Epidemic Ales Batiquitos Brown

20180220:
Note #1 - Received @ 8:30 PM PT:

I tried the strawberry jam by two rivers and it was too fruity for me. so I tried the brown ale and it was watery. however, since it was better than the strawberry jam, I went ahead and ordered a pint of the brown ale. the brown ale has no discernible smell. it had a nice mouthfeel. thick, yet carbonated. somehow it was still somewhat watery.

Full

Note #2 - Received 8:38 PM PT:

hmm, the beer has more substance than just being watery. it's not watery. not quite. there's a flavor. hmm, overall a 4 out of 5 stars. from what I can remember slightly better than guinness, but i'd have to check.

Half Full

Remark: Technically my notes don't refer to Epidemic Ales Batiquitos Brown, but on 20180430, it was the only Guest Beer listed on Elevation 66's website that was also a brown ale. In order, the Guest Beers are Two River's Strawberry Jam Cider (cider), Novel Brewing Peety Wheatstraw (double dry-hopped wheat ale), Epidemic Ales Batguitos Brown (brown ale), HenHouse Woke Up Like This Gose (gose), Lucky Devil Black Sabbath (Belgian-style barrel-aged imperial stout).

Nearly Empty

[20180430 Edit]

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Epidemic Ales Batiquitos Brown

Relevant Links:
Beers (Epidemic Ales Website)
Batiquitos Brown (RateBeer.com)
Batiquitos Brown | Epidemic Ales (BeerAdvocate.com)

Empty - Top Down View

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Website Information:

Batiquitos Brown
Brewed and Bottled by Epidemic Ales
Concord, CA

1PINT 6FL OZ | 4.7% ALC/VOL

Batiquitos Brown - Legend says there is a pirate’s treasure hidden in the Batiquitos lagoon. It has never been found but we have brewed the next best thing - an English brown ale so perfectly balanced it will be your greatest discovery. Think chocolate and caramel, delightfully rich but light.

HenHouse Woke Up Like This

20180220:
Note - Received @ 8:03 PM PT:

I sampled the HenHouse Woke Up Like This. yeah, great taste. flowery smell. gose. tulip 4.9%. the taste is not as bright as that first sip (sample), but there was still a small sour taste. as I drink it... yes, it has a balanced taste with a subtle sourness. for those who enjoy less sour this is a great beer.

Full

[20180426 Edit]

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HenHouse Woke Up Like This

Almost Empty

Relevant Links:
HenHouse Woke Up Like This (RateBeer.com)
Woke Up Like This | HenHouse Brewing (BeerAdvocate.com)

Elevation 66 Molly

20180220:
Note #1 - Received @ 7:42 PM PT

molly. barrel aged brown. has a sour smell. the taste is... short of being a sour ale. there's a fruitiness in there and it's dry. it's not bitter but has the Vietnamese chất (the sensation when you eat banana). different than bitter "dang".

Note #2 - Received @ 8:03 PM PT

in the end it is slightly off from being a pale ale. i'll rate it a 3.5 out of 5 because it's strange and not to my taste. tulip 6.0%.

[20180426 Edit]

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Elevation 66 Molly

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Website Information:

Molly
Our Two Beagle Brown Ale aged in Bourbon Barrels on Black Mission Figs

Lagunitas GnarlyWine

20180218:
Note - Received @ 9:01 PM PT:

I don't know how to describe the smell. The taste is strong. A bitterness lingers. The sugars follow. Hooo! This bitterness/strength. I can imagine someone enjoying it but it's too much for me. Hmmm... it might be a good fourth beer, i.e., a night finisher. Though people will have different opinions on that.

[20180428 Edit]

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Lagunitas GnarlyWine

Relevant Links:
GnarlyWine (Lagunitas Website)
Lagunitas Olde GnarlyWine (RateBeer.com)
Olde GnarlyWine | Lagunitas Brewing Company (BeerAdvocate.com)

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Website Information:

LIMITED RELEASE
GNARLYWINE
PURE MADNESS??
The first sip is for thirst, the second one for pleasure. The third is for romance, and the fourth for pure madness.

BEER SPECS
GNARLYWINE
Making a Mondo Ultra Mega Super Premium Barleywine Ale is a little like having a kid. The first part is fun and messy, it takes a while to ferment, and then a whole longer to mature. It is expensive and takes up a lot of space. You worry about how it'll grow up and whether or not you'll still be friends. Eventually it stays out all night and comes home with it's skirt on backwards. You know how it is. Usually we package our ales within 15 days of brewing. This one we aged in tanks for over a month. Why not buy three-? Drink one now, keep one in the 'fridge for a month, and one for another year! Yummy. . .

ABV: 10.9 | O.G.: 1.110 | IBU: 70

AVAILABILITY: 22 oz Bomber, On Tap

Eight Bridges Russian Hill Imperial Stout

20180215:
Note - Received @ 20180216 12:04 AM PT:

drinking the rest of this Russian imperial stout. it's strong. unfortunately quite flat by now. a little sour. yet its strength. I'm not sure if I want to discard it or keep drinking... lol.

[20180428 Edit]

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Eight Bridges Russian Hill Imperial Stout

Relevant Links:
Russian Hill Imperial Stout (Eight Bridges Website)
Eight Bridges Russian Hill Imperial Stout - Barrel Aged (RateBeer.com)
Russian Hill Imperial Stout | Eight Bridges Brewing Co. (BeerAdvocate.com)

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Website Information:

Russian Hill Imperial Stout - Barrel Aged Stout - Russian Imperial

11% ABV 90 IBU Eight Bridges Brewing
**Not Currently Available on Tap** Black in color with aromas of vanilla, chocolate, and a little alcohol. Below the tan head lies a slight semi-sweet chocolate flavor that was created by the barrel aging. Aged for nearly 6 months in a blend of Jack Daniel's and, Livermore's own, Sutherland Distilling bourbon barrels. Released once a year.

San Francisco Brewers Guild Foggy IPA

20180211:
Note - Received @ 2:36 PM PT:

wait, what? this foggy IPA has a grassy taste but also tasted bright compared to the imperial porter. if it weren't for the grassy hops, I would have thought I was drinking a sour. eventually, after drinking just the IPA, i.e., not directly following the porter, this beer more clearly tasted like an IPA. it still evoked a sense of bright. not quite citrus. well actually, it might be lemon. overall a 4.7 out of 5 stars.

[Part of Beer Flight at Dark Horse Inn]
[20180427 Edit]

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San Francisco Brewers Guild Foggy IPA

Relevant Links:
San Francisco Brewers Guild SF Beer #10 Foggy (RateBeer.com)
SF Brewers Guild #10 Foggy | Speakeasy Ales & Lagers (BeerAdvocate.com)

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Menu Description: (Dark Horse Inn)

SF Brewers Guild Foggy IPA $6/ 16oz (6.5%)
10th Anniversary SF Collaboration Beer brewed at Speakeasy with Admiral Maltings malt

Laughing Monk Precious Cargo

20180211:
Note #1 - Received @ 2:08 PM PT:

the previous beer didn't have a discernible smell. this imperial porter has a strong smell, like I should be expecting an alcoholic burn. but then it smelled fruity. regardless, it smells strong. turns out, among the possible beers on top, it has the highest ABV. wow, the taste is amazingly flavorful, side by side with its strength, and a delectably thick consistency. like melted chocolate. unlike the other two, I only took one sip so about a fourth. hmm, the next sip is just as good. i like the strength, it's not overpowering. before even finishing I'd say it's a 4.9 out of 5 stars.

Full (20180211)

Note #2 - Received @ 2:30 PM PT:

I finished off the porter. its strength cut through the oils and flavors of the salad. awesome.

[Part of Beer Flight at Dark Horse Inn]
[20180427 Edit]

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20180310:
I'm back at The Dark Horse Inn today.

Full (20180310)

Note #1 - Received @ 3:18 PM PT:

sample is strong.* I decide to have it. aroma is strong on the nose, most likely a dominant vanilla smell. its strength in taste makes it a slow sipper. huh, 9.8% ABV, highest on the list. that's a general trend: I usually end up picking one of the strongest beers from a list of choices, though likely caused by my preference of style.

Note #2 - Received @ 3:32 PM PT:

this strength borders on too much. as a warmer, it's perfect. the strength gets the warmth...

Nearly Empty (20180310)

*I didn't realize I already had this beer. A similar problem occurred to me almost a week ago here at The Dark Horse Inn (see my Pedro Point Hyggeweizen post).

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Laughing Monk Precious Cargo

Relevant Links:
Laughing Monk Precious Cargo (RateBeer.com)

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Almost Empty (20180211)

Website Information:

Precious Cargo Porter - Imperial / Double

9.8% ABV | 35 IBU

Oak, dark chocolate are present in the nose, while similar flavors and hints of vanilla and caramel on the palate.

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Menu Description: (Dark Horse Inn)

Laughing Monk Precious Cargo $6/ 8oz (9.8%)
Whiskey barrel aged imperial porter with oak, dark chocolate & toffee aroma and flavors, with hints of vanilla & caramel; medium-bodied and sweet with a drier finish

Standard Deviant Altbier

20180211:
Note - Received @ 1:57 PM PT:

I don't get any smell from this altbier but the taste was powerful as I held it in my mouth. there's a light sugary taste. so it's sweeter than the saison I just drank. it had an alcohol taste to it. I wish I knew a more official term. I use "alcoholic burn" to describe the burning sensation experienced when drinking hard liquor, e.g., bourbon, whiskey, and vodka. there's a nice long-term aftertaste.

[Part of Beer Flight at Dark Horse Inn]
[20180427 Edit]

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Standard Deviant Altbier

Relevant Links:
Standard Deviant Altbier (RateBeer.com)
Altbier | Standard Deviant Brewing (BeerAdvocate.com)

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Website Information:

ABV 5.6%

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Menu Description: (Dark Horse Inn)

Standard Deviate Sticke Altbier $?/ $oz (7%)
Double altbier hopped for high bitterness, ? high malt and a big yet drinkable body; toffee & caramel flavors ? red hue

Half Moon Bay Saison Sandwich

20180211:
Note - Received @ 1:51 PM PT:

saison sandwich is not actually sour, well perhaps ever slightly so. it has a wheat taste with some floral notes (I use floral because recently I had a beer with a floral taste and this seemed to match that flavor). overall I enjoyed this saison. it was easier to drink than some saisons but also had a great flavor profile. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

[Part of Beer Flight at Dark Horse Inn]
[20180427 Edit]

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Half Moon Bay Saison Sandwich

Relevant Links:
Saison Sandwich | Half Moon Bay Brewing Company (BeerAdvocate.com)

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Website Information: (Untappd.com)

A collaboration brew with our good friend, Arne, of Marin Brewing Company. We brewed a saison using pilsner, abbey, and rye malts, and blended it with a farmhouse ale with brett that had been aging for 18 months in chardonnay barrels, resulting in a delightfully funky saison.

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Menu Description: (Dark Horse Inn)

Half Moon Bay Saison Sandwich $7/ 16oz (6.4%)
Collab with Marin Brewing; delightfully funky saison with pilsner, abbey & rye malts, blended with a farmhouse ale w/ brett aged for 18 months in chardonnay barrels

New Belgium Fat Tire Belgian White

20180209:
This beer had a wheat smell. It had a citrus taste. It was very easy to drink. It was so good, I was just taking sip after sip.

I could detect a subtle flavor.

It was well-balanced and tasted great. It was not amazing, but enjoyable.

It would make for a great summer beer.

Actually, maybe it was amazing. I would place it somewhere between great (4 out of 5 stars) and amazing (4.9 out of 5 stars). I'll give it the average 4.5 out of 5 stars. 12:01PM CT

[20180309 Edit]

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New Belgium Fat Tire Belgian White

Relevant Links:
Fat Tire Belgian White (New Belgium Website)
New Belgium Fat Tire Belgian White (RateBeer.com)
Fat Tire Belgian White | New Belgium Brewing Company (BeerAdvocate.com)

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Website Information:

CHOOSE A CRAFT BELGIAN WHITE
If variety is the spice of life, what happens when there is none? That was our thinking when we crafted our brand-new Fat Tire Belgian White. The days of getting stuck with the same old mass-produced Belgian Whites are over. So celebrate choice, and toast to it with a new Fat Tire Belgian White.

FAT TIRE BELGIAN WHITE
ALE

25 years ago we started brewing Fat Tire Belgian Style Ale. It became an iconic beer, and a symbol synonymous with craft. Now, for the first time, we’re adding a new beer to the Fat Tire family: Fat Tire Belgian White. Taking inspiration from our decades of experience brewing Belgian beers, Fat Tire Belgian White is made with Seville oranges and Indian coriander, both freshly ground less than a mile from our Fort Collins brewery. It’s a fresh, perfectly sweet, natural tasting Belgian White.

BEER FACTS
ABV 5.2%
IBU 12
YEAST American Wheat Ale Yeast
HOPS Nugget and Cascade
MALTS Pale, White Wheat, and Oats
FRUITS/SPICES Grains of Paradise, Fresh Ground Seville Orange Peel, Fresh Ground Indian Coriander
SPECIAL PROCESSING Freshly ground Indian coriander, sourced from Old Town Spice Shop in Ft. Collins, Colo. less than a mile from New Belgium, paired with juicy Seville orange peel gives Fat Tire Belgian White its bright, yet mild sweetness.

Saint Arnold White Noise

20180208:
Note #1 Submitted 9:25PM PT:

saint arnold white noise. some wheat smell. definite wheat taste. medium amount of carbonation. overall a pleasant taste. the final sip reminded me that the beer has a refreshing taste. nice wheat left on the palate.

Note #2 Submitted 11:02PM PT:

oh, i had about half so 6oz.

[20180426 Edit]

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Saint Arnold White Noise

Relevant Links:
Seasonal Beers Page (Saint Arnold Website)
Saint Arnold White Noise (RateBeer.com)
Saint Arnold White Noise | Saint Arnold Brewing Company (BeerAdvocate.com)

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Website Information:

White Noise
Available December - February

A crisp, citrusy Belgian-style Witbier. The recipe begins with the Witbier we brewed in our Icon series in 2015, which itself is based on the original Celis White recipe with some oats added for a little extra body. To this, there is a dryhop addition of Citra hops that amps everything up. The nose is citrus and spices with a light banana. There is a pleasant round body that is light and creamy. The citrus of the orange peel blends nicely with the citrus from the hops and the coriander creates a liveliness on the finish.

This beer is easy to drink while also having incredible complexity. Perfect for a Texas "winter."

Original Gravity: 1.049 (12.5° Plato)
Bitterness: 25 IBU
Alcohol Content (ABV): 5.3%

Malty: 30 out of 100
Hoppy: 50 out of 100
Body: 45 out of 100

Ingredients:
Malted Barley: Pils, Wheat, Oats
Hops: Perle, Cascade, Citra
Yeast: Celis
Other Ingredients: Orange Peel, Coriander

History and Trivia:
Debuted December 2016.

White Noise began as a one-off beer created specifically for Free Press Summer Fest; the perfect, refreshing beer for a hot day. When we thought more about the seasons, we realized our Texas "winter" felt a lot more like summers in most other places around the country. What better way to celebrate than to have a crisp, citrusy Belgian-style Witbier as our new "winter" seasonal?

White Noise replaced Winter Stout - a beer we brewed since 1997 - in our seasonal lineup. RIP Winter Stout.

Leinenkugel's Snowdrift Vanilla Porter

20180208:
This beer* smelled like a stout. It tasted like a stout but with a different taste lying around. I did not, however, discern any hint of vanilla.

Overall, it tasted plain and the final sip was flat with some alcohol taste and no flavor. It's possible the alcohol taste was actually a vanilla taste. 4:13PM CT

*My notes first indicate the beer's name as "Leinenkugel Snowdrift Vanilla Stout."

[20180319 Edit]

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Leinenkugel's Snowdrift Vanilla Porter

Relevant Links:
Snowdrift Vanilla Porter (Leinenkugel's Website)
Leinenkugels Snowdrift Vanilla Porter (RateBeer.com)
Leinenkugel's Snowdrift Vanilla Porter | Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company (BeerAdvocate.com)

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Website Information:

Snowdrift Vanilla Porter®

Robust porter style beer aged on real vanilla

Drift into winter with Snowdrift Vanilla Porter®, back by popular demand as our Winter standalone. A fuller-bodied brew with hints of cocoa, coffee and caramel brought out by roasted malts and aged on real vanilla, our Leinenkugel’s® Snowdrift Vanilla Porter® is smooth and creamy, making it perfect for warming up winter.

Snowdrift Vanilla Porter® perfectly complements marshmallow sweet potato casserole, glazed ham with cherries and any combination of chocolate and cherry.

abv. 6.0%
ibu. 16
available nov-feb

Small Town Not Your Mom's Apple Pie

20180207:
This beer smelled like apple and cinnamon. It smelled like apple cobbler. It tasted like apple cobbler and was sweet.

Jamison thought it was too sweet. Ayin exclaimed "Oh my God!" and went on to he say it tasted like cinnamon (he must have been thinking of Big Red because he first mentioned gum). 10:54PM CT

[20180315 Edit]

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Small Town Not Your Mom's Apple Pie

Relevant Links:
Not Your Mom's Apple Pie (Small Town Website)
Small Town Not Your Mom's Apple Pie (RateBeer.com)
Not Your Mom's Apple Pie | Small Town Brewery (BeerAdvocate.com)

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Website Information:

NOT YOUR MOM’S
APPLE PIE
Nothing is sweeter than apple pie. Except for maybe Mom. And nothing is more enjoyable than a slice of that apple pie. Not Your Mom’s Apple Pie delivers that classic taste you love with the kick you need at the end of a long day. Or just a regular Saturday afternoon.

TASTING NOTES
The color of a crisp, ripe, golden apple, this craft brew hits you with notes of applesauce, light cinnamon, cloves and biscuit. On the second sip, you’ll swear you can taste the crust. (We didn’t bottle pie crust, though. That would be kinda gross.)

Leinenkugel's Pomegranate Shandy

20180207:
I shared this beer with my coworkers. It had a delicious fruity taste. As it should, it tasted like pomegranate. It was sweet. 10:48PM CT

[20180312 Edit]

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Leinenkugel's Pomegranate Shandy

Relevant Links:
Leinenkugel Pomegranate Shandy (RateBeer.com)
Leinenkugel's Pomegranate Shandy | Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company (BeerAdvocate.com)

Faction Palace XXX Porter

20180204:
This beer had no smell. There was carbonation.

The peppers in the sandwich I was eating gave the beer a spice.

The beer was not malty. There was a little bitterness.

The beer ended alright. Overall, the beer was average. I give it 3.0 out of 5 stars. 7:38PM PT

[20180312 Edit]

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Faction Palace XXX Porter

Relevant Links:
Palace XXX Porter (Faction Website)
Faction Palace XXX (RateBeer.com)

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Website Information:

PALACE XXX PORTER

PALACE XXX PORTER IS A PORTER PAYING HOMAGE TO THE PALACE BREWERY OF ALAMEDA (1891-1907) BREWED WITH A RECIPE FROM THE 1800s.

NOTES
BREWED WITH A RECIPE FROM THE 1800s
ABV: 4.8%
IBUs: 34

IN AN OAKLAND TRIBUNE ARTICLE DATED 1898 IT WAS STATED THAT, “PALACE BREWERY IS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR AND SOLIDLY ESTABLISHED INSTITUTIONS OF ITS KIND IN THE STATE… MR. SCHULER IS THE PIONEER BREWER IN ALAMEDA COUNTY. HIS FAME HAS GROWN WITH THE YEARS AND HIS BREWS, “CREAM STEAM ALE” AND “XXX PORTER” ARE RECOGNIZED AS AMONG THE MOST WHOLESOME AND PUREST MADE.”

Modern Times Fruitlands

20180204:
This beer smelled like apple. It had a bitterness which made it taste like a cider with a sour touch. I guess it evoked it's target style: gose.

As for the passion fruit, I had recently eaten passion fruit, but I couldn't say I detected the taste.

Ada wondered if the taste was pineapple and I said it wasn't. Then she told me she smelled guava. Wow!

She thought it was salty and sour.

It finished great. 7:12PM PT

Menu Description: (Dark Horse)
Modern Times Fruitlands Passionfruit and guava gose; tart and fruity with a sour, salty base for a tropical fruit fiesta (4.8%) $6/ 10oz

[20180310 Edit]

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Modern Times Fruitlands

Relevant Links:
Fruitlands (Modern Times Website)
Modern Times Fruitlands - Passion Fruit & Guava (RateBeer.com)
Fruitlands - Guava Passionfruit | Modern Times Beer (BeerAdvocate.com)

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Website Information:

FRUITLANDS

4.80 ALC. BY VOL.
17 IBU
1.005 FINAL GRAVITY

MALT VARIETALS: PILSNER • MALTED WHEAT
FRUIT VARIETALS: PASSION FRUIT • GUAVA

Fruitlands is tart, fruity, & frighteningly delicious. The sour, salty base beer lays down the funky refreshment, while a heavy dose of passion fruit and guava turns the whole thing into a wall-to-wall tropical fruit fiesta. It’s a marvelous mix of elements that collides with your mouth like a fruit-filled asteroid of flavor traveling at the supersonic speed of party.