Esteban Carreras '13 Years Habano' Maduro Robusto. 5x52. Excellent build with straight edges, some subdued veins. Dark roasted oily wrap with a nutty, dark herbal aroma. Cut and lit well. Pre-light draw was a little tough. Post-light draw soon became slightly easier, settling on a medium draw.

First half tastes of earth, cured light wood, cocoa powder, bitter leaf on the exhale. Second half tastes of almond wood, ground coffee, walnut, black pepper notes on the sustain. Ash was clean, light gray, holding over an inch with ease. Burn was fairly even across with little maintenance.

This is a rich, solid cigar, a maduro with a deep, roasty, earthy filler complemented by a round, balanced wrapper taste, something surely earned from its 13 years of aging. A full-bodied smoke that starts strong, but gradually evens out on the palate with a flavor profile that has several shifts in expression. Woods, dank spices, earth, coffee, raw chocolate. A wonderful afternoon smoke. Well recommended.


From the company:

"Premium Esteban Carreras Habano cigars are bold and delicious Nicaraguan puros highlighted by a seamless, 13-year old vintage Habano wrapper that’s gleaming with oil. One of the strongest blends in the popular Esteban Carreras portfolio, these powerhouse cigars, featured in five popular sizes, all boast immaculate construction, a crisp even burn, and an effortless draw. After lighting, the cigar aficionado will experience a feast of fabulous full-bodied flavors that include coffee, nuts, cinnamon, dried fruit, earth, and cocoa."

[source: jrcigars.com]

Mraz Brewing 'Creature of the Night' American Stout. 7% abv. Brewed in collaboration with Night Monster Brewing. Black in color with thin mocha head that sustains a thick ring and surface. Excellent retention and lace. Nose of roasted dark malt. Ground coffee emerges as the temp rises.

Front taste is dark malt, cocoa powder, burnt sugar. Aftertaste is black coffee, a a roasted, almost smoky expression, vanilla notes, earthy hop presence on the back end. Dry finish. Medium-full body. Mouthfeel is cool, round, bright, creamy.

This is a solid stout, full of roasty flavor, supported by coffee and a slightly sweet malt backbone. The body is bold yet balanced, quite drinkable and refreshing for a big beer. An excellent example of category. Well recommended.


From the brewery:

"Creature of the Night is a darkly dreamt beast of a beer constructed with our friends at Night Monster Brewing Company. The depth of character is a well kept secret in the dark appearance of this beer. Toasted malt, caramel, and hints of coffee are pronounced on the nose. The body is balanced with warming tones of alcohol and vanilla that fade into a crisp clean finish. We hope that you find the endearing embrace of this creature to be oh so fulfilling."

[source: mrazbrewingcompany.com]

Lassen Ale Works 'Belgian Style XXX' Tripel Ale. 10% abv. 35 IBU. Copper color with finger of white foamy head that gradually recedes to a sustaining collar and scattered surface. Good retention and lace. Nose of cloves, grapefruit pith, allspice. Aromas of malt and tangelo emerge as the temp rises to room.

Front taste is cloves, citrus rind, juniper, supported by a foundation of amber malt. Aftertaste is evergreen, bright herbal hops, botanical spice, white pepper, fresh ground coriander, with a dry finish. Full body. Mouthfeel is cool-warm, round, carby, clingy on the back end.

This is an outstanding beer, a big, complex tripel made in the style of the ancient Abbey beers. An exemplar of its category, the flavor profile is pure Christmas, a winter warmer that's predominantly bright spice with subtle herbal and citrus notes throughout, all maintained by a balanced malt expression. A well-crafted, bold, old-world-style beer, refreshing in a world of wacky craft beers often too eager to push the envelope. Perfect for this time of year. Sure to keep you warm on a cold night. Grab a bottle or two, if you can find it. Highly recommended.

I had the privilege of meeting Michael Blaschak, Head Brewer of Lassen Ale Works, during a weekend camping retreat. He shared several Lassen bombers with the group, all of which were excellent. He offered to give me a bomber to review later at home. I chose this Belgian-style tripel, so that I might later be able to fully savor such a big, bold brew. Michael's a great guy. I plan on sampling all of his beers at the historic Pioneer Saloon the next time I'm in Northern California. Cheers!


From the brewery:

"Dark straw colored, wonderfully malty, complex, and rich Belgian Tripel. Belgian strong ale yeast contributes subtle notes of clove and citrus. Malt and alcohol sweetness is balanced by subtle hop bitterness and mild spicy noble hop finish."

[source: lassenaleworks.com]

This bottle was filled the day before I received it. Doesn't get much fresher than that.

Me and Michael Blaschak, Head Brewer of Lassen Ale Works in Susanville, CA. We met at a weekend camping retreat. Good guy with great brew!

Founders Brewing 'KBS' Bourbon Barrel-Aged Chocolate Coffee Stout. 12.3% abv. Black color, dense, with thin mocha head that fast falls to a sustaining collar and scattered surface. Moderate retention, decent lacing. Nose of bourbon, charred oak, dark chocolate, vanilla. The bourbon aroma steps forward as the temp rises.

Front taste is bittersweet chocolate, black coffee, plum, with vanilla and wood notes on the back end. Aftertaste is tall bourbon, bitter cocoa, raisins, molasses, with a dry finish. Full body. Mouthfeel is warm-hot, round, creamy, sticky, viscous, astringent, boozy.

Two of my recent reviews were also Founders beers, with one being a surprisingly solid experimental wood-aged red, while the other turned out to be one of the worst beers I’ve had in years. Comparing notes with other beer enthusiasts, it would appear that Founders is one of those breweries that is bold and fearless to a fault, so daring that it affects their batting average. They’re hit-and-miss, particularly with their novelty offering. However, I went into today’s review unafraid, as it’s not only one of their classics, but one of THE classics of modern craft beer, a benchmark of its category.

Simply put, this is an extraordinary, big, rich, full beer, a true BBA stout, with a boozy aroma and flavor profile supported by chocolate and coffee, wrapped with a mouthfeel you can sink your teeth into. This is a sipping beer. A dessert beer. It’s meant to be a an occasional decadent treat with a complex taste, and it delivers on its promise.

Consistently ranked as one of the best beers in the world, this beer now has battalions of competitors who have met or exceeded its high standard. That being said, even in this day of bourbon-barrel aging mania, in a time when every brewery is experimenting with a barrel program, and mostly succeeding, KBS is still a knockout and a standout, still one of the best, with quality and craftsmanship evident in every sip and sniff. I’m sure you’ve had this famous brew before, but regardless, I highly encourage you to seek it out and let it warm you inside-out during a cold winter. Strongly recommended.

From the brewery:

"What we’ve got here is an imperial stout brewed with a massive amount of coffee and chocolates, then cave-aged in oak bourbon barrels for an entire year to make sure wonderful bourbon undertones come through in the finish. Makes your taste buds squeal with delight."

[source: foundersbrewing.com]

Founders Brewing 'Mango Magnifico Con Calor' 2016. 10% abv. Honey-orange color. Hazy and dense with sediment. Thin off-white head that quickly falls to a sustaining collar. Moderate retention, little lacing. Nose of vanilla, mango rind, bitter greens, fruit pastry. As the temp rose, the aroma quickly became unpleasant, with a dominant scent of salty, buttery crackers, apricot jam, and Parmesan cheese.

Front taste is mango, butter, honey, black pepper, with apricot on the back end. Aftertaste is where the jalapeño finally emerges, with roasty chili pepper tones over a jammy, herbal expression. Ends on a sweet, if not vapory finish. Medium body. Mouthfeel is cool, round, tingly from the delayed spice, increasing heat.

This is a bizarre, disappointing, nearly offensive beer, a failed attempt at combining unlikely flavors to create something special. The promised mango and jalapeño tastes are delivered in spades, but that is not necessarily a good thing, at least not within this recipe. The combination here results in an odd, off-flavor, confused beer that starts with an aroma of Parmesan cheese mixed with a jar of apricot preserves and the rotted skin of a mango. Think of a stinky foot, smothered with spoiled jam. The spice notes from the jalapeño seem to only accentuate that odd smell and taste.

I haven't had a beer this bad in years. I ended up pouring the last third of it out. I got a headache from the sugar syrup in the beer. An overall unpleasant experience. Part of me wants to try this beer again, just in case I had an infected or turned bottle. That occasionally happens with every brewery. However, the experience was so bad that I don't think I could pick up another bottle of this. 

If you like fruit beers or hot pepper beers, there are many far better choices out there. Even if there weren’t, I’d still avoid buying this failed experiment again. Pass on this one.



From the brewery:

"Mango Magnifico is a high-gravity fruit beer brewed with mango and a touch of habaneros to add just the right amount of heat. The delicate flavors imparted by the sweet richness of the mango are punctuated perfectly by the subtle heat of the habaneros, proving that fruit beers do not have to be one-note. Each 750mL bottle of this 10% ABV ale is both sophisticated and refreshing, making it the perfect beer to share… or to keep all to yourself. Mango Magnifico is part of a long lineage of Founders’ fruit beers, including Rubaeus, Cerise, Blushing Monk and Big Lushious."

[source: foundersbrewing.com]

Clown Shoes 'Space Cake' Double IPA. 9% abv. Amber color with two fingers of bubbly, ivory head. Superb retention, excellent lacing. Nose of bright, spicy hops, sweet bread, stone fruit. Malt aroma and further spice expression come through as the temp rises to room.

Front taste is caramel, bright citrus peel, herbal hops, with sweet malt and tangy orange zest on the back end. Aftertaste is bitter fruity hops, tangerine, botanical resin, with a dry finish. A taste of marmalade comes to mind down the glass. Medium-full body. Mouthfeel is cool, round, tangy, thick, slightly sticky.

This is an excellent beer, a DIPA whose Mosaic hops' spice notes punch up the flavor of its malty backbone while accentuating the herbal and bready expression throughout. Its tall bitter hop bill that is balanced well with its malt base and fruit pastry profile. Think of a holiday fruitcake soaked in Grand Marnier. If that imagined taste appeals to you, this beer is sure to please. It surely pleases me. Well recommended.

From the brewery:

"Why are Miracle Mike and his dog, Bionic, being chased by many evil laser beam shooting cupackes and two giant layer cake mother ships?  Because we’re straight up lunatic fools?  Well, maybe, but with a few brain cells remaining we managed to craft Space Cake double IPA, utilizing citrusy Mosaic hops and an immaculate West Coast style malt backbone.  Dude… chill out.  Enjoy some Space Cake."

[source: clownshoesbeer.com]

Founders Brewing 'Dankwood' Imperial Red IPA 2018. Aged in Bourbon Barrels. 12.2% abv. 65 IBU. Deep ruby color with two fingers of thick, frothy, off-white head. Outstanding retention and superb lacing that sticks to the glass all the way down. Nose of maple syrup, oak, bourbon, bright floral hops. The bourbon aroma stands tall at the temp rises.

Front taste is fruit pastry, vanilla, bourbon, roasted malt. Aftertaste is strong bourbon, herbal and citrus hops, wood and botanical notes sustain on the back end. Full body. Mouthfeel is hot, sticky, clingy, astringent, boozy, woodsy.

This is an excellent beer, a big, boozy, barrel brew that attempts to balance the hop forward profile of an IPA and the amber malty backbone of a red ale with a nearly piercing oak and whiskey expression. It is one of the most complex flavor profiles I've tasted in a long time. Take note that this is a unique taste that will surely put off fans of those individual categories, but will sure to please connoisseurs of experimental beers that grab you firmly by the tongue. This beer is unafraid to combine the towering strengths of three completely different beers in one glass. If you welcome huge, complex taste, this is for you. Strongly recommended.


From the brewery:

"What do you get when a big, bold imperial red IPA meets an oak bourbon barrel? A palate stunner that’ll send your senses spinning or, as we like to call it, Dankwood. Rich caramel notes emerge from the depths of the IPA, highlighting strong malt character while the bourbon barrel-aging develops the complexity. A dank, sticky and slightly sweet sipper, Dankwood is the perfect alchemy of wood and hops... Dankwood is the third release of 2018 in the Barrel-Aged Series, preceded by KBS and Backwoods Bastard, our newest year-round beer."

[source: foundersbrewing.com]

New Belgium 'Oakspire' Bourbon Barrel Ale. 9% abv. 20 IBU. Honey-orange color with a thick, white, foamy head. Excellent retention and lacing. Nose of mild bourbon, vanilla, brown sugar. Herbal notes and dank fruit emerge as the temp rises.

Front taste is bourbon, maple, charred oak, bitter walnut. Aftertaste is roasted nuts, herbal hops, leather, strong bourbon on the back end, particularly when the temp reaches room. Dry finish. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, boozy, tangy, carby, round.

This is an outstanding beer, one with a lot of flavor and character for such a simple ale. It is marked as a "bourbon barrel ale," but take note that this is not actually aged in former bourbon barrels. It's aged with oak spirals and charred wood that once lived within such a coveted barrel. The difference is cost - and complexity - but the lovely taste is still something to savor. The profile of bourbon and wood are clear and present, with the mild boozy tones balanced well. For a budget version BBA, this is a winner. Well recommended.


From the brewery:

"A limited-edition collaboration between New Belgium and Knob Creek, Oakspire is a unique bourbon barrel ale aged with bourbon-steeped oak spirals and char from inside the barrel. Smooth notes of toffee, vanilla and caramel wrap up with a pleasantly warm finish. Oakspire: Where innovation meets tradition."

[source: newbelgium.com]

Epic Brewing 'Big Bad Baptista' Whiskey Barrel Aged Imperial Stout 2017. 11.5% abv. Deep black in color with two fingers of creamy mocha head that slowly recedes to a thick sustaining surface. Outstanding retention and superb lacing. Nose of bourbon, almond, cinnamon, vanilla, cocoa powder. Aroma lingers down to the last drops in the glass.

First taste is semi-sweet dark chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla, oak expression throughout, whiskey coming through on the back end. Aftertaste is black coffee, vanilla, almond cookie, with an alcohol sustain and sweet finish. Big body. Mouthfeel is hot, rich, boozy, creamy, clingy.

This is an outstanding beer, a bounty of rich flavors that have mellowed well in the year since its release. The many tastes of chocolate, spice, coffee, whiskey, and wood all merge together beautifully. Each flavor can be singled out, yet they do not fight for attention, achieving a perfect balance. Each sip was savory, smooth, and slightly sweet, with a touch of boozy punch. A special, marvelous, well-crafted beer. Highly recommended.


From the brewery:

"Rare Release 2017. Big Bad Baptista is inspired by traditional Mexican coffee, Café de Olla, which is served with cinnamon and piloncillo, an unrefined sugar. The Cinnamon adds another layer of complexity and accentuates the earthy character of Mexican Coffee, but more importantly, it captures the essence of a place and its culture. As beverage geeks we wanted to pay homage to that rich tradition and offer our unique take. Big Bad Baptista is a combination of Vanilla, Cinnamon, Mexican coffee roasted by Blue Copper, and Solstice Chocolate cacao nibs. It’s luxurious to say the least, with a pleasant warming sensation generated by the cinnamon and alcohol. Enjoying the interplay of chocolate, malt, oak, and spice is the perfect way to spend a cool evening, with friends around a fire."
[source: epicbrewing.com]

"Inspired by the spicy and bold flavors of a Café de Olla, we added vanilla and cinnamon along with Mexican coffee beans and cacao nibs to out 100% barrel-aged Big Bad Baptist. The result is luxurious, complex, and the perfect after-dinner companion on chilly evenings."
[source: bottle]

My friend Chris and I shared a bomber of Big Bad Baptista with a couple of cigars. A perfect combination.