Iron Strong but Smooth as Silk - Iron Joe

Oak aged with Avoca Coffee

So I first met Iron Joe at a beer fest this winter and immediately loved how unique this beer is from Rahr & Sons Brewing Co in Fort Worth, Texas.  While raising the glass you get a whole lot of coffee aroma along with notes of whiskey and oak.

The coffee flavor is up front right there where you like it. Very silky mouth feel and just a little bite at the end from the barrel aging.  This is such an easy drinking beer even though it is at 8% ABV.

If you get a chance, I recommend trying this one especially if you like coffee beers! 

Looking forward to trying more beers from Rahr & Sons. 

Cheers!

Hey is That Peanut Butter in My Imperial Coffee Porter?

Hands down my favorite Peanut Butter Imperial Porter

Most of you already know that I love a good coffee stout or porter. Now what you may not know is that I am very fond of chocolate and peanut butter together also!  So when I found about the Peanut Butter Victory at Sea by Ballast Point, I had to try it.

The aroma for me is a chocolaty sweet smell. I don't get a ton of coffee aroma from the Caffe Calabria coffee. The flavor is very rich with a lot of chocolate and vanilla up front. In the middle I pick up some coffee notes along with the peanut butter. The back end is very roasty and just a hint of bitterness from the 68 IBUs. 

This 10% Imperial Porter is a great beer on a cold winters night. I enjoyed it immensely! 

Cheers!

A Beast of a Beer

Espresso Oak Aged Yeti from Great Divide Brewing is a very complex brew. It comes in at 9.5% ABV and 75 IBUs. It is my first time having any type of Yeti and there are several characteristics that stand out in this imperial stout. First I would say that I get a tremendous amount of chocolate flavor out of this beer. That is then replaced by some coffee but more noticeably is the oak and whiskey flavors. The finish is some bitterness from the huge hop profile in this beer. From an imperial stout, it is pretty darn good. I am not sure I am getting enough coffee out of it to be a go-to coffee beer for me.  Cheers!

Lucky Bucket Tropic Thunder

On tap at Luck Bucket Brewery

Can't make it to the beach, but want that warm, sunshiny feeling? Lucky Bucket has the answer and it is called Tropic Thunder. This wheat brew has a great balance of Mango up front and a perfect amount of Habanero heat in the back end. Sunshine and some heat in the same glass! Go in and try this one while you can and let Lucky Bucket know that you would like to see this 4% ABV session beer bottled for this spring and summer.

Cheers!

Berkshire Brewing Company Coffee House Porter

Ok, you are thinking what is up with a Groot Pumpkin and no Pumpkin beer? Well this fall was great for Pumpkin beers, but I am moving on to something a little darker and earthier ... in other words Groot approved! This is my first beer from Berkshire Brewing Company from South Deerfield, MA. I was taken back by this Porter.  Incredible chocolate aroma and flavor! The coffee is mild, so don't stray away from this beer if you are not a big coffee fan. This porter has a slightly sweet finish which to me makes this porter better than most that I have ever had.  If you would like to find out about more beers from New England, check out this blog site - Hoptitude.com  These guys have an awesome site and can direct you to the craft beer gems of the Northeast.

Cheers!

S'Mores Me

Imagine getting a whiff of graham cracker, chocolate, and marsh mellow.  You are thinking from a campfire right? I'm not ... I am talking about the New Holland Brewing S'mores Bourbon Barrel Stout from their reserve series. One thing about a stout and especially about an imperial stout, let this beer warm up. Once it hits about 50 - 55 degrees, all of the aroma and taste really start to happen. I am a big fan of Dragon's Milk and this version doesn't disappoint. I love the graham cracker taste on the front end and the big imperial, boozey finish. Just to warn you this one is very rare to find. A good friend of mine got me one to sample. Happy hunting!

Splish Splash is the Answer to Summertime Fun

Splish Splash from Infusion brings back memories of summertime splash fights in the pool. This tart cherry wheat beer is so refreshing on a hot summer's day.  The other thing that is awesome is now you can get Splish Splash in cans! This is great for the pool, beach, picnic, outdoor theater, and any other summertime fun place. If you get a chance to try this, I think you will find it as refreshing as I do.

Prairie Pride Islander Porter

Photo from Prairie Pride Brewer website

This weekend I was at Benson Beer Fest and got to meet one of Nebraska's newest breweries - Prairie Pride Brewing Co.   From my favorites list of the event, the Islander Porter was definitely my favorite new local beer that I had.   This porter is so smooth with a nice combination of chocolate malt and the right amount of coconut flavor.   If you are a fan of porters and stouts then you need to make sure to get your hands on this one soon!

https://www.prairiepridebrewery.com/

Infusion - Chocolate Pistachio Milk Porter

This eloquent, rich chocolate porter with it's notes of coffee flavor is a favorite any time of the year.  The silky smooth finish makes it a great session beer or even for desert.   I would rather skip chocolate cake any day if I can have a pint of this gem!

The Lord Of Ord

This amazing Imperial Stout is definitely a work of art and could be put on the mantle. The impressive mixture of dark malts and barrel aging creates a immense about of chocolate and coffee flavor. This imperial comes in at 12.6% ABV and is one to enjoy every sip!  Great job Scratchtown Brewing Company - adding another awesome beer to the Sandhill's Finest growing list!