Samuel Adams Maple Pecan Porter

20140131:
Today I had the beer and noted the following:
A: The beer is dark in color. Holding it up to the light (incandescent), it appears red.
S: This beer has a malty, chocolate smell.
T: The initial taste is smooth and I detect chocolate.
M: There is almost no carbonation and past the initial tasting, the beer seems to leave a coat of sugar in the mouth, the initial chocolate taste subsides.

After these notes, I read the bottle description which says the following: "Sweet New England maple syrup and a distinct pecan note define this balanced porter. The roasted character of our blend of malts complements the maple sweetness with hints of coffee and chocolate. Reddish-black in color, this full-bodied brew has a sweet and slightly nutty finish. Cheers! Jim Koch"

Overall, I enjoyed the beer and would recommend it to others.

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Samuel Adams Maple Pecan Porter

Relevant Links:
Maple Pecan Porter (Samuel Adams Website)
Samuel Adams Maple Pecan Porter (BeerAdvocate.com)
Samuel Adams Maple Pecan Porter (RateBeer.com)

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Website Information:

Samuel Adams
Maple Pecan Porter

Maple Pecan Porter is a full-bodied Porter with notes of sweet Vermont maple syrup and a subtle pecan character. It passes through flavors of each, from an initial maple note, to the roasted character of coffee and chocolate, to a sweet and slightly tangy nutty finish.

HOP VARIETIES East Kent Goldings
MALT VARIETIES Samuel Adams® two-row pale malt blend, Caramel 60, Munich, and Carafa
YEAST STRAIN Top-fermenting Ale
COLOR Reddish Black, SRM: 48
SPECIAL INGREDIENTS Maple Syrup
ALC. BY VOL/WT 5.6%ABV - 4.4%ABW
IBUs 30
AVAILABILITY Seasonal

TASTING NOTES
- Real Vermont maple syrup is added during brewing to provide a sweet taste.
- The blend of malts coupled with maple syrup provides rich, classic characteristics with hints of roasted coffee and vanilla, though no coffee or vanilla were added to this brew.

Magic Hat Heart of Darkness

20140124:
Taking a break from the milonga (Argentine Tango dance event), my friend Apurv and I went over to CVP to have a quick drink before heading back.

I wrote: "Magic Hat Heart of Darkness Stout. I smell coffee and chocolate notes. The beer tastes similar to how it smells. It's a solid stout. This was last Thursday."* 20140128 2:12PM ET

*While I wrote "Thursday," I surely meant "Friday," which was the day of the Tango Esta Noche Milonga (Thursdays are when the regular classes are held).

[20140128][20150127 Edit]

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Magic Hat Heart of Darkness

(20140124 23:30 ET)

Relevant Links:
Heart of Darkness (Magic Hat Website)
Magic Hat Heart of Darkness (BeerAdvocate.com)
Magic Hat Heart of Darkness Stout (2012) (RateBeer.com)

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Website Information:

HEART OF DARKNESS
A DIABOLICALLY DELICIOUS STOUT

An inky-black stout with a smooth, round palate and a dream-like undercurrent of bittersweet chocolate.

STATS
Malts: Pale, Crystal, Roasted Barley, Chocolate, Munich
Hops: Apollo, Goldings
ABV: 5.7%
IBU: 30
SRM: 80
Yeast: English Ale
Original Gravity: 15° Plato

AVAILABILITY: October - January: 6-Packs, 12-Packs, Variety Packs, Draft

STORY
Filled with the howling of black dogs that haunt the long-forgotten shadows of the human soul. This dense liquid-silk summoned hope from hibernation and balanced winter’s endless white snows with a rich swirl of creamy black rapture.

Sierra Nevada Imperial Pilsner - Beer Camp #43

20140119:
This beer was drinkable and didn't taste bitter. At the same time there wasn't much of a taste to it. 3:49AM ET*

*I found this note as a draft on my blog on 20150125, and it was time stamped as 20140119 3:49AM ET. There was no evidence as to the actual date and time. However, I'm content with there existing a note at all. The picture of the bottle was taken independently from the time of tasting the beer.

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Sierra Nevada Imperial Pilsner - Beer Camp #43

Relevant Links:
Sticke Pilsner - Beer Camp #43 (Best of Beer Camp: Imperial Pilsner) (BeerAdvocate.com)
Imperial Pilsener - Beer Camp #43 (BeerAdvocate.com)
Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Imperial Pilsner (RateBeer.com)

Union Craft Balt Altbier

20140117:
This beer has an interesting taste to it, though slightly bitter. The bitterness is there when the beer hits the tongue and continues to last a bit after swallowing. However, there is a nice taste that comes with the bitterness at the start of every sip. 2:23 PM ET

[20180707 Edit]

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Union Craft Balt Altbier

Relevant Links:
Balt Altbier (Union Craft Website)
Union Craft Balt Altbier (RateBeer.com)
Balt Altbier | Union Craft Brewing Company (BeerAdvocate.com)

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Website Information:

Balt

A Brewing Tradition
This German-style Altbier is our nod to an old world, old school ale. The word “Alt” is German for “old”, and refers to the traditional style of brewing before lager yeast was discovered. Balt is a dark, copper colored brew with a creamy head, a gentle bitterness and a clean, dry finish. Prost Hon!

ALCOHOL BY VOLUME: 5.6%
BITTERNESS (IBU): 45
COLOR: Copper/Amber
MALT: Pilsner, Munich,Cara Munich, Carafa
HOPS: Perle,Tettnang
YEAST: German Alt

Delirium Noël

20140111:
Yet another January 2014 event whose notes became missing in action. I have decided, however, that these pictures deserve stubs.

Delirium Noël - bottle

Two hours later, we opened a bottle of Ommegang Hennepin.

[20150125]

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Delirium Noël
also known as Delirium Christmas

Delirium Noël - bottle and glass full of beer

Relevant Links:
Delirium Noël (BeerAdvocate.com)
Delirium Noël (RateBeer.com)

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Website Information:

Delirium Christmas
Bottle: 33cl with crown cap / 75cl with cork and muselet.
Barrels: 15l, 20l and 30l.
Alcohol volume: 10% ABV
Colour and sight: chestnut amber. A fine, white, creamy and lacing foam.
Scent: A complex entity of caramel malt, fruit, spices and the sweetness of the alcohol.
Flavour: A strong presence of alcohol, very spicy, slightly bitter. The aftertaste is sweet, spicy and slightly bitter.

Stone Smoked Porter with Vanilla Bean

20140109:
Unfortunately, this was one of the many January entries whose notes have strangely disappeared. In any case, I thought I should just create a stub for it.

Having liked the Stone Smoked Porter, I probably loved the Stone Smoked Porter with Vanilla Bean.

[20150124]

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20150905:
Finally after many attempts to try this beer, and one success at drinking it (20140109) but subsequently losing the notes on it, I have tried this beer and it is accompanied by some notes!

I loved the subtle chocolate smell. There was also a light maltiness on the nose.

The taste was nice and carbonated, and had a texture which was slightly thicker than a watery beer.

For a moment I felt like I could taste the vanilla bean, but I was not entirely sure.

Regardless, I liked the overall flavor of the beer.

After completing my share of the bottle, I reiterated that I liked the bear and further observed that the final sips tasted slightly sour. 6:19PM PT

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Stone Smoked Porter with Vanilla Bean

Relevant Links:
Stone Smoked Porter with Vanilla Bean (Stone Website)
Smoked Porter - Vanilla Bean (BeerAdvocate.com)
Stone Smoked Porter - Vanilla Bean (RateBeer.com)

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Website Information:

STONE SMOKED PORTER with Vanilla Bean

STYLE: PORTER
ALC/VOL: 5.9%
IBUS: 53
DECEMBER 15, 2014

Warm up your palate with this delicious vanilla-laced creation. Whole Madagascar vanilla beans impart a vanilla quality that melds perfectly with the malty, chocolaty, coffee-like characteristics of our venerable Stone Smoked Porter. Enjoy this exquisite brew on its own or paired with a variety of food.

Limited 22-ounce bottles and draft.

Schneider Weisse Aventinus

20140103:
This was one of the many entries in January which exist under my photo record but lack corresponding notes. While I don't know why, I decided to post the various entries with their pictures. At the least they can act as stubs.

[20150124]

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Schneider Weisse Aventinus

Relevant Links:
Schneider Weisse TAP6 Unser Aventinus
Schneider Weisse Tap 6 Unser Aventinus (BeerAdvocate.com)
Schneider Aventinus (RateBeer.com)

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Website Information:

Schneider TAP6 Unser Aventinus
Deep and complex – for big and relaxing moments by the fire.

Darkruby colored wheat doppelbock with a creamy fine head. Strong notes of ripe bananas, raisins and plums meet liquorice and roasty aromes. Full-bodied and warming, with a well-balanced and smooth finish. Oldest wheat doppelbock of Bavaria.

Food recommendation: hearty roast meat, venison and also fruity Chocolate desserts as well as blue mold cheese.

Mathilde Schneider, widowed wife of Georg III, created the first wheat doppelbock of Bavaria in 1907. The recipe for TAP6 Unser Aventinus is so unique that is has remained unchanged until today.

Hops: Hallertauer Tradition and Magnum
Malt: 50 % wheat malt, 50 % barley malt from the region of Kelheim
Fermentation: Bottle and keg fermentation
IBU: 16
CO2: 7 g/l
Alcohol: 8,2 % vol. alc.
Orig. gravity: 18,5 %
Brewed since 1907