Ballast Point 'Victory at Sea' High West Barrel-Aged Imperial Porter 2017. 12% abv. 35 IBU. Black in color, dense. Finger of foamy, mocha head. Outstanding retention and superb lacing. Even after ten minutes, there is still a thick surface. Nose of vanilla, bourbon, raisins, dark chocolate. Coffee aroma comes through as the temp changes.

Front taste is bourbon, bittersweet chocolate, walnut. Plum taste and wood expression stands tall in time. Aftertaste is ground coffee, rich chocolate, vanilla, bourbon, mild herbal hops, sweet forward with a dry finish. Medium-full body. Mouthfeel is warm-hot, boozy, thick, clingy, carby, astringent on the back end.

This is an extraordinary beer, a big BBA that is an exemplary example of its category. The flavor profile is complex, with huge swaths of chocolate, vanilla, coffee, and bourbon, supported throughout by high notes of dark fruit, oak, sweet pastry, and herbal hops. Readers of this blog know that I am a huge fan of BBA brews, and this is a solid, steadfast example of the brilliance that can come from a barrel. Strongly recommended.

From the brewery:

"Imperial porter with coffee and vanilla flavors aged in High West bourbon and rye barrels... We partnered with our friends at High West® Distillery to create a barrel-aged version of  Ballast Point Victory at Sea, our award-winning Imperial Porter with cold-steeped coffee and vanilla. From a blend of Ballast Point Victory at Sea aged in High West’s own bourbon & rye whiskey oak casks, new layers of complexity emerge with notes of soft caramel and smoky oak over a dark chocolate and roasted almond body. High West crafts delicious and distinctive whiskeys to honor the American West, making it the perfect pairing with our signature San Diego-born porter."
[source: ballastpoint.com]

Green Flash Brewing 'Road Warrior' Imperial Rye IPA. 9% abv. 80 IBU. Hazy red-brown color. Finger+ of foamy ivory head. Superb retention and excellent lacing. Nose of bread, abundant floral and herbal hops. Front taste of herbal hops, bright spice from the rye, bitter hop bite on the back end. Aftertaste is bitter, botanical, strong rye presence on the sustain. Medium body. Mouthfeel is hot, thick, bubbly, astringent.

This is an outstanding rye beer, possibly my new favorite in category. The rye grain is noted throughout, particularly in the vivid aftertaste. The hop bill offers a wonderful aroma with a bitter-forward taste that reaches out to hop head beer lovers. If you like rye malt and you like hop bitter zing this is your dream beer. Strongly recommended.

From the brewery:

"Hop on and enjoy the eye of your life. Our imperial rye IPA is brewed in the name of our Road Warriors - the sales team who tirelessly hit the streets, traveling from town to town and pub to pub sharing the Green Flash experience. Road Warrior charges full flavor forward. Columbus and Mosaic hops, rich crystal and spicy rye malts pave the way for Mosaic and Amarillo dry- hopping to boldly shine through in the finish. Raise a glass to those who never settle!"

[source: bottle]

The head retention was outstanding.

Lagunitas Brewing 'High West-ified' Imperial Coffee Stout 2015. 12% abv. Black in color. Two+ fingers of thick mocha-colored head, rich like melted ice cream. Superb retention and outstanding lacing. Nose of rich chocolate, roasted coffee, vanilla, notes of oak on the back. Front taste is complex with flavors of bourbon, oak, black coffee, dark chocolate, dark fruit, plum. Aftertaste is strong bourbon, espresso, bittersweet chocolate on the sustain. Full body. Mouthfeel is hot, thick, creamy, sticky back end.

This is an extraordinary beer. The promised bourbon aging taste is clear and present from nose to finish, as is fresh coffee, roasted chocolate, and dark fruit notes. The flavor profile is definitely barrel-aged as opposed to simply tasting like bourbon was added. My friend bought me this at Lagunitas a week before release. By now it should be out on store shelves and I suggest you buy a bottle or two before they're all gone. Strongly recommended.

From the brewery:

"Up until this brew, none of Lagunitas’ barrel-aged adventures ever made it to shelves. They’ve been super-limited draft-only releases. This time we’ve made enough to actually bottle some … The 100% barrel-aged 2015 High West-ified Coffee Stout. Ale brewed with Coffee from our friends at Petaluma Coffee & Tea, then aged in Rye Whiskey barrels from our friends at High West Distillery in Park City, Utah … barrels that held High West’s Double Rye and American Prairie Bourbon, to be exact. Cheers!"

[source: lagunitas.com]

"Nectar from the source, from cast-against-type Utah. Latent heat of evaporation causes apparitions to rise up the column. They rise and condense and coolly run off. Oak barrels, just wood, made Magic by a higher power, filled to the bung for a time are then drained. Potential energy. The desire to fall. The barrels rolled wear downslope out of north central Utah, outta 6,780 ft. County of Summit, into the Basin, past the temptations of Wendover, across basin through range, escaping the Great Humboldt Sink, climb the Cretateous subduction's saw-faced batholitic intrusion, down the Smartville Ophiolite through the gentle Coast Range onto delta, landing gently in Petaluma, where we just plain filled them with beer. That's all there is to it."

[source: bottle]

This photo was taken by my friend at a Petaluma campground near Lagunitas brewery moments after he bought it. He managed to buy several bottles a week before it would be released. Lucky me got one.

Bear Republic 'Hop Rod Rye' Specialty Ale. 8% abv. 80 IBU. Dark brown color. Lots of sediment floating in this unfiltered brew, which may or may not be to your liking (it is to mine). Nose is dominant rye grain, sweet, with ample malt and hop notes. Pours a thick rich head with excellent retention and lacing. Front taste is rich malt, grain, abundant bitter hops. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm-hot, thick, sticky, astringent. Aftertaste is where the rye shines, dominating the flavor profile, along with the onslaught of hops, nicely balanced in its bitterness, plus a creamy carb that coats the tongue well.

This is an excellent Specialty Ale. The rye is surely present in the aroma and aftertaste, and the malty backbone is balanced well with the hop bitter. Highly recommended, especially if you like rye beers.

From the brewery:

"At Bear Republic, hops take center stage. But, it's not just about being a hop head. It's about understanding how hops work to make a beer special. Oils. Lupulin. Terroir. Every one of our beers begin with a recipe, quality ingredients and hand-selected hops. (Hop Rod Rye is) a high gravity IPA brewed with 18% rye malt. Hop Rod Rye has a floral hop aroma and subtle caramel notes with a slightly earthy and spicy rye character."