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Jack's Abby Smoke & Dagger

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So what I want to know is: who is Jack and why doesn't he know how to spell "Abbey"? Dear reader, I'm so sorry I haven't tackled this conundrum yet. It turns out that Jack is one of the three brothers who founded the brewery. He must be the oldest one, since he clearly got to name the brewery. So far, so normal, but then why the blatant disregard for spelling? Is Abby some sort of Ye Olde European spelling? Nope! Abby is actually Jack's wife, and he named the brewery in honor of her, presumably scoring major brownie points. Well played, Jack.

This particular offering is another smoked beer, but like yesterday's beer, I'm not getting much of that fabled meatiness out of the smoke, just plain campfire... which has its charms anyway, but still. I like bacon, is what I'm trying to say, and if there was a non-disgusting way to impart such flavors in beer, that would be nice. But I digress, let's brandish our cloak and dagger and fight dishonorably, like a spy:

Jack's Abby Smoke and Dagger

Jack's Abby Smoke & Dagger - Pours a dark brown color with a finger of bubbly tan head. Smells lightly of toast and maybe a bit of smoke. Taste is surprisingly tame, with some roast and that smoke playing around the edges. It's not a powerful smoke character, it's actually integrated rather well with the rest of the beer. Mouthfeel is medium bodied and well carbonated. Overall, it's a solid beer. B+

Beer Nerd Details: 5.8% ABV (500 ml). Drank out of a tulip glass on 8/3/13. Bottled 5.17.2013.

This exhausts my current supply of Jack's Abby. While none really made me fall down and see God, they were all pretty respectable in their own right, and represent a nice change of pace from the onslaught of saisons, stouts, and IPAs I seem to always fall back on. I'll certainly be keeping my eyes open for more of their stuff in my travels.

Porcine Unidragon

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The use of smoked malt in beer is often described as imparting a spicy, smoked meat character, almost like bacon. Most of the time, I end up wondering who put their cigar out in my beer, but in rare instances, that meaty bacon flavor actually seems like a real thing. In the case of Porcine Unidragon, those Clown Shoes guys have taken their rather burly Blaecorn Unidragon imperial stout, added a small dose of smoked malt, then aged the whole thing in bourbon barrels. Truth be told, they'd probably be better off calling this Bourbon Unidragon, as I don't really get much in the way of smoke out of this. Not that I'm complaining, because, you know, Bourbon! Lace up your Clown Shoes and get down:

 Clown Shoes Porcine Unidragon

Clown Shoes Porcine Unidragon - Pours a very dark brown color with a finger of light brown head. Smells of roasted malt with some chocolate, caramel, vanilla and just a hint of bourbon. Taste again features a heavy roasted malt element (perhaps that smoke too, but it's a light touch and I don't get any porcine notes) with a bourbon kicker in the middle, a little chocolate, caramel, vanilla and oak, and that roast returning in the finish. Mouthfeel is full bodied, moderate carbonation, lots of boozy heat, and just a hint of richness. So it's retained the base beer's attributes whilst adding in a welcome dose of bourbon and oak. It's not quite perfectly integrated, but it's an improvement over the base. As it warms up, it starts to come together better. Or I'm just getting drunk here. Overall, a little unbalanced, but a really solid beer. I'll slap a B+ on it, but I do think I enjoy this more than the base (which got the same rating).

Beer Nerd Details: 12.5% ABV bottled (22 oz. bomber). Drank out of a snifter on 8/2/13. Bottled 4/17/13.

It's a good beer, easy to find, and dirt cheap for what it is (where else can you find a sub-$10 bourbon barrel stout that clocks in at 12.5% ABV?) I still wouldn't call myself a Clown Shoes fan, but these imperial stouts I've been having from them have been pretty good...

Forever Unloved (FU) Sandy

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Flying Fish is New Jersey's largest brewery and, for some reason, they are very proud to be located in the Garden State (I kid because I love). So when Hurricane (sorry, superstorm) Sandy produced severe damage throughout the great state, Flying Fish decided to do their part and brew up a special batch of beer whose proceeds (note: the entire proceeds, not just profit) would go entirely to charities that were rebuilding the damaged areas. They named it Forever Unloved Sandy, basically just so they could abbreviate it as F.U. Sandy. A sorta hybrid pale wheat ale, it was made with ADHA 483, an experimental hop never before used in a commercial beer. It was only available on tap at first, but it proved popular enough to warrant a bottling, which I happily snapped up:

Flying Fish FU (Forever Unloved) Sandy

Flying Fish Forever Unloved (FU) Sandy - Pours a pale golden yellow color with a few fingers of fluffy white head and great retention. Smells strongly of grassy citrus hops, but not quite the typical citrus, which is a nice change of pace. A little wheat shows up in the nose as well. Taste is full of that grassy citrus hop character, starting with a nice sweetness that quickly yields to hop bitterness. Again, wheat pokes out towards the finish, but is not a dominant flavor. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, well carbonated, and somewhat dry in the bitter finish. Overall, a very solid, interesting brew. It's not quite playing in the big leagues of hoppy beer, but it's got that experimental hop uniqueness going for it and is certainly worth a shot. B+

Beer Nerd Details: 6.2% ABV bottled (750 ml capped). Drank out of a flute on 8/2/13.

Flying Fish remains a brewery I need to become better acquainted with, especially their Exit series (of the ones I've had, they're pretty darn good).

Pappy Van Winkle Black Magick

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Back in college, I expended some of my few electives on Defense Against the Dark Arts classes. I did so exactly for monster beers like this, but my defensive techniques were no match for Voodoo brewery's most prized beer. Indeed, this sucker sits atop the Top New Beers list on Beer Advocate, with sky high ratings and ISOs all over the place.

I used to think this was Voodoo's standard Big Black Voodoo Daddy (a hearty 12.5% ABV imperial stout) aged in bourbon barrels, but it appears to be its own beast (Voodoo has barrel aged BBVD as well, and I'll get to those soon enough). Depending on who you believe, it clocks in at somewhere between 13.5% ABV and 15.5% ABV, and in this case, it was aged in old Pappy Van Winkle barrels. As it understand it, PVW barrels impart mystical healing powers, but being black magick, there is usually some corresponding damage being done elsewhere. This ain't no second year "tickling curse" dark arts here. So sharpen your wands and prepare your counter-jinxes and defensive charms, we're going in:

Voodoo Pappy Van Winkle Black Magick

Voodoo Pappy Van Winkle Black Magick - Pours a thick, gloopy black color with a full finger of lightish brown head. Really pretty looking. Smells heavily of caramel, bourbon, vanilla, and oak, classic bourbon barrel aged stout stuff here. Taste is extremely sweet, lots of rich caramel notes, and that heavy bourbon, vanilla, and oak character pervading the whole thing. Some hints of chocolate and roast open up as it warms. Maybe a hint of booze too, but not nearly as much as you'd expect. Mouthfeel is thick and chewy, rich and full bodied, even reasonably well carbonated for such a monster. Some booze heat as well, and it coats the mouth and lingers for a while too. Overall, this is spectacular stuff. I can see it being too sweet for some, but it hit the spot just right for me, so I'll say it just barely cleared the bar for an A

Beer Nerd Details: Somewhere around 13.5% - 15.5% ABV bottled (12 oz. red waxed cap). Drank out of Voodoo Barrel Room snifter on 7/26/13. Bottle #47, bottled 1/18/13.

There was a single bottle limit on this stuff at the Philly release, but the folks at the brewery release fared a little better. Still, by my count, only 667 or so bottles were made, so I'm pretty happy I got my grubby hands on it (as well as the two other variants). The release was in April, so I'm not sure what the hell I'm waiting for. Expect some more reviews of Voodoo's barrel room collection in the coming weeks. They only make Black Magick every other year (last release was 2011), but they've got plenty of goodies in their barrel room right now and I just saw that they're doing another release in September. No details on that release yet, but I've got my fingers crossed for some BA Barleywine and Wee Heavy.

Smuttynose Really Old Brown Dog Ale

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Made with real Dog™, just like Red Tick Beer:

Red Tick Brewing Technique - Needs More Dog

Or not. But then again, things do get weird up in New Hampshire and they have to do something to keep up with their neighbors in Vermont. You never know.

In all seriousness, this is Smuttynose's take on that under-appreciated style, the Old Ale. Smuttynose has long had a straightforward brown ale they put out in honor of their mascot, which is naturally a brown dog. Upon the passing of said brown dog, they amped up the recipe to make Really Old Brown Dog. So it's an old ale made from a base of brown ale. Sound good? Let's give it a shot:

Smuttynose Really Old Brown Dog Ale

Smuttynose Really Old Brown Dog Ale - Pours a clear, light but deep brown color with amber highlights and a finger or so of white head. Big malt character in the nose, lots of dark fruit aromas, some toasted notes. Taste goes a similar route, dominated by malts, maybe some lighter crystal malt with enough darker malts (presumably that brown malt) to impart a light toasted character. Nice fruity malt flavors make an appearance as well, though not quite as powerfully as I'd expect. Mouthfeel is well carbonated, medium bodied, not quite as rich or heavy as you'd expect, though it makes overtures in that direction. It's drinking pretty good right now, but perhaps with some age on it, it would deepen and intensify. Surprisingly little in the way of booze, which is a neat trick considering the 10.4% ABV. Overall, a damn fine beer. B+

Beer Nerd Details: 10.4% ABV bottled (22 oz bomber). Drank out of an Only Void snifter on 7/27/13. Bottle conditioned in 2013.

Last year, I sent a bottle of this stuff over to Jay, and he seemed to really enjoy it. Me, I'd be really curious to see what age does to this, a topic I should really revisit sometime soon. Hey, maybe tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Fat Head's Head Hunter IPA

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I have a friend who has a really large head, but it pales in comparison to the fat head that represents the logo for Fat Head's Brewery. I have to admit, I initially find that bulbous looking thing a bit of a turn off, but they seem to have fun with the logo and you know, he seems happy. Even jolly! And as we all know, it's what's inside the bottle that really counts, so let's take a closer look at this Ohio brewery's wares. I was fortunate enough to procure a few Fat Head's beers thanks to a friend who was visiting the great state of Ohio (my army of mules is growing).

Legend has it, head brewer Matt Cole spent much of his youth living in a Yurt near Lake Constance in Austria, where he foraged for food and discovered some wild hops that he fell in love with. At the time, he just used it in his recipes, but when he served some "Hop-A-Noodle Soup" to wayward travelers who knew a thing or two about beer, they encouraged him to look into the beer brewing profession. Fast forward to 2009, when Cole was hired by Fat Head's. Already a well established craft beer bar, Fat Head's decided it was finally time to dip their toes into the fermented waters of brewing, and immediately made a splash, lead in part by this flagship brew, a well hopped West-Coast Style IPA. So how did it turn out? Pretty darn good:

Fat Heads Head Hunter IPA

Fat Head's Head Hunter IPA - Pours a slightly hazy golden orange color with a finger or two of fluffy white head, great retention. Smells of sticky, resinous hops, lots of pine, and some citrus hanging around too. Taste follows the nose, sweet with lots of piney, resinous hops, some citrus, maybe even some floral notes too. Nice bitterness pervading the taste from about the middle. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, well carbonated, a little sticky. Overall, it's a nice little hop bomb they've got here. Perhaps my bottle isn't the freshest, but as it is, I'm going with a B+

Beer Nerd Details: 7.5% ABV bottled (12 oz.) Drank out of a tulip glass on 7/20/13. Bottled 6/05/13.

It probably doesn't help that I had this in close proximity to another can of Heady, but what are you going to do? This is some great stuff though, and well worth checking out if you ever find yourself stranded in Ohio. I've got a pilsener and some sort of blueberry thing from Fat Head's as well, but this IPA is the stuff I really crave...

Heady Topper

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The Alchemist is a tiny little brewpub in Waterbury, Vermont. Yeah, you know what that means, right? They've been around since 2003, but their notoriety has gone through the roof in the past few years due to their flagship (and, for the most part, only commercially available) beer Heady Topper. Back in 2011, their brewpub was destroyed by Hurricane Irene just days before their cannery went online (the cannery was luckily spared from the devastation). Already a well respected brew, once Heady hit cans, its reputation exploded. Even today, The Alchemist supposedly can't produce enough of the stuff. I've heard tell of small caches of these suckers making their way to Boston and Philly, but that seems to happen rarely. Somehow, I managed to get my hands on a few cans (my purveyor wishes to remain anonymous, but I'm very grateful).

On BeerAdvocate, it's the number one rated beer on the planet (those nutbars over at RateBeer are more sanguine, placing it at 31), which has, of course, only fueled the hype. I'm guessing at least part of the reason this stuff is so well regarded is that almost everyone is drinking it fresh. It comes packaged in a rather beautiful looking can that is, well, quite pushy. It orders you to "Drink from the can!" (and it also sez "Don't be a D-Bag, recycle this can!") Head Brewer John Kimmich sez that pouring it into a glass is all well and good, but it releases a lot of "essential hop aromas" which smells nice at first, but fades quicker than if you drink from the can. The idea is that the can has a little protective layer of carbon dioxide that keeps those aromas sealed in. Well fine then, when I cracked my first, I drank it straight from the can, as ordered (the notes below were mostly compiled during this first taste):

The Alchemist Heady Topper Can

The big problem I have here is that beers like this really make me want to smell what's going on. Does this protective layer of carbon dioxide work if I keep sticking my nose into the can and huffing? Can't resist a beer that smells this good. It actually worked well enough at the beginning of the can, but as I got towards the bottom, that aroma was more difficult to come by. Curious, I tried rebellion with my next can, and poured it out:

The Alchemist Heady Topper... in a glass!

The Alchemist Heady Topper - Pours an, um, aluminum can color, with black highlights. Yeah. (Ok, so when I poured one out, it's got a hazy orange glow thing going on, nice heady head too.) Holy grapefruit, Batman! I was worried about sticking my nose in the can, but just cracking this open resulted in a waft of pure hop grapefruit, oranges, and other assorted citrus aromas. Alas, as I drink, the aroma is harder to get at. The perils of drinking direct from the can, I guess. Taste his those same big grapefruit and orange notes, fruity, juicy citrus hops all the way. It's sweet up front, but a nice counterbalancing bitterness emerges in the middle and lasts through the finish. Taste evolves a little dank pineapple towards the bottom of the can. Mouthfeel is smooth and almost creamy, finishing with that crisp bitterness. It's got a nice quenching feeling, too. Not even a hint of booze. Overall, yep, this is one spectacular beer, melting faces and playing with the big boys at Hill Farmstead and Tired Hands (and probably some of them west coast folks I haven't wrangled yet, like Alpine or Kern River). A

Beer Nerd Details: 8% ABV canned (16 ounce pounder). Drank out of the can, like a man. (Or a snifter).

So yeah, this is the real deal (and I ain't the only one who thinks so: Jay, Ed, DDB, Dave, and Rich all seem to love the stuff). They do make other beers on occasion (and I even had the good fortune to try their most excellent collaboration with Hill Farmstead, a 4% "blonde" called Walden, which was kinda like Heady's even more drinkable little brother), but this one alone is worth the stretch. That trip to Vermont is getting more attractive by the moment.

Jack's Abby Leisure Time Lager

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It's time to strap on that leisure suit and drink some lagers:

Jacks Abby Leisure Time Lager

Jack's Abby Leisure Time Lager - Pours a super light straw yellow color with a finger of puffy white head. Smells of typical Euro-lager aromas (mild, floral hops, lager yeast), with that wheat coming through well enough to differentiate it from the crowd. Taste is a bit muted, but that wheat is coming through more here, with the mild, floral hops fading into the background a bit. Mouthfeel is very light, crisp, and clean. Finishes dry and drinks really easy. Overall, it's solid, would make a great lawnmower beer, but it's not very assertive either. There's certainly nothing wrong with that, and I'd choose it over any macro in a heartbeat, but it's not really lighting my world on fire either. B

Beer Nerd Details: 4.8% ABV bottled (500 ml). Drank out of a tulip glass on 7/13/13.

Only one more Jack's Abby beer left in my stash. So far, so good, though not quite the mind-blowers that I've been lead to expect (then again, I haven't had a lot of their more prized brews either, so I'm certainly going to keep an eye out for more from them!)

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Hi, my name is Mark, and I like beer.

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