Session # 198
Boulevard | Imperial Stout
Imperial Stout | Kansas City, MO | 11% ABV

One year ago: Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout

Today is the first time on The Hopry I will have reviewed the same beer twice. I have generally stayed away from this because I want to get to as many different beers as possible. However, I enjoyed the 2008 release of the Boulevard Imperial Stout so much, that I actually gave it a perfect score (one of only three beers). So I just had to revisit it in the form of this 2011 release. More specifically, though, I wanted to revisit the “un-infected” batch # 1. I missed this in the review, but 46% of this one was aged in barrels, while the 2008 was only 10%. The color was near pitch black with touches of ruby red coming through when held up to the light. A chocolaty head formed on top before a nice bourbon aroma filled the air. Immediately this beer smelled great with dark fruits up front followed soon by oak and vanilla. It smelled very Belgian for sure. On the palate, not quite as big as you’d think for an 11% ABV beer, but there was definitely enough barrel and bite to make you happy. It finished with burnt caramel and dark fruits and that signature Belgian stamp that Pauwels is so good at doing. Not as good as the 2008 for sure, but definitely better than the infected batch # 2 from 2011.

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This beer can be found in these states.
Listening To: Wilco “I Might”



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Session # 197
De Struise | Black Damnation IV
Imperial Stout | Oostvleteren, Belgium | 13% ABV

One year ago: Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout

When a stout coming from Belgium clocks in at 13% you know you’re going to get something massive. That’s just exactly what I got from this iteration of the great Black Albert from De Struise. What the fine gentlemen from this brewery have done is taken their Black Albert Imperial stout and created numerous variations of the beer. There’s the Mocha Bomb, Black Mes, and Coffee Club to name a few. Today we look at the Coffee Club (aka IV). It poured so dark that I didn’t even have to hold it to the light. I knew nothing would come through it. A nice chocolaty head formed on top and started to unleash some rich coffee aromas into the air. After digging further, miles of dark roasted malts and deep dark burnt caramel followed. The flavor was pretty much the same with tons of bitterness from the coffee that even finished a bit tart like espresso. The chocolate and burnt caramel soon followed and left my tongue on the side of the road for dead. Another huge stout from Belgium. If you like them big, you’ll probably like this one.

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This beer can be found in these states.
Listening To: Joni Mitchell “The Hissing of Summer Lawns”



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Session # 192
Green Flash | Silva Stout
Imperial Stout | San Diego, CA | 10.1% ABV

One year ago: Goose Island Night Stalker

And just like that we come to the end of Green Flash week on The Hopry. Feels like it went by in a day. Maybe that’s because I reviewed all these in a day! LOL! Anywho, today’s beer is the brewery’s barrel-aged stout that was release at the brewery only in four packs. It’s called Silva Stout (which is named after brewmaster Chuck Silva). I got one bottle and have been reserving it for the day Green Flash became available here in KC. Having had the Double Stout the night before, I was hoping the Silva Stout would be much better with the barrel-aging process. As I poured it I could already smell oak and vanilla, but the sight of the beautiful head really made me happy. Digging further in the glass, those vanilla and oak characters really came to the front. It was soon followed by dark chocolate pudding and some roasted grain and malt. The flavor was just as I’d hoped, which is miles ahead of the Double Stout. The vanilla and sticky chocolate were up front on the tongue and as it went to the mid-palate the roasted coffee and malt characters showed up. The blending and aging was really well done indeed. Wish I had another bottle…

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This beer can be found at the brewery only.
Listening To: M83 “Midnight City”



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After the Show # 6 | “Chewiness”

It’s always nice to have someone to share amazing beers with. This one was no exception. And right after we got done reviewing this beer, we couldn’t stop talking about how chewy it was on the palate. In fact, Tim knew this would be a big beer based solely on the Original Gravity (OG) and Final Gravity (FG) found on the back of the beer label. We’re pretty confident that if you don’t truly understand what “chewy” means as it relates to beer, you definitely will once you try this monstrous brew from Jester King.

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Session # 186
Jester King | Black Metal
Imperial Stout | Austin, TX | 10.4% ABV

One year ago: Boulevard Bourbon Barrel Quad (BBQ)

\m/ o( – _ – )o \m/

When I first saw the label art on the Black Metal from Jester King, I knew I was going to have to get a trade together very quickly. I mean…how could this beer go wrong with that much awesomeness on the outside. We’re not supposed to judge books by their covers, right? Well when we busted the cap on this 750ml of black sludge we knew it was going to be good. It poured with a dark tan (milk chocolaty) head. The aromas of chocolate, blueberries, dark fruits, and coffee began to fill our noses immediately. But it’s the first sip of this beer that just makes your heart sink. The mouthfeel on this beer is like silk sheets on your tongue and then monstrous amounts of flavor just pummel your palate. It’s enough to put a smile on your face. This beer delivers everything you would hope. And yes, it makes you want to listen to a bit of black metal, too. Below is my favorite doom metal song ever… ENJOY! Rating: 96/100

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People have purchased in these states.
Listening To: Monument of Urns “Cruelty”



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Session # 168
Great Divide | Espresso Oak-aged Yeti
Imperial Stout |Denver, Colorado | 9.5% ABV

One year ago: New Glarus Raspberry Tart

Oak-aged Imperial Stouts are unquestionably one of the most celebrated styles in craft beer. Today’s beer from Great Divide, called Espresso Oak-aged Yeti, is of the said style but is not aged in wood. It’s aged ON wood. That means the brewery has used chips instead of barrels; not an uncommon practice today. However, when I poured this motor oil looking stout into a glass it immediately filled the room with an intense oak character. It wasn’t even subtle. For some of you that will be a very good thing, but for me it was a bit overwhelming when thinking about how a beer should be balanced. This was one of the only flaws I could find, however. The appearance was spot on and boasted the most beautiful head I’ve seen in a while (maybe ever). In addition to the oak and vanilla, there was a good deal of espresso and dark malts to carry the beer. The palate was a more intense version of the nose with its oak character hitting you right up front. Then you began to taste the espresso and hop bitterness next with a very drying effect on the backend. This isn’t the most beautiful beer in this style that I’ve had, but it was certainly worthy of its place. For those who like aggressive flavors in your beer, might I suggest this bad boy…? Rating: 91/100

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This beer can be found in these states.
Listening To: Ebo Taylor “Peace on Earth”



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Session # 162
Portsmouth | Kate the Great
Russian Imperial Stout | Portsmouth, New Hampshire | 12% ABV

One year ago: Lost Abbey Red Poppy

When I was graciously offered a bottle of Portsmouth Kate the Great and found out within a week that Tim and his girlfriend Kate were getting engaged, I felt it was pretty clear what I should do with this beer. It would have been very easy to just throw it down in the basement, brag about having it, and just forget about it. But beers like this are meant for special occasions and so here we are. We actually coaxed Kate to get on camera for this one, too. Pouring it from the bottle I felt a since of freedom. Okay, no I didn’t. LOL! It was as black as it should be with a small amount of caramel-colored head. The aroma, while a touch boozy, had a huge amount of dark malt, toffee, and burnt sugars. The taste on the other hand was not what we thought. It hardly burned at all and the mouthfeel was absolutely amazing with its silky sweet and smooth texture. The dark malts, chocolate, and roasted caramel flavors were all extremely well-balanced. At 12% we could have easily finished another bottle with minimal problems. Great beer, great friends, and a great time – nuff said. Congrats Tim & Kate!!! Rating: 96/100

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This beer can only be purchased at the brewery or through trade.
Listening To: Panda Bear “Last Night at the Jetty”



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Session # 150 | AleSmith | Speedway Stout | 12% ABV
American Double / Imperial Stout | San Diego, California | Rating: 91/100
One year ago: Lagunitas Hop Stoopid

So here we are at 150 sessions of The Hopry. For the occasion I wanted to pull something special off the shelves, and the AleSmith Speedway Stout seemed like the perfect beer to share with you. It’s been sitting in silence for nearly two years and today it is being unleashed to a tulip glass and my stomach. What I can tell you is that this is one of the biggest Imperial Stouts I’ve had in a long time. It rivaled those huge stouts brewed by De Struise and De Molen (namely the Black Damnation which I reviewed here). Squid ink is the only color one could use to describe its color. The head was also very dark and rich. The aromas started to leap out of the glass and in to the room before I could even get my nose in the glass. You could tell this was not going to go down without a fight. The taste…BOOM! Tons of chocolate, espresso, and dark fruits pummeled the taste buds. The balance, while very nice, was a bit too bombastic to make this one an easy drinker. Hell, sipping it became a bit of a task after a while. This is definitely a world class stout, but the over-the-top slaying I received from drinking it keeps it from being the best I’ve had.

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This beer can be found in these states.
Listening To: Toro y Moi “Divina”



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Session # 126 | Sierra Nevada | Fritz & Ken’s Ale | 9.2% ABV
American Imperial Stout | Chico, California | Rating: 82/100

One year ago: New Belgium La Folie

Sierra Nevada is a name that is quite possibly the most recognizable in the craft beer world. With the exception of maybe Boston Brewing Company and Anchor Brewing, for which is part of this beer, they really are at the helm of it all. They have done a lot for hops, but they have also done a lot for craft beer. This year they celebrated 30 years of business and embarked on a slew of beers to commemorate these years. The first of four, called Fritz & Ken’s Ale, is an Imperial Stout between Ken Grossman (SN) and Fritz Maytag (Anchor Steam). It pours out of the bottle and looks every bit as impressive as it should from two of the pioneers of American craft beer. The nose, though, is a bit puzzling as there wasn’t a whole lot coming up out of the glass. Aside from some chocolate maltiness, it reminded us of a pretty traditional stout. The palate is the game-changer. It has loads of peaty smoky flavor that neither of us was expecting. There is nothing on the label or website that suggests it was aged in any type of Scotch barrel (or any barrel for that matter). So where is the flavor coming from? Peated malt? We have to admit, this one through us for a loop. Look for more on this later…

Up Next: Deschutes Hop in the Dark

Others: Alaskan Smoked Porter, Mikkeller Beer Geek Brunch

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This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: The Slits “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”



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Session # 118 | Bell’s | Expedition Stout | 10.5% ABV
Imperial Stout | Kalamazoo, Michigan | Rating: 87/100

Autumn is literally the best time of the year. For a brief period, the weather is amazing and football is aplenty. Recently Tim and I got together to watch some football and found the evening to be so nice out that we just had to take the camera on the porch. On this night it was Bell’s Expedition Stout, which is one of the first Imperial Stouts I ever tried. This was one lone bottle in my basement that I had forgotten about and so I was excited to know there was some age on it. As we poured the beer in to our glasses it was immediately obvious that this was a huge beer. It’s black like the oil that’s been sitting in a 20 year old car. The head is traditional with its light tan color. But it’s the aroma that brings the heat. There is tons of caramel, molasses, and dark fruits like raisins, dates, and plums. The coffee bitterness that is sometimes associated with these beers, however, is non-existent. The taste is right on the same page: molasses, rich burnt caramel, and dark fruits attack the palate and coat the lips. For a 10.5% ABV beer, this one lasts a very long time on the palate.

Up Next: Portsmouth Gose

Others: Oskar Blues Ten Fidy, Great Divide Yeti, North Coast Old Rasputin

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This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: Avey Tare “Oliver Twist”



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Session # 112 | De Struise | Black Damnation | 13% ABV
Russian Imperial Stout | Oostvleteren, Belgian | Rating: 91/100

It’s a great day when you receive feedback from a Belgian brewery that your reviews are enjoyed by the brewers themselves. It’s an even better day when they show you how much you’re appreciated with a beer package directly from the brewery itself. That’s the case with De Struise Brewery out of Oostvleteren, Belgian (courtesy of Urbain and Carlo). The first beer I’ll be sharing from this package of stouts is the Black Damnation. It comes in at a whopping 13% ABV, and I think you better know that I put my big boy pants on before recording. What pours out is an insanely black beer that looks like squid ink topped with a tan frothy head. It smells like…well…black damnation. You get miles and miles of intense complexity that brings dark chocolate truffles, coffee, and tons of dank caramel. The taste is just as insane, which may be its only drawback. While I love an intense beer, this one is almost bombastic on the palate. It’s definitely one you’d want to end a tasting with because I can still taste this beer over a week later. Not really, but kinda. It’s still a touch young (if it would even ever mellow) and doesn’t bring subtlety in any way, but if you like the big boys this is one you need to look for.

Up Next: Weyerbacher Merry Monks’ Ale

Others: De Struise Black Albert, De Molen Hell & Damnation, FFF Dark Lord

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This beer can be found in these states (Not available in the US).
On the iPod: Neon Indian “Deadbeat Summer”



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Session # 110 | Hoppin’ Frog | Barrel-aged B.O.R.I.S. | 9.4% ABV
Imperial Oatmeal Stout | Akron, Ohio | Rating: 94/100

I always love getting access to new breweries in the Kansas City market. It’s one that I think is really flourishing, so heads up to all you breweries out there thinking of expanding. Hoppin’ Frog, out of Akron, Ohio, just became available in the state of Kansas within the last year or so. For those of us who trade on a regular basis, we knew (or read about) their B.O.R.I.S., and were excited to have something that had some trade value. The barrel-aged version of B.O.R.I.S. is even more limited and is just as good as the award-winning regular and many people have it on their “to-get lists.”

I recently took this bottle with me on a short weekend trip and thought it’d be a good time to share it with you. After all, the wife loves big stouts, and I knew she’d help me knock this one back. So let’s get into it. Barrel-aged B.O.R.I.S. is an Imperial Oatmeal Stout that pours like very old engine oil – it’s that black. The head color is very nice with its dark milk chocolate color.

The aroma has tons of chocolate (think Tootsie Roll). There’s also a good amount of vanilla and wood coming from the Heaven Hill Whiskey barrels. The smell overall is mouthwatering. The taste is much the same. It’s huge with chocolate, caramel, and coffee, with a touch of booze from the almost 10% alcohol. Now, because it’s brewed with lots of oats, it’s not quite as viscous as you might expect but it’s definitely got flavor for days and days.

Up Next: Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws

Others: Oskar Blues Ten Fidy, Surly Four, North Old Rasputin

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This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: Avett Brothers “I And Love And You”



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Session # 108 | Founders | CBS | 11% ABV
Imperial Stout | Grand Rapids, MI | Rating: 94/100

I like to call this video “Vanilla & Cave”

It really is unfortunate that my local Flying Saucer Draft Emporium is so far away from the house. They easily have the best taps in the city, and Matt Gardner (manager extraordinaire) does a stellar job in getting some of the rarest kegs available to Missouri. A couple weeks ago I luckily went to their website to check out their beer calendar and noticed that Canadian Breakfast Stout was on it. I immediately let my wife know I’d be “out” that night.

Showing up I guess you could say I was a bit excited to get the beer rolling because I’m a diehard Founders fan to the core. I knew this would be a great experience, especially if it was anywhere near as good as the KBS (which the two are very similar). I ran in to a few Hopry readers and it felt great to be in a room full of beer geeks to share this beer. I finally met local bloggers/home brewers, Amy and John of KC Wort Hog, and decided to throw together an impromptu review with them and Mr. T. Pratt. Why not right?

What can be said about this beer? It’s insane! The color is right on track with its intense black opacity; the head color being a nice soft tan. It tastes pretty much like you’d expect, too. There is tons of coffee, a nice amount of maple sweetness, chocolate, vanilla and cave (thanks Tim). With only a touch of alchohol burn (it is 11%-ish), this is a beer that went down as easily as I’d hoped. All in all, it was a beautiful beer, a beautiful night, and a great time to be sharing it with other beer geeks.

Up next: Odell IPA

Others: Founders KBS, North Coast Old Rasputin XII, Hoppin’ Frog B.O.R.I.S.

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This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: Dan Auerbach “Heartbroken (In Disrepair)”



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Session # 101 | Goose Island |Night Stalker| 11.7% ABV
Imperial Stout | Chicago, IL | Rating: 90/100

Goose Island is easily the most recognized craft brewery in Chicago. They are notorious for their palate-crushing Imperial Stout called Bourbon County Stout (BCS), which chimes in at about 13% ABV and carries enough bourbon heat to flatten the average beer drinker. The same can almost be said for this limited release called Night Stalker. It is an Imperial Stout that uses the same base as the BCS but comes in a little weaker at 11.7% ABV. The bourbon barrel aging has been replaced with a healthy dose of hops, which excited me upon learning because I was excited to taste a BCS without the intense bourbon component. How would it stand up? Would it unveil a sub-par beer? The barrel process that is used so heavily today can easily hide the imperfections of average beers. That’s just not the case with Night Stalker because it is a very complex beer that brings a good deal of aromas and flavors like caramel, cave, meat, grass, oak, spiciness, and even mushrooms. The hop character leans more toward the spicy and earthy side due to the Mt. Hood hops and doesn’t have much of a pine or citrus element from the Simcoe hops. This is likely due to the fact that the beer is nearing the six-month mark, too. The mouthfeel is not quite as intense (or chewy) as one would expect from something this big, but that actually helps the beer. Night Stalker is very balanced and quite enjoyable, and I cannot stress enough how good this beer would taste with a big man-sized steak, sautéed mushrooms, and crumbled goat cheese. I’ll be putting it to the test one day soon I’m sure. Up next: Wachusett Larry

Others: Bell’s Expedition Stout, Oskar Blues Ten Fidy, Beer Here Dark Hops

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This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: Powersolo “Good Behaviour”



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Hopry Short # 7 | Central Waters| Peruvian Morning| 5% ABV
Imperial Stout | Amherst, WI | Rating: 88/100

Central Waters Brewing is a brewery I have very little experience with. In fact, this beer called Peruvian Morning is the only one I’ve ever had. It came to me by way of an extra in a trade and I’ve been anxious to try it since. It is an Imperial Stout brewed with coffee and aged in oak bourbon barrels. It pours a lot lighter than one would expect from an oak-aged Imperial Stout, though you probably can’t tell on camera. It appears to be darker than it really is. The smell, though, is closer to being on point with its dark roasted malt character that only brings a touch of coffee along with it. Once you take a first sip, however, the flavor far surpasses the almost underwhelming nose. All-in-all, this taste about like it should, which I would say is very good. However, I’m left wondering if this would be a sub-standard beer without the coffee and bourbon to help coax it along. Well…I’ll probably never know, so I’ll just have to say that this one is very good for what it is…

Others: Odell Bourbon Barrel Stout, North Coast Old Rasputin XII, Goose Island BCS

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This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: MGMT “Siberian Breaks”



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First of all I’d like to apologize for the delay in posting my 100th session of The Hopry. It has been crazy busy around here lately and I also had to travel to Minneapolis for a good friend’s wedding. However, we should be able to celebrate something else now – which is this session. It’s been a long time coming and I’m glad (and thankful) that it’s finally here. Not even a year ago, I set out to review 100 beers in one year, and today I am publicly reaching that milestone in less time than expected. Along the way I’ve experienced a ton of amazing beers and been contacted by (or contacted) many beer lovers from around the world. It has meant a great deal becoming a part of the craft beer community in such a public way. So I decided to celebrate it all with the beer I seemed to be fascinated by the most this year – Cigar City’s Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout. It’s a very dark monster of a stout, which is brewed with cacao nibs, ancho & pasilla chiles, vanilla, and cinnamon. What pours out of the bottle definitely shows its imperial roots, but it also highlights the chiles in the color of the head. There is an amazingly rich reddish brown color to it that left me looking in amazement for a bulk of drinking it. The smell is full of dark roasted malts and a hefty amount of chocolate that comes from the addition of the cacao nibs. A rich sort of smokiness rounds it all out before a very small (almost unnoticeable) amount of cinnamon and vanilla wrap things up. The flavor is heavy with the chocolate from the cacao nibs and is met with a good amount of bitterness and an almost full body. I found this body to be a bit thinner than I would have liked and found it to bring a bit too much tartness along with it as a result of the intense dark chocolate. Having said that, the Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout was still a very good way to celebrate 100 sessions of The Hopry. Thank you all very very much for supporting me. Cheers!

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On the iPod: Gui Boratto “Beautiful Life”



Brewery: Cigar City
Beer: Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout
Style: Imperial Stout
Location: Tampa, Florida
ABV: 11.5%
Rating: 95/100

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The last time I had Boulevard’s Imperial Stout (BIS) was about two years ago. I would say my palate at that time, while still quite astute, was not fully capable of enjoying all the intricacies that some craft beers have to offer. I had only liked imperial stouts for a short time but not on the level I do now. So I was really excited to pop the cork on this big boy to see how it measured up to my memory from two years ago. Keep in mind I’ve had a zillion beers since then and it’s hard to remember every little detail of them all. However, it only takes a quick sniff of this beauty to know that you’ve got a beer that hangs with the best of them. Personally I couldn’t help but just let out a flabbergasted laugh when I smelled it because it was just pure happiness. That joy didn’t stop until the end of the bottle. BIS pours exactly like you’d hope from a beer of this caliber – BLACK! Its head is a touch lighter than most I’ve seen in this style and is surprisingly large for an 11% ABV beer. It’s the first drop of this beer, however, that just dominates all other stouts I’ve had to date. Its simultaneous subtlety and intensity are far beyond what I could have hoped, and the alcohol burn was in just the right amount. Now…I know I’m going to catch flack from some people for giving this beer a perfect score, but I don’t care. As Tim and I worked through the rest of this beer off camera it just became more and more obvious that this is a transcendent beer. Two years has done some very amazing things to it, and I was blown away like I haven’t been in a very long time. What’s even more interesting and ironic is that I have one of the world’s best imperial stouts lined up next for my celebratory 100th session on The Hopry, and I’m anxious as hell to see how it lives up to this beer. I hope it brings its big boy pants because this stout could very well be the best beer I’ve ever had. Yes folks… in my book this is up there with Pliny the Younger and Hopslam. Up next: The Hopry’s 100th Session Cigar City Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout

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This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: Tame Impala “Solitude Is Bliss”



Brewery: Boulevard
Beer: Imperial Stout
Style: Imperial Stout
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
ABV: 11%
Rating: 100/100

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Jeez! Founders Week sure went by quickly. That’s probably because all three beers were so good. But I definitely saved the best for last: Kentucky Breakfast Stout (aka KBS). Not only is this one of their greatest beers, but it can be one of the most difficult to find in the stores. I was lucky enough to have someone bring me a couple four-packs back from Michigan and then was lucky enough to get two more four-packs back here. So I sorta hit the jackpot this year. But I’ve certainly been taking my time working through them. Tonight it’s on! Right out of the glass it’s apparent that this is a very black beer that means business. The aromas instantly fill the room, like a tiger that’s just been let out of its cage. Not a ton of head ensues, but a quick swirl of the glass unveils a beautifully rich brown colored foam. Right away there is a dank spiciness (reminiscent of cave and chicory) that hits your nose hairs. It’s then followed quickly by the intense smells of bourbon, vanilla, coffee, and a touch of chocolate. Oh yeah my friends – this is a righteous beer indeed. The taste…well…that’s really the best part. There is miles and miles of flavor here with a nice little dose of booze burn. After the burn dissipates, however, you are met with one of the most macho beers around. I can’t even imagine what two years will do to this beer. When I open a couple of these in 2012, I may have to have a tissue ready for when I weep tears of joy. Thank you Founders for an amazing week of beer. You guys rock the craft beer world! Up next: Russian River Blind Pig

Check out all sessions of The Hopry here.
This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: Interpol “Rest My Chemistry”



Brewery: Founders
Beer: Kentucky Breakfast Stout (KBS)
Style: Imperial Stout
Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan
ABV: 11.2%
Rating: 97/100

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TGIF Beeyotches! So here we are at the end of Mikkeller week and I have to say the first two beers (while pretty good) were both a bit of a letdown for me. However, now we get into the good stuff: Mikkeller Beer Geek Brunch (Weasel). Yes this is the infamous “poop beer” that everyone talks about. That’s because it is made with civet cat droppings (click here and here to see two great videos on these little guys and the process). As it’s been stated elsewhere this is one of the rarest coffees in the world and can be quite expensive to purchase. So how does this translate in the beer? Pretty great actually. The color (believe it or not) is jet black, and the head is very beautiful with the roasted hazelnut color. The smell is definitely unique, while simultaneously characteristic of an imperial stout. The taste, though, is truly the best part. This is a very manly beer with miles and miles of roasted espresso and a bit of smokiness. I’d also like to point out that there is not an overly cloying amount of sweetness which I really like. I will say that the smoky component was really a delight for both of us. So get one…or two…or three. It’s really pretty damn tasty. Hope you enjoyed this week, enjoy your weekend and see you next week. Up next: Founders Backwoods Bastard

Check out all sessions of The Hopry here.
This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: Lee Fields & the Expressions “My World”



Brewery: Mikkeller
Beer: Beer Geek Brunch (Weasel)
Style: Imperial Oatmeal Stout
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
ABV: 10.9%
Rating: 96/100

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I don’t normally post videos on the weekends, but this is definitely a special occasion. Having just received my allotment of Three Floyds Dark Lord, I wanted to get a review up ASAFP so you could join me in my first ever experience with the beer. So here it is. Hope you enjoy it and hope you have a great weekend. Cheers Everybody!!!

I think it’s safe to say that Three Floyds Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout is one of the most desired beers in the craft beer industry. That’s because it’s only released one day a year; and you have to show up at the brewery for Dark Lord Day to get it. After that…well…I’m afraid it’s trade city and ebay. Lots of other breweries have started the trend of one day only releases, too, and they are seriously starting to catch on. If one had the time and/or money, he or she could spend a good part of the year traveling to places like New Hampshire (Kate the Great), California (Pliny the Younger; Black Tuesday), and Minnesota (Darkness) for the country’s most sought after beers. And for the most part, stouts are the modus operandi for the events. Many ask why this is the case, and I just don’t know the answer to that question. What I do know is that imperial stouts like this (15% ABV) are very good for the basement and can be enjoyed for years to come. I was privileged enough to get my allotment of four bottles per ticket (two tickets – you can do the math). So I’ll definitely be hanging on to these to share with my good friends. Tim, get ready. Jon, one of these bad boys has your name on it, too! See…I’m already sharing the love. So, I hope you enjoy this lengthy, but much awaited session of The Hopry. And if you want to hear the most massive metal track of all-time (featured in the credits), simply click the Soundcloud link below and open a bottle of Dark Lord!!! You’re sure to have one hell of a dark experience.

Check out all sessions of The Hopry here.
This beer can be found at the brewery only (or via trade).
On the iPod: Monument of Urns “Cruelty”



Brewery: Three Floyds
Beer: Dark Lord [2010]
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Location: Munster, Indiana
ABV: 15%
Rating: 96/100

On paper, Avery Brewing Company has crafted one hell of a beer – an imperial stout aged in Gosling’s Bermuda rum barrels. Of course when I saw the beer hit my area I didn’t even think twice to grab one. Then I realized how much it cost: $8.59 for a 12 ounce bottle. OUCH! Well…I’ve never had any restraint when it comes to craft beer, so why start now. Here you have a very nice stout that does things just a touch different. Most folks today purchase old oak, wine, or bourbon barrels to age their beer in, but rum barrels is not something a lot of breweries are doing. So you have to give Avery credit for thinking outside the box here. Black Tot is part of their barrel-aged series and is number three in the lineup. Not to mention the fact that only 315 cases were produced. The appearance is rather traditional looking, the aromas are very nice which consist of (you guessed it) rum, dark roasted malts, and a touch of alcohol. On the palate, there is about the same experience. My head didn’t explode like I had hoped, but I’m happy with this beer nonetheless. The rum added a nice bit of sweetness without going over the top. My only advice here would be to buy two if you have the pocketbook to do so. I think this will be much nicer this time next year.

Check out all sessions of The Hopry here.
This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: Say Hi To Your Mom

Brewery: Avery
Beer: Black Tot
Style: Imperial Stout
Location: Boulder, Colorado
ABV: 10.08%
Rating: 87/100

Whoppers and tobacco – tobacco and Whoppers – in it together…how…why? Who cares? The Oskar Blues Ten Fidy is dee-frickin’-licious! That’s because there’s something very manly going on in this beer, and it starts from the minute you pour it straight from the can. The aromas immediately start wafting out of the glass and into the room and fill it with chocolate, coffee, Whoppers, and tobacco. Then at about the same time, the most perfect looking head you’ve ever seen begins to slowly mushroom cloud over the top of the beer. You just know it’s going to be a good 12 ounces ahead of you. Then the first sip hits you and you’re met with a nice punch of heat and bittersweet chocolate. However, it’s the vanilla, dark cave, and smoky tobacco aftertaste that really shines and proves just how good Ten Fidy truly is. I’m not going to lie, I was very sad to see the end of this beer, but it is going on the to-do list to get more. Maybe next time I’ll have a cigar with it and take it to the next level.

For a larger HD experience click here.
This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: Ben Kweller

Brewery: Oskar Blues
Beer: Ten Fidy
Style: Imperial Stout
Location: Santa Rosa, California
ABV: 9.5%
Rating: 96/100

It’s been a long time coming to have my good friend Tim on camera at The Hopry. So I pulled out the stops this night and went directly for a beer I’ve wanted to try for a very long time. This AMAZING bourbon barrel anniversary edition of the North Coast Old Rasputin is one of the best I’ve had this year. I think Tim and I both agree, too, that this is one of the most subtle imperial stouts out there, even though it brings in a whopping 11.2% ABV. There is tons of vanilla coming out of the barrel aging (think Southern Tier Creme Brulee), and the alcohol burn typically associated with this type of beer is virtually non-existent. But I think what makes this beer the most magical is how very well-balanced it is all around. Not one component outshines the other. Upon every sip, you almost seem to sink deeper into the couch while just marveling over how they could make such a big beer go down this easily. Well…the good news is that I have seen plenty of these on the shelves around town, so I think I may have to add another one or two to the collection to let them hang out for a little while. Though I will tell you right now, these bottles do not need age to be greatly appreciated by just about anyone. And that my friends is the sign of a 98 point beer for me.

For a larger HD experience click here.
This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: Ariel Pink and the Haunted Graffiti

Brewery: North Coast
Beer: Old Rasputin XII Anniversary
Style: Imperial Stout
Location: Fort Bragg, California
ABV: 11.2%
Rating: 98/100

I’m not even going to lie, when I received a direct compliment from the De Struise Brewery on my review of their Pannepot, my head got a little enlarged. It’s a compliment to hear from the brewery that you’re reviewing. They liked the way I described and reviewed their Pannepot, which is a beautifully complex Belgian-style strong ale. Well, I hate to say it, but they’ve gone and done it again with this insanely deep and complex Belgian Royal Stout called Black Albert. How that’s exactly different from an Imperial Stout I don’t know. Maybe I shouldn’t care. What I do know is that this HUGE monster (sitting in at 13% ABV) is really one amazing beer. It drinks more like a 9% – 10% stout. Perhaps it’s that I found this thing on a whim, or perhaps it’s just that it’s so damn easy to drink at this high of an ABV that it just makes you scratch your head. Either way, this is very deserving of a high score. With as much flavor as you get out of this beer, it just seems to balance everything very well. But, you know what? At the end of the day it is 13% and you can feel it by the time you’ve drained this small bottle of stout goodness. This Belgian brewery really does things well. And this is no exception.

For a larger HD experience click here.
This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: Jóhann Jóhannsson

Brewery: De Struise
Beer: Black Albert
Style: Belgian Royal Stout / Imperial Stout
Location: Oostvleteren, Belgium
ABV: 13%
Rating: 95/100

Ahhh…Goose Island’s Bourbon County Stout – it’s such a behemoth of an Imperial Stout. At 13%, it’s enough to take the edge off any situation very quickly. Rewind a couple years ago…The BCS was my first real experience with an extreme beer. Just smelling it come out of the glass as my waiter poured it for me led me to fear what I might feel like afterwards. With its intense aroma of bourbon, I knew I was at least going to enjoy something for the ages. Two problems exist with these beers, though, and that is the fact that they are very heavy and potent. I’d even go so far as to say that these little 12 ounce bottles could be shared with one or two other people. But I can tell you based on this review that they clearly do well with a couple years of age. I’ve been sitting on a few bottles of the 2007 vintage for a while just to see what the experience would be like after having the 2008 and 2009 consecutively, and the result was phenomenal. A lot of the alcohol burn has dwindled but the flavor profile from the bourbon barrels still remains. Matched with a great amount of coffee, chocolate, toffee, and vanilla, this beer is much more approachable than it was in 2007. But granted…my palate is a lot more susceptible to these extreme beers now, so you make the call. Buy a couple and let them sit down in the basement for a couple years and see what happens.

For a larger HD experience click here.
This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: Bill Callahan

Brewery: Goose Island
Beer: Bourbon County Stout
Style: Imperial Stout (Barrel-Aged)
Location: Chicago, IL
ABV: 13%
Rating: 94/100