Half-Assed Reviews - 3/29/10

So I think I might do something from time to time called "Half Assed Reviews" wherein I put quick notes on a handful of beers I've recently tried. While I enjoy some of the in depth reviews, it's a bit of a pain to do with every single beer I drink, as I have many during the course of a 24 hour period. However: there are still a handful of beers that I have enjoyed or disliked, that I simply didn't have time to give full review, was not in the right location to give a full review, or I just flat out didn't feel like getting off my ass and giving them a full review. I figured if I found some gems out there or even some stinkers or underwhelming brews, I should at least give you a heads up. I obviously won't be as detailed in my review, but seeing as how I'm uncomfortably intimate with what I drink, I can assure you that many of the beers I try are fresh on my mind for sometime. (Also I will put some beers on here that I've already had, but I just recently gave a go around to, again. But, there shouldn't be anything on here that I haven't had within the week) So.....here goes:

Flying Dog Brewery - Snake Dog IPA.

7.1% abv. Poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass. A good balance of malt and hops so you don't get killed with bitterness, but the taste just simply isn't all that good. The 7.1% is hidden pretty well and it's actually quite easy to drink. A decent pale ale, or I guess this is an IPA....but nothing to write home about. If it's on sale or special at a bar go for it, but if you have other choices, there a is a bunch better.
Half-Assed Verdict: 6.5/10










Southern Tier - Oak Aged Unearthly IPA (Imperial IPA).

11% abv. Had it on tap at the International Tap House, it was served in a chalice. The regular Unearthly is just an IPA on steroids (so a super hopped pale ale), and this is that same beer, just aged in oak barrels. I found an article listing the original Unearthly at 153 IBUs(!), which is insane and might actually scare me away if I saw it on the label. Regardless, this is an absolutely fabulous beer. Sure, it's HUGE, and it's not something you want more than one or two of, but it is extremely well crafted and extremely tasty. I don't know how to describe it, but the intense hop flavor is present in that there is a TON of hops, but it's not intense in the sense that it is knocking you on your ass and making your lips pucker with the bitterness. There is a good malt backbone (which I think helps keep the hops from killing you) but it doesn't turn into a syrupy mess that some imperial IPAs often become. It's fabulously balanced, and what makes it even better is that the oak gives you a nice, dry woody sort of finish as opposed to a big, bitter, hop bite. It never really feels like it's too much and when you're done drinking it you'd swear that both the 11% is a lie, along with the huge IBU level. I believe this one is only found in 22oz bottles, and I can't imagine it'd be available anywhere without a top notch beer selection, nor will it be cheap. But.....if you happen to see it at a bar or you want a nice treat, it's worth it. Even beer lovers that aren't huge hop-heads (like me) can appreciate this. But, buyer beware, the 11% will hit you, and hit you hard.
Half-Assed Verdict: 9/10

Guinness "Imported" Extra Stout.

6% abv. 12oz bottle poured into a simple pint glass. Now, for all the folks that have the wrong idea about Guinness, this is a beer that does not have the same "thick" consistency that you would find with Guinness Draught. The Draught is that way because it's tapped and served with nitrogen as opposed to CO2 like most beers. The Guinness Draught you get in cans has a little nitro-widget in there as well that tries to replicate getting one off the tap. This beer here, the Extra Stout, is an example of a Guinness product that has a consistency more like what you are used to, because of the presence of CO2, and not nitrogen. Moving on, this is a solid beer that pours the same dark brown/almost black with a really nice chewy tan head. You're going to get the same flavors you get in the "normal" Guinness, but there is obviously the more airy consistency on your tongue because of the lack of nitrogen, and there is also a much more noticeable sweetness, as well as a stronger roast. While not as smooth on the tongue as the draught Guinness, this is still on the "smooth" side, but somewhat heavier, as well. The finish stays with the roasty-coffee sweetness and there isn't the lingering roasted bitterness that comes with the draught Guinness. This is a nice beer, and while different, very much drinkable, like its popular draught cousin. A quintessential stout, and something that would be good to try if you want to move from nitrogen-draught stouts, and onto something slightly different.
Half-Assed Verdict: 7.5/10