Tag: Craft Beer

Anchorage Brewing – Bitter Monk Review

Posted on by Drews Brews Reviews

Anchorage Bitter MonkAll You Need to Know

Brewery: Anchorage Brewing
Style: Belgian DIPA
ABV: 9%
Cost: $18 (22oz)
Glassware: Tulip
Temp: 50°F
Availability: Year Round? (not sure)
Purchased@: Teresa’s Next Door Bar

Quick Take: Anchorage has created a chardonnay-barreled, Belgian IPA with brett that is both unique AND well-crafted. The vinous qualities and brett really take this beyond the humble roots of the style. If drank too cold or fast, I could see missing the subtle elements and not thinking much of it. Take some time with this beer and you’ll find a surprisingly refined, complex beer that is a highlight of the Belgian IPA style.

→Full Review

Episode 12 – Spencer Brewery – Spencer Trappist Ale

Posted on by Drews Brews Reviews

Episode 12 of Drew’s Brews Reviews is here! The beer review show you never knew you wanted and no one needs. The IPA train derails and I mix it up with an ale from Spencer brewery, the only official Trappist beer brewed in the US. Special thanks to a friend of a friend who picked this up for me on her travels through New England. This review is fact-tastic, so be prepared to learn “a little bit” about Trapp-ism and these new to brew monks.

Ep 13 — Southern Tier’s Fusebox (Available Soonish)

Continue reading “Episode 12 – Spencer Brewery – Spencer Trappist Ale” →

Episode 11 – Great Lakes – Chillwave

Posted on by Drews Brews Reviews

Episode 11 of Drew’s Brews Reviews is here! The beer review show you never knew you wanted and no one needs. The IPA train keeps on rolling and here comes Chillwave, a beer released in February, that I drank in April, and I’m finally finishing the review in practically June. Sigh… Anyway, even though this is not a beer readily available at this time, I thought it is one worth talking about. People are probably a little sick of the West Coast IPAs at this point, but there is room to discuss at least one more before we slip into the summer months, which is of course Coors country. Thank you for existing Coors Light Summer Brew…thank you.

Continue reading “Episode 11 – Great Lakes – Chillwave” →

Thirsty Dog – Wulver Review

Posted on by Drews Brews Reviews

WulverAll You Need to Know

Brewery: Thirsty Dog Brewing
Style: Wee Heavy
ABV: 12%
Cost: $12 (12oz)
Glassware: Thistle (Yup, thistle)
Temp: 43°F (Yup!)
Availability: Limited
Purchased@: Iron Abbey

Quick Take: Wulver strikes me as a classic version of the Wee Heavy style that has been expertly aged in bourbon barrels. What it does is take on a difficult style and nail a fantastic beer. It actually makes a bolder statement by brewing this in a conventional way and barrel aging it into a straightforward success that demands your attention rather than getting overly playful and trying to distract with gimmicks.

→Full Review

North Coast – Old Rasputin XVI Review

Posted on by Drews Brews Reviews

RasputinAll You Need to Know

Brewery: North Coast Brewing
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
ABV: 11.3%
Cost: $27 (16.9 oz)
Glassware: Snifter
Temp: 55°F
Availability: Once a Year
Purchased@: Hunger n Thirst

Quick Take: If you, like me, enjoy Old Rasputin, you will absolutely enjoy the bourbon barrel-aged version. There is no question of that, but the cost versus quality is way out of whack. Without needing to justify the expense, I can easily declare this to be worth no where near the cost. If cost is not a factor or you can find this for less than $15 (I did see a forum post where someone paid $13.99), it’s definitely worth a try. While I find the experience to be lacking given the chalky finish and less than luxurious mouth feel, plenty of people will find this to be an enjoyable and very drinkable bourbon stout.

→Full Review