Session # 107 | Rodenbach | Grand Cru | 6% ABV
Flanders Red Sour Ale | Roeselare, Belgium | Rating: 96/100

While not my favorite style of beer yet, the sour ale is slowly creeping up the food chain for me. The beer we’ll be looking at today, Rodenbach Grand Cru, is a very good reason for this. I have been looking for a bottle for at least a year now, and it’s been a long time coming on the show. Well here we are — I finally got it because of a recent visit to Minneapolis. Man I love traveling to other states in my car! Anyway…

The Rodenbach Grand Cru is a Flemish Red, which are known for having that puckering sourness paired with delicious tart fruits like cherries, apples, and pears. They’re commonly referred to as the “vinegar beers,” which, in truth, is not far off from what you smell and taste. The Grand Cru is also aged in large oak vats (seen here), for two years and then blended with younger ale to make for a more balanced and enjoyable experience. In this case, 67% is aged in oak while the remaining 33% is considered “young ale.” Even with the blending process, you can certainly taste the oak character in the beer.

Grand Cru pours a beautifully deep mahogany red with a nice amount of off-white head. The aroma hits your nose before you even get your nose to the glass. It’s filled with tons of sour cherry, tart apple, red wine vinegar, light caramel, and a healthy amount of oak. The taste is not much different (which is always fine with me). It hits you hard up front with the green apple and tart cherry paired with tons of red wine vinegar. The oak, while not predominant, plays a huge role. Though it may be a sour ale, it’s quite refreshing and one hell of an experience. I like this one a lot.

Up next: Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout (CBS)

Others: Duchesse de Bourgogne, Lost Abbey Red Poppy, Russian River Consecration

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This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: Real Estate “Beach Comber”



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Session # 106 | Pretty Things | Jack D’Or | 6.5% ABV
Saison / Farmhouse Ale | Cambridge, MA | Rating: 94/100

Preface: I want to immediately call out the fact that I realize there is a huge fuzzy on the top of my hair in this video. I also had a tiny visitor later in the video. That’s the joy of reviewing in one steady take. Obviously I didn’t realize I had the fuzzy until AFTER the review. Hopefully it is not as distracting to you (the viewer) as it is me (the creator). But since this is the only bottle of Jack D’Or I have, we’ll just have to laugh about it and move on.

Fuzzy aside… I would have to say that Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project out of Cambridge, Massachusetts, does some of the best labels in the business. I really respect the extra step they take to place labels over the caps of their bottles that clearly call out the batch numbers and bottling dates (as can be seen here). Talk about a brewery with integrity. Jack D’Or, which is the brewery’s Saison / Farmhouse Ale, is no different and I can tell you that this bottle is batch number 10 that was bottled in November 2009. When I opened this beer just before filming, it immediately began to foam out of the top of the bottle. That’s generally a really good sign of bottle conditioning (as most Farmhouse Ales are). So getting it into a glass pretty quickly was a must, and boy is it a nice looking Saison with tons of pillowy, meringue-like, off-white head. In fact, you don’t have to pour this one very hard to see how quickly the head jumps to the top of the glass.

The color, while somewhat hazy, is a nice orange and yellow. Before I even take my first sip of the beer, I am already seeing a great amount of lacing on the glass – much like you’d see from an Orval for example. The nose is spot on for a Saison. There is a good amount of spice that comes from the yeast they use. There are also four different hops in this beer that put off aromas of phenols, caramelized banana, lemon, and funk. The taste is the real winner in this beer. Up front there is a ton of lemon that hits the front of your tongue which unfolds quickly into some grassiness and funky yeast tastes. It finishes every bit as dry as you’d hope, too. Overall this really is a great representation of the style and right up there with some of the best Saisons I’ve had. I will definitely be looking for some more of these (and others from the brewery) in the future. Up next: Rodenbach Grand Cru

Others: Boulevard Saison Brett, Saison Dupont, Ommegang Hennepin

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This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: Beck “Bad Blood”



Click here for the handlebar mustache cutout.
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I don’t think I’ve ever done this on The Hopry, but I wanted to take a quick moment to share a beer blog with you that I’ve been obsessing over for a few weeks now. It’s called Beer Paintings, which is a blog dedicated to the sale (and potential commissioning) of beer art. All you have to do is take one glance through Cara Thayer and Louie Van Patten’s page to see there is some real talent going on here. If you have a moment to spare (which I know you do), hop on over by clicking here to take a look.

Session # 105 | Dark Horse | Reserve Special | 7.5% ABV
American Strong Ale | Marshall, MI | Rating: 90/100

Here we are wrapping up another week of craft beer where we focus on a specific brewery. This week was Dark Horse and I chose to focus on a few of their stouts. Though you will notice this beer today is not classified a stout, it is virtually stout-like in every way. This is the brewery’s American Strong Ale called Reserve Special Black Bier. I first became aware of it a couple years ago when Draft Magazine listed it as one of their Top 25 Beers of 2008. Of course I had to purchase a few and enjoyed one last year and held on to the other two until now. Reserve Special is a very interesting beer because it really is a Stout or Porter in my mind. It pours black, has a light tan head, and smells every bit as dark and molasses-y as you’d expect from these two styles. The nose is much more elegant than the other two beers from this week. In fact, I could really smell this beer for a long time. Even though I pull out things like dank leather shoes, smoky malts, caramel, and molasses it tastes better than it sounds. Ultimately it has that signature Dark Horse taste that I’ve come to learn over the last week, but it’s clearly the winner for me and the only one I would recommend going out of your way for. Up Next: Pretty Things Jack D’Or

Others: Dark Horse Fore, Surly Smoke, ØlfabrikkenPorter

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This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: Arcade Fire “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)”



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Session # 104 | Dark Horse | Fore | 8% ABV
American Smoked Stout | Marshall, MI | Rating: 88/100

It’s becoming fairly evident at this point that Dark Horse stouts generally taste the same. On the surface, they all share the same dark malt characteristic that puts off a damp cave aroma and taste. On one hand, this is a good thing because it gives Dark Horse a signature taste. However, with the number of stouts they produce in this Holiday Stout Series, each one is not distinctive enough to really stand out among the other releases. Today’s beer, the Fore Smoked Stout, pours exactly like the Too Cream Stout we looked at on Monday. On the nose, you get a lot of the same characters you find in the Too, which is dark roasted malts, earthiness, and damp cave. The only difference in the Fore is a fair amount of smokiness coming from the malts. A touch of booziness finishes off the nose. As the first drink hits your tongue you immediately notice that this is a bit more viscous than the Too, which I certainly am thankful for. The smoke is immediately apparent in the mouth, as is a good amount of molasses, chocolate, and burnt caramel. As you dig deeper, though, there’s a bit of tartness that comes from the depths of the beer that makes you think of chocolate covered raisins. Again, not the best stout I’ve had, but we’re definitely moving in the right direction. Of the three that I’ve had thus far, I still prefer the Tres the best. Feel free to go back and watch that one now if you’d like (just click here). See you back here on Friday when we’ll be wrapping up Dark Horse Week with one of their better offerings. Up Next: Dark Horse Special Reserve Black Bier.

Others: Alaskan Smoked Porter, Olfabrikken Porter, Founders Porter

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This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: Beach House “Walk in the Park”



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Session # 103 | Dark Horse | Too | 8% ABV
Milk / Sweet Stout | Marshall, MI | Rating: 82/100

Now for the beer… This week I’ll be sharing a brewery that I think most of you are familiar with called Dark Horse Brewing Company out of Marshall, Michigan. This is a fairly small brewery that doesn’t have the widest distribution (outside the northern part of the Midwest), but I was able to purchase several of their beers while on a recent trip to Minneapolis. I chose to do a week of stouts because the brewery actually has a lineup of stouts called the Holiday Stout Series. Though the Special Reserve Black Bier, which we will look at on Friday, is not in this series of beers, you’ll see that it might as well be. Today’s beer, called Too, is the breweries cream stout that is released every November and clocks in (purportedly) at 8%. It pours black as it should with a light tan-colored head that tends to hang around longer than one might expect. The nose is (as I’ve come to learn) very indicative of a Dark Horse stout. There is loads of damp cave, earth, malts, blueberry, chocolate, caramel, and charred corn, which all seem to unfold as you drink it. The taste is slightly different than the aroma and it comes off unusually thin on the palate. I expected an 8% cream stout to be much sweeter and chewier than this. However, the flavor unleashes a lot of chocolate, molasses, frisee (lettuce), and cream. It’s definitely an interesting stout, but not quite what I expected from a cream stout in particular. Up next: Dark Horse Fore

Others: Dark Horse Tres, Portsmouth Black Cat, Bells Cream Stout

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This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: TV on the Radio “Family Tree”



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Session # 102 | Wachusett |Larry | 7.5% ABV
Imperial IPA | Westminster, MA | Rating: 92/100

One thing that should be pretty apparent to most beer geeks by now is that the west coast owns the craft beer market when it comes to producing some of the world’s best (and hoppiest) IPAs. They are also known for brewing them in such a way that really highlights the hops yet pulls back on the malt backbone that typically supports these styles. When I first set out to review Larry, an Imperial IPA from Wachusett Brewing Company out of Westminster, MA, I didn’t expect this east coast brewery to exceed my expectations. I mean let’s face it, the east coast IPAs just don’t measure up for the most part. However, Larry just might change a lot of minds — it certainly changed mine. Immediately out of the glass, I will say there’s nothing exceptional about the color or head on this one. That’s because it’s very traditional looking. It’s clear and has a very clean hoppy aroma which immediately transports you to southern California. It brings a lot of orange, pine, mango, and even a nice touch of honeysuckle. The taste is very nice as well, but tends to be a touch heavy on the bitter end. Though I appreciate the fact that the malts are pulled back on this beer to allow the hops to shine, it could use a touch more to help cut the bitterness. Aside from that this is definitely one to track down, particularly if you’re on the east coast and have problems getting some of the rarer west coast offerings. Up Next: Dark Horse Too.

Others: HotD Blue Dot, Firestone Walker Union Jack, Lagunitas Hop Stoopid

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This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: Broken Bells “The High Road”



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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 # 8 | Surly |Bender| 5.1% ABV
American Brown Ale | Brooklyn Center, MN | Rating: 89/100

Surly Brewing Company, out of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, gets a lot of respect in the craft beer world for producing some very good tasting brews. They also get a lot of respect for being one of the first (and best) breweries to can a majority of their lineup. Their Bender is an American Brown Ale that garners a pretty good amount of respect from me personally because it’s one of the best I’ve had in the style. I say that fully admitting, too, that Brown Ales are one of my least favorite styles. Bender pours a very dark and rich brown with an amazing two-tone colored head. The smell is very malty right up front, but also puts off a beautiful floral component. Its bitterness isn’t overwhelming, but is just where you’d want it to be so that everything evens out nicely. Certainly worth finding a couple of these for your fridge because I imagine this one would even age nicely over the course of a year.

Others: DFH Indian Brown Ale, Mikkeller Jackie Brown, Big Sky Moose Drool

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This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: Fink “Sort of Revolution”



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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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I won’t go in to too much detail here because I think the above video speaks for itself. However, I do want to let you know that I will be back next week with two new sessions that I think you’ll want to see. Though my first instinct was to take a few weeks off, I feared that I may lose too much momentum in doing that. So I’ve decided to just hit it strong again beginning next week. Hope you’ll come back. And if you wouldn’t mind, please take my short survey by clicking HERE. Thank you thank you and thank you many times over!!!

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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This beer can be found in these states.
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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Continuing on with Boulevard week, we now come to the second session with the Bourbon Barrel Quad (BBQ). This is a Quadrupel that has been aged in oak bourbon barrels for at least a year with tart cherry added along the way. Before bottling it is blended to create what some people here call the best high-gravity beer Boulevard makes. It is part of the brewery’s Smokestack Series limited release lineup and literally flies off the shelves as soon as it’s released. If you sleep for even a week you can miss your chance to get one of these bottles. When Tim and I poured this one into our Boulevard tulips it became pretty apparent that there was a cherry element based solely on the color. It has a very nice rich ruby caramel color with a healthy amount of light tan soapy head that dissipates somewhat quickly. The aroma is of figs, prunes, dates, tart cherries, and caramel. It is only subtly met with a faint amount astringency and booziness that rounds it out quite nicely. The taste lives up to the aroma and highlights the cherries first but then follows everything up with the deep sticky fruits and caramel afterwards. At 11.8%, it’s certainly one that is good to share with one or two other people, but ultimately the goal should be to let this beer sit for at least six to eight months if you buy them fresh. Time is of the essence here and this beer is miles ahead of where it was when I bought them. Now Kansas City has the best BBQ (food) and BBQ (beer). How can you be unhappy with that combination? Up next: Boulevard Imperial Stout

Check out all sessions of The Hopry here.
This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: M83 “Kim & Jessie”



Brewery: Boulevard
Beer: Bourbon Barrel Quad (BBQ)
Style: Quadrupel (Quad)
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
ABV: 11.8%
Rating: 96/100

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I am extremely excited to bring you a full week of Kansas City’s very own Boulevard Brewing Company. I am also extremely excited because I was able to meet up with my friend (and occasional co-host), Tim Pratt again. Since Tim offers his time on weekends to give tours at the brewery, I thought what better companion for this week than him. I’ve wanted to feature Boulevard on my show for a long time, but I wanted to do it in a way that would really showcase the brewery’s prominence in the industry. The three beers I’ve chosen highlight the passion and aptitude Brewmaster Steven Pauwels brings to the craft beer movement. The first beer we’ll be looking at is a special one – it’s called Collaboration No. 1. It’s special because Pauwels partnered with brewmaster Jean-Marie Rock of Orval to create what many will call a timeless offering. The two worked together to brew a beer with basic ingredients yet with a process that Rock had not revisited for quite a while. In the glass it has a gorgeous and vibrant golden color with champagne-like bubbles that shoot straight to the top of the glass. The aroma is spot on for a pilsner, but with more intensity and a very nice amount of lemon peel. We drank this one a touch warm, but let me say it rounded the beer out immensely. It has loads of buttery character on the tongue that meets perfectly with the crisp and refreshing lemon essence. It is one of the cleanest and purest pilsners I’ve ever had, and at 8% ABV it is definitely one to be celebrated. Come to think of it, I better get out there now and buy some more because I can’t imagine they’ll be on the shelves much longer. Up next: Boulevard Bourbon Barrel Quad (BBQ)

Check out all sessions of The Hopry here.
This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: Washed Out “Feel It All Around”



Brewery: Boulevard
Beer: Collaboration No. 1 (with Orval)
Style: Imperial Pilsner
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
ABV: 8%
Rating: 93/100

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Hopry Short # 6 | Bell’s| Two Hearted Ale | 7.10% ABV
India Pale Ale | Rating: 90/100

People tend to ask the question a lot: “What’s a go-to beer for you when you just want something good to drink that’s not overly hard to get?” My first response is usually North Coast’s Old Rasputin or Boulevard’s Tank 7, but I also find myself picking up a six-pack of Bell’s Two Hearted Ale on quite a few occasions. In fact, if I know I’m going to be on vacation or have a good long weekend at home, I will look to pick up one of their mini-kegs of the stuff. Now, it’s not the hoppiest IPA by today’s standards, but it’s enough to give you what you need to drink it for a fairly long period of time. Its aroma (when fresh of course) is very clean and refreshing with beautiful citric and tropical fruit components, which Bell’s has mastered. The taste is virtually the same with a nice little bite from the bitterness and healthy amount of hops. Did I mention that I am crazily in love with the packaging? It makes me want to go fishing in the great northwest while having one of these sitting on a rock next to me. It’s very good imagery and it’s also very good beer.

Happy Friday people! This will be the third Surly beer I’ve had on the show and the second in these large format 750ml waxed bottles. This one in particular is called Four, which is just another name for their fourth anniversary beer. Each year, Todd Haug, Brewmaster of Surly, is allowed to brew a special one-off beer to commemorate another year of business for the brewery. The last few years have seen beers like One (Doppelbock), Two (Imperial Stout), and Three (Braggot). With Four, the brewery has gone back to stout territory, but this time they’ve brewed a massive double espresso milk stout loaded with dark intense aromas and flavors. You’re immediately met with a nice punch of coffee from the espresso followed quickly by a faint amount of smokiness and chocolate. As this one warmed it also released a nice touch of sweet tobacco. The flavor on this one is HUGE – so much so that I almost think they should categorize this thing an Imperial Stout. The intense flavors of the coffee, roasted malts, tobacco, and smoke sit on your tongue for as long as it takes you to enjoy your next sip. Surprisingly enough the booziness is hidden pretty darn well in here. Stouts can get away with that and this one certainly does. All in all this is a very solid beer and it’s even better knowing that Surly has only been around for four years. They’ve certainly mastered the art of brewing high gravity stouts and creating unique bottle art that make people line up to purchase these things on day of release (see also Darkness). Up next: Boulevard Collaboration No. 1

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This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: The Big Pink “Dominos”



Brewery: Surly
Beer: Four
Style: Milk Stout
Location: Brooklyn Center, Minnesota
ABV: 10%
Rating: 96/100

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Southern Tier Brewing Company out of Lakewood, New York makes the most amazing dessert-like beers on the market. This beer is one of them and it’s called the Crème Brûlée Imperial Milk Stout. People who don’t even like beer are going to find themselves wanting some more of this syrupy vanilla heaven once it hits their lips. In fact, when it comes to my family this is the most discussed beer in the house. So much so that I had to buy two cases this year just to keep everyone off my tip. And also so I didn’t have to ration out bottles to them throughout the year (seeing as how this is only released once a year). Anyway, the beer itself is not entirely black, but it’s pretty close. It only has an average looking pale tan head but has an intense aroma of vanilla that comes up out of the glass like a mushroom cloud. Aside from some caramel malts and a bit of chocolate, it really is the vanilla that stars in the show. The taste – well – it’s pretty much the same thing but even more intense. The vanilla and caramel are right at the fore and the small alcohol burn and chocolate sits in the back. Rest assured that the flavor will be on your palate for quite a while. You really have to taste this beer to believe it, and if you have already tried it then you know everything I’m saying is true. So grab a bottle and maybe two or three of your closest friends and have yourself some of this decadent vanilla custard dessert beer and enjoy! Up next: Surly Four

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This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: Destroyer “Bay of Pigs”



Brewery: Southern Tier
Beer: Crème Brûlée
Style: Imperial Milk Stout
Location: Lakewood, New York
ABV: 10%
Rating: 90/100

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Three Floyds out of Munster, Indiana is easily one of the most well-recognized craft breweries in the Midwest. Just about every beer they make is an enjoyable experience to drink. One of the elements that I personally enjoy the most, however, is the label artwork and bottle caps they make to adorn their creations. Furthermore, this particular beer called Moloko Plus is one of my favorites. If you’ve seen the Moloko Milk Bar scene (NSFW) from the famous Stanley Kubrick movie A Clockwork Orange, then you know why I think it’s so great. But let’s talk about the beer. As it starts flooding the glass it appears to be pretty standard fare. The nose is full of the lactose sugar and malts that are characteristic of a stout, but it’s met with a very nice (and balanced) perfume of caramel and vanilla. Really it just smells “milky.” On the palate, Moloko Plus is not as robust as I thought it might be, considering how much Three Floyds tends to push the envelope with flavor. The sweetness is definitely there and the malts and coffee components come through in subtle amounts. While not the best example of a milk stout on the market, it’s still an enjoyable beer – if for no other reason than to have this bad-ass bottle to keep afterwords. Up next: Southern Tier Crème Brûlée

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This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: Robyn “With Every Heartbeat”



Brewery: Three Floyds
Beer: Moloko Plus
Style: Milk Stout
Location: Munster, Indiana
ABV: 8%
Rating: 87/100

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Here we are with the last beer for this week from Portsmouth Brewery. It’s been a very solid week of enjoyment and all three beers I have reviewed were more than great. And since this was the week we celebrated the 4th of July here in the United States, I figured I’d end it with a beer called the Black Cat Stout. Funny (and ironic) that two of these beers this week were named after fireworks. Stouts are always a joy and I’m glad this is a lighter style of stout because the weather isn’t exactly cold around here these days – though it has been seasonally cool which is always a plus. Black Cat Stout pours black – go figure. The head is on point, too, like the rest of the beers Portsmouth releases. The nose, while not face-melting, is very subtle but focused and shows once again that these guys have their heads screwed on pretty tightly when it comes to brewing great craft beer. Now, the flavor… it’s not meant to be an intense experience, but that’s what makes me like this beer even more. As I mentioned in the video portion of my review, the fact that this is the same style as Guinness makes me appreciate it even more. The silky smooth texture and nice roasted coffee elements paired with the beautiful aroma and textbook appearance can only be considered great. What more can you ask for from a beer? Up next: Three Floyds Moloko Plus Milk Stout

Check out all sessions of The Hopry here.
This beer can be found at the brewery only.
On the iPod: My Morning Jacket “All the Best (John Prine Cover)”



Brewery: Portsmouth
Beer: Black Cat Stout
Style: Irish Dry Stout
Location: Portsmouth, New Hampshire
ABV: 5.5%
Rating: 94/100

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Of the three beers I’ll be sharing with you this week, it’s the Wheat Wine here that the brewery considers a part of their Imperial line-up. This is mainly due to the ABV percentage coming in at a whopping 11%. Now that’s to be expected for a wheat wine because they are very similar in style to the barley wine, which is typically the some of the highest alchohol beers made. However, where a lot of barley wines (especially here in the states) are heavily hopped, this Portsmouth version cuts way back on the aromatic end to highlight the malts and grains. Out of the glass, it’s a beautifully warm orange color that is virtually clear. This is quite impressive with something this big, too. It has the same exact color head that the Bottle Rocket IPA had, but it is a touch more tight and dense. The smell is one of the highlights here as there are a lot of beautiful floral malts that shine through right off the bat. There is also a touch of spiciness that (presumably) comes from the bittering hops that are used to round out the beer’s aroma. The way this beer tastes, though, is my favorite part. It’s very buttery on the palate and the flavors meld together perfectly. The same floral and honey characters shine through and the bitterness level is exactly where you’d want it for a beer of this size. Of all the wheat wines I’ve had so far, this is definitely up there with the best. I also can’t think of an easier beer to drink at 11% ABV. Very well done! Up next: Portsmouth Black Cat Stout

Check out all sessions of The Hopry here.
This beer can be found at the brewery only.
On the iPod: A Place to Bury Strangers “Keep Slipping Away”



Brewery: Portsmouth
Beer: Wheat Wine
Style: Wheat Wine
Location: Portsmouth, New Hampshire
ABV: 11%
Rating: 92/100

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I’m very excited about this week’s brewery, which is Portsmouth Brewery out of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It’s mainly because I literally have zero experience with any of their beers, but it’s also because these bottles are extremely hard to obtain. Unless you know someone who can go to the downtown Portsmouth brewery chances are pretty high that you won’t be able to sample what they have to offer. I was lucky enough to put a trade together with someone who visits the brewery, and now I can share the experience with all of you. The first beer we’ll be looking at this week is their Bottle Rocket IPA, which is an IPA that clocks in at 6.5% ABV and comes in their generic label that simply states “India Pale Ale.” Although the camera does not do the greatest job of showing this, the appearance is a hazy beautiful honey and orange color. The smell is very different than what I’m used to in this style. It’s got that nice floral aroma from the hops, but it does not unfold anything that a west coast or central coast IPA might highlight. I guess this is understandable, too, because New Hampshire is about as far from the west coast as you can get. The aroma is definitely there, but I don’t feel there are enough hops in here to consider it an IPA. The taste is also not fully within the IPA category, but it’s still a very enjoyable (and highly drinkable) beer. There is a good deal of maltiness, although it’s done in a subtle and beautiful way. In the end, I would consider the experience with the Bottle Rocket as more of a Pale Ale. There definitely needs to be a great deal more dry-hopping to make the hops come to the forefront here. All-in-all, though, this is a very nice way to start the week. Up next: Portsmouth Wheat Wine

Check out all sessions of The Hopry here.
This beer can be found at the brewery only.
On the iPod: Neko Case “Deep Red Bells”



Brewery: Portsmouth
Beer: Bottle Rocket IPA
Style: India Pale Ale
Location: Portsmouth, New Hampshire
ABV: 6.5%
Rating: 88/100

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Hopry Short # 5 | Weihenstephan| Briem 1809 Berliner Weisse| 5% ABV
Berliner Weisse | Rating: 87/100

Berliner Weissbier is not the most commonly consumed style of beer here at The Hopry. In fact, this is only the second or third beer I’ve had from the style. With my previous knowledge not being completely up to speed, I can only go off memory. These beers are light, tangy, and funky – just like I like them. With the lactobacillus being the main star of the beer, you get that funkiness that I can only call the “Russian River ‘-ation’ funk”). Truth is that this beer tastes like a lighter, more lemon-forward version of Temptation, which is a very good thing. It’s other main ingredient and taste comes from the wheat that is used to brew the beer. If you’re not able to drink Vinnie Beer, then I suggest you go find one of these in your local liquor store and see what’s going on with the bacteria beers. You will either really enjoy it or think it’s the funkiest thing you’ve tasted. Either way, it’s a flavor profile you will not soon forget. Happy 4th of July to all…

So here we are wrapping up another week of great craft beer, and the burps are tasting better than ever as we rip through session # 90. That means we’re only ten videos away from celebrating the big 100th session of The Hopry. Holy shit I can’t believe I’m actually getting close!!! Kuhnhenn Fourth Dementia, a big ole Goliath indeed, is immediately an AMAZING colored beer. It pours a rich and dark mahogany and vibrant ruby red color. It’s easily the best looking beer of this week. It’s also the best smelling beer of the week. It smells very red! There is loads of ripe raspberries, delicious caramel, and for the first time ever in a beer I’ve had…roses. Oddly enough, though, the flavor profile does not taste as much like the aroma as the other beers we’ve shared this week. Right away, Fourth Dementia hits you hard and heavy with its bitterness, which is then followed by a small amount of dark chocolate and light coffee essence. For being such a high ABV beer, I’m surprised at how drinkable it is. In the end, it’s the drinkability and aroma on this beer that makes it the best one I’ve had by the brewery so far, and definitely the best from this week. So while I know Kuhnhenn can be a bit hard to obtain, I’m sure there are plenty of people out there who would set up a trade with you if you were so inclined to find a couple of these beers. I would definitely start with this one, though, and maybe find an Olde Brune while you’re at it. And unless you like cough syrup, my recommendation is to not believe the hype of the little 7 ounce bottle known as Raspberry Eisbock. I think you’ll be disappointed. Up next: Portsmouth Bottle Rocket IPA

Check out all sessions of The Hopry here.
This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: A Flock of Seagulls “I Ran (So Far Away)”



Brewery: Kuhnhenn
Beer: Fourth Dementia
Style: Old / Traditional Ale
Location: Warren, Michigan
ABV: 12.5%
Rating: 94/100

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The Kuhnhenn Olde Brune is an 11.5% sour beer, huh? I’m not going to lie I was a bit skeptical. Typically the higher the ABV the sweeter a beer gets, and Kuhnhenn is known for brewing beers that are both high in ABV percentage and high in sweetness. So yeah, I wasn’t sure what to expect here, but the results were quite surprising. The good news started right out of the bottle because the color on this one is quite nice with its ruby red and dark sticky fruit appearance. And believe it or not there was a little bit of tan/off-white head present. Didn’t see that one coming at all. The smell is also what you’d hope for in a beer of this style. There is a bit of sweetness though that makes this lean towards…of all things…a cherry Tootsie Pop. But really you don’t know how good the beer is until you take your first sip. Olde Brune tastes almost exactly like it smells, but there is much more intensity on the palate than the nose. It’s also more complex than the first smell or taste would lead you to believe. It opens up very nicely. The balance of the tartness, sweetness, and bitterness is quite surprising. All three of these in unison make for a very successful beer. Up next: Kuhnhenn Fourth Dementia

Check out all sessions of The Hopry here.
This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: Sweet Bulbs “Springstung”



Brewery: Kuhnhenn
Beer: Olde Brune
Style: Flanders Oud Bruin
Location: Warren, Michigan
ABV: 11.5%
Rating: 92/100

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