Breckle's Brown from Anchor Steam

Pours a deep ruby red with a frothy tan head. Hoppy, but not overly bitter. Lots of pine, a little grapefruit. On the back of the tongue I'm picking up some orange as well. After some contemplative sipping I detect some figs and black cherries; maybe some maple & brown sugar. I'd be happy to have a second bottle if I had one.

Blue Blood's 1327 Pod's ESB

From the Blue Blood web page:


A well-balanced beer between sweetness from the malt and bitterness from the hops with 5.6% alcohol by volume and 37 IBU. The beer is named after a co-founder of the brewery whose love for the Extra Special Bitter style of beer is why this beer is one of our first releases. The beer is meant to be a little bitter, but not over the top and very drinkable. The hop aroma and flavor do not dominate the beer, but support the malt to create a well balanced beer.


Another beer that you can stock a cooler with; a little higher ABV than your typical beer, but sessionable nonetheless. Pours a orangey-amber, with a fluffy white head that quickly dissipates. Some hop bitterness, but nothing a novice like Denny couldn't handle. Best consumed ice-cold!

Blood Blue 834 Happy As Ale

From Lincoln's newest brewer, the ex-cops of Blue Blood bring us some fine beers!

834 pours a light amber, with citrus notes tickling the nose right off the bat. Nice and hoppy, refreshing, yet not bland at all. Low enough alcohol content to be a great session beer. I'd rate 834 a year-round beer, light and crisp enough for those summer afternoons, yet good for a cool fall evening as well. Not recommended for breakfast.

Newcastle Founder's Ale

Not technically a Scottish Ale, but made in Scotland nonetheless (this makes sense only when you view "Scottish Ale" as a style, rather than a point of origination). Consumed from a Sam Adams flute, a deep orange with a tall head that slowly recedes to about 3 fingers. A subtle crackery aroma, with a tinge of orange peel and some spice, almost like Constant Comment tea. A little weaker than a lot of other U.K. beers, but still tasty.  They call it a Pale Ale, but more like a light lager.

Beers from the British Isles

I haven't seen too many bocks available yet, other than Shiner Bock, but the pre-Spring time frame is a good time for Irish Reds, Scotch and Scottish Ales, Wee Heavies and brown ales. Watch for some seasonal reviews as I get to the latest batch! (also - Empyrean's next beer tour features British Isles beer)

Green Flash Double Stout

Ben at Empyrean presented this double stout at the last beer tour and I was impressed. At 8.8% ABV some might call it an imperial stout, but labels are somewhat fluid in the world of craft beers. Poured into a Sam Adams perfect pint glass the head was deep and frothy, the beer was a dark brown hue. The aroma and flavor was a subdued coffee mocha, with surprisingly little alcohol heat for this level of ABV. Some hops bitterness, but not too overwhelming. Unlike some of the other stouts that I've sampled this season, I could easily have more than one. Bob Rosenthal, John Joyce and Ron Rumery all need to have one!

Yeti Imperial Stout

Great Divide Brewing is another of the seemingly endless supply of craft breweries in Colorado, and I've seen their beers on the shelves, but alas, I haven't tried too many. As part of my "Dark February" I'm sampling as many stouts and porters as I can stand. First off, Yeti pours an inky black, reminiscent of tar, with no light making it through, even along the edges. There is no head to speak of, even when pouring straight down the middle. The heavy malts, 9.5%ABV and 75 IBU's all conspire to give Yeti a whiskey-like smoothness that I've come to expect in the best Imperial Stouts. Contributing tastes include semi-sweet chocolate, brown sugar and figs. (Yeah, that's right, I said "figs"!). Definitely not, in any way, shape or form, a session beer, but great for these cold nights that we've been experiencing.

Gonzo Imperial Porter

From Flying Dog brewery, named in honor of the immortal Hunter S. Thompson. Gonzo is classed as a Baltic Porter.Not a photon passes through the deep darkness of this black beauty, and the thickness causes it to adhere to the sides of the glass as it is consumed. Some dark chocolate at first, with some figs, plums and black cherries as I progress through the 9.2% ABV porter. The extra alcohol lends a whiskey-ish tang to the experience. I'm catching some hoppiness under all the velvety goodness. A brew to be savored...great on these cold, cold days.

Bobo's Robust Porter

Another of those "flies below the radar" brewers, Big Sky once again comes through for Ill-Gotten Booty's Beer Reviews! As with most porters, Bobo's pours a nice chocolate brown and sports a medium, perhaps 2-finger toffee-hued head. Strong taste of chocolate with a hint of coffee, hardly any bitterness to it - it almost has that milk stout sweetness to it. I'm glad I spotted this beer at my second favorite beer store! With the winter finally getting here after Imbolc, I'm going to have to extend my porter/stout season for a while.

Red Hook Nut Brown Ale

They were calling it "Mudslinger" last year:
http://ill-gottenbooty.blogspot.com/search?q=Mudslinger

Red Hook is one of those brands that kind of flies below the radar: just about everything that they put out is good, is drinkable, is refreshing...they just don't seem to stand out or have clearly defined characteristics. That might be construed as a good thing, Red Hook beers are beers that everybody can enjoy. Some of the flavors/aromas that I'm picking up remind me of a good loaf of multi-grain bread and a little roasted malt. Clearly a serviceable session beer and worth buying a six-pack.

Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye Ale

Pours a clear copper-amber with a medium-bodied head. Distinct hoppy bitterness with a bready rye taste. A little bit of citrus, but not as much as in a regular IPA - pretty smooth and refreshing - more so than most IPA's. As I progressed beyond sipping, I noted some pepper and maybe some lemon.

Sam Adams Alpine Spring

Ah yes, another preview of spring/summer beer drinking! Alpine Spring is an anomaly, an unfiltered lager. Normally one associates a clear brew, one that you can read an newspaper through, with lagers, but not this baby. Orange and lemon notes start the symphony, with some honey & grain providing the harmony. Very refreshing, with a sweet finish to it. As it hits the back of the palate, I think I even detect some mango or maybe pineapple. In the running for the official craft beer of the Kelso fireworks extravaganza.