Hop Head Ale-Mishawaka Brewing Company-A pleasant IPA-this one is brewed with 5 different varieties of hops (I cheated-I read their web site for a description of this beer) and, to me, the evergreen scent and flavor are the dominant tones here. Slightly reddish-brown with little malt smoothness. There is a rather dry finish to this one. ABV is 7%, fairly standard for a regular IPA.
Expected ABV on the Scotch ale...6.8% according to the hydrometer. That matches up pretty well with the only other brown ale I've brewed, this one is a little higher. I tasted the bottom of the barrel, nice flavor, we'll see how it does with aging.
Schlafly Oatmeal Stout-A nice start to seasonal ales-Nearly black, smooth (comes from the oatmeal flakes added during brewing) and almost "oily" in texture, too. More chocolate malt than caramel malt. Dry finish with a nice espresso flavor at the beginning and throughout the bottle. Enjoy this out of the 'fridge for about 15-30 minutes before consuming. I'd guess 5-6% ABV.
A couple of notes from GABF on Saturday night:
Finally tried the Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron and enjoyed it very much. Tough to get a great idea of a beer from a small sample pour, so I can't post any insights. I do recall the alcohol being up-front on the beer which makes sense since it's 12%.
Also was able to get a taste of Sam Adam's Utopias, which was quite a treat (had a friend working the Sam Adams booth and she told me when they were opening up a bottle so I could be sure to be there). The beer is 25% ABV and generally sells for somewhere between $200-300 a bottle. It has no carbonation and is much more akin to brandy or port than what we think of as beer. It's essentially 120-Minute or The Beast taken a step further.
You are indeed a fortunate fellow as I have read about the SA Millenium and Utopia brewings but have never seen/tasted one or the other. Don't think I'd buy one either at that price unless it was a magnum or jeroboam(sp?). I'd probably search for a fine sherry or port, like your comparison.
Definitely not worth it for the 16oz bottle.
Here's a listing I found for it (with the Brewery's description) online.
http://www.internetwines.com/rws28347.html
$599
A cool experience but, like you've said, you can find an equally enjoyable after-dinner drink for an exponentially better price. Heck, you can find an equally enjoyable beer for $10-20.
This beer did not cost $599. It did cost $6 on tap.
This is the slight variation on Great Divide's Yeti Imperial Stout. The addition of the oak adds a very rich, buttery, vanilla flavor to a beer that already has strong chocolate and espresso notes. It's a very dark red (nearly black) color with a small amount of head. The hop presence is right up front, but it doesn't overwhelm. Same for the alcohol (9.5%).
Had it with a bone-in ribeye (cooked Pittsburgh rare) which made a very enjoyable beer that much more delightful.
Might also work well in a beer float with vanilla ice cream.
Went to my specialty store today, got a 6 of Lagunitas Censored, and one each of
Smuttynose Robust Porter
Red Brick Brown Ale
Kapuziner Schwarz-Weizen
Really looking forward to the Kapuziner, this is a black wheat, like I'm brewing right now. Will updates with thoughts after the tasting commences.
Red Brick Brown Ale
Biting aroma, fruited but not with distinction, banana if anything, very full head, have to slow pour, then wait, then slow pour, repeat cycle. Nice color, but the head is so overflowing it's past annoying. I don't like to wait to enjoy the beer.
I've finally gotten to taste the ale, very fruity, so now the aroma has an explanation. Thoughts of wine coolers enter my head, it's almost as the beer has been force flavored. For a brown ale, the taste does not fit the presentation. Perhaps with a different marketing strategy, alert the drinker first that what is coming is a bit more than a true brown. No ABV posted on the bottle, but according to Beeradvocate.com, it's 5.9% (I suspect higher). If you have a buddy who bought any, tell him to open one so you can sip it. I wouldn't recommend as a buy for anything other than a 1 bottle experience.