8 Ball Stout

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: 8-ball Stout

• Brewery: Lost Coast Brewery (California)

• Style: Oatmeal Stout

• ABV: 6.3%

• IBU: 50

• Pour Color: Poured black with no transparency

      This one poured like a real stout should. A very black color but it had nearly no head to speak of. As the Face raises it to me I notice a nice sweet coffee/chocolate scent. This stout has really nice roasted smokey flavor. The hops are noticeable although real light in the flavor. The oatmeal flavor is nice and adds to the body of the beer in the mouth. 8 ball is a nice stout for a cold day. 

      The Face needed a little variety this week so he grabbed a mixed six. This stout was one of the better ones in the mix. Lost Coast Indica has always been one of the Face's favorite beers now this seems to be one of his favorite stouts. I don't mind this one myself so lets go get another one Face.

 Rating: ****

Celtic

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Celtic Ale

• Brewery: Harpoon (Massachusetts and Vermont)

• Style: Irish Red

• ABV: 5.4%

• IBU: 25

• Pour Color: A dark red color fairly see through

     The Face grabbed some Celtic for the review today. The pour looked almost the same as the Great Lakes Conway's Irish Ale. Light red and no cloudiness to it. The follicles tensed up as the Face lifted it to me in excitement. I'm learning to like red ales as I'm going. The head was big and fluffy on the pour as you can see in our photo. The taste however is quite balanced. Celtic doesn't bring out a sweetness like Conway's and presents an interesting contrast.
      Red ale number two leading up to the holiday. Really two different beers in the same style and one I'd order any day of the week the other just for the saint paddy's day. Great lakes has a more interesting beer with bolder flavors. All things considered I'd probably order a Harpoon IPA before either anyway. 

 


Rating: ***1/2

Mama's Little Yella Pils

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Mama's Little Yella Pils

• Brewery:Oskar Blues (Colorado)

• Style: Bohemian Style Pilsner

• ABV: 5.3%

• IBU:35

• Pour Color: A nice golden color nearly transparent

 

      A great golden color on the pour. The head was nice and fluffy. After 3 or 4 sips it still held strong to me but my wax prevailed finally taking the fluffy cloud down. A nice mix of sweetness and only a slight bitterness makes this a great beer. A real hop flavor that's nice and crisp is complemented well with it's malt finish. If mama's got some yella pils I'd steal a few.
     This little can, can be found pretty close to it's big brother Dale's Pale Ale. Another example that cans mean little when enjoying a great beer. Mama's lil yella pils is a great name for a great pilsner. Forget the mass produced crud they call pilsners and get one of these. 

Rating: ****1/2

Noble Rot

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Noble Rot

• Brewery: Dogfish Head Brewing (Delaware)

• Style: ???... Saison?

• ABV: 9%

• IBU: 18

• Pour Color: A nice golden color, Almost a white sparkling wine look to it

      

      This one has a nice smell of fruit and a nice frothy head. Seemed extremely fizzy on the pour too. Face lifts it to me and... What the hell? I ordered a beer Face! This this is something completely different. This one drinks like a nice easy going wine. The grape taste is there, and having been soaked in a few wines, I can tell you this beer has that nice wine taste. The malts must be what makes the wine not have the after taste on the follicles you get from some wines. I really think this strange brew is comparable to some semi-sweet whites. 
      My local place, Custom Brewcrafters, makes a beer from 3 brothers brewery Riesling grapes that has a sort of flavor like this one. There's though is only a light beer so that the Riesling shines. This beer really is an amazing beer. I have tasted nothing like it and it really makes me re-evaluate wine in general. On top of that call it Noble Rot... Just amazing.

Rating: *****

Ruination IPA

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Ruination

• Brewery: Stone Brewery (California)

• Style: Imperial IPA

• ABV: 7.7%

• IBU:100+ (their websites measurement)

• Pour Color: a light amber, hardly any light gets through

    
      
      A clear citrus nearly floral scent comes off this one. The head dissipated quickly as the Face brought it up to me. As the first splash comes up I realize cascade hops are about to soak me. Sure enough that citrus flavor surrounds me and leaves me wanting more. That fruity bitterness of the bastard is tasted in this one too. A great IPA and a full flavored beer. Definitely another treat for any mustache from stone. Thanks Face, you rule!
     Stone has yet to disappoint me in a beer. Ruination is a hell of a IPA. Slightly like Dogfish head IPA's but all it's own at the same time. Much easier to drink then the dogfish 90 min or 120 and slightly lower in alcohol. This one for being a imperial IPA drinks much more like a IPA. Don't let that fool you though! Even a mustache has to be careful when dealing with Ruination.

Rating: *****

Conway Irish Ale

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Conway's Irish Ale

• Brewery: Great Lakes Brewing Company (Ohio)

• Style: Irish Red Ale

• ABV: 6.5%

• IBU:25

• Pour Color: A dark red color fairly see through

 
 

      A amber red right out the bottle and my follicles ain't excited. A red ale is the last thing this mustache wants but for some reason this is the season for em.  Conway's Irish Ale had a creamy head for a sip or two before it went down. The tastes are those of mellow malt. A much sweeter taste then the Cascazilla Red Ale I did a review on at the start of the month. A nice bread in bottle taste although usually not my style. The hop is only a slight flavor in the malty red.
      Conway's Irish Ale is really a decent beer in itself. Being a red ale I wasn't sure about it. The Face though tells me he will be buying more of these as the Saint Paddy's day celebration comes closer. So think of this as a first of many red ales for the season. May even get lucky enough to try a few Irish stouts too.

Rating: ****

Sly Fox 113

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Route 113

• Brewery: Sly Fox (Pennsylvania)

• Style: I.P.A.

• ABV: 7%

• IBU: 113

• Pour Color: A Golden transparent color.

 


       Another can... Of craft goodness! Look this sly fox 113 is an another amazing IPA. The head disappeared quick. Splashing on to me I realize this one is a much bitterer beer then most. The hops send you on a interesting ride. In your mouth you taste one combination and on the swallow it's very different. In the mouth the hop is the star and as you swallow the malt tries to take position. It really fails miserably as you notice the hoppy goodness lingering much longer. This one makes me realize I'm a lucky mustache to get to drink such great craft beer.
      The first Sly Fox I had was their raspberry reserve. The wife wanted a fruit beer, and I saw that huge cork, and got excited to buy a couple of expensive specialties. That reserve was delicious and very raspberry. This however this is not a fruit beer. 113 is a higher bitterness then Hop Stoopid with nearly the strength. This one however is not a task to drink. It's a privilege. If you have this in your local gas station then you are a lucky son of a gun. Go grab this one that's what I would do!

Rating: *****