We’re back with another edition of Craft Beer Goons, this time we reviewed the brews at a remote location upstate. Summer is over and Halloween is around the corner and this should help you pick out something for BBQs , parties and just kicking it with the homies. We picked out a new batch of craft beers that we drank in quick succession and reviewed for your enjoyment. In addition to the regular PTP review crew (Geng & Note) Alex from Steady Bloggin threw his opinions into the ring. Before you read these reviews be sure to watch this clip on YouTube, so you know the mindset we were in after drinking a few of these joints.
This time around we review the following
Ommegang Game of Thrones Iron Throne Blonde Ale
Dogfish Head Hellhound on my Ale
Dogfish Head Positive Contact by Dan the Automator
Southern Tier Plum Noir Imperial Porter
Read the reviews after the jump
Dogfish Head Hellhound on my Ale
Branding & Appearance
Geng: Fan of both. I like the 10s, the whole numerology thing. Raison D’etre and Midas touch are great and I respect most everything that Dogfish Head does off the strength of their 60,90 minute IPAs alone.
Note: It’s like a horror movie scene on the label. I definitely like the Dogfish Head brand and their pumpkin ale.
Alex: This is is definitely one of the brands that I see the label and generally fuck with. Not sure what Dogfish Head is but that looks like more like a shark to me.
Alex: The cover of this beer looks like a RL stine book to me.
Smell & Taste
Geng: I’ll stand by the tangy key-lime pie description. This is definitely a fireplace beer. A nighttime, smokers jacket on type of beer.
Rocky: The smell is pretty dope. Though this is definitely a sipping beer, do NOT shotgun this. The taste is pretty fizzy. I could have a whole pint of this maybe two but definitely not the whole bottle. This is the type of beer you drink and and write to, or you drink and narrate to someone else on.
Alex: They said they used the peel and zest. So that’s probably why it’s more sour than bitter.
Rocky: I was hoping it was a little bit more sour and you could taste the lemon a bit more.
Verdict
Thumbs up all around
Dogfish Head Positive Contact by Dan the Automator
Branding & Appearance
Geng: I think it’s ill that Dan the Automator out of everyone has a craft beer collaboration. It’s not like Timbaland put out a liquor like that QREAM shit that Pharrell put out (Editors note Sorry P, that endeavor was fugazi).
Smell & Taste
Alex: I feel like it’s too much going on with this shit with different spices and flavors. I can taste all the things on the label but it just too much. It’s more like cloves and all-spice, not really a spicy taste. I can see the cider thing when I try it. This is some christmasy taste like a fruit cake. If you put like half an orange in it this might make it better.
Note: It reminds me of a white beer like a hefeweizen.
Geng: It’s not spicy really, I wish I could taste the cilantro a bit more. (Cat interjects that it tastes like baby food).
Rocky: I want to give this a strong thumbs up but I just wish it got tweaked a little bit more. On an unrelated note, tacos would go really well with this beer.
Verdict
Split
Ommegang Game of Thrones Iron Throne Blonde Ale
Branding & Appearance
Alex: Ommegang is pretty legit.
Geng: I like Game of Thrones, label looks great.
Note: I like the fact that the HBO logo is on it.
Smell & Taste
Geng: Smells like summer for sure. You could eat a whole roast duck with this Game of Throne style.
Alex: There’s a dance of dragons on my tongue, I could bathe a Khaleesi in this beer. I’m glad Game of Thrones didn’t let me down in their licensing department, because I woulda been disappointed if this sucked. This is the type of quality I expect from HBO in all things. This beer has a lot of head (Editors note: pause).
Note: It’s not so sweet that I find it offensive, I don’t like beers that are particularly sweet.
Rocky: This is a turnt up version of the Namaste beer we reviewed last time. The one thing that I noticed was that the beer is real foamy for better or worse.
Verdict
Thumbs up all around
Southern Tier Plum Noir Imperial Porter
Branding & Appearance
Geng: Can I just say that that the Southern Tier label is very akin to Rogue with the almost scientific looking typography. I’ve had the pumpkin beer from Southern Tier and that’s ill. It says serve with a snifter, but we’re clearly breaking that law.
Rocky: It looks more like a wine bottle to me.
Note: I like the typeface they use throughout. It’s heavier than I expected from the look of it.
Alex: I think they tried to relate it to Sake, they definitely made reference that with the blossoms on the front. They’re definitely trying to market it as more than just a beer. It looks like when you pour a coke but there’s no head on this at all.
Smell & Taste
Geng: I kind of smell the plum in it.
Alex: I see more the chocolate and the coffee in the look than the smell. I wish they didn’t put the moody and evocative on the label that’s just gay, it reminds me of descriptions on feminine products.
Rocky: It’s familiar but there’s definitely a kick to the flavor. You could make an ice cream float with this. I don’t know if I could drink a whole bottle of this.
Note: It’s definitely heavy.
Alex: It tastes like course dark bread. It’s good, it’s definitely tasty. I wouldn’t drink this on a hot day though. It’s not my favorite thing but it’s good.
Rocky: It’s good after a meal and you can definitely feel that it’s 8% alcohol.
Geng: It’s good as a meal. This tastes like a grown man Cola-Cola but this needs to be served cold. I fuck with it though.
Verdict
Thumbs up all around
Out of the beers reviewed this time around I’d definitely say that the Ommegang and the Hellhound on my Ale are the standouts from this review.
