Forever Beer

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[foreverbeer]

Founders Imperial Stout

Brewed By:

Founders Brewing Co.

Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA

Style: Imperial Stout

ABV: 10.5%

IBU: 90

Availability: Winter

Wowza, hello chocolate lover's dream!

This wonderful concoction pours a thick, syrupy, oily, completely opaque black. Much like a chocolate syrup or perhaps motor oil. It's topped off with a thick, medium sized brown head that fades into a small film/ring that lingers until the end. Not too much lacing, just some little dots left behind on the glass. The alcohol is present in the nose as well as a variety of chocolates and a certain smokiness. The flavor is heavy in chocolate and warming alcohol. There's also hints of licorice, espresso, and more smoke. Quite bitter but not overwhelming. To me it balances out the lactose/milk chocolate flavor. The mouthfeel is thick, chewy and smooth with just the right amount of carbonation. In the end I'm left a delightful, chocolately warmness. This stuff rocks!

[foreverbeer]

Singletrack Copper Ale

Brewed By:

Boulder Beer Co.

Boulder, Colorado, USA

Style: Amber Ale

ABV: 4.97%

IBU: N/A

Availability: year-round

Pours a bright, clear copper color with an off-white head that produces little splotches of lacing. The taste if fairly sweet and earthy up front with very little bitterness in the end. Earthy grains, buttery toffee, and a slight hint of fruit. There also seems to be a tinge of something metallic in there as well. The body is light and on the thin side with plenty of crisp carbonation. Pretty average. This would make a good summer session beer.

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Edmund Fitzgerald Porter

Brewed By:

Great Lakes Brewing Co.

Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Style: Porter

ABV: 5.8%

IBU: 37

Availability: year-round

Pours a dark, opaque brown with a medium sized tan head that produces little blotches of lacing and settles into a thin ring. Tastes of gritty milk chocolate, burnt coffee, roasty malts. Slightly sweet with plenty of hop bitterness and crisp carbonation. The body on this porter is fairly light and smooth, which makes it a good choice if you're looking for a very drinkable session porter. Wonderfully balanced.

[foreverbeer]

Lakefront Bock Beer

Brewed By:

Lakefront Brewery, Inc.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

Style: Bock

ABV: 6.7%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Spring

Pours a clear amber color with red hues and produces a thin white head that quickly dissipates into nothing whatsoever. Light & toasty, a bit doughy with some faint apple-like sweetness. There's some sharp carbonation at first but quickly goes flat. Thin mouthfeel. Not exactly "hearty" like the label says. A "light" bock? I was pretty disappointed.

[foreverbeer]

Bitch Creek ESB

Brewed By:

Grand Teton Brewing Co.

Victor, Idaho, USA

Style: Extra Special Bitter

ABV: 6%

IBU: 54

Availability: year-round

Dark reddish-brown with lots of cloudy sediment that's accompanied by a large fluffy tan head. A bounty of lacy formations adorn the glass.

The smell and flavor are very similar. Citrusy hops, slightly sweet caramel, and a little bit of floral earthiness. Bitter from start to finish with a certain grapefruit-like aftertaste. Medium bodied with refreshing crisp carbonation.

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Obsidian Stout

Brewed By:

Deschutes Brewery

Bend, Oregon, USA

Style: Stout

ABV: 6.4%

IBU: 55

Availability: year-round

Pours a deep, dark mahogany brown, not far from being an opaque black. Generous frothy tan head that settles into a nice, creamy cap that stays put until the end. Remnants of sticky lacing dot the glass. This one is definitely easy on the eyes. Big on roasted malt flavor with bitter dark chocolate and a bit of burnt espresso. Just slightly sweet with plenty of bitterness. Quite smooth and very drinkable with a dry finish.

[foreverbeer]

Lost Arrow Porter

Brewed By:

Rush River Brewing Co.

River Falls, Wisconsin, USA

Style: Porter

ABV: 5%

IBU: 25

Availability: year-round

Pours a very dark brown with a generous tan head that settles into a thin layer. Little globs of lacing stick to the glass. One good looking beer. Both the nose and flavor are very roasty sweet. Plenty of silky milk chocolate and a slight hoppy aftertaste. Light to medium body with lots of fizzy carbonation. Goes down quite easily.

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Plead The 5th Imperial Stout

Brewed By:

Dark Horse Brewing Co.

Marshall, Michigan, USA

Style: Russian Imperial Stout

ABV: 12%

IBU: 70

Availability: Fall/Winter

While browsing around for new beer to try a gentleman suggested that I try this not so little doozy and I'm glad that I took his advice!

Pours an ominous viscous dark brown, almost black. It reminded me of pouring chocolate syrup. This stuff is completely opaque. Absolutely no light finds it way through the darkness. This concoction is topped off with a creamy, thick Cocoa brown head. Great retention. Settles into a thin creamy layer that lingers until the end and leaves little splotches of lacing. Very visually pleasing. The nose is mostly of alcohol with some roasted malts and faint chocolate. The flavor is very roasty. Lots of warming alcohol. Smooth, chewy chocolate and a little bit of vanilla sugary sweetness with plenty of bitterness to top it off. Very bold and full bodied. A very well balanced imperial stout!

[foreverbeer]

Snow Day

Brewed By:

New Belgium Brewing

Fort Collins, Colorado, USA

Style: American Black Ale

ABV: 6.2%

IBU: 55

Availability: Winter

Pours a rich dark brown. Medium sized tan head with good retention that produces plenty of lacing. Pleasant smell that is very similar to the taste. Floral & citrus hops with a slight caramel sweetness and spicy/herbal flavor. Moderately bitter with a light to medium mouthfeel and a good amount of carbonation.

[foreverbeer]

Widmer Brothers Hefeweizen today at BWW. Meh, not very impressed.

[foreverbeer]

Gray's Oatmeal Stout

Brewed By:

Gray's Brewing Co.

Janesville, Wisconsin, USA

Style: Oatmeal Stout

ABV: 5.6%

IBU: NA

Availability: year-round

Pours almost completely opaque black with faint brown hues visible at top and bottom of glass when held to light. Accompanied by an enormous tan head (I gave it a vigorous pour) that produces some sticky lacing.  The flavor is big on smooth, milky chocolate with some roasted coffee. Reminds me a little bit of a chocolate oatmeal raisin cookie. Overall quite sweet and only slightly bitter. Creamy, medium body & carbonation.

[foreverbeer]

Conway's Irish ale

Brewed By:

Great Lakes Brewing Co.

Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Style: Irish Ale

ABV: 6.5%

IBU: 25

Availability: January-March

Pours a wonderfully clear dark amber red. Medium off-white head that quickly thins out. The aroma and taste are quite similar. Very biscuity and slightly sweet with a sort of dark fruit preserves tartness in the background. Medium bodied with pleasant tingling carbonation up front and a spicy, mildly bitter floral hoppy aftertaste. I was really quite pleased with this and found it to be wonderfully balanced!

[foreverbeer]

Vanilla Java Porter

Brewed By:

Atwater Brewery

Detroit, Michigan, USA

Style: Porter

ABV: 5.5%

IBU: 12

Availability: year-round

Pours a very dark, opaque brown with some redish hues when held up to the light. Barely-there tan head that quickly fizzles out into nothing at all. Strong vanilla scent with faint coffee. Reminds me of coffee flavored ice cream. The taste is also mostly vanilla with some chocolate & coffee mingling in the background. Most definitely not a robust porter. A very thin/weak mouthfeel with low carbonation. I'm a bit disappointed as this is quite average and nothing too exciting.

[foreverbeer]

Liberty Ale

Brewed By:

Anchor Brewing Co.

San Francisco, California, USA

Style: American Pale Ale

ABV: 5.9%

IBU: N/A

Availability: year-round

This is really quite a beautiful ale! Marvelous apricot color with a slight haze that clears as the beer settles and warms. Massive cream colored head that slowly settles into a small ring and leaves behind a bountiful amount of lacing. Pleasant hop aroma with a faint malt and fruit sweetness. Up front the flavor is of earthy floral hops with a bit of spiciness and a tinge of citrus fruit. Very bright and cheery. It's really quite sweet and subtle with an almost creamy, medium bodied mouthfeel. Not at all as overwhelming or biting as I find many IPA's to be, which personally makes it much more drinkable and enjoyable for me. Refreshing, crisp carbonation with a dry, clean finish. I found Liberty Ale to be exceptional and perhaps, a new favorite.

[foreverbeer]

Steelhead Porter

Brewed By:

Mad River Brewing Company

Blue Lake, California, USA

Style: English Porter

ABV: 6.5%

IBU: N/A

Availability: year-round

Pours a very dark muddy brown accompanied by a large, frothy tan head that settles into a creamy ring. Little splotches of lacing are left behind on the glass while you drink in this sweet, smokey concoction. The smell and taste are very similar. Dark malts and a sweet smokiness paired with faint chocolate, coffee, & a hint of bitterness at the end. Fairly creamy with a medium body and a moderate amount of carbonation. A well-rounded, easy to drink porter that I would purchase again.