Beer Reviews- Stoudts, Otto's, Dogfish Immort Ale

I've drank all but two of the beers sent to me by Dave at Muckney. I'll be reviewing their excellent homebrews soon. I wanted to share my thoughts on a few of the other beers Dave sent out to me first. I've already reviewed the three from Troegs he sent me, all excellent beers and a brewery I wish I had access to. While I wasn't as blown away by the following three, I thought they were all very good beers. The first two are Pennsylvanian beers, and Dogfish is of course a Delaware brewery.

Stoudt Brewing Company's Smooth Hoperator, is a hoppy bock that sounded intriguing. This beer pours a beautiful copper color with a thin chalky white head. Great grassy, citrus hop aroma that hits you right away. There's a smooth caramel, malty flavor you would expect from a bock. The smooth flavor is balanced with some spicy hop flavor, but finishes with the clean bock/lager aftertaste you expect. A good beer that offers a unique take on a bock.


Next up was Otto's Jolly Roger Russian Imperial Stout. I've been trying to be more open minded about this style and really enjoyed the Old Rasputin from North Coast. This beer got some good reviews, so I was excited to try it. It pours a deep dark chocolate, basically black with a a thin mocha-tan head. There are strong aromas of chocolate and molasses at first. There is a nice creamy body with a lot of sweetness and a slight amount of hop bitterness. The high alcohol content is definitely noticeable, as there is a slight burn in the aftertaste. There is some roastiness, but the beer is mostly dominated by the creamy, sweet chocolate flavor with only a lingering hoppiness. Overall I liked this beer. I think I prefer Old Rasputin in the style, but they were quite different and the more this beer warmed up, the more flavors came through.


Finally was a beer I was very excited about after my recent experience drinking Dogfish Head in Chicago. Dave sent me Dogfish Head's May special release, Immort Ale. This completely unique beer is difficult to describe. Here is their description:
Vast in character, luscious & complex. Brewed with peat-smoked barley, this strong ale is brewed with organic juniper berries, vanilla & maple syrup. It's aged on oak and fermented with a blend of English & Belgian yeasts.
Here were my thoughts: Wow! What a unique beer. It pours a cloudy dirty brown reminiscent of iced tea with a finger of foamy white head. There is a strong aroma of fruit and oak, along with maple syrup and vanilla. Its fairly carbonated, so at first there's a real crisp taste, but that is quickly followed by a syrupy body. A complex mix of maple syrup, plum, raisin, and vanilla with a strong oak/smokey flavor at the end. A really unique beer with such a wide range of flavors. The 11% alcohol is hidden really well. Not a beer I could drink often, but a truly unique experience.
Coming soon will be my thoughts on Muckney's excellent homebrew, as well as the remaining two beers he sent, and a surprising new Surly release I picked up, Bitter Brewer.
Salud!
The Bearded Brewer