Anderson Valley Bourbon Barrel Stout: 4.0 – This again suffers from the classic problem that many beers fall into with barrel aging, in that you don’t really get a nice woody flavor, but a more mellow sweet flavor that overall is really not what you want from the beer. Some have gotten aged beers in bourbon barrels right, but it’s far and few between.
Google Shop Average: Anderson Valley Bourbon Barrel Stout $9
Website: https://avbc.com/
Amber Apparation Amber Ale: 4.3 – Great art and that’s mostly it. The beer is passable, but for something that looks this nice you’d expect it to be something really fancy, or powerful/strong, or even just really weird tasting. Hell any sort of flavor or distinctiveness would have made this worth buying, but nope.
Google Shop Average: Amber Apparation Amber Ale $10
Website: http://hennikerbrewing.com/
The Maple Collaboration: 7.0 – It’s ale, with maple syrup. It does not get more apt than that. It’s very sweet but ultimately it’s just now as good as the maple syrup beer we all believe in our hearts maple syrup beers can be.
Google Shop Average: The Maple Collaboration $7
Website: http://www.peakbrewing.com/
Atwater Brewery Vanilla Java Porter: 7.0 – Unlike a lot of other vanilla beers (and this may be the ‘Java’) the vanilla here actually tastes like vanilla, but does so in a way that it’s not gimmicky. As far as a vanilla porter goes, this is one of our favorites (but it does have to rank against other porters)
Google Shop Average: Atwater Brewery Vanilla Java Porter $10 for 6-Pack
Website: http://www.atwaterbeer.com/
Killian’s Irish Stout: 4.0 – Now I am glad that I can get a Killian’s Red Ale in a lot of bars across the country, because it’s a good staple. When I saw this I was excited hoping it would be like Guinness’s Black Lager foray, sadly this is pretty par/subpar for a stout.
Google Shop Average: Killian’s Irish Stout $12 for 6-Pack
Website: http://www.georgekillians.com/
Lion Stout: 4.5 – The price isn’t bad, and in truth the stout isn’t either, it’s just this is a shelf filler, it’s not great, not many people are gonna buy it so that it sells out, and a few people will buy for the lion – but it’s much better at filling a shelf than being a great stout.
Google Shop Average: Lion Stout $6
Website: http://lionbeer.com/
Double Rye Ale: 5.5 – As far as a Rye Ale goes, this is fairly standard – it has that characteristic difference that you get with Rye, but it’s not like it does a whole lot with that flavor.
Google Shop Average: Double Rye Ale $2 (I got a single as part of mix pack)
Website: http://www.stbcbeer.com/
Dogfish Head Etru Sca: 7.5 – This is the king of weird beers, and at $16 that may seem like very much to spend on a beer that is a novelty, but it’s really worth it here. Maybe this isn’t something you get a lot, but is this something that as someone who drinks beer should buy and enjoy – oh hell yes.
Google Shop Average: Dogfish Head Etru Sca $16
Website: http://www.dogfish.com/
Path of the Unknown: 8.5 – Really bold flavor and full bodied, this is a great beer, and I look forward to more from them. (Future Note: we tried their other beer and while good this is better). This is the kind of beer that scores really well with us, because while it has a nice complexity the flavor is really intense, but the beer as a whole still feels balanced.
Google Shop Average: Path of the Unknown $18
Website: http://pioneerbeer.wix.com/pioneer
Allagash Bourbon Barrel Black: 8.5 – Continuing this week with amazing beers we get Allagash’s Bourbon Barrel Black which is their Black but aged in Bourbon Barrels. Now when we toured the Allagash brewery they mentioned they were doing this, and our thought was what sexual favours would be the best suited to get us a barrel. But alas we waited, and boy was it worth it. This beer is dark, and unlike other barrel aged beers, it gets it fucken right.
Google Shop Average: Allagash Bourbon Barrel Black $19
Website: http://www.allagash.com/