Weyerbacher - Insanity

Tonight I'll be reviewing Insanity from Weyerbacher Brewing.  Every time I taste a new beer from these guys I become a bigger and bigger fan.  Since I started reviewing, I've had Tiny, Blithering Idiot, Harvest Ale and Imperial Pumpkin Ale and have been generally impressed with each beer I've tasted.  Weyerbacher seems to brew a huge variety of beers, ranging from their straight forward Harvest Ale to their Dark Braggot Honey Ale (a GAFB Gold Medal winner!).  You can never be quite sure as to what they will brew next.  But you can certainly depend on it straying from the style guidelines.

Weyerbacher Insanity is Blithering Idiot aged in oak bourbon casks.  If there is one thing that can make a big beer better, it's aging it in oak.  While I wasn't a huge fan of Blithering Idiot as a stand-alone Barley Wine, I think the noticeable flaws I found would be remedied with some age, especially on wood.  Their website doesn't tell me how long they let it age in the casks, or really any other information for that matter.  So lets just get to the tasting.

Burnt amber brown.  The foam is fizzy like a sparkling wine.  It recedes just as quickly as it formed leaving no evidence of its existence.  The aromas are of sweet dark fruit - plums and figs mostly - with maple syrup and hints of vanilla and brown sugar.  Everything about the smell is very prominent, and the flavors are just as bold.  This is where the barrel-aged really shines through.  Plenty of bourbon undertones are supported by a big, but not thick, malty body.  Oaked vanilla, brown sugar, caramelized dark fruit and burnt caramel are all discernible.  A very light carbonation combined with a strong alcohol warmth keep this English Barley Wine finishing smooth.

Overall - This is a huge beer with an ABV at 11.1%.  But you wouldn't know it without reading the label.  The alcohol is so well blended with the bourbon-esque characteristics you could easily forget the alcohol was there if it weren't for the pleasant warmth it provided in the finish.  Weyerbacher Insanity should be treated like a port wine or bourbon and consumed at room temperature.  Above 50 F is where these subtle flavors will be most noticeable.  Insanity is a complex and very tasty oak-aged English Barley Wine that will certainly get better with age.  I'll drink Insanity over Blithering Idiot anytime.

Weyerbacher - Imperial Pumpkin Ale

Tonight I'm drinking one of the many pumpkin ales on the market this season.  I like to try a few new iterations every year to see if I can find one that I can drink more than one of.  Last year, Summit brewed the only pumpkin ale that I really enjoyed.  Their Imperial Pumpkin Porter was fantastic.  The only problem is that it was a one-time limited release!  Damn!  When I finally find a pumpkin beer I enjoy it goes away just as quickly as it came.  Thus, my search continues.

Bow to your Pumpkin King!

Weyerbacher's Imperial Pumpkin Ale attempts to personify the King of the Pumpkins.  If the bottle label is any indication of what kind of ruler the pumpkin king is like, I'm pretty sure I'd want to keep my distance.  Especially considering his horde of pumpkin followers behind him.

The description of this brew on Weyerbacher's website explains that this imperial pumpkin ale is "heartier, spicier and more "caramelly" and "pumpkiny" than its faint brethren! We have added lots of pumpkin along with cinnamon, nutmeg and a touch of cardamom and clove giving this beer a spicy, full-bodied flavor".  From that description alone I don't think this will be my kind of pumpkin beer.  But, lets not judge a book by its cover just yet.

Deep amber orange and clear with a very minimal white foam.  Loads of cinnamon and pumpkin spices in my nose.  Very, very bold.  Hardly any other aromas come through.  Maybe hints of the nutmeg and clove but it's hard to tell.  The relentless cinnamon aroma flows directly through to the body of this pumpkin king.  More cinnamon and sharp spice heat up my mouth; almost like a shot of cinnamon schnapps.  The flavors tone down after a few sips and allow some light caramel malt flavors to poke through the spice.  I can't quite tell if it's the alcohol producing the warming sensation or the cinnamon spice.

Overall - This imperial pumpkin beast started off like a cinnamon shot mixed with an amber ale.  But as I made my way through the bottle and allowed the beer to warm it actually started to become rather tasty.  It's still not something that I would want to drink more than one of.  It is, however, a well brewed beer with few off flavors, if any.  For you pumpkin beer fans out there, I wouldn't have any issue with recommending Weyerbacher's Imperial Pumpkin Ale.

Weyerbacher - Harvest Ale

For anyone who brews their own beer, they know that its about that time of year for the hop harvest.  Some homebrewers even grow their own hops!  Luckily, my Father-in-law has a farm on which he allowed us to plant some Cascade hops for us to use in our homebrew.  A few weeks ago, we used those hops in our own fresh hop ale.  It turned out great!  Tonight, I will be reviewing Weyerbacher's version of their fresh hop ale - Harvest Ale.

For those who don't have an intimate familiarity with the differentiation between fresh hops and normal hops, let me briefly explain.  Most beers use hops that have been prepackaged and dried in order to preserve them for after the harvest.  Fresh hops are not processed at all.  They are picked straight from the bine, shipped to the brewery, and tossed directly into the kettle within a few days after harvest.  In fact, some breweries grow their own hops and use the harvest hops within the same day!  The difference?  If done right, fresh hops will give you a much more pungent hop aroma and fuller flavor.  I've had fresh hopped ales in the past and so has Duns. We have both had hits and misses.  I'm hoping Weyerbacher comes through with their version 'cause I got a hankerin' for some hops!

Weyerbacher's Harvest Ale is brewed with hops picked from local farms.  This isn't just to support the local farmers but to also ensure a fresh product.  The color is a bold, sunburst orange with a thin, light white head.  Some citrus and woody aromas come through in the midst of a mild caramel and bready base.  Not the hop bomb I was expecting, but not all harvest ales are.  As I continue through my freshly-hopped journey I come to the realization that I wont be getting a huge IPA that I anticipated.  That's OK! The flavors are a mixture of woody, bitter, malty and bready.  The latter is barely there.  The fresh hops play a larger role in the flavors than they do the aromas.  I definitely like it.  Some malty sweetness does come through as it warms.  Much more complex than the aroma would make you believe.

Overall - Weyerbacher's Harvest Ale is a winner in my book.  It's not for those seeking a hop bomb - that it is not.  What it is, however, is a nicely balanced, albeit to the hoppier side of the spectrum, fresh hopped ale.  While its a bit pricey for a four pack, it's certainly worth it if you can find it on tap or as a single bottle.  These fresh-hop ales are only available for a limited time each year.  Get the good ones while you can!  Oh, and don't let them linger in the fridge.  The fresh hop quality drops out of the beer quickly.

Weyerbacher - Blithering Idiot

This evenings review is going to be quick and dirty.  As expected, today was a crazy work day.  After getting home I started a marathon study session for a little over three hours and powered through about 70 pages of information.  My brain hurts, my eyes are tired, and the Twins lost to the crap-ass Yankees.  The most logical next step for me is not sleep, its a delicious recovery beer.

Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot is a barley wine style ale clocking in at just over 11% ABV.  A few of these will certainly turn you into this brews namesake.  I decided to pour this into my Oktoberfest glass because it looked neglected amongst all of my other beer drinking apparatuses.  Just because its not full of Marzen style beer doesn't mean it cant get some lovin'!

A viscous looking pour yields a slightly cloudy amber colored brew within my beer stein.  A minimal off white head forms and recedes into the body.  A very prominent caramelized malt aroma mixes with figs and a mild hop smell to create a very pungent profile.  My first sip is surprisingly smooth with just enough carbonation to make the flavors pop off my tongue.  Some of those dark fruits are there but get lost in a bold malt profile and alcohol. After a bit of warming the alcohol becomes more pronounced and finishes this beer a bit hot and thin.

Overall 2.7/6.0 - I actually liked this beer the first time I had it.  These come in a four pack and I finished the other three off a long time ago.  I must have powered through them before they warmed because now that Im drinking it for a review Im noticing its flaws much more prominently.  Its not bad while its cold but there are better choices for an American barely wine on the market today.

Weyerbacher Heresy Imperial Stout

First off, I would like to vent on a pet peeve of mine.  Multiple times in the last couple days, I've been asked if I could "borrow" someone an item.  Here's a specific example, "Hey Dunz, could you please borrow me your pen?"  {Enter angry emoticon here}  No I cannot borrow you my pen, because that doesn't make any F'ing sense.  This is basic, kindergarden grammer!  I will never lend anything to anyone that asks me to borrow it to them.

Now, on to the beer - tonight I'm drinking Weyerbacher Heresy Imperial Stout.  This is actually their Old Heathen Imperial stout, which is aged in oak barrels that were used in their previous lives for making top-shelf Kentucky bourbon.  The beer-geek stats aren't available on the brewery's website, but we do know this comes in at 8%ABV.  I picked this up in a 4 pack of 12oz bottles - the bottle design is definitely eye-catching, with a lightning bolt streaking across the background of the label. 

The beer pours a very dark brown, a burnt brownie color, into a snifter glass.  The nose is an intriguing mix of cocoa, toasted malts, whiskey, and a bit of raisin.  The first sip is quite a bit thinner than I expected, with chocoloate roasted malts setting in initially, and quickly disappearing.  Then there is a dry, woody flavor with a hint of whiskey.  Even more wood lingers in the finish, along with a fleeting fruity sourness on the tail-end.  The texture looks thick and syrupy, but the mouthfeel is actually quite thin (for an RIS), almost watered-down. 

After letting this sit and warm for a while, the flavors become a bit more pronounced, but the mouthfeel remains thin and light. 

Overall Rating:  (2.8 out of 6.0)  While this beer did bring some interesting flavors to the table (oak/bourbon), it left me wanting for more.  There wasn't enough muscle in the beer to balance and compliment the oak flavors.  It's extremely drinkable, and the alcohol is well-hidden, but overall I was disappointed. 

Weyerbacher - Tiny

Recently my life has been consumed by an exam that is known for crushing souls, ruining relationships, and sucking every last drop of energy from those who attempt the curriculum.  I am talking of the Certified Financial Analyst designation.  Last week I began my studies for this multi year exam series.  The information is packed into six college sized text books, which doesnt include the five additional supplemental text books I bought to "consolidate" the information.  Yes, 11 friggen books that need to be read through, learned, and tested on by June 4th.  God bless America...  The reason why I say this is because it means that beer will no longer be as prominent in my life as it once were.  Dunz will be doing a majority of the reviews from here on out until I finish my test.  Every once in a while I will sneak in a review.  But for the most part, Dunz is your guy running the show.  So with that... onto the review!

Tonights brew is one that I purchased a while ago and never really had the urge to crack it open until tonight.  Weyerbacher's Tiny is a Belgian styled imperial stout.  That description immediately caught my attention at the store.  I like Belgian beers, I love imperial stouts... logic reasons that I must love this beer!  This bomber is capped with a cork and made from some pretty sturdy glass.  I imagine this is to mimic most Belgian style beer bottles on the market today.  The label has a metallic sheen overlaying a faint, lion crest with stars in the background.  Very intriguing.  Lets see what it has in store.

The pour is a thick, viscous black with a deep brown head.  It reminded me of oil flowing from a canister but thicker.  Im already giddy to taste it!  Its still pretty cold from my fridge but I can easily smell a dark fruity aroma backed up by mild roastiness and a hint of alcohol.  Its 11.8% ABV so the alcohol presence is to be expected.  My first sip is nice and thick as expected.  Belgian yeast strains tend to take over a beers flavor and aroma, as designed, but this flavor profile manages to restrain it a bit.  A flavorful blend of dark caramelized fruit, cocoa and roast come together to make a taste that I dont think I have experienced in a beer before.  The carbonation is a little high for a stout.  I imagine this is a nod to the Belgian style once again.  Some smokiness comes through towards the end.  Although I do have a fire going in the fireplace so the smokiness may be coming from that.  The finish is dry and has a very slight alcohol warmth on its way down.  As this brew warms subtler notes from the stout show up such as vanilla, chocolate and a mild sweetness to the body.

Overall 4.9/6.0 - This was a solid brew.  I had been craving an imperial stout for quite some time and to have one with a nicely integrated Belgian twist added to the profile made it even more enjoyable.  The flavor profile is unique and perfect for those of you who like the characteristics of a dark Belgian ale and smooth, thick and bold imperial stouts.  My biggest gripe is that the carbonation was a bit too high.  Now that I no longer have the liberty to drink as many beers as I used to I find myself looking for brews that will give me something outside the normal style box or are very well crafted.  This falls into both of those categories and will be one that I'd like to try again in the very near future.


Update - As this beer warmed the carbonation started to get in the way of all the flavors I could perceive when it was cold.  The sweetness also started to show up a lot more too.  I originally rated this as a 5 when I started the review but as I let it warm the beer started to take a turn for the worst.  Still very drinkable and enjoyable while warm but I would definitely serve this one chilled and drink it while cold.