Chimay Peres Trappistes Premiere Dubbel

   
     Thought I'd splurge a little today and try one of the Trappist ales.  The Premiere comes in at 7% ABV and was first brewed in 1862.  The first thing I'm noticing is that it is extremely carbonated.  Huge pop upon opening and a good three fingers worth of creamy head.  Head drained quite a bit, but it appears to be sticking around.  It's a very dark red, almost-copper color.  Very hazy, which is to be expected given that these are traditional beers. Aroma is a nice blend of rich malt and fruit bouquet.  Getting some sweet caramel and a touch of pear.  Alcohol is evident but subtly mixes with everything.  Easy on the nose. Pleasant.
     My first impression upon taste is that it is extremely flavorful without any single aspect coming out too aggressively.  Tons of malt flavor on this one.  Getting some toasty bread, caramel, and raisin.  Lots of fruitiness as well.  The malt seems to blend in with the apricot and pear flavors and finishes off with something darker, more plum-like. Well-balanced bitterness.  Light herbal hop flavor. Some spice and strong sweetness linger.  Silky; coats the mouth well.  Medium body really thickened by strong carbonation.
     I still haven't been completely sold on Belgian beer.  I get the appeal and they deserve all the respect they are given as a brewing nation, but their fermentation practices just don't do it for me.  I must admit, though, that this is damn impressive.  I've honestly had few other beers that have been so intricately flavorful yet perfectly balanced at the same time.

Lagunitas Bavarian-Style Doppel Weizen

    
     It pours a very dark honey color; almost an orange.  Definitely lighter on the edges due to a thick haziness.  It seems to be very well-carbonated, fizzy. Huge alcohol (8.5% ABV) leaves no head; decent lacing. 
     Aroma is absolutely dominated by fermentation bouquet. Lots of fruitiness in general, but the banana really does shine though. Alcohol is evident and really accentuates those fruit notes. Very strong and heavy on the nose. 
     Some bready malt is there upon first taste, but it is quickly washed away by raw banana. Some bubblegum notes are shining through.  Alcohol makes this very bitter and some spice lingers in the end.  Overall, this is pretty impressive in regards to the style, but I'd prefer something a little less tart and intense.

Full Sail Brewery's Elevation IIPA

 
     It pours a very cloudy, dark orange color.  Really hazy throughout; color lightens around the edges.  Not much for head or retention, but appears to be decently carbonated.  Decent lacing.  Smell is pretty evenly blended with hops and malt.  The hops are grassy with a mellow citrus quality.  Rich caramel malt shines through with a splash of toast. 
    First impression upon taste is that the malt is very subtle and basic.  Not quite what you would expect from the color or aroma.  It is quickly dominated but a very sharp bitterness.  Some lemony, earthy hop flavor is there, but it does get lost in the bitterness.  A bit of spice and bitterness really linger in the mouth for a bit.  Alcohol is noticeable (7.5%) but pleasant.  Pretty thin body.
     Can't say I'm crazy about this one.  I like my IPAs super bitter, but without any real flavor, it's just not working for me. 

Dick's Brewing Company's Cream Stout

     It pours a dark black with a fizzy, tan head.  Doesn't look to be holding too well.  You definitely would expect a frothier head on a cream stout.  Aroma is nothing too out of the ordinary for a typical stout.  Pretty chocolatey.  Some roast character and esters shine through as well.  It's very easy on the nose, clean, and lager-like.
     Upfront it is very dry and hits with some strong roastiness.  Very subtle, pale malt flavor.  A chocolate character sneaks up and is washed away with some herbal hops.  Very light body and not too silky or creamy, which is something you expect from this style.  Goes down smooth and is very sessionable. Nothing strong or distinctive lingers.
     This really isn't a bad session beer, but I can't imagine many people would consider it a cream stout unless it was printed on the label.  Not a bad beer but definitely far from being on style.

Stone 15th Anniversary Escondidian Imperial Black IPA

    I've addressed this issue before, and it is getting a bit lame amongst the craft beer community, but I feel I have to talk about the name of this style again.  I wouldn't feel the need to do this if Stone hadn't publicly made a big deal out of the fact that they are calling it a Black IPA (and not a Cascadian Dark Ale) when this was first unveiled a few weeks back.  They argue that Cascadian Dark Ale masks the history of the style and that Black IPA just makes sense (since it is a black beer that is hoppy).  Like I've said before, this is a style to me that is unique enough to not be labeled as IPA in any way.  India-Style Black Ale is fine by me; it's just the association with the IPA that rubs me the wrong way.  I also like Cascadian Dark Ale because of my Pacific Northwest pride.  It may have started out as Black IPA, but I feel with how popular it is becoming, it's time to break off and be recognized as the individual that it is. Ultimately, it's a "who cares" sort of thing.
     It pours a very opaque, no-hue black with a solid finger of brown head.  Seems to be draining a bit but definitely holding it up.  Doesn't have a huge nose on it;  quite subtle all around.  Some citrus hops, but not as much pine as you expect from this style.  A sweetness shines through blended with hints of roast.  Quite yeasty.  Burnt malt.
     Hits the tongue with some sharp, roasty, chocolate malt and is completely washed away with alcohol and heavy, herbal bitterness.  Can't emphasize the alcohol enough on this.  It's 10.8% ABV, and it definitely shows.  It's very harsh.  Leaves the back of the mouth with a warming alcohol sensation and a tingle. Once the bitterness and alcohol mellow out a bit, it does have some very pleasant spice hops and toastiness.
     I'm not feeling this one.  One of my key components of making a big alcohol IPA is the ability to mask it.  That's not to say it shouldn't be there, as it is part of the style, but it shouldn't be the defining characteristic. 
 

Sprecher Brewing Company's Black Bavarian Schwarzbier

    
     First off, I have to say thanks to my brother for not liking "dark beer" and giving me this.  This review is taken from notes and won't be too detailed.  It is a super dark black; no hue.  Hardly any head was produced and what did surface drained just as fast.  Aroma is a very overpowering richness.  A very full, chocolatey hit to the nose.  Very sharp malt, almost to the hint of licorice.  Not too roasty.  Sweet caramel. 
     Hits the mouth a tad on the dry side and super roasty.  Malt is primarily dominated with rich caramel and smooth chocolate.  Hints of burnt malt.  Definitely a noticeable bitterness with some subtle herbal, spice hop flavors.  Very clean aftertaste; nothing lingers.  Strong carbonation helps to lift and carry the light body.
     Pretty spot on for the style.  Can't say I've had a lot of Schwarzbier, but this seems pretty impressive from what I do know.  Would drink again (and again and again).

Mt. Shasta Brewing Co.'s Mountain High IPA

    
     It pours a very nice honey color.  Got about a finger worth of head and it seems to be holding very well due to a very lively carbonation.  Hazy.  Decent lacing and solid retention after about 10 minutes.  Huge hop aroma.  Very floral, earthy, and piney.  A strong spice, too.  The aroma is similar to smelling fresh hops off the vine.  Some bready malt comes through carried by a strong yeast presence.   Overall the aroma is just dominated by a warming herbal quality.
      You're introduced up front to some nice caramel malt; not too sweet, not too dry.  This is quickly overtaken by an intense astringent hop bitterness.  I'm a huge hophead and bitterness is rarely something that makes a strong impression on me, but this thing will make any beer drinker pucker a bit.  Beyond the bitterness, there are some spicy herbal flavors.  Very oily; coats the mouth thickly.  The only time any citrus seems to shine through is in the aftertaste.  Strong carbonation helps carry the thin body.
     I'm not too crazy about this one, though I will say I definitely enjoy the strong bitterness.  Being a California brewery, you might expect more West Coast IPA character here, but they were definitely going for something a bit different.