Dogfish Head Chicory Stout

5 Hops out of 5



Well, if you have ever watched an episode of Brewmasters on Discovery Channel, then you know Dogfish Head prides itself on "Off-center beers for Off-center people". Chicory Stout is a good example of this motto. It may not be as extreme as some of the other brews, but it is still unique. If you are a stout fan, then you enjoy some bitterness, coffee, and chocolate flavors, right? Well, add to that list , Chicory Root, Mexican Organic Coffee, St Johns Wort, and Licorice. Whoa! you say? Trust me, they know how to blend ingredients and make it tasty. This is a dark stout with usual coffee notes and bitterness from roasted barley, but add to that a hint of herbal-ness. It works and has a great aroma. Alcohol content is perfect at 5.2% ABV. Additional bitterness and aroma are courtesy of Cascade and Fuggles hops. I picked up a single of this stout at World Market, so I highly recommend you grab a bottle and taste for yourself. Several of Dogfish Head beers are also available there if you are ready for some unique ingredients and tastes. Prost!

Guinness Foreign Extra Stout

4 out of 5 Hops


Extra is right, Arthur Guinness. This is one bad mamajama, and its a hefty 7.5% ABV. This stout is in your face out the gate with roasted barley and coffee aroma. The taste is initially malty and sweet, but soon turns to a dry, roasted bitterness going down. Looking at some clone recipes for this one I believe the roasted barley and Challenger hops combined comprise the bitterness instead of just hops in other beers. This one is not for everyone. The flavor is darker and bolder than the widget draught bottles or the on-tap beer. Its what I always imagined a Guinness would taste like when I saw it in a glass. The draught version is lighter and creamier with a chocolate hint versus coffee in the FES. This version only recently hit the shores of the US in September 2010. Long overdue, since it has been enjoyed in other parts of the world for many a year. Hopefully the market here supports this one. I like this and I highly recommend picking up a four pack if you like stouts since we don't know if it will stick around. Sláinte!

"Half and Half" Harps Lager and Guiness Stout

3 out of 5 Hops


I only gave this combo a 3 out of 5 due to the Guinness bottle. Its really hard to get the right flavor at home without the nitrous pour. I only recently tried a Black and Tan at a pub, but it had Bass Ale versus Harp Lager. I don't know if this is just an American drink or if the Lucky Irish enjoy this as well. My guess is they laugh at this sort of thing. This is also my first taste of Harp Lager. It is a German Pilsener style beer that is light and refreshing. ABV is 5.0% and IBU is at 23.5. Not a bad lager at all. The Guiness is another story. Try as they may, the widgets are just not giving me the draught body and flavor. Oh well. Guinness itself is a great dry stout and calorie count is a low 125, for you dieters. ABV is a meager 4.3 and the taste is decent...just not the same as a bar. To pour a Black and Tan, pour the pale or lager first halfway. Next, pour the Guinness or a large, flat spoon slowly and let it run off the sides. The taste is good. Ale and lager together give this an interesting flavor. Its a nice pour for around the house or to show off for friends. Obviously, the first half is mainly stout and the second half is the lager. Sláinte!

Deschutes Brewery "Jubelale" Winter Beer

4 out of 5 Hops

Deschutes Brewery from Bend, Oregon brews this unique Winter Beer. This beer pours a deep red color with aroma notes of toffee, malt and spice. This is a favorite beverage of mine around Christmas time. It is a relatively low alcohol winter beer at 6.7%. IBU is sitting at 60 which makes this on par with an IPA. The hop flavors are unique and complex. The brewery doesn't list the blend, but a source I found shows Galena, Cascade, Willamette, Tettnanger, and Golding Hops. This is a crazy blend that gives this beer a flowery/spicy taste versus a citrus/piney flavor that many beers such as IPA's and Pales have. I dig it! At this Abv I can actually enjoy a few at one sitting. My only regret is this is only brewed at winter. I recommend trying this in place of your next stout or porter craving. Cheers!

Elysian "Night Owl" Pumpkin Ale

5 out of 5 Hops



Another awesome brew from Elysian Brewing Company in Seattle. Forgive my local prejudice, but this is an amazing fruit seduced beer. Fruit beers can be a little strange and sometimes too sweet, or no fruit evidence at all. This is Elysians' original pumpkin ale. Each year they brew several versions of pumpkin beers in the fall. I have tried the stout, but I prefer the Night Owl. Their is a spice aroma that is distinctly pumpkin pie minus the baked crust, but not overpowering. Taste is a balanced, lightly hopped, malt flavor with a spice and pumpkin after taste. Several grains are on the bill which would lend to a more complex taste. Hop bill is all Target, which is a dual purpose English style bittering and aroma hop. I love the use of a single hop throughout a brew; typically two or more hops are used for most beers. Single hops give you a chance to fully appreciate its flavor. In a fruit beer, you don't want a highly hopped flavor that would detract from the fruit. IBU is at 20 for this one, which seems low by most hop head standards, but no complaints here! This review is a little late for acquiring this beer, so look out for it later this year.

Widmer Brothers Drifter Pale Ale

4 out of 5 Hops


Widmer Bros "Drifter" is a moderately hopped Pale Ale from Oregon, USA. Aroma is a tasty citrus/orange with malty bread. The taste is toasty/toffee at the front and citrus at the finish. Alcohol level is 5.7% which puts it in the higher session beer category. This beer is enjoyable outdoors ice cold in the bottle as well as in the glass at room temp. I believe Widmer Bros always strives to release quality brews and this is no exception. My wife and I both enjoy this beer and its a great go-to beer in a pinch for a BBQ or Sunday football game on the tube. Its also readily available here in the Northwest. I am really enjoying the malt and mouthfeel of this beer as I write this. Aftertaste is relatively dry and an enjoyable hop flavor. This beer, like all Widmers', feature the proprietary "Alchemy" blend of Warrior, Millennium, and Horizon Hops. Aroma and dry-hopping is courtesy of Summit (citrus/tangerine flavor) and Nelson Sauvin (unique fruity hop). For a large scale production beer, I think they make it consistently delicious. Try one today, six packs on sale often!

Fuller's London Pride English Bitter

4 Hops out of 5



Don't let the word Bitter fool you. It's a term for British light ales; not the old "bitter beer face" guy from Keystone. Bitters come in 3 varietys: Ordinary, Special, and Extra Special (ESB). Generally, the amount of increment alcohol level in each of these. This is my first taste of Fullers Bitter, but I have had the ESB before. The aroma has a bread and citrus quality. Taste has touch of fruity tartness and malt. Aftertaste is clean and delightfully bitter in the mouth. This is a great session beer at 4.7% ABV; meaning you can drink several in one "session". I think the Brits have the right idea when it comes to full flavor and low alcohol content. I get overwhelmed by the Hopbomb, high alcohol Pales and IPA's from here in the states. Two pints of those and I am done..lightweight. This beer has a great citrus hop taste and bittering level. The hops are unique to me and I have not knowingly enjoyed them before: Target, Challenger and Northdown varieties. These you can deduce are very "English" hops. My wife enjoyed this one as well, ladies. So I lift my Imperial Pint towards the Union Jack and say "God save the Bitters..er..Queen..whatever" I love this beer. Stay tuned for a "Tale of Two ESBs" where I compare Fullers ESB and Redhook ESB (a great goto beer thats readily available). Cheers, mates!