Sierra Nevada Stout

Stout
Sierra Nevada Brewing (Chico, California)
Style: Stout
ABV: 5.8% 

Ah, what a night! It’s hovering in the teens, temperature-wise, in Chicago. What better way to cap a long day than a California stout?

Luckily, I picked up Sierra Nevada’s finest Stout.

The adjectives on the label aren’t kidding. The Stout pours a deep, deep color: almost black with hints of red. In fact, it is very opaque yet even when put up to the light. Its foamy head even has a reddish tint to it.

I wasn’t anticipating drinking beer tonight and my refrigerator kept the beer a bit too chilled for my tastes. Because of this, I wasn’t able to detect much of a scent. All I could get was a faint scent of roasted malts; I couldn’t smell the chocolate or coffee that others have claimed.

The Stout has a medium mouth feel, which surprised me because I was expecting a very thick brew due to the color. Again, the feel was very even on my tongue with a quickly fading carbonation to boot.

The brew was very smooth and crisp. It tasted more malty and slightly of chocolate once it warmed up. It had a long, hoppy aftertaste.

Overall, it’s a very good beer. Sierra Nevada makes yet another refreshing drink that is sure to please party-goers looking to delve into stouts. Its 5.8% alcohol by volume definitely makes it sessionable during long winter nights.

3/4 Dark Stouts

Arcadia Ales Nut Brown Ale

Nut Brown Ale
Arcadia Ales (Battle Creek, Michigan)
Style: Brown Ale
ABV: 6% 

I have to come clean and say that the label made me purchase this beer. It’s not so much cool as it is pleasant and informative. It shows the silhouette of a squirrel in a pastel-shaded forest. Very pleasant indeed.

The Battle Creek, Michigan brew has a strong smell of roasted malts. It pours into a consistent reddish brown color which was promising.

The mouth feel is medium to light, wavering more on the light side. This surprised me, as I come to expect some body to nutty brews.

The Nut Brown ale does not taste like anything spectacular. In fact, it does not taste like much at all. It has some notes of malt but little else.

Personally, I would not buy a six pack of this brew. However, if you are an Arcadia Ale fan, this is a sessionable beer.

2/4 Silhouetted Squirrels

Unibroue La Fin du Monde Beer Review

La Fin du Monde
Unibroue (Chambly, Quebec, Canada)
Style: Tripel
ABV: 9%
$3.00 per bottle ($11.99/four 12oz bottles)

When I laid eyes on La Fin du Monde, it instantly beckoned me. French for “the End of the World,” the name was so ominous and yet so inviting.

Honestly, I choose this beer solely on its branding. I was a French minor at one point during college and the name makes me feel like I’m in an exclusive, pretentious club.

A little more than an inch of head appears upon pouring. Once the head disappears, it leaves a thin but consistent foam lace behind.

Very musky and opaque, dark gold color. And its high alcohol content can embolden you to face the end of… anything.

Allagash White Beer Review

Allagash White
Allagash Brewing Company (Portland, Maine)
Style: Witbier
ABV: 5.2%
$2.25 per bottle ($8.99/four 12oz bottles)

I remember my first encounter with Allagash: my friend, Chad, and I were sitting in a bar in the near southside of Chicago. We were killing time so, naturally, we decided to binge drink.

I’m partial to wheat beer and spotted “Allagash White: American witbier” on the drink menu.

Allagash. It sounded to foreign and mysterious, even Nordic god-ish.

I pointed at the menu item and Chad said, “Dude, you’ve never had Allagash? It’s the bomb.”

I responded with a stare that said “I hate you for being cooler than me.” Although it probably looked like a confused “I can’t read” to him.

We smothered the spat with beer, and drank in style. Ever since that first time, my face has lit up with possibilities whenever I’ve seen Allagash on a restaurant’s menu.

For the clinical purposes of this review, I picked up a four 12-ounce bottle pack. It put me back $8.99, which isn’t inconsiderable given my precarious financial situation. But it was worth it.

Upon pouring, the Allagash White’s zesty, pale, orange color immediately becomes apparent. It is slightly cloudly in the middle and especially up top, almost resembling a miniature funnel cloud. The head is foamy and about a finger’s width but it doesn’t stick around for a while, leaving a web of foam in its wake.

The smell matches the zesty look. It has a very fresh scent that isn’t overpowering. I could detect orange, spices and a bit of lemon.

The White tastes every bit as delicious as it looks. It tastes of citrus and herbs with a lingering spice aftertaste. I’m not normally a person who likes lingering aftertastes, regardless of what I’m tasting, but this beer makes it work.

Allagash White is a great beer to have on its own. It is extremely drinkable. Most folks can certainly enjoy this witbier during the dog days of summer because it’s light but retains flavor. This is personally one of my favorite beers and remains a stalwart go-to beer after all of these years.

4/4