Perrin Reserve 2020

February 25, 2022

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Perrin Reserve 2020 imperial stout.

A buddy picked this up for a last minute Xmas get together. And wow does this smell great.

Beautiful black pour but little head. But bourbon barreled beers do that sometimes. But wow. Just from pouring the chocolate notes are jumping out of the glass. Sweetness, but even though the bottle mentions lactose,,it does not really smell like lactose.

Taste is the same. Big chocolate. And… Sawdust? But in a good way. (Not sure how sawdust ends up being a good thing.. but it is here) then toasty, then raisins. Ooh this is fantastic. So smooth.

But notice I didnt say anything about bourbon. It’s noticably absent. But you can tell there is big alcohol. And at 12.5% you should.

Body is perfect. Not thick, not think or watery. Firm bitterness keeps this from being too sweet. This is great. It just keeps getting better further down the glass.

If you can find this, I highly recommend this one. 4.5/5 and possibly higher by the end of this glass.

Rhoades Scholar Stout

December 17, 2021

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South Shore Brewery Rhoades Scholar Stout.

I have had this stout before, but for some reason I don’t see a review on it. So I’ll do it again.

Not really much info on the 12oz bottle its in, Not even what style of stout it is. So I’ll look it up as I drink it.

Nice blast of Co2 as I lift the cap. On the pour I’m getting a thick plume of tan head. Really nice. A good inch+ of very thick foam. While black, its not completely opaque. There is deep brown highlights where the light is peeking thru along with a good amount of carbonation bubbling up the glass.

Getting a fair amount of chocolate just from pouring. But will need a moment to get the full aroma as this thick head is staying put. Ok After giving the beer a chance to breathe a bit and a few swirls, I am really getting the chocolate now. Very grainy, like Victory/Aromatic/Special Roast kind of grainy. Does smell very sweet, but not the lactose kind. Malty, crystal malt sweet. Nothing for hops or yeast really. There is a bit of Roasted barley aroma,,  it’s there, but not really upfront.

The head is starting to drop a bit now with some more swirling. The first thing about the taste here, is that grainy, wet grainy thing. Not sure its the biggest taste, but the one that grabbed my attention first. Then the roasted barley comes out. But not the big roasty coffee-ish blast.. Its more subdued. But now we are getting hops. Nice Goldings like hop taste. Not much, but really hits the spot in this beer. 

Medium body with a wierd foamy mouth feel. Sure it’s higher carbonation, but that foamy thing.. not sure what to make of that.

It’s bittered perfectly, and a good thing or it probably would be too sweet.

I like this beer a lot. But I don’t see what style they are calling it. I if I had to put it in somewhere based on this bottle,, I’d maybe go Irish Stout,, but it’s far to carbonated for that,.. maybe very tame foreign extra stout? 

I Iike it. 4 out of 5. 

Petskull Hello Wisconsin Porter

December 9, 2021

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No idea what this is.. they poured the wrong beer for me.  But of course I’ll drink. Plus, he said it was a porter. That’s all I know about it

Poured into a shaker pint.  Very thin head. Deep deep brown. A few ruby highlights but not much.

Whoa. Heavy chocolate aroma with,, something I cannot put my finger on, but something sorta familiar. There is bit of roast.. but that chocolate, woooo, it covers everything.

Take my first sip.. wow is this heavy. Thick body. Very thick body. And more of the chocolate. There is a bit more roast in the taste than aroma. But that unknown aroma, can taste it now. Its like… ok yea, its that fake maple flavoring they put in cereal. But.. it works with the chocolate and roast. There is a nice level of hop flavor and sugary sweetness. Tastes like some kind of breakfast cereal.

The bitterness is not that noticeable,, but must be fairly up there to be able to feel it in this thing and sweet of a beer. But that body, its very intimidating. I don’t think I had a beer this thick before. 

Now that it’s warming, that maple flavoring and the hops are taking over, but the roast is leaving and the feel of the sweetness is growing. Really noticing how carbonated it is now for this thick body now. Not sure what the alc is, but I can feel a bit of warming in the mouth and up the nose.

It is a very weird kind of beer. It is definitly one of those where I can drink one and like it.. but between the thick and sweetness,  plus that fake maple stuff.. I think it’s a one and done.

If I had scored this at the first few sips I would have scored a bit higher.. but now that it warmed and can taste all of it..all I can muster is 2.5/5. But I think this is one you should try just because its so… different.

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