Archive for the tag “Taylor’s Market”

23 Dec 2015

Paris of the West – Almanac Beer Company

Beer bottle9.5% ABV
Purchased at Bottle Barn in Santa Rosa ($5.99/22 oz. bottle) and poured into tulip glasses.

This “Quadrupel ale brewed with flame raisins, candi sugar and oranges” pours a date-like dark brown with a small, off-white head.  The richly inviting nose offers classic Belgian Quad aromas of raisins, dark fruits, nuts and a hint of maple, but the first swallow beckoned some unexpected flavors, especially on the sharp and seltzer-y finish. It’s no wonder the bottle suggests pairing Paris of the West with Roquefort cheese, and even as the brew warmed, it became apparent that we probably needed food to fully bring out the flavors.  That seltzer aftertaste is likely due to the unusual addition of oranges, as subsequent sips brought forth fruitcake-like flavors of citrus peel and dried fruits and nuts.  Not fully successful but consistently interesting, and I love the willingness of Almanac to push the envelope on familiar beer styles.

  3 Toasts

 

Almanac-ParisoftheWest

 

   3 Toasts

 

Posted in 3-4 Toasts, Beer Review, Quadrupel and tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
09 Apr 2015

Bokonon – Shady Oak Barrel House

 

bokonon_bttl6.75% ABV
Purchased at Taylor’s Market in Sacramento ($12.49/25.4 oz. bottle) and poured into tulip glasses.

This inaugural offering from Santa Rosa-based Shady Oak Barrel House pours a gorgeous light gold with a foamy, bright white head.  Inspired by the works of Kurt Vonnegut, the brettanomyces-heavy Bokonon exudes tart and earthy farmhouse aromas – lemons, grass, barnyard funk, Belgian yeast, and minerals dominate the nose.  It’s also a little bit metallic, on the nose and on the first swallow, but it’s brimming with Belgian complexity, with mellow citrus and freshly mowed lawn holding the front line while the more tart and aggressive flavors guard the rear.  Bokonon offers a whole lot of funk and must, not all of it entirely pleasing, and yet I kept going back to discover more about this fascinating and challenging beer.

  3.5 Toasts

Bokonon

   4 Toasts

 

Posted in 3-4 Toasts, Beer Review, Farmhouse Ale and tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
15 Jan 2015

Coffee Brown – Saint Archer

starcher_coffee_bttl6% ABV
Purchased at Taylor’s Market ($4.99/22 oz. bottle) and poured into pint glasses.

Brewed by San Diego upstarts Saint Archer, Coffee Brown pours a black coffee color with a mid-sized, sawdust-colored head.  The nose is more sweet than roasty, not unlike coffee candy, with aromas of coffee, amaretto, milk chocolate and toffee.  Coffee Brown gets sweet on the first swallow as well, with a flavor that feels a little too artificial, and although it finishes with a nice coffee and cream richness, the aftertaste is a little thick and syrupy.  There is some nuttiness from the brown ale base, but I would have preferred more bitterness, and a coffee flavor that was slightly more authentic.  We have really enjoyed some of the hoppier offerings from Saint Archer, but this one just misses.

   2.5 Toasts

StArcher_Brown

 

   3 Toasts

 

Posted in 2-3 Toasts, Ale, Beer Review, Brown and tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment
14 Nov 2014

Pinchy Jeek – Anderson Valley Brewing Company

PinchyJeek_22oz8.5% ABV
Purchased at Taylor’s Market ($10.99/22 oz. bottle) and poured into tulip glasses.

Pinchy Jeek is “brewed with pumpkin and spices and aged in Wild Turkey bourbon barrels” by Anderson Valley, and it pours a black-and-tan color with a mid-sized, beach sand hand.  The nose is sweet, transfixing, mysterious, and autumnal, a candied and complex aroma that boasts pumpkin pie spice, toffee, vanilla, and a hint of whiskey barrel.  Spices hit the palette first, a warming glow of nutmeg, cinnamon and pumpkin, with the Wild Turkey kick and Tootsie Roll sweetness riding in on the second wave of flavor.  It’s a fascinating and rewarding brew, maple sweets and savory spices in perfect harmony, and an essential beer for the fall.

toasts-4.5   4.5 Toasts

 

PinchyJeek

toasts-4.5   4.5 Toasts

 

Posted in 4-5 Toasts, Barrel-Aged, Beer Review, Seasonal, Spiced Beer and tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
31 Oct 2013
2 Comments

Vampire Slayer – Clown Shoes Beer

vampire_bttl10% ABV
Purchased at Taylor’s Market in Sacramento ($9.99/22 oz. bottle) and poured into mini globe glasses.

Vampire Slayer pours midnight black with a fun-sized, caramel candy-colored head and intricate spider web lacing on the glass.  This imperial stout from Ipswich, Massachusetts-based Clown Shoes smells of smoldering wood (the malts were smoked with hickory and ash), caramel, and a little milk chocolate.  The first swallow is rich and chocolate-y up front, but that fades into a long and bitter finish dominated by burnt wood and coffee grounds.  It’s a dark and delicious beer, and a masterful storyteller at that – on later swallows, caramel and root beer flavors emerge on the front end, while firewood and bitter coffee stay planted on the finish.

toasts-4.5   4.5 Toasts

Vampire_ClownShoes

toasts-4.5   4.5 Toasts

Posted in 4-5 Toasts, Beer Review, Imperial Stout, Smoked Beer and tagged , , , , , , ,
07 May 2013

Tramp Stamp – Clown Shoes

trampstamp_bttl7% ABV
 Purchased at Taylor’s Market ($11.99/4-pack of 12-oz. bottles) and poured into tulip glasses.

This Belgian IPA from Ipswich, Massachussetts-based brewery Clown Shoes pours burnt orange with a minimal white head.  Tramp Stamp gives off a nose of sweet farmhouse funk, lemon, hay, and some stone fruits.  It offers a decent hop presence on the first swallow, but that quickly subsides into a Belgian yeast-heavy finish that absolutely refuses to vacate the palate.  The lingering aftertaste is rubbery, metallic, and altogether unpleasant, completely overwhelming the promising IPA flavors on the front end.  A successful “Belgian IPA” requires a certain balance of flavors, and although we have enjoyed other beers from Clown Shoes (like their delicious tripel Muffin Top and their  stout Chocolate Sombrero), this one completely misses the mark.

toasts-small-2   2 Toasts

TrampStamptoasts-small-2.5      2.5 Toasts

 

Posted in Beer Review, Belgian IPA and tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

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