Beer Brief #43 - Love Child No. 3

Brewery - Boulevard Brewing Company, Kansas City, Missouri

Beer - Love Child No. 3

Style - Bourbon barrel-aged wild ale

ABV - 9.5%

IBUs - 13

Color - Cloudy copper with a creamy off-white head

Aroma - Earthy, tobacco, woody spice, vanilla, a bit of cherry

Flavor - Caramel and vanilla briefly, cranberry tartness with earthy funk, dry finish with pithy citrus peel bitterness

Verdict - I really enjoy this brew. It has a perfect amount of tartness to go with the sweetish start and lovely funk, and maintains a nice balance that doesn't become overpowering (at least not for me).

Beer Brief #42 - John Henry West Indies Pale Ale

Brewery - Cold Spring Brewing Company, Cold Spring, MN

Beer - John Henry West Indies Pale Ale

Style - West Indies Pale Ale (whatever that is) aged on dark rum oak spirals

ABV - 9.4%

Color - Dark brown with hints of ruby, minimal light tan head

Aroma - Brown sugar, honey, light fruit, bit of alcohol, pineapple?

Flavor - Caramel, vanilla, raisin, touch of rum, more light fruit, hint of smoke, balancing bitterness

Verdict - I am very impressed by this brew. There is an almost indescribable fruitiness that goes well with the malty sweetness. All the flavor complexity is delicious and fun to analyze. I'll probably have to get this again...

Beer Brief #41 - Ode to a Russian Shipwright (2011 Vintage)

Brewery - Olvalde Farm and Brewing Company, Rollingstone, MN

Beer - Ode to a Russian Shipwright - 2011 Vintage

Style - Imperial Stout Porter brewed with spruce tips

ABV - ??? Nothing listed, I've heard around 8%

Color - Opaque black, doesn't even let any light pass through the edges, thick tan head

Aroma - Rye toast, bit of roast, hint of chocolate, acidity, pine, earthy

Flavor - Toffee, prune, coffee, slighty nutty, blueberry, lingering bitterness

Verdict - I remember enjoying this brew very much when I first tried it. Now with some age on this bottle, I think it might be even better than when it was fresh! Very good stuff!