BEER OF THE MONTH MAY: CIGAR CITY MARSHAL ZHUKOV

There was no doubt about this selection as Zhukov is simply on the best stouts I have ever had. It tastes like a dense chocolate cake with raspberry dressing, and delivers as much palate pleasing flavor per sip as any other beer out there. The runners up are also world class, with Struise Pannepot as one of the few Quads out there which manages to outshine most Trappist offerings, and Schaerbeekse my favorite sour to date.

WINNER: CIGAR CITY MARSHAL ZHUKOV’S IMPERIAL STOUT

Second: Struise Pannepot

Third: Drie Fonteinen Schaerbeekse Kriek

Review: Samuel Smith Taddy Porter (Bottle)

This is maybe Sameul Smith’s most popular offering, and for decent reason. It’s drinkable for the masses, yet still flavorful for craft beer geeks. The most unique aspect of this beer is the tangy, savory oat qualities. It’s almost reminiscent of peanuts as well, and is backed by some lightly roasted coffee and butterscotch. Not much chocolate going on here as the body is a little thin, leaving me wanting more, but this is a good gateway beer. Personally I find it a little over-rated, but if you’re not a fan of overwhelming flavors in your dark ales you’ll love it. 

Niko I (FF) Score = 8.5/10

Review: Drie Fonteinen Schaerbeekse Kriek (Bottle)

This is simply the best sour ale I’ve had to date, and at 35 dollars a bottle, it better be. It pours a beautiful ruby red with candy pink foam, radiating a super funky aroma of cabbage/olives and some berry. Though the beer is made with Schaerbeekse cherries, the sweetness is minimal, instead yielding phenomenal tart cherry flavors. Even more prevalent is a complex buttery olive richness, along with red wine undertones, finishing dry, acidic, and savory. Amazingly complex beer. 

Niko I (FF) Score = 9.75/10

Aleks I (GS) Score = 9.25/10

OVERALL = 9.5/10

Review: Dieu du Ciel Rigor Mortis Abt (Bottle)

It’s been far far too long since I’ve reviewed a beer from Dieu du Ciel, the Canadian brewery that is easy to overlook despite their stellar line up of big, strong, and complex beers. Rigor Mortis, a Belgian Quadrupel style ale, is no exception. Before I get to the beer, let me just point out the label, which is mystically creepy yet hard to look away from. I doubt it appeals to the masses, but it’s certainly an artistic approach that ought to be appreciated. Anyway on to the beer: there’s a lot of yeast complemented by raison, caramel, dark chocolate, tart cranberries, and a comforting booze warmth in the finish. Not quite as good as some of the better trappist offerings but very well done. 

Niko I (FF) Score = 9.25/10

Aleks I (GS) Score = 9/10

OVERALL = 9.1/10

Review: Mikkeller Hop Burn High (Bottle)

Another IPA from Mikkeller and this one is really good stuff. Big fresh hop bomb of grapefruit that lingers in your throat with a little tartness, tropical fruit, and a sweet aftertaste that contains a lot of honey. It’s maybe a little too sweet in the finish but the flavors are bold and well layered. 

Niko I (FF) Score = 9.25/10

Review: Southern Tier Creme Brulee Stout (Bottle)

This is one of the most polarizing beers out there, and that is no different with us here at GBQ. Personally, I think it’s disgustingly sweet. The aroma and taste is overwhelming and sickeningly sugary frosting and vanilla. It’s chalky and completely dominates the beer with a little dark chocolate following through on the finish. Aleks however thought it was decently balanced and pretty damn good. I guess you’ll just have to try it yourself to see which side your on.

Niko (FF) Score = 5/10

Aleks (GS) Score = 8.5/10

OVERALL = 6.75/10

NEW LINKS!!!

So Tumblr is finally letting me add permanent links to the blog. Check out the GBQ home page for a a link to our updated TOP 50 BEERS list and Scoring System description. 

Cheers,

GBQ

Review: The Bruery Trade Winds Triple (bottle)

This beer is a good example of how drinking temperature can really influence the flavors of certain beers. As it spent a couple hours in the fridge, Trade Winds likely clocked in around 45-50 degrees when I first sipped it. For many beers this temperature is actually ideal but this guy tasted like nothing! Thankfully after it began to warm near room temperature the beer matured in front of my eyes, yielding some interesting flavors, the most notably being a really significant basil leaf presence. Combined with the bread-like yeast, this ale almost tastes like an Italian spiced bread in beer form. There’s also some lemon and citrus which you wouldn’t expect to work, but it plays a complementary role and meshes fine.

Niko I (FF) Score = 8.5/10 

Review: Hoppin’ Frog DORIS the Destroyer (Bottle)

DORIS is described as a Double Imperial Oatmeal Stout, where as BORIS is just an Imperial Oatmeal Stout… ummm yeah sure Hoppin’ Frog whatever you say. Despite the vague description, the flavors of DORIS are certainly different: much more bitter extra dark chocolate dominates. In fact it tastes rather burnt and smoky. Of course there’s some coffee as you would expect but the really powerful bitter dark flavors dominate. Personally I prefer BORIS as it’s less one dimensional, but this is a solid Imperial as well. 

Niko I (FF) Score = 8.75/10

Review: Mikkeller 19 (Bottle)

I’ve reviewed a few of Mikkeller’s single hop series, so I was eager to try 19, a collaboration of all 19 types of hops, which I would assume would be some type of record. Certainly an interesting concept and the kind of creativity that we would expect from Mikkeller. So does it live up to the potential? Umm… sort of. It’s a good IPA for sure, but if you asked me how many hops were in here I would have no fucking idea. Surprisingly it’s not super complex: sweet malt base, apricot, some pineapple, nice fresh resiny bitterness. Worth a try though.

Niko I (FF) Score = 8.75/10