Left Hand Milk Stout - Tuesday Jan. 6th

Beer from a growler is a marvel. While it's not quite as good as fresh from the tap, it is better than from the bottle. The best part about a growler, though, is the fact that you have to finish it quick once it has been opened. Like the Pringles slogan once you pop, don't stop. The beer won't be good for more than a day or two after opening so you gotta drink fast and furiously. Which, coincidentally, is how I like to drink.

After going to my doctor's appointment in Tarrytown and eating 10 White Castle sliders, two orders of fries, an order of rings and a Sprite, I couldn't resist stopping by Half-Time Beverage and picking up some sweet, sweet supplies:

From left to right we have: Stone 08-08-08 Vertical, Stone 07-07-07 Vertical, AleSmith Speedway Stout, Lagunitas Reuben and the Jets (a Frank Zappa beer) and a Stone Levitation. As if this wasn't enough cash to drop, I also got a growler of Left Hand Milk Stout. I'm a big fan of milk stouts, brewed with lactose, and the other stout on tap was the Brooklyn Chocolate Stout which, frankly, was a bit too ABV heavy and intense for me. Although, in retrospect, two growlers would have been a good idea as a half-gallon of either stout was only $13. Whoops. Here's a tall pint of the Left Hand Milk Stout:

As you can see, it pours a deep, velvety black with about a finger of light brown head. Heavy lacing down the glass. Very opaque and intensely dark, like a big glass of India ink.

Smells of deep roasted malts, coffee, bittersweet chocolate, and condensed milk. Slight molasses bread as well.

Mmmm, taste is delicious. Thick and rich, viscous. Sweet, with strong coffee, burnt butter, brown sugar. A touch of creaminess too. Slight bittering hops on the finish keeps the sweetness from being overwhelming. Mmm, the body and mouthfeel is perfect. Just right on the carbonation too; it's only mildly carbonated is the best way to put it.

This is a good beer. No, scratch that, this is a great beer. I'm glad I got a growler of it. I honestly may like this a touch better than Mother's Milk from Keegan Ales but I haven't had a pint of that in awhile. I think we're going again on Friday night so I'll let you know how they compare. Y'know, for science.

Guinness 250th Anniversary - Sunday, August 23

*Insert Sabbath Day joke here*

Now that we've gotten all of that religious jokery and shenanigans aside, onto the actual review. Tonight was the highly anticipated (by me at least)...Guinness 250th Anniversary Stout! Fuck yeah! I've always been a big fan of stouts and, while many scorn the lowly Guinness as a sub-par representation of the broad and robust stout category, well, they can rot in hell. I love Guinness and I credit Guinness for really turning me onto actual beer. While I will agree, unfortunately, that its NOT the best stout out there (like...oh...I dunno...Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout), its an easy-drinker and its mild enough to have a few pints and not feel like I've been drinking used motor oil strained through a campfire. This said...I have a problem. But first, here are the notes:

Pours pitch black with a one and a half finger brown head. Extremely opaque, with very little light getting through except on the edges. What is illuminated is a ruby reddish brown. Leaves minimal lacing down the glass.

Smells like traditional stout: chocolate and coffee. Slight vanilla smell as well. Little hops present, but rather a toffee-sweet malt tones. Slight campfire elements. Very muted; not a very strong nose, but an interesting one.

Tastes of toffee, creme brulee, coffee and baker's chocolate. Finish is black Italian espresso with creamy overtones. Slight prune and raisin.

Mouthfeel is slightly watery and slightly overcarbonated.

My problem is...this stuff tastes almost exactly like normal Guinness. It's not as creamy (since its not nitro-canned) and its a pinch more robust (I guess)...but it's still so damn close it doesn't really warrant a fancy label. When it said "250th Anniversary Stout" I immediately became so happy I almost hyperventilated and passed out. Not exactly but it was close. I did a happy dance. But, upon drinking, its definitely not what I was expecting. I was expecting a stout that was borderline Russian Imperial and barely an Irish Dry. I was expecting crazy flavors like balsamic vinegar and soy sauce, dark chocolate and French Press coffee. The only thing that really jumped out at me was the slightly Italian espresso crema like flavor that flitted in and out of my taste range faster than a one-legged man tiring out in an ass-kicking contest. It was pretty much just Guinness with a fancy label. Oh, and a price premium. One bottle was about 3 fucking dollars. Yeesh.

Tomorrow is another glorious jaunt to the tea store, so expect reviews up the ying yang. Oh, and sorry for my absence. I was ur New York City, drinkin ur bubble teaz.

Oskar Blues Ten FIDY - Sunday, August 9th

So, let's be honest. I'm not an overly religious man (aside from my tendency to work "God" into my longshoreman traits as often as possible). Thus, the only beverage served on a Sunday isn't just communion wine. Tonight's pint, before I pop out to play some good old fashioned, devil worshiping Dungeons and Dragons, is a pint of Oskar Blue's Ten FIDY Imperial Stout. What a humdinger of a beer. Here's the notes:

Pours like used motor oil fresh from a diesel engine. Oily dark like squid ink with a one finger, stubborn, nut-brown head. This beer is intense. Completely opaque, it leaves little lacing down the glass.

Smell is mouthwatering. Bittersweet chocolate, coffee. Smells slightly of dark, savory bread, like rye. Rich and full, with a slight alcohol tinge.

Flavor is rich and deep. Tastes like fresh brewed espresso, slight soy sauce, and dark bittersweet chocolate. Alcohol is present on the aftertaste, leaving a warming flash down the back of the throat. Slight molasses as well.

Mouthfeel is thick. Coats the tongue thoroughly like a base coat of delicious paint.

This beer is Christ-punchingly delicious (noticing a Sunday theme here?). Its a hefty fucker, weighing in at 10% ABV, but its all flavor and no burn. An opulent beer in a not-so-opulent container. Oskar Blues is probably my second favorite "Beer In A Can" company. I say second because, even though they utilize more styles that I prefer (Old Chub being a personal favorite), I like Sly Fox better because, if I'm drinking beer from a can, I don't want a damn punch in the face beer, I want a smooth drinking, lighter ale or lager. Not a no-holds-barred fight with a canned Russian or Scotsman. Their other offerings, the Pale Ale and Strong Ale (Gordon's) are excellent as well, but I'd stay away from their Pils. Pikeland Pils is significantly better and true to pilsner form, while the Mamma's Little Yellow Pils are a bastardization of the style. And that's putting it lightly.

Keegan Ales' Mother's Milk - Tuesday May 19th

Edit: Ok, got back from Keegan Ales. On tap for tonight was Keegan Ales Mother's Milk:

Pours a dark, deep brown the color of Hershey's Syrup. Opaque with a two finger head that dissipates relatively quickly, with no apparent lacing.

Smell is deep roasted but sweet malts, coffee, chocolate. It smells kind of like a mocha with slight cracker and fresh baked, dark bread hints.

Taste is quite palatable. A rich, traditional stout flavor reminiscent of crispy toast, dark chocolate and espresso, with a sweet creaminess. Its not heavy and robust, but a nice smooth, easy to drink stout with slightly higher carbonation than I'm used to. One of my friends referred to it as "like seltzer" but he just started drinking last week. I'll fix that though.

More coming soon (including some stronger stuff). I'm feeling a gin and tonic weekend and I've got a Sam Adams Summer Sampler to work through so I can start homebrewing. First up is an IPA that I desperately need to find hops and a better yeast for because I don't trust this kit. Something tells me it won't be a decent IPA unless its dry hopped with dry malt substitute for corn sugar.