Elysian Brewing Company's Bifrost Winter Ale

    
     Got a chance to visit these guys in Seattle this past weekend.  Had one of their signature stouts, which I have to say was quite impressive.  Anyway, the Bifrost pours a nice dark honey color, definitely not what I was expecting from a winter ale.  Pretty hazy; light yellow color around the edges. Almost no head produced; seems to not be carbonated too strongly. Nose is full of very sweet, candy-like malt.  Some rich caramel. Definitely some strong esters; getting some banana and maybe a bit of cherry.   Hop presence is definitely noticeable; mostly earthy, little wood and citrus. 
     Malt character upfront is very subtle.  What does shine through are some nice toffee and caramel notes.  This quickly evolves into an ester presence that seems to dominate a lot of the taste.  It would best be described by me as some general fruitiness, but it does seem quite plum-like if I did have to narrow it down to something.  Finishes off some some nice hop spice without being noticeable bitter.   No noticeable alcohol taste even at 7.6%.  Some candy sweetness lingers.  Medium body
     This is definitely something much different that what I think of as a winter ale.  Typically, a winter ale is a dark, full-bodied, malt/ester bomb.  The ester notes and candy-like malt definitely make this a very seasonal, holiday sort of brew, though.  Good stuff. 
     

Silver Moon Brewing's Hound's Tooth Amber Ale

     I remember having this at GABF 2010 and thought it was pretty impressive.  Excited to give it another try. It pours a very hazy dark orange color with about a finger of head.  Seems to be draining rather quickly and retaining a nice skin of foam.  Some much lighter orange coloring shines through on the edges.  Huge hops in the aroma.  Very sharp notes of citrus, pine, and earthiness.  Also has a very strong, candy-like sweetness. Some more subtle malt flavors can be detected, too.  Little bit of biscuit.  Little bit of cherry-like esters.
     First impression upon tasting is that it is pretty hop heavy; spice and herbal notes tend to dominate the entire mouth.  Malt flavor is a pretty strong blend of rich caramel sweetness. Very well-carbonated; makes the spice flavors really sting a bit. Hop flavor kind of reminds me chewing a cone right off the vine.  Some caramel and herbal flavor lingers.  Pretty oily. Thin body.
     I'm kinda torn on this one.  It really feels like there is a fantastic beer hiding somewhere in here, but it just needs some minor tweaks in every category.

Boulder Beer Company's Flashback India-Style Brown Ale

  
     This is a style I've been thinking about quite a bit lately.  It is certainly not popular, but with how successful CDAs and now India-Style Red Ales are getting, it seems that the "India" would spread out to other styles (the most obvious one being the Brown). It pours a pretty-hazy blood orange color.  Very small head upon pouring, but it seems to be holding quite well.  Decent lacing.  Actually, a strong carbonation seems to be creating a long-lasting, creamy head.  Getting lots of sweet malt on the nose.  Lots of rich caramel, warm biscuit, and subtle toast.  Some dark, raisin-like esters are mixed in there.  Hops are there but nothing too overwhelming.  What I am picking up is a some pine/earthiness mixed with some citrus spice.
     My first impression upon tasting is that it has a delicious malt profile.  It's just toasty enough to let the sweet caramel shine through.  This blends smoothly with some fruity esters and finishes off slightly bitter.  Hops seem more bitter than flavorful.  What I am picking up for hop flavors is rather herbal with a bit of spice and citrus.  Some nice toast and herbal notes linger in the mouth.  Little oily. Medium body.
     I really like this, but I think it could just as appropriately be called an Imperial Brown Ale.  Hops here are definitely prominent for a Brown, but I don't think it's right that the malt outshines the hops on an India-style beer.  I think this is a style that might still need some tweaking, but I would most definitely drink the Flashback again.

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.