beer shorts

Paulaner Oktoberfest-Marzen

ABV: 5.8%

This is the classic+standard German oktoberfest for me, along with the Ayinger. As soon as the weather showed even the slightest hint at cooling down for the season I ran out and grabbed a 6-pack. The scent is straight up potent toasty lager, the taste is great and quite complex for the style. Lots of flavor including toasted bread, crackers, light floral and herbal hops, and some clove-like spice. Finishes clean and biscuity. The mouthfeel for this beer always feels a bit watery, which is unfortunate, but the flavor makes up for it mostly. Great balance of sweet and toasty. Probably one of my favorite lagers and always a definite purchase for me come the fall.

Sierra Nevada Flipside Red IPA

ABV: 6.2%

A new fall seasonal from Sierra Nevada, I picked up a 6-pack of this soon after the release. A solid dark amber ale that is more balanced than expected, but still packs a nice plethora of hop flavor (pine, floral, earthy, citrus, pineapple). Malts are mostly toasty with some caramel sweetness. The mouthfeel is hefty and smooth with low-end carbonation and mild bitterness. Not super remarkable overall, but certainly a welcome addition to Sierra Nevada's lineup.

La Blaugies/Hill Farmstead La Vermontoise

ABV: 6%

This is a collaboration between La Blaugies of Belgium and Hill Farmstead of Vermont, a saison that intends to combine Belgian and American influence/ingredients I imagine. Great scents of baked bread, farmy yeast, herbal and grassy hops and white grape. The taste is maybe a tad hoppier, but really what we have here is a very traditional, well-made saison with some subtle herbal and citrus hop goodness. Lots of great fresh grain and yeast flavors, cracker-y malts and some earthy farminess to keep things interesting. With all the crazy brett-laden/aged in wine barrel/mega-hopped farmhouse ales coming out nowadays, the straightforwardness of this one is a breath of fresh air, definitely well made.

De Molen Hel & Verdoemenis (Bourbon Barrel-Aged)

ABV: 10%

Many different barrel-aged versions of this imperial stout were released in the past, and most were spirit-specific when labeled (Wild Turkey, Bunnahabhain, etc.) For this one, they decided to confuse everything and simply label it as "bourbon barrel-aged". But who am I to complain when I open a bottle that smells this good? It's slightly boozy and sweet, but quite decadent, with scents of chocolate-covered cherries, caramel, coconut, and bourbon of course. The taste, though very good as well, is a bit of a letdown after the scent. The alcohol and sweetness muddles the beer a bit; bourbon, chocolate and dark fruit still rule overall. Some brown sugar, oak, and char are noticeable as well. The mouthfeel is pretty lowly carbonated, oily and hot with alcohol. No doubt a good beer with nice flavors, but I would've personally preferred a heftier feel and less harshness. It's a sipper, for sure. I have 2 more bottles which I'm planning to age, maybe they will mellow out with some time.

De Struise Pannepot

ABV: 10%

A classic, one of my all-time favorite beers for sure. Huge scent of raisins, leather, chocolate and spice. Taste brings on an abundance of musty dark fruits; raisins, figs and dark cherries especially, along with nice dark malts, chocolate, molasses, and spicy notes. Finishes slightly peppery. The mouthfeel is absolutely velvety smooth with great carbonation. Waaayyyy too drinkable for 10%, I'm not sure what is more impressive, its flavor or ability to hide alcohol content. I've been lucky enough to try this beer a number of times: fresh, aged anywhere from 2 to 6 years, various vintages, etc., and have never been disappointed. This is a treat no matter what stage it's in/vintage it is, but I will say this one really does age spectacularly - don't be afraid to throw a few of these in the cellar!