the ale was “born”–in this case 2009. It’s not intimidating, but it does let you know that this beer is not to be taken lightly. 4

Originality (5): It’s hard to tell for this one. On one hand, it’s a Barleywine. On the other, a GIS turned up photos of bottles of Monster going back to 2000, so we’ve got at least a decade of brewing going on here. In 2000, my definition of a microbrew was whatever wicked nonsense Pete was churning out, and I’m pretty sure I didn’t see too many barleywines on the shelves. 4

Body (10): For a strong ale, the body is not as heavy as I thought it would be. It’s medium, with the sip flowing through the mouth continuously without being syrupy. It’s not a light, crisp beer by any stretch, but it doesn’t feel like you’re trying to power through some motor oil. 8

Taste (10): This is unlike most barleywines I’ve tried. There is a powerful malt presence in the sip but it is balanced by a hoppy bitterness that I don’t often find in this style. There are earthy notes of apricot, toffee, and nuts. It’s a unique barelywine, and that’s exactly what Brooklyn wants. 8

Efficiency (10): Need we explain? 10% inside of just 12 oz. If you find this on draught in your local craft beer bar, try it. Then move on to something lighter. Your body will thank you the next day. 10

Versatility (10): The flavors and body are light enough to go with most big-flavored foods, but this is designed to be consumed after your meal in lieu of a brandy or other such digestif. Brooklyn’s website recommends aged cheeses as well as desserts like ice cream, flourless cakes, and crème brulee. I heartily agree. It’s certainly not something you can sit down with four or five of, unless your goal is to forget how to walk. 7

Final Score: 41 – Great Beer

Brewed By: Lagunitas Brewing
Brewed In: Petaluma, CA
Type: Brown ale
ABV: 8.7%

What they say: “Our New Year’s release for the seasoned beer folks … Big, brown warmer with several types of crystal malt. No actual eyeballs can actually be found in the beer.”

Website: At least the “Are You 21?” screen doesn’t make you input your birthday. The site is packed, but not necessarily in a good way. There’s lots of writing, and it’s all tiny. The site opens with a basic “About” blurb and links at the top to the pertinent items. Clicking on the “Beers” link pulls up a page with the year-round beers up top, and the schedule for the seasonal 6-packs and bombers below it. I like the info, but everything feels crowded into the page, especially with all the small print. I also have to deduct some points for an embedded Quicktime video automatically opening up if you click on any of the beers to get more info on them.

Why this one, Show? It’s no secret that, despite it being more than a 30-minute drive away, I really like shopping at Julio’s Liquors. One of the best things about the place is the DIY “Wild Six.” Most of Julio’s selection of 12-oz bottles are priced by the six pack and also priced by the individual bottle, letting the customer purchase one of something they want to try. If you buy six singles, they discount each one. So, one Saturday some months ago I ventured out to pick the six strongest beers I could find in the store, creating BigShow’s Big Six Smix Pack. Oh yes. Six beers, all hi-test and rested in the cellar for a while, will be reviewed in the coming weeks. This series is in strength order, so let’s get to it!

First Thoughts:
Head: White, thin, good lacing.
Nose: Dark fruit.
Color: Ruddy brown.

Presentation (5): The beer comes in the standard Lagunitas bottle—short and squat. The graphic boasts a pale background, the beer name, brewery location, the ABV, and the little picture of the dog mascot. Lagunitas’ beers always have the name of the beer in huge letters. It establishes a brand identity, but unless you know the brand you may pass on this for something more flashy. 3

Originality (5): It’s a brown ale. There’s really not much to add here. Maybe if actual eyeballs were involved… 2

Body (10): Being a brown ale, the body has an almost syrupy quality to it. There is virtually no carbonation, but each sip still feels like a mouthful. It winds up being pretty heavy, but still feels lighter than, say, a Guinness. Holding the sip in your mouth leaves a little tingle, due to the hop bitterness. 7

Taste (10): A lot of brown ales tend to have the same flavors. In this beer you get a big malty figgy/datey/fruity flavor, followed by a slight hop bitterness in the finish. This beer tastes good, but the sweetness could become too much after even one bottle. Then again, if that’s your thing, then this beer is for you. While a lot of Lagunitas’ offerings tend to be on the bitter side, this is the opposite end of the spectrum. 8

Efficiency (10): At 8.7% ABV and a not-bitter taste, this definitely grabs high marks here. It wouldn’t take too many of these to put a nice figgy glow on you. 8

Versatility (10): The sweet taste might cut into the versatility here. A sweet brown ale would balance the flavors of spicy roast meats, though. The high ABV wouldn’t make this a “six for the game” beer unless you were getting a ride home. I’ll put this as something good to grab one of while out at a craft beer bar, but not something to make a night out of. 7

Final Score: 35 – Good Beer

Brewed By: Smuttynose Brewing
Brewed In: Portsmouth, NH
Type: Rye ale aged in bourbon barrels
ABV: ~7.7%

What they say: From bits on the bottle: “Aged in barrels hand picked by the loch & k(e)y society. Rye ale aged in bourbon barrels. Brewed & bottled exclusively for Julio’s Liquors by Smuttynose Brewing Co., Portsmouth, NH.”

Website: Smuttynose does a decent job with their site. There’s a bunch of news, beer prices, the Big Beer release schedule, some poetry loyal drinkers have sent in, and various and sundry graphics. The page is quite long, the scroll wheel gets some work getting to the bottom of it. At the top are pertinent links, and these are further broken down once clicked (Full-time beers, Seasonal beers, etc.). I can find what I need, with the exception of this beer—it doesn’t seem to be anywhere on Smuttynose’s site.

Why this one, Show? I found this during a recent trip to Julio’s Liquors, and was intrigued. The label states this beer is aged in barrels picked by the Loch & K(e)y society, and brewed especially for Julio’s Liquors. Oh, and this is a bourbon-aged, rye ale. A perfect storm of things made this something I was going to try.

First Thoughts:
Head: Thin, tan, fades away quickly.
Nose: Heavy bourbon aroma. Who am I kidding; this smells like a tulip glass full of liquor.
Color: Raisiny-brown.

Presentation (5): The bottle is different from other Smuttynose bombers in that the picture on the front isn’t a stylish painting or an old photograph but rather a drawing of a cow skull adorned with roses. The lettering is done in a faded, scratchy font. The label also notes that the aging barrels were selected by the Loch & K(e)y society and the beer was made specifically for Julio’s Liquors of Westborough MA. Pluses abound. 5

Originality (5): Rye ales are exactly what they say on the tin, er, bottle. The malted grains used for the beer are rye grains. It’s a break from the standard barley, but nothing that hasn’t been done before. As for the bourbon-aging, it’s rapidly becoming standard practice for craft brewers. I wouldn’t be surprised to see bourbon-aged Budweiser in the next few years. But I do have to add some for this being made for a specific liquor store. 3

Body (10): The body is good. The carbonation is subdued due to the barrel-aging, and the sip is nice and full in the mouth. There’s a bit of a syrupy quality that I notice in a lot of barrel-aged beers, but it’s not cloying or detrimental. Those looking for a light beer would do well to avoid this one, but you didn’t pick something called “bourbon-aged rye beer” because you wanted something light, now did you? 8

Taste (10): Sweet, raisiny, and bourbony. The beer has almost no hoppy bitterness. The malty sweetness blooms at the beginning of the sip, fading away to a nice warm raisin/toffee/dark fruit cloud. The bourbon air fills the nostrils as you sip intensifying the bourbon flavors of the beer. The syrupy quality tends to slow the flavors down as they cross the palette, letting you enjoy all the different notes. I could drink this all night until my body got bored of being conscious. 9

Efficiency (10): With a good ABV and a flavor you won’t get tired of (if, of course, you’re a fan of bourbon) this beer is quite efficient. By the time I finished the bomber, I was armchair coaching the Dutch World Cup team from my couch. 9

Versatility (10): Completely dependent on how much you like bourbon. For me, I can see myself enjoying this with some cheese-stuffed dates, charcuterie, or even a dense bread pudding. It stands alone just as well. Granted,this isn’t one for the backyard bar-b-q, but works for most any application. The only points off I’d shave would be for this beer’s limited availability. 8

Final Score: 42 – Great Beer

Brewed By: Harpoon Brewery
Brewed In: Boston, MA
Type: Extra Special Bitter
ABV: 5.8%
Guest Brewer: Charlie Cummings, Harpoon Brewer

What they say: “The 31st offering from the Harpoon 100 Barrel Series is the Single Hop ESB, brewed by Harpoon brewer Charlie Cummings…The Delta hop is a brand new American-grown hop developed by Hopsteiner. In fact, the Harpoon Single Hop ESB is the first beer in the world to be commercially brewed using the Delta hop. A cross between Fuggle and Cascade hops, Delta hops yield an unrestrained earthy/floral aroma and taste that compliment the rich flavors of traditional British malts and yeast. The recipe for this beer is a nod to the beloved Harpoon ESB, which was last brewed in 2002. However this version uses imported ingredients, except for the domestically grown Delta hops. Only a portion of the batch was filtered, leaving the full spectrum of flavor and aroma of this special new hop to enjoy.”

Website: Harpoon’s site has been covered before. Annoying “Of age” splash screen, but lots of easily-found information and in-depth descriptions. It’s a beer geek site, that’s for sure.

Why this one, Show? It’s been a while since we’ve had a 100 Barrel Series beer reviewed here. I was intrigued by this one because it’s brewed with only one hop variety, and is the first beer to be commercially brewed with this hop. ESBs (Extra Special Bitters) tend to not be as brutal as the IPAs, so I’m anticipating a good brew.

First Thoughts:
Head: Puffs up pretty thick, settles down with moderate cling.
Nose: Malts and sweet notes.
Color: Deep amber

Presentation (5): Harpoon’s 100 Barrel Series beers all share similar design elements. The bomber bottles come with a black-framed, off-white label comprised of the name of the beer, a harpoon graphic, a small blurb, the signature of the brewer, and the snob stats of ABV, IBUs, and Original Gravity. The label is different from any of Harpoon’s other offerings, but these beers are meant to be unique. 4

Originality (5): Eh, ESBs have been around for as long as the British have been brewing beer, more or less. The Harpoon 100 Barrel Series is an original idea unto itself, and I will give points for the uniqueness of using one hop, and a brand new one at that. 3

Body (10): This beer’s color belies it’s smoothness in the mouth. The sip is slightly chewy due to being very malty, but still moves through the mouth effortlessly. The carbonation is very subdued. I was expecting a crackly, floral sip and was pleasantly surprised when that did not appear. Call it medium-bodied. I do. 7

Taste (10): I have to admit, I thought this would have a more pronounced bitterness to it. I know ESBs aren’t in the same bitterness category as their IPA cousins, but—I don’t know—I figured it’d be more. Now with that said, I like the taste of this beer. The sweet malt flavors are balanced by a nice earthiness at the back of the sip. If I had lived in Boston in 2002, I would have been stocking up on Harpoon’s ESB the first time they brewed it. It’s a great beer that doesn’t stray into “wild and crazy flavors” territory. 9

Efficiency (10): What we’ve got here is a bomber of 5.8% beer. It’s pretty squarely in that one-and-maybe-one-more-and-done range. It’s pretty easy to get caught up in the great flavors, and before you know it the bottle is gone. At about ten dollars a bomber it’s not the cheapest option, though. 7

Versatility (10): Of course. This beer would be good with roast meat or BBQ. It’s a great way to get one of your non-snob friends to try a non-macro beer. The only problem here is the same as all the 100 Barrel Series beers: once they’re sold out, they’re gone for good. 6

Final Score: 36 – Really Good Beer

Brewed By: Cricket Hill Brewery
Brewed In: Fairfield, NJ
Type: Barleywine
ABV: ~8%

What they say: “Cricket Hill produces 4 beers a year that we call our RESERVE SERIES. These beers are hand made and are available in 22oz bottles only with a few sixtles [sic] by special request only!”

Website: Just…wow. This site looks like someone at the brewery was immediately made project manager after mentioning in passing that their kid took an online course in web design and they happened to be in the same room at the time. It looks like something that somehow escaped the Geocites collapse. There’s an effort to be cohesive with links to the store, distribution by state, events, and directions and contact info. But then we devolve. The store opens as a popup window, the “The Beers” page (not accessible via the top links, but by a link in the middle of the index page) omits descriptions for most of the listed products (going so far as to list NONE of the four Reserve Series beers, only that they exist), and there are oddly placed links all over. If this is a joke, it’s Kaufman-level brilliance. Unfortunately, I think it’s real.

Why this one, Show? On a trip to NY, I spotted this beer. I like barleywines, even if they do come from Jersey.

First Thoughts:
Head: Thin, quickly receding, not much lacing.
Nose: Fig, dark fruit, sweet
Color: Like the inside of Fig Newtons

Presentation (5): Well, the bottle is pretty enough. The striking label got me to pick it up. The beer pours a perfect barleywine color, with good aromas. Nothing out of the ordinary, but decent. 3

Originality (5): Eh, it’s a barleywine. Oh wait; it’s a RESERVE barleywine. 2

Body (10): This beer’s color and aroma promised a body that would fill the mouth with chewy, malty goodness. Like most things Jersey these days, style won out over substance. The body is thin with slight carbonation, and slightly syrupy. I have to say, I expect more out of something labeled a barleywine. 4

Taste (10): The taste is decent. While lacking stacks of malt sweetness, the beer imparts notes of fig and toffee, but nothing breaks out to be the star. There is no bitterness at all. While that sounds good in theory, the sweetness needs something to at least attempt to balance it out. 6

Efficiency (10): The Site That Shall Not Be Named puts this beer at 8% ABV. Their guess is as good as mine; it’s not like the ABV appears on the bottle or the website. Working with that, this is an efficient beer. The price point is good, the sweetness makes this easy to drink, and the ABV is high enough to make you think twice before reaching for another beer. 8

Versatility (10): Not sure. There are myriad other barleywines out there that offer better flavors. Taken with food, this beer needs some grilled meat or a strong cheese to balance it out. It’s pretty middle-of-the-road. 5

Final Score: 28 – Good Beer

Brewed By: Rogue Brewery
Brewed In: Newport, OR
Type: Ale
ABV: ~5%
Brewed With: Malts: Rogue Barley Farm first growth Dare™ malts; Hops: Rogue Hopyard first growth Revolution Hops; Pacman yeast.

What they say:

Website: “Single Malt Ale and all Chatoe Rogue brews are all GYO Certified, First Growth, Appellation products made with hops and malt from our Department of Agriculture’s Hopyard and Barley Bench.”

Bottle: “GYO is a Rogue Ales term for Grow Your Own. We made this beer with our own hops and barley. Malty aroma, deep golden in color with a dense creamy head. Medium bodied with a lush rich maltiness from the Dare™ malt.”

Website: Here it is again; both Tom and I have waxed ecstatic about Rogue’s great site.

Why this one, Show? It’s another beer in the Rogue GYO series, this time using only one grain for the malt and one hop variety for the flavor and bitterness. Just about all the other beers I can think of (including the mass-produced macros) use some combination of malted grains for the wort. To give you a point of comparison, the previous GYO beer—Dirtoir Black Lager–used five different malts. This beer is 100% Rogue-grown and Rogue-brewed.

First Thoughts:
Head: Big white head with good cling and fairly large bubbles.
Nose: Subtle citrus, field-y notes.
Color: Golden.

Presentation (5): The bottle is identical to the Dirtoir Black Lager, with the only difference being the blue tint to the naming font. Rogue’s raised fist motif is represented with only a blocky fist holding a hop vine and some barley stalks. It’s different, but similar enough that you can recognize the brewer if you saw this on a shelf. The beer pours out slightly cloudy with a good head. 5

Originality (5): A single-malt beer that also happens to be a single-hop beer? Like I said, I don’t think I’ve seen something like this before. While this isn’t something super-crazy like a beer made with 300-year-old honey or 50,000 lbs of hops, it’s originality is in its simplicity. 5

Body (10): The body is nice and light, with good carbonation tingling the tongue. This feels like something you want to drink more of with each sip, and I can see this being especially refreshing on a hot day. The weather must have known I’d be reviewing this over the weekend, as we had one of the hottest days so far on Saturday. 8

Taste (10): The beer tastes like a crisp pale ale: that is, there’s notes of citrus, straw, and “clean,” if I may be allowed the artistic license. There’s not a ton of sweetness, but not a lot of bitterness either. The finish drops out from under you, leaving a quick and lingering dryness to the sip. It tastes like beer, not like coffee-beer or chocolate-beer or maple-beer. 8

Efficiency (10): Since this is a Rogue beer, we’ll go back to our inexact ABV calculation by dividing the PLATO number by 2.5. That gives this beer an approximate ABV of 5%, which puts it squarely in macro territory. That’s not going to do it any favors, as the price point is too high to merit buying, shall we say, “enough to do the job.” However, I can see this bomber going down quickly, paired with food or by itself out on the patio. 5

Versatility (10): Pretty limitless. The refreshing quality of the beer makes it ideal for bringing to summer parties or just enjoying in your own backyard. Rogue suggests pairing the beer with seafood or grilled food—I could not agree more. The bright flavors and medium bitterness also make this a good conversion beer to give your late-to-the-party-but-there’s-still-room non-craft-beer-drinking friends. Whew. 9

Final Score: 40 – Really Good Beer