I'll kick the night off with:
Dogfish Head World Wide Stout, 12 OZ, 18% ABV, $7.99The Pour: Motor oil, very little head settling down to just a meniscus.
The Color: Just look at the picture. Speaking of which, I didn't get that kind of pour, and I wasn't babying it. Too cold maybe?
The Nose: Smoke, alcohol, port.
The Taste: Burnt caramel, a sweet brandy/port alcohol burn, low carbonation but just enough to stimulate the senses. Rich mouthfeel.
The Verdict: A-. A very strong beer. Not for everyone, but I love this shit. Three ounces in, and I can already feel it.
Bud Points: 3.60.
Next!!!
Bill brought up an Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence, which we drank at room temperature. All three of us (wife resampled also), agreed that it's very good, and very chocolaty. My upgrade to B/B- yesterday was justified. Still, for the price, it doesn't come close to Young's Double-Chocolate Stout.
I had half of this, so...
Bud Points: 1.48 (5.08)
Next!!!
Dogfish Head Pangaea, 25.6 OZ, 7% ABV (pussy), $8.99.The Pour: Large, foamy head.
The Color: Whoa! A beer I can see through! There's a curveball for you. Golden-amber.
The Nose: Ginger ale. Unanimous.
The Taste: Given the strong ginger aroma, I was worried that this may be a little too strongly "adjuncted," to make up some bullshit word. But no, fine balance, slightly more than a hint of ginger (but not too much), and nice hops balance. Clean, slightly tart finish. Yes, there is a slight schweppervescence, but balance is the key here.
The Verdict: A-. An excellent one-off. There are no stylistic comparisons to make here, so it is what it is. And it is good.
Bud Points: 1.48 (6.56) again, I had only half.
Next!!!!
Weyerbacher Insanity, 22 OZ, 11.8% ABV, $6.99The Pour: No head, just traces of foam. It's a little colder than recommended, but not fridge cold.
The Color: Very very very cloudy orange. Obviously a low-flocculating yeast, and no filtration. This is not necessarily a problem – I don't filter my home-brews – but strange to see in a commercial beer. Probably one out of twenty beers I buy are this cloudy.
The Nose: Brandy, horse manure, hay, barn. Wow. Now this is what you look for in a nose. As complex as the best wine, and way beyond 98% of beers you'll ever try. I'm giddy in anticipation... (Also, they recommend a brandy snifter for this one. So I used one. Now I know why.)
The Taste: Fucking wow. Brandy, earth, a wonderful balance of malt and hops. Fantastic. And the deeper I get into the bottle, the better it gets.
The Verdict: A. Just as Bill predicted, I liked this much better than the Blasphemy. Like I said yesterday, the Blasphemy wasn't bad, per se, but just a victim of its hop-crazy competition (ahem, Dogfish, Stone, etc.). On the other hand, Insanity is something I've never had before. If you're looking for your next generic six-pack for a football Sunday, this ain't for you. But if you're willing to experiment, I cannot recommend this enough.
Bud Points: 4.07 (10.63)
And, considering it's Monday night, we'll just leave the last two in the fridge for next Sunday.
