Dogfish Head Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew

Brewed by: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Brewery Location: Milton, DE

Style: Imperial Stout

ABV: 9.00%

Ah, yes. Who could forget this classic 1970’s album? I was fortunate enough to pick up a bottle of brew inspired by it, which was designed by Sam Calagione, of Dogfish Head Brewery. I didn’t really know what to expect from this beer, but I must say, as I am with most of Dogfish’s brews, I was pleasantly surprised.

I poured into a traditional pint glass, and was greeted with an incredibly dark appearance. This bad boy has one creamy head, which hangs around for the majority of the drink. There is a decent amount of lacing for a stout.

Upon first smell, I picked up on some serious chocolate and caramel notes. There were hints of coffee as well, but it smelled a bit sweet, which I believe is due to the honey undertones that were present. I’m not the biggest fan of stouts in the world, but I was pretty excited to tear into this jazz classic.

The taste followed suit with the smell rather beautifully. It tastes a bit boozy, and gives off some serious chocolate, molasses, and honey flavors. You can certainly taste the 9.00% ABV, that’s for sure. There isn’t anything particularly outstanding about the taste, but it is simply a very solid tasting, dark as night imperial stout.

I am very impressed with this brew, and would definitely purchase it again if given the opportunity. Being a limited release, I definitely wish I bought more than one bottle. It is a great tribute to an absolutely groundbreaking album.

Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA

Brewed by: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Brewery Location: Milton, DE

Style: Imperial Pale Ale

ABV: 6.00%

As I’ve stated before, I am a huge fan of the beer that Dogfish Head brews. And with IPA’s being my favorite style of beer, I knew I was in for a treat with this one. Luckily, and not surprisingly at all, I was not disappointed in the slightest. The 60 Minute IPA is a very well balanced, and delicious brew.

I poured into a tulip glass, and was greeted with a deep gold and amber color. There was not much head at all, perhaps a half-inch or so. It is definitely a fairly clear brew, with only carbonation bubbles clouding it up.

The 60 Minute IPA has a very distinct aroma to it, which left me very excited to take my first sip. It has a very piney smell to it, along with a variety of fruits. Citrus played a huge role in the design of this beer, with lemons and oranges providing very subtle undertones to the more apparent hoppy aroma.

The taste follows suit quite nicely with the aroma. I thought it was going to be a bit hoppier, but was actually pleasantly surprised to be sipping on a smoother IPA. I was a bit amazed at how easy it went down. The same citrusy notes apparent in the smell were made very clear in the taste as well.

I’ll be completely honest; I could drink this everyday and be pretty content. There is nothing absolutely incredible that stands out about it, but it is a very solid, very drinkable IPA. I may not have enjoyed your Raison D’Etra, but good job on this one Dogfish. Next up, 90 Minute… 

Stone Ruination IPA

Brewed by: Stone Brewing Company

Brewery Location: Escondido, CA

Style: Imperial IPA

ABV: 7.70%

I have been waiting for a beer like this for quite a long time. India pale ales are absolutely my favorite style of beer, and it is my opinion that the hoppier and more bitter they are, the better. I dug into this beer with fairly high expectations, and was not disappointed in the slightest.

I poured into a traditional pint glass, and poured the expected amber color. I had a bit of a strong pour on this brew, and was greeted with a very thick head, and a phenomenal amount of lacing throughout the drink. It has a very deep look to it.

Upon first smell, I was barraged with an aroma of different smelling hops. There was certainly an upfront pine smell, followed by a bit of citrus…perhaps lemon, or grapefruit? Either way this bad boy smelled like it was going to pack a punch.

Upon first sip, there was a wave of pine and malt flavors. The citrus that was apparent in the smell makes an appearance in the taste as well, which was very pleasant. The most noticeable thing about the taste, however, is the beautiful bitterness. At 100+ IBUs, it seemed a bit overwhelming at first, but it settled into a very nice finish, with serious drinkability.

This is absolutely one of my favorite IPAs, and I could certainly drink it on a regular basis. However, for those not familiar with the more aggressive IPAs, be warned, because this is one bitter mother, and everything else will taste bland for a while after!

Victory Prima Pils

Brewed by: Victory Brewing Company

Brewery Location: Downingtown, PA

Style: German Pilsner

ABV: 5.30%

I’ve heard a lot of good things about the Victory Brewing Company from friends and fellow brew-junkies, and finally thought to give one of their beers a try. I am a fairly adamant fan of a good pilsner, so I decided to give the Prima Pils a try. Turns it out was a fantastic choice.

I decided to enjoy this beer in a tulip glass. The Prima Pils pours like a traditional German pilsner, with a cloudy and golden pale color, with a decent amount of head. There was a surprising amount of lacing throughout the entire drink.

This beer was a very nice smell to it. It has hints of citrus, malt, and even a bit of grain. It smells like a fairly complex beer, and left me very excited for the first sip.

The smell of this beer predicted the taste rather nicely. It is a slightly bitter beer, and bit hoppier than other pilsners. It has a malty and lemon taste to it, which balances out the hoppiness quite well.

Like I said before, I am a big fan of pilsners. I was genuinely impressed with the Prima Pils, and would certainly purchase it again in the future. I am looking forward to trying more beer from the Victory Brewing Company, that’s for sure. Next beer from Victory: Hop Devil!

Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout

Brewed by: Lagunitas Brewing Company

Brewery Location: Petaluma, CA

Style: American Imperial Stout

ABV: 8.80%

I’ve tasted several cappuccino stouts from several different breweries, and I happened to randomly stumble across the Lagunitas while perusing through my local beer distributor. I am very, very impressed by this brew.

I poured into a pint glass, and the appearance is exactly how it should be. It pours a deep coffee brown, with a little more than a half-inch tan head. As you can tell from my other reviews, I am all about examining the color of a fresh pour under a light, but it’s just not going to happen here. This is an incredibly dark pour.

The smell is what immediately attracted me to this beer. It doesn’t try to be delicate at all, and has an incredibly bold, upfront smell: coffee and roasted malts. There are hints of chocolate as well, which only adds to the flavor of a good cappuccino stout.

Upon first tasting, I couldn’t believe how smooth this beer is. The coffee is absolutely the most prominent taste, followed up with a bit of an alcoholic edge and roasted malt flavor. It tastes a bit less full than other stouts, which actually is very pleasant and allows for a very nice balance of flavor.

Like I said, I very much enjoyed this beer. I purchased a 22 oz., and was very happy with that decision. It is a nice beer to enjoy with a dessert, but it’s just a bit too full of a flavor to enjoy multiple in one sitting.

Dogfish Head Pangaea

Brewed by: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Brewery Location: Milton, DE

Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale

ABV: 7.00%

I have to say, Dogfish Head brews some pretty off-the-wall beer, but this truly was one of the more interesting ones. An interesting fact right off the bat: the Pangaea is brewed with an ingredient from every continent of the world, including ginger from Australia, moscavado sugar from Africa, and basmati rice from Asia. How’s that for a worldly brew?

The Pangaea pours a clear red, which settles out into a very interesting hazed head. I poured this beer into a tulip glass, and it had a very attractive appearance, especially in direct light.

There is a fairly prominent and intricate smell to this beer. You can smell the spices right off the bat, and there is almost a hint of cinnamon. The smell of hops are faint, but definitely apparent. The most up-front smell from the Pangaea is something that the normal beer drinker wouldn’t expect: ginger. The ginger gives it a sweet and spicy smell, which was a bit unlike anything I’ve had before.

The taste was almost exactly how I predicted it would be: gingery. It has a medium body, and tastes a bit more carbonated than your average beer. As the beer warmed up a bit, the ginger taste took a step off the main stage, and let in some more fruity flavors, like apple and orange. They were certainly faint in comparison to the ginger, but made for a very pleasant undertone.

I would certainly drink this beer again. Based on the sweetness of the ginger, it could not be a daily beer by any means, but it would absolutely make for a nice treat once in a while.

Local Harvest Ale Sebago

Brewed by: Sebago Brewing Company

Brewery Location: Gorham, ME

Style: American Pale Ale

ABV: 6.20%

The Sebago ale pours a deep brown, with hints of amber. A thick head makes a brief appearance, and then soon after settles into some serious lacing. Overall I was extremely happy with the appearance in a pint glass, especially under the light.

There is a very faint smell, which is quite hoppy, and definitely fruity. You can almost smell a bit of tangerine and grapefruit, which makes for a very pleasant smell that is not overpowering in the slightest. The aroma of alcohol is not present in the slightest. I found myself just taking in the aroma of this beer for a bit longer than usual.

The taste is very smooth, with the sweet fruity flavors complementing the hoppy bitter flavors quite well. There is a very impressive balance of flavors. As the drink progresses, the bitterness of the hops make themselves more apparent, but it does not detract from the flavor at all. It is hard to pick up on the fact that this is a 6.20% ABV.

I was fairly impressed by this beer, especially due to the fact that it comes from a fairly underrated brewery. I certainly wish this wasn’t a seasonal beer, as I could see myself drinking it again in the future.

You can purchase this beer at Connecticut Liquors.