Brewed By: Rogue Ales
Brewed In: Newport, OR
Type: Ale matured in whiskey barrels
ABV: ~6.4%

What they say: “In a collaboration of crafts, Rogue Brewmaster John Maier and Rogue Spirits Master Distiller John Couchot have joined forces to create a distinct, innovative series of brews called John John Ales. The series will take Rogue Ales legends and age them in Rogue Spirits barrels. A 3,100 gallon batch of John John Ale produces 1357 cases of beer. The first of the John John series is John John Dead Guy Ale, Rogue’s award winning Dead Guy Ale matured in Rogue’s award winning Dead Guy Whiskey barrels.”

Website: Covered in the last review. Well laid out. Thumbs up.

Why this one, Show? This beer was brought to my attention by Ms. BigShow in the store where we picked up the Dirtoir Black Lager. Barrel-aged beers are among my favorites, and the fact that this was aged in the brewery’s own whiskey barrels seemed too good to not try.

First Thoughts:
Head: White, thick, good cling at first, some retention.
Nose: Crisp, hoppy notes.
Color: Ruddy gold.

Presentation (5): Instead of the fist-raising Rogue dude in one of his various costumes, the front of the bottle bears a picture of the two Johns hoisting a pint of their collaborative brew. In addition there’s various and sundry info about the beer like ingredients, IBUs, Apparent Attenuation, and a brief description. While comprehensive, they had me at “Dead Guy Ale aged in Dead Guy Whiskey barrels.” 5

Originality (5): While aging a beer in [whiskey] barrels is quickly becoming craft beer commonplace, it IS fairly unique for a brewery to age its beer in the barrels of its own distillery. As this diagram shows, it is a totally closed system: the spent wort from Dead Guy ale is used to distill Dead Guy whiskey, the barrels of which are then used to age the beer. Even the hops and some of the malts are from Rogue’s own farms. 5

Body (10): The sip moves lightly through the mouth, and the carbonation gives it a good snappy feel. The bitterness stays on the tongue for a bit after the swallow, subtly crackling away. This beer certainly doesn’t feel like you’re drinking a meal, but is still pronounced enough to leave an impression. 8

Taste (10): In better collaborations, both parties are present without any one overshadowing the other. The first notes on the tongue are all Dead Guy Ale, with its hoppyness evident. Before it can get too bitter, the taste mellows out with notes of wood, cherry, and subtle-sweet bourbon. As the beer warms in the glass, hints of vanilla emerge in the middle of the sip. While at first I found this to be great, over time it almost felt like I was drinking two distinct liquids—beer up front and iced down bourbon in the back. I like the taste of both, though. This one’s tough to call. 7

Efficiency (10): This is hard to pin down. Rogue seems to be making a habit of not putting their ABV content in any sort of easily-found locations, so it’s hard to nail an efficiency rating. Rogue’s “Beers” page lets me know that an inexact way to approximate the ABV is to divide the PLATO number by 2.5. This—maybe—gives this beer an approximate ABV of 6.4%, so it seems it would be fairly efficient. For some people, the flavors may turn this into a “one and done [with]” beer but there’s enough of a kick here to make its presence felt. 6

Versatility (10): One-off beers like this don’t really make for a lot of versatility. If it suddenly becomes one of your favorites, it’s going to be off the shelf before you know it. If you base a great recipe around it, same thing goes. Right now, this is a pretty snoberrific beer—being a Rogue beer aged in Rogue spirit barrels—so it’s good to grab now and bust out later to impress folks. The bitter-and-sweet flavors would match well with spicy foods or a rich sauce (Rogue’s page gives their pairings as pork or spicy foods). So while it’s available, it’s fairly versatile. 7

Final Score: 38 – Really Good Beer

Brewed By: Samuel Adams
Brewed In: Boston, MA/Cincinnati, OH
ABV: 5.8%
Type: Bock

What They Say: The first thing one notices in a Samuel Adams Winter Lager is its color: the deep brown of winter. Then comes the magical aroma which promises something special on the tongue. The warm aroma of cinnamon and ginger which blends with the roasty sweetness of the malted barley and hint of citrus from the orange peel. And after that first sip the promise is fulfilled. On the palate Samuel Adams Winter Lager is rich and full bodied, robust and warming, a wonderful way to enjoy the cold evenings that come with this season.

Website: Same as it ever was. I do still hate the double-confirmation screen, which remains silly. I also hate how sometimes their Flash app just stops loading and never continues. They should really catch whatever exception is happening there. I shouldn’t have to refresh the page manually. Loading bars are bad practice, people.

Why I Picked It: I couldn’t tell you. It was ages ago the first time I had it. In this case, it’s because I finally wanted to get it a proper score, compare it to the recently rated Blue Point Winter Ale, and, now that it’s 2010, kick off the Samuel Adams Winter Classics 2009 Series.

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Presentation (5): If you’ve seen Sam’s presentation, you’ve seen it. The Winter Lager’s label is a different blue than the Boston Lager… but not my much. The Sam Adams branding is pretty recognizable, though. 3

Originality (5): Much like many of these seasonal brews, Sam Adams was my first. According to their website, Winter Lager was first brewed in 1989… so until someone can show me a Winter Lager brewed before then, there’s no way Sam can fairly not be retroactively given full points for originality. 5

Body (10): They say brown, I say red, but I’m kind of color-blind. It’s a nice reddish-brown with a decent head and a nice lace. A perfect amount of carbonation and just a touch thicker than their regular Boston Lager. It’s just on the border of being too heavy without ever quite getting there and I think it’s because there’s a lot of big flavor stuffed in to a lighter body. The only complaint I’ve ever had of this beer is the same one I have with a lot of Sam’s early recipes: the beers all have an extreme dryness that makes it very hard to make an evening out of it without breaking it up with water or lighter brews. 8

Taste (10): I like citrus hints in my beer, I like malts, and I like spices. Winter Lager has all of the above. The taste rests on your tongue with a hint of cinnamon and citrus and finishes with malt and ginger. This beer has been around so long that a Christmas without it doesn’t feel like Christmas. 10

Efficiency (10): With a great taste, a very solid ABV, and a the reasonable price offered by the macro-microbrew, Sam’s Winter is one of the best seasonal values for your dollar. The dryness of the beer unfortunately isn’t made up for by the ABV and thus the efficiency rating suffers. 6

Versatility (10): I’ve met very few people who dislike this beer. Some may like one of Sam’s other seasonals more, but this one performs very well in crowds. It’s not a fast drinking beer, nor is it something you can sit down with and just slug all night, but it’s an excellent 3-beer maximum selection and a crowd-pleaser. From personal experience, it’s also makes quite the tasty base for a pork-chop brine. 8

The Snob Sez: This is the grand-daddy of Winter brews. It remains my favorite winter seasonal and, like I said last week, if a brewery wants to enter a crowded winter seasonal market, they need to beat this.

Final Score: 40 (of 50) – Great beer

Brewed By: Wagner Valley Brewing
Brewed In: Lodi, NY
ABV: 10.0%
Type: Bavarian (style) Lager
Awards: Triple Crown Winner

• Gold Medal: World Beer Cup 2004
• Gold Medal: 2004 TAP NY
• Gold Medal: 2003 Great American Beer Festival

What They Say: This traditional Bavarian style lager is brewed in early winter and aged until our annual release in mid-spring. Its dark mahogany hue is visually enticing & represents this bold, heavily bodied complex bier. Flavors are intense & chewy, with molasses, caramel, & lingering dark sugars that are incredibly smooth & creamy yet humbly complex. This special brew towers with alcohol that is enhanced by modest carbonation.

Why I Picked It: This is the fifth and final beer from Wagner Valley Brewing. I didn’t actually purchase this beer when I visited the brewery. Instead, I eventually ordered form their website as a throw in when PLR and I bought some wines for delivery. Wagner Valley’s delivery was prompt and efficient. They got the bottles in the mail the next day and I received them two days after I placed the order. Granted, this is shipping within NY, but it was out the door more efficiently than even Amazon.

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Presentation (5): Only sold in 750-ml bottles, Wagner Valley goes with a wine-shaped bottle with the dark-glass. The label is a simple image of a husky dog. The image is kind of generic, but I like that the beer has a mascot. 3

Originality (5): There aren’t many American breweries that do Tripels. There are even fewer that do them well. This tripel is full of the heavy, sweet, robust flavors usually reserved for porters and stouts. I find it intriguing before opening the bottle. 4

Body (10): One of the few beers I’ve ever had that smells sweet without smelling yeasty. It pours a beautiful dark amber with a minimal tan head and little lacing. The bottle describes the carbonation as “modest” and I’d have to agree. The carbonation is perfect for the complex flavoring. Obviously, the brewery wants this beer to linger in the mouth for a bit before swallowing. The carbonation is mild enough to not shut down the tastebuds while active enough to enhance the complex flavors. It also manages to be crisp and refreshing amongst all the heavy flavors. Body and flavor match perfectly. 10

Taste (10): Immediately evident are the heavy molasses and caramel flavors. Full-bodied doesn’t even really begin to describe it. The sweet, delicious, lingering sugars combine with just enough bitterness to balance this beer in to one of the most complex things I’ve ever tasted. I could argue notes of maple, molasses, sugar, caramel, and chocolate — but I’m not positive what, exactly, I’m tasting. As someone who doesn’t much care for extreme bitter hoppiness, preferring sweet flavors and malts, this is fantastic. It manages to pull off all this complex sweetness and bitterness without being dry. I don’t even know how that’s possible. 10

Efficiency (10): This is amongst the smoothest Big Beers I’ve ever tasted. The 10.0% ABV is masked both under a smooth sweetness that’s both awesome and dangerous. The buzz kicks in within half-a-pint. The knock here is its limited availability. Wagner Valley’s limited distribution range means Snobs not local to Lodi, NY are looking at over $30 per bottle. My bill for shipping from Lodi, NY to New York, NY was $31 after tax, shipping, and bottle deposit. Add two points to this score if you’re a Snob within Wagner Valley’s small distribution zone. 8.

Versatility (10): Helping to prove this beer’s versatility, it comes with a recipe tied around the neck. This is a beer you could honestly give to a person who claims to not like the beer. I WISH I was in a position to be able to purchase this on demand and I BEG the Wagner Valley people to find a distribution outlet in the city. Please call Whole Foods. I visited — you must be organic-ish. 10

The Snob Sez: It’s hard for me to tell anyone to spend $30 on a single bottle of beer. Honestly, there are likely equally as efficient options easily available and local. However, if you’re also a wino looking to try something different, grab this along with Wagner Valley’s award winning Riesling and fantastic Cayuga white. Go directly to Wagner Valley’s website and order this. You will not be disappointed. It did not quite knock Blue Point’s Toasted Lager out of the top slot, but it’s closer than anything’s ever come. If I lived in Central NY, I might have to readdress the score.

Final Score: 45 (of 50) — Great beer.

Brewed By: Wagner Valley Brewing Company
Brewed In: Lodi, NY
Type: Doppelbock
ABV: 8.5%
Awards:

• 2002: Gold Medal – Tap New York “Best Craft Beer in New York State”
• 2005: Silver Medal – Great American Beer Festival German Style Strong Bock

What They Say: A true Bavarian style Doppel (Double) Bock specially brewed with only imported Munich Malts that provide this Bier with intense, yet exceptionally smooth dark caramel and molasses flavors. The huge up front malt character has a wonderfully smooth strong alcohol presence that is balanced by imported Tettnanger Noble hops, making this bier incredibly rich and complex.

Website: Wagner Valley’s website (and for a decent portion of the region’s other wineries) is done by Spider Graphics. The Spider Graphics website looks frighteningly similar to my short-lived and ill-fated web design firm INL Designs. Sadly, the images of mine have been lost in various computer copydowns, but the font, shape, and layout are incredibly similar. What this tells me is my business model — be the “go-to” web design consultant for as many local business websites as possible — probably would have worked. Ah, 2003 — back before this grand NYC experiment began. Regardless, this site is kind of what I’d expect from a small design firm. I’d guess that Spider Graphics has about 10 templates and they use them for every client. This layout, for example, is very early 2000 fantastic (confirmed by the calendar page which has a 2003 copyright mark and a “best viewed in Netscape(!) 7 or Internet Explorer 6(!) or later”. I have no real problem with this website other than it looks a little low-rent. The flashing “Buy Online!” button that creates a new menu is a little cheesy. I’m also generally not a huge fan of blue backgrounds and navigation all over creation. But, good for Spider Graphics. At least now I know if I want to retire to New England and fix up the terrible websites of Maine Bed n’ Breakfasts that the market is viable.

Why I Picked It: I found Wagner Valley on a recent trip to the Finger Lakes wineries (further outlined here). Their six-packs were a standard mix-n-match price at the brewery. I’ve never seen this brewery’s products outside Central New York, so I picked five different kinds. This is the beginning of a month-long series looking at Wagner Valley’s beers.

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Presentation: The labels on the website are not up to date with the current bottle’s labels. Honestly, I kind of like the old version (Spider Graphics gets them for hosting, too. Well done, gentlemen) a little better. That would have been a 3. The current incarnation is not. 2

Originality: I honestly don’t have much experience with bocks short of the Sam Adams version. I know that the “doppelbock” is a reasonably well-visited concept, but at least not by everyone. 2

Taste: With the description warning me of Munich malts with heavy caramel and molasses notes, I was expecting this to be a sweet explosion. Fortunately, it’s not quite as sweet as the ingredients suggest. As expected, the aftertaste was quite dry and bold, but that’s the style. Really, the sweetness from the caramel and molasses in the initial taste was plenty enough to counteract the bittery dry finish. Overall, a tremendously sweet, tasty beer. 8

Body: The dark-reddish malts color the beer. The beer pours to almost no head. The beer has a surprisingly bold carbonation for the complete and total lack of head. I expected a little more body but it was satisfying nonetheless. It was right on the border between heavy and light without ever committing. This beer could have made the mistake of going a little too syrupy with the big flavors and high alcohol-content and I commend them for preventing that. 7

Efficiency: A big, satisfying flavor at 8.5%. Efficiency perfection is almost tempered by a bold aftertaste and a dry tongue. But, a six-pack of this 8.5% goodness can be yours for $9.99. If you deliver me a high ABV beer for under $10 you have delivered me something that hits all the right notes on the efficiency rating. The only thing possibly more efficient than this is the Trippelbock, but I won’t hold the goodness of one beer against another. 10

Versatility: This beer is really more versatile than it has any right to be. The flavor is tremendous for the ABV and not so strong to scare off a casual drinker. Unfortunately, the sneaky ABV makes this something to be enjoyed in the comfort of your own home and not much else. 7

The Beer Snob Says: You should go to their website and order this. Unless you live in one of the banned states.

36 of 50 – Really good beer.

What They Say: “Samuel Adams® Double Bock was first brewed 20 years ago as the first of our Samuel Adams® seasonal offerings, and it is now one of our most acclaimed beers. Double Bock became one the first big beers to be brewed here in the US, and we are now happy to offer it year round.

We use an enormous amount of malted barley, half a pound per bottle, to brew this intensely rich lager. Its deep mahogany color and velvet smooth flavor is a testament to the beer’s high quality two-row malted barley.”

Website: Sam Adams (The Boston Beer Company) is currently the largest domestic producer of beer in the country (now that Budweiser has become a Fine Belgian Ale™). As you would expect, there’s a pretty huge marketing budget, and this is seen in the site as well. Enter your date of birth, confirm the year in a 2nd screen (annoying), and it’s cleanly laid out from there. Under the “World Of Beer” umbrella, there’s sections for Beer Styles, Brewery Tour (virtual tour—under construction), Beer Encyclopedia, and a Food & Beer pairing section. Beer styles are broken down by type (year-round, seasonal, imperial styles, etc.) making finding the info on a specific beer quite easy.

Why this one, Show?: Though Sam claims this beer is 20 years old, it was new to me. I’m a sucker for any sort of new strong offering from Sam Adams, because they tend to be surprisingly drinkable. Plus, I’m not going to be able to go to the $125-a-plate MA brewer’s beer dinner to try it there. Very malty, according to the label, and I’m always down with that.

Presentation (5): Breaking from the usual tradition of bright label colors, this is a black label with a brown accent. Dark brown bottle, black cap, “Imperial Series” in a banner below the Samuel Adams logo, Sam Adams the man has been relegated to the bottom of the label, poking his head up to cheers us with his perpetual pewter mug. The small label on the back tells us that this is brewed with almost as much malt as a loaf of bread (a half pound). Beer pours very dark amber/mahogany, and there’s malt very evident in the nose. There’s a decent but quickly-dissipating head. By sight and smell, this beer makes me want to drink it. (4)

Originality (5): As a double bock (doppelbock), there’s a few of them out there, but the style can be seasonal. As a Sam Adams, it’s a strong lager, and they don’t do the high-octane stuff very often. I’ll split the difference. (3)

Body (10):  As you sip, the malt presence is very evident. There is very little hop bitterness (almost nonexistent), which makes sense given the sheer amount of malt in the brew. But this is a Sam Adams, make no mistake. Like some Sam beers, once the initial taste is felt, the rest of the sip goes down with almost no body at all, to the point that there’s nearly no finish. I was hoping there would be more of a 2nd half to the mouthfeel, but it’s just not there. True to form, this is a drinkable beer, even with the impressive alcohol level. (5)

Taste (10): Tastes like a malty lager, and that’s good. Due to the malts, there are sweet notes there, which make their presence felt right from the get-go. Also due to the malt, there’s very little (if any) hop bitterness. As the sip glides through the mouth, however, as it loses its body it also loses some of its flavor. Sad to say, but it’s hard to get any taste past the mid-point of the swallow. Is it good? Yes. Is it a good bock? Ehhh, kind of. I did find that as my taste buds deadened with each new beer, a slight syrupy, sweet, taste began to emerge at the back of the throat as I sipped. (6)

Efficiency (10): Most beers labeled “Imperial [Brew Style]” will succeed here, and this beer is no exception. With not a lot of body, no hop bite, and a very impressive (Sam Adams brew or not) ABV of 9.5%, this beer will sneak up on you before you realize it. Sam Adams very kindly packages this in 4-packs of 12-oz. Bottles, and that’s all you really need. You can even give one away and still come away very pleasantly glowy. Very efficient beer. (9)

Versatility (10): This beer works from a versatile standpoint, more or less. You can bring a 4-pack with you someplace, and you’re set for the evening. If you’re bringing this someplace for poker, football, et. al., you’d be wise to spread them out over the evening. On the other side, this beer doesn’t really work so much for drinking games or the like. Well, not if you want to play for more than an hour or so. (7)

Final grade: 34 (out of 50) – Good beer