Since my girlfriend loves the gonzo - Gonzo Imperial Stout

Well, it certainly has been awhile...No excuses on my part, although I could push out several very valid 'reasons'.

Let's jump right into it: Gonzo Imperial Stout





I am not certain why the Flying Dog brand of beers has such a love for Hunter S. Thompson (or, at least the artist that does all the drawing for his works), but it seems to me like this company uses this art all the time for their beers. I know a ton of people who really enjoy Flying Dog, but have never had the pleasure of getting to try one myself...

The beer is very dark and flows lightly into the glass...very little head for a stout, but I have a sneaking suspicion that this has a lot to do with the way I have learned to pour my beers for optimal beer consumption! The flavor is strong and has heavy undertones of dark chocolate. The strength of the beer is surprising, given how smooth it is to drink. The aroma is chocolately with slight hints of maple (although the beer has no maple taste to it).

This is a very tasty stout, but not one that I think I could handle for an entire evening of drinking. I would certainly recommend having this beer over dinner or with a chocolate dessert (Jess will be making a cake using stout from a future blog post: kamikaze gourmet...look it up!). Definitely have this beer whenever you are looking for a nice, strong stout!


Flavor: Dark stout with a nice, heavy undertone of dark chocolate
Color: Dark brown (almost purplish on the adhesion to the glass)
Alcohol Content: 7.8% (by volume)
Average Price: $5.99 (bottle)

Calories: 269
Total Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0g
Carbs: 18.6 g
Protein: 0 g





P.S. I'll end with a promise...much more frequent posts in the future!

"Immortals... we put their name to the test" - Titan IPA

I really love the fact that Jess knows how much I love IPAs...after checking the fridge, I noticed that I have a few more pale ales to sample over this evening festivities...I will have it noted for the official record that my drinking partner is now asleep on the couch (what a wimp).

In honor of the strength that Emma shows when she jumps heroically onto the couch and thrust herself under her warm blanket, I will be reviewing ALONE (thanks Emma) the Great Divide Brewing Company's Titan IPA.





Titan looks much more like a traditional IPA vs. the Red Seal Ale...nice amber color, strong hoppy aroma. The first taste was very similar to the Red Seal Ale: surprisingly strong. However, unlike the RSA, I was expecting this beer to be a stronger flavor, so having it exceed my expectations would have to rank this beer a bit lower than I would have liked. It is not a bad beer, just perhaps a little more punch than I would have liked between bites of Chicken McNuggets.

I would probably recommend this beer for the sheer fact that I love a nice strong beer, but perhaps heed some caution before facing this Titan; the bigger they are, the stronger they hit...


Flavor: Strong, nearly overpowering, hoppiness...
Color: Medium amber color
Alcohol Content: 7.1% (per volume)
Average Price: $1.83 (bottle)

Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout XII

Seems like it has been too long since I have been able to jump on an make a decent post! The Boston trip forced me to reconcile with my liver over the years I reduced from its life, but I am back with a very dark and strong beer: Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout XII.





This is the 12 anniversary of the brewing of this beer, so North Coast Brewing (based out of Fort Bragg, CA) decided to brew this special version of their traditional Imperial Stout. What makes this beer unique (besides the fact that the brewer deems it so) is the fact that this beer is 11.2% alcohol by volume! Typically, most stouts I have ever had are about 1/2 this ABV, so I was very eager to see how this one danced on my palate...

Upon first glance, this beer looked much like a Guinness in its darkness and pronounced head (although slightly less thick (have fun with that one Dave)). The first sip took me a little by surprise...I expected a taste similar to Guinness, but this beer was exceptionally strong (almost overpowering). After checking out the North Coast website, I found that the flavor comes from the aging process done in old whiskey barrels. The beer was thick on the tongue, but did not linger there long, which was a nice feature.

Overall, I liked this beer, but I could probably only have one without having to switch to something a little less strong (in both flavor and alcohol content). This is a beer best served with food; anything sweet or savory (perhaps a chocolate covered steak?). I would recommend this beer to anyone who thinks that they can handle it's strong taste and ABV percentage. All in all, a very solid and memorable beer!


Flavor: Very strong stout flavor...chocolate hints with a heavy muskiness
Color: Dark, very dark...practically black
Alcohol Content: 11.2% (per volume)
Average Price: $4 at the bar I bought it at (per fancy glass).