Changes to My Current Top Ten

The new additions to the list are Firestone Walker §ucaba, the first barleywine to enter the list, and The Alchemist Heady Topper, the highly sought after, highly regarded Vermont-exclusive IPA that I was fortunate to get when my wife Kathy went on a Fourth of July weekend trip to New England.  Two IPAs fall off the list--Firestone Walker Double Jack and Sierra Nevada Hoptimum. 

Changes to My Current Top Ten

Okay, this was probably evident as of this review--there have been some significant changes to my Current Top Ten (side right column of this blog).  Firestone Walker Parabola enters the list at number two and screws things up royally.  So, three of my four top beers are not IPAs.  Sierra Nevada Hoptimum also enters the list, at number ten.

Dogfish Head Burton Baton has fallen out of the top ten, as has Firestone Walker Wookey Jack.  Nothing against either of these beers—I love them both still—but it’s getting harder and harder to come up with a top ten.  Fear not, they are sitting right on the cusp, as are Stone Imperial Russian Stout, Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron, Stone Enjoy By IPA, Duvel, and a few others.  There’s really not much separating the bottom five of the top ten and a bunch of others.  Depending on the day and how I’m feeling, there could be some interchangeability. 

So, the list now has three stouts, six IPAs (I’m throwing Nugget Nectar into this category, even though it’s technically not one), and a quad.  A hophead list that doesn’t have hoppy beers at the top two spots. 

Review: Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA

Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA
9.0% ABV
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, DE
12 oz btl
Served in Duvel tulip glass
Bottled on 2/20/13
Reviewed on 3/13/13

This IPA pours a solid amber color with a mild golden tint.  Nice bubbly white head that has good retention.  Good lacing.

Smell consists of hops, malt, citrus, some oak/wood notes, notes of sugar and grapefruit, hints of dark fruit and spice.

Taste has dry, somewhat bitter hops, malt, citrus, grapefruit, sugar, some prune/raisin type notes.  A nice, crisp, fresh taste.

Mouthfeel is smooth and dry, with a serious mix of hops and malt hitting the palate.  Nice balance of flavors.

Overall, great tasting IPA that is fresh enough to have some serious hoppiness and also have a strong malt backbone. Quite dry, somewhat bitter, with citrus notes like grapefruit, and good hints of prunes and raisins.  This is my second review of this beer (first posted here), and this time it's quite fresh and much more hoppy than I recall (going by the bottle date, it's only 3 weeks old).  Still one of my all-time favorites--number two on "My Current Top Ten."

My score: 98

Review: Oskar Blues Ten FIDY Imperial Stout

Oskar Blues Ten FIDY Imperial Stout

10.5% ABV

Oskar Blues Brewery, Longmont, CO

12 oz can

Served in Dogfish Head Signature Glass

Date on can: Canned on 9/28/12

Reviewed on 10/19/12 

This stout pours a thick inky black with a toasty brown head that keeps consistency.  Great lacing.  Good carbonation.

Smell has chocolate, coffee, malt, hops, licorice, caramel, slight oak, oatmeal, alcohol.

Taste has bold flavors of chocolate, malt, licorice, coffee, some raisin, some vanilla, some oats, alcohol.

Mouthfeel is dry with good, smooth creaminess on the palate.  Good balance of flavors.  A touch harsh on the back of the mouth.

Overall, this is a bold, flavorful stout with good persistent dryness and a bit of a hot kick.  Great tasting now, and probably quite interesting with some age.  It has a nice fresh appearance to boot.  Don't let the can fool you--this is powerhouse craft.

[Postscript: After working through a four-pack the last few months, Ten FIDY has become one of my favorite stouts.  It's even one of my favorite overall beers, as it's now #8 on my top ten list.] 

My score: 96

Changes to My Current Top Ten

I've made some changes to My Current Top Ten, which lives on the right sidebar of this blog.  There are two new entrants to the list:

--Oskar Blues Ten FIDY Imperial Stout, which is at #8.

--Firestone Walker Wookey Jack, which is at #10.

Falling off the list are Stone Russian Imperial Stout, which was at #8, and Boulevard The Sixth Glass Quadrupel, which was at #10.  I do still love both of these beers.

The two Firestone Walker beers sitting at the bottom appear poised to make some hay and climb, don't they?

The list is still dominated by IPAs, but I see stouts one day breaking that.

A Slight Change to My Current Top Ten

I've had a slight change in the My Current Top Ten list, which hangs out in the right column of this page.  Ballast Point Sculpin IPA and Green Flash Palate Wrecker have switched places, mostly owing to Sculpin now being available in my area and Palate Wrecker being a seasonal that, well, hasn't wrecked my palate in quite a few months now because there's none to have.