CLEVELAND, Ohio – Fall is settling in, and we tried a very wide variety of ales this month. They range in style and alcohol – from 4.7% to 12.5%. Note: Our reviews focus on beers available in Northeast Ohio retail distribution. We offer flavor profiles, and we’ll list our favorite at the end. Email us and let us know what you like or don’t enjoy. Or suggest a beer you’ve seen in local distribution we should sip. Cheers!
To Ol Blaeber Maelk Shake
To Ol Blaeber Maelk Shake
To Ol, Denmark, brewed in Belgium, Imperial Milk Stout, 12.3%
Very dark, you get that yeasty Belgian ale aroma with sour cherries on the nose and taste. Very, very dark beer with a tartness that hits immediately and precedes a long finish. Wine-like notes are there, but it’s not as big in mouthfeel as Barleywine. Chocolate notes come out on the finish. Intense ale, not for the faint of heart.
Bitburger Festbier
Bitburger Festbier
Bitburger, Germany, Fest beer, 6.2%
A bit of spice comes out on the nose and palate, but not over-the-top like a spicy Christmas Ale. You might still find a few stragglers of these on shelves. A bit bready, medium-bodied, it’s made with a proprietary hop blend called Siegelhopfen. It’s got a nice malts-hop balance and has a very dry finish. The brewery is family-owned.
Kalamazoo Stout
Kalamazoo Stout
Bell’s Brewery, Comstock, Michigan; Stout, 6%
A bit of burnt toast comes out with a hint of coffee. It’s made with licorice, but that flavor is kept in check by coffee and dark chocolate notes. A nice sipper, and not overwhelming. For those who like a well-made Stout but don’t want a huge, Russian Imperial version.
Glass Hopper
Glass Hopper
Maumee Bay Brewing Co., Toledo, India Pale Ale, 7%
Orange pith comes across very clearly and cleanly, and its hoppiness and alcohol tastes bigger than its 7%, but the 80 International Bittering Units seems about right. Hopheads will rejoice.
Total Eclipse Breakfast Stout
Total Eclipse Breakfast Stout
Maumee Bay Brewing Co., Toledo, Breakfast Stout, 9.1%
Chocolate is there though it’s not sweet. No burnt toast flavors come out, but hops definitely make their presence known. Nice sipper.
War Badger
War Badger
Mispillion Brewing Co., Milford, Delaware; “Sports Berliner,” 5%
Tart, raspberry, cider, mango and peach all come out in the contents of this can and its wild label, but the tartness is surprisingly restrained for a Berliner. Sweetness with fruit-punch flavor. Red-grapefruit color. Was shelved for a while so might be tough to find.
Dragon’s Milk White
Dragon’s Milk White
New Holland Brewing Co., New Holland, Michigan; Bourbon-barrel aged White Stout, 6%
This ale has a wonderful creaminess, with coffee notes and bourbon accents, but doesn’t overwhelm. Hops are clean-tasting and definitely there but just enough. Fantastic beer, restrained alcohol, a very consistent brewery.
Best Brown
Best Brown
Bell’s Brewery, Comstock, Michigan; American Brown Ale, 5.8%
Caramel in flavor, Burnt Siena in color, very nominal hops as per the style. Slight hoppiness comes out on the finish only. Not my personal style choice, but always willing to try.
Notorious P.O.G.
Notorious P.O.G.
Stone Brewing Co., Escondido, California; Berliner Weisse, 4.7%
Notorious POG is passionfruit, orange and guava. There’s strong grapefruit in both aroma and on the palate; think grapefruit juice. Orange flavor also is predominant along with some tartness as you would expect from the style. Very fruity but not sweet at all.
Dosvidanya
Dosvidanya
Destihl Brewery, Normal, Illinois; Bourbon-barraled aged Russian-style Imperial Stout; 12.5%
Big in alcohol, big in bourbon. This is a slow – very slow – sipper. Tasty but you better know what you’re in for. And you will taste all of its 12-plus percent alcohol. You won’t have more than one of these or you will be saying … farewell, see you later.
Old Fashioned
Old Fashioned
Anderson Valley Brewing Co., Boonville, California; Bourbon-barrel-aged ale; 8.3%
Bourbon is more than there; it’s huge. A nice creamy mouthfeel along with strong vanilla. Smell is old wood, finish lingers. Drinkable but you better like Bourbon. The brewery touts it as being inspired by the drink of the same name, and it has adjuncts of orange peel, cherry puree and aromatic bitters.
Citra Grove
Citra Grove
Bench Brewing Co., Beamsville, Ontario; dry-hopped Sour beer, 6%
Grapefruit aroma and taste, some pith on the palate with a bit of lime, not an over-the-top sour, very drinkable. The Canadian brewery is just northwest of Buffalo.
Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Peppermint Porter
Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Peppermint Porter
Lexington Brewing Co., Lexington, Kentucky; Porter, 8.2%
OK, you’re not going to drink this like a sessionable ale in summertime, but it is very surprisingly tasty and drinkable. Chocolate first and then a delay until …. Wham! The peppermint smacks you. Bourbon is there but restrained. Some sweetness but not a lot. This brewery has honed its recipes over the last few years, dialing back the sweetness. It used to offer sugary, cloying beers, but this one is a unique sipper this time of year. It’s billed as a “peppermint patty cocktail in your glass.”
Favorites of the month: Some good ones this month, but we’ll tip our hat to Dragon’s Milk.
Our reviews: Most of the beers we buy come from Northeast Ohio retail shops and stores. Many of these came from Lizardville in Copley. We also go to Heinen’s, Red, Wine & Brew; Acme, Giant Eagle, Mustard Seed and others.
I am on cleveland.com’s life and culture team and cover food, beer, wine and sports-related topics. If you want to see my stories, here’s a directory on cleveland.com. Bill Wills of WTAM-1100 and I talk food and drink usually at 8:20 a.m. Thursday morning. And tune in at 8:05 a.m. Fridays for “Beer with Bona and Much, Much More” with Munch Bishop on 1350-AM The Gambler.
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November 08, 2020 at 10:10PM
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