One tragically unkempt man's journey through the wonderful world of beer.

Smuttynose Farmhouse Ale

The Beer:
Smuttynose Farmhouse Ale

The Brewer:
Smuttynose Brewing Company
New Hampshire, United States

Style:
Saison / Farmhouse Ale | 9.30% ABV

Presentation:
On tap at Julian’s, 318 Broadway, Providence, RI

DBG Grade: C+

Appearance: Pours a hazy pale gold, a slightly richer color than straw. Has a pillowy white head that retains nicely. Good, delicate lacing. It’s very refreshing just to look at this beer.

Aroma: Lots of fruity and spicy esters come up off this saison. I pick up some pears and very light pepper in the background. Based on aroma alone, this might be a nice beer to pair with chicken or fish.

Mouthfeel: Pretty light, overall. Both fairly carbonated and hoppy, this brew provides some sizzle. That said, it tasted a bit thin and the finish is a bit harsh. I suspect this is the high ABV poking its nose into the mix.

Taste: Up front, it’s spicy (pepper and cloves mostly) with light acidy fruits in the background. I got pears and apples. There’s a funky earthiness on the finish that didn’t quite work for me, especially when combined with the alcohol bite.

Overall: It’s not a bad saison, but I don’t see myself seeking it out again. I think I tend to like my high-ABV beers with a little more body behind them.

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Amager Bryghus Sundby Stout

The Beer:
Amager Bryghus Sundby Stout

The Brewer:
Amager Bryghus
Denmark

Style:
American Stout | 6.20% ABV

Presentation:
On tap at Julian’s, 318 Broadway, Providence, RI

DBG Grade: A-

Appearance: Pours a deep solid black with tan head that dissipates pretty quickly, leaving some nice lacing.

Aroma: Smoke and chocolate at the same time. The aroma has roasty background that I associated with freshly baked black bread. Nice!

Mouthfeel: More carbonation than I usually associate with a stout, but I was fine with that. It’s nice to have a stout that breaks out of the standard mode. Even with some extra mouth sizzle, it’s still a pretty smooth brew.

Taste: This is a very full, roasty stout with distinct bitter dark chocolate tones and breadiness. I also picked up some roasted malts and dark fruits on the finish. This is a relatively hoppy stout, which is a bit surprising. Again, I’m a fan of brews that color outside the lines a bit. Also, the hoppiness worked nicely with the dark fruits I picked up on the finish.

Overall: As I was chatting with someone at the bar, I took my time drinking this one stout, and discovered that it improves noticeably as it warms. Fresh out of the fridge (or tap in this case), I’d probably call this a B to B+ beer because colder temps made it taste thinner to me. Closer to room temperature, this stout’s true character comes out. Drink it if you can find it!

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Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout

The Beer:
Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout

The Brewer:
North Coast Brewing Co.
California, United States

Style:
Russian Imperial Stout
9.00% ABV

Presentation: On tap at Julian’s, Providence, RI

DBG Grade: A-

Appearance: As with most stouts, it’s black as pitch with a pillowy tan head. It pours with a nice cascading effect. There’s decent lacing but it doesn’t last for long.

Aroma: A nice whiff of roasted malts and chocolate. It’s like chocolate bread pudding fresh out of the oven. This stout doesn’t have an incredibly domineering smell, which is a good thing in my book.

Mouthfeel: Very silky smooth and viscous. This is a heavy stout where the creaminess plays a large role in hiding the booziness (9% ABV). The carbonation comes through, but not in a big way.

Taste: A really wonderful balance of chocolate and rich espresso along with underlying tones of molasses. It’s a very warming beer with just a hint of a bitter, hoppy finish.

Overall: This is a fantastic session stout if you line up your designated driver early in the night. Though I’m happy to drink it any time of the year, I tend to think of Old Rasputin as a hearty winter beer best served next to a roaring fire. It’s complex, but very balanced and never overwhelms the palate. I’d love to try this beer with a black forest cake or pot du crème.

Cheers,
John Harvey
Dirtybeerguy.com

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The Beer:
Bear Republic Heritage Ale

The Brewer:
Bear Republic Brewing Company
California, United States

Style:
Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy
7.6% ABV

Presentation: On tap at the Armsby Abbey, Worcester, MA.

DBG Grade: A-

Appearance: Pours an extremely dark garnet/mahogany color that’s not quite opaque to light. The moderate, one-finger head is a light tan and goes away fairly quickly. There’s little lacing.

Aroma: Very nice aroma on this beer! I got caramel and molasses mixed with dark fruits. If you’ve got any family in the British Isles, then you’ll pick up the aroma of Christmas pudding fresh out of the oven.

Mouthfeel: Considering the high(ish) ABV, this is a very smooth, medium-bodied beer. There’s a bit of carbonation that adds some texture, but it’s quite understated.

Taste: Fantastic! The opening taste melds caramel and fudge with a silky, smooth maltiness and biscuit undertones. The finish gives off a hint of dark fruits and sweet nuttiness.

Overall: This is a very sturdy, manly Scotch ale! I’d love to have this with a chocolate bread pudding. While this beer is complex, it’s really quite drinkable if you’re a fan of this style. For those with a less adventurous palate, Heritage Scotch Ale might be a bit much. I’d be a very happy man if I got to drink more than one of these in a night.

Cheers,
John Harvey
Dirtybeerguy.com

Bear Republic Brewing Company

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Pretty Things American Darling

The Beer:
Pretty Things American Darling

The Brewer:
Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project
Massachusetts, United States

Style:
American Pale Lager
7.00% ABV

DBG Grade: A-

Presentation: On tap at Julian’s, Providence, RI

Appearance: This filtered lager pours a clear, light gold with a one-finger pure white head and thin trails of carbonation.  It’s refreshing just to look at this beer on a hot day!

Aroma: Pretty understated. You won’t get a big hit from whiffing this beer. What does come through is floral and grassy with a hint of lemon in the background.

Mouthfeel: This is a light-bodied beer for me. Other drinkers may consider it to come in at the lower limits of medium-bodied (keep in mind that I’m a stout and porter guy). The carbonation gives it a nice, zesty feel in the mouth.  The finish is dry but doesn’t wring out the tongue.

Taste:  The opening on this pale lager is lightly sweet malts and a grainy grassiness. It’s a touch bitter on the hops side, but not mouth puckering by any means.  There’s a fantastic balance of tastes and textures coming from both the pilsner malts and hops sourcing from the Weyermann and Hallertau regions of Germany.  I got a lot of nice lemony/grassy flavors mixed with some herb and honey tones. Not a lot of alcohol taste on this beer. You’d think the ABV was below 5%.

Overall: If you’re looking for a great lazy summer day beer, this is it. Again, as a guy who gravitates toward porters and stouts, this brew is a bit of a reach for me. But I really liked this a lot. Pretty Things rarely does filtered beers. So, if you’re the sort who worries about disturbing sediment while traveling with beer, then this is a good pick for you. Also, while I think this beer would go fine with any food, it’s particularly well suited for fish and chicken.

Cheers,
John Harvey
Dirtybeerguy.com

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Dark Horse Fore Smoked Stout

The Beer:
Dark Horse Fore Smoked Stout

Brewed By:
Dark Horse Brewing Company
Michigan, United States

Style:
Stout/Smoked Beer
8.00% ABV

Presentation:
On tap at Armsby Abbey, Worcester, MA

DBG Grade: A

Appearance:  Pours pitch black with a rich, dark coffee-colored head. No lacing. Visually, it’s an imposing beer.

Aroma:  The nose coming off this beer is rich with smokey dark chocolate and espresso. There’s a fairly roasty aroma, but it’s not overwhelming.

Mouthfeel:  Very smooth and smokey (via the peat malt) and full-bodied. The hops really only express themselves as a hint of a mild coffee bitterness.

Taste: Fantastic! This stout perfectly blends dark chocolate and coffee tones for the opening taste and then brings in a rich smokey/malty roast for the middle and finish. Considering the 8% ABV, there’s very little alcohol burn (perhaps a touch in the aftertaste).

Overall:  Considering all of the strong flavors within this stout, it’s impressively well balanced and accessible. I’ve tried several stouts that I loved, but knew that I could only drink one per session because they hit the palate like a sledgehammer. That said, I could drink several Fore Smoked Stouts per session without hesitation. If you’re a fan of smoked beers, then put this on your must-try list.

Cheers,
John Harvey
Dirtybeerguy.com

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Schneider Weisse Weizenhell (Hefeweizen)

The Beer:
Schneider Weisse
Weizenhell (Hefeweizen)

Private Weissbierbrauerei
G. Schneider & Sohn GmbH
Germany

Style:
Hefeweizen
4.90% ABV

Presentation: On tap at Julian’s

Overall Grade: A-

Appearance: Pours a murky, mahogany brown with a frothy, long-lasting white head. It’s a very robust-looking beer.

Aroma: Big Belgian yeast nose right up front. There’s also a fruity mix of pear and apple layered on top of mild spices, freshly-baked bread, and some alcoholic esters (spare me the jokes about your boozy Aunt Est(h)er). Just from the aroma alone, there’s a lot going on with this beer and it’s all good!

Mouthfeel: Medium carbonation comes up in the mouthfeel, though you have hard time seeing it in this dark beer. This gives this medium/full-bodied beer a nice initial crispness while remaining quite smooth. For a darker beer, it’s very palate cleansing. Not a lot of aftertaste.

Taste:  A broad, fruity flavor sits right alongside a caramel breadiness on the first taste. Let it sit in your mouth for a bit and you’ll get some sweet spices (clove and nutmeg) and alcoholic esters make themselves known (but do not dominate). The finish is malty but crisp and clean. There might be a trace of hoppy bitterness at the end.

Overall: For whatever reason, I don’t drink many German beers. This one was a huge treat! This hearty, subtly complex beer clocks in with an ABV just shy of 5%, so it would serve you well as a session beer. I could see this being a fantastic red meat beer.

Cheers,
John Harvey
Dirtybeerguy.com

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