Jester King Brewery's Commercial Suicide

You know what I like less than a beer that foams out? Nothing. Not a damn thing. It ruins the beer, strips the body, and in a beer already listed as mild there;s simply no room for this sort of thing.

Poured about 1/8 of an inch of beer, and several inches of foam. When that settled down, the beer was a coppery brown like a bock, with a head that would never go away. Which is usually a good thing, but not now.

Smells like a light Belgian beer. Like I could like it, if not for the weird yeast esters that Belgians put off.

There's something wrong with this beer. The empty taste and feel have to be because it foamed out. The cardboard bitterness, however, is most likely where it should be. But it really shouldn't be here. And it's awful bitter for a dark mild, or any mild. Like they're monkeying with the style as much as someone monkeyed with their stupid labels.

I'll probably try it again sometime just because I question whether or not something happened to this batch or this bottle. I think it was stored ok for the small amount fo time it was out of the store, but it cannot be this way on purpose.

Despite the stupid brewery name, label art and dumb beer names I've always wanted to like this brewery. They make it hard.

Bell's Brewery's Oktoberfest

I'm not real sure why I've been holding on to this one, but I'm sitting across from a plate full of sausage from Taylor Cafe, so I'm glad I did.

Pours a clear golden amber with a nice light tan, pillowy head. Sweet malty smell, with a slight spicy zip to it.

A bit more bitterness in the taste than I expected based on the smell. It's actually fairly bitter for the style. Still malty, but it tastes like a fall pale, as opposed to a marzen.

I don't know. I really like the brewery, but this beer seems off type enough for me to not like it too much.

Taylor Cafe

This is Vencil Mares:

I didn't know it when I first walked in. I even took the photo before I knew it. I just liked being back in a small town where you can go to a place like this and see regulars and locals, which I thought he was. And the conversation started up easily enough--we were the only two people in the place except for two waitresses and from the sounds in the back one person cutting the meat with an electric knife. He asked where I was from, and I told him. Asked what I was doing in town, and I told him. I asked if he'd always been from Taylor, and he said just since '46, when he moved from Cistern, Texas. Turns out he left out a few things that the conversation turned up, like being a medic in WWII. If you're not familiar with medics, especially back then, they're the ones who go into combat without guns. They're there to pull people out, and can't fire back, thought they were frequent and favorite targets of the other side. Shooting a medic meant wounded soldiers would continue to draw resources in order to get them off the field, or even more frequently, die before another medic could get to them. So if anyone has earned the right to have a long life in a quiet sleepy town doing what he loves in a way that makes him a legend at it, it's Vencil. And it's a bit funny that one of the best BBQ places in town is hidden damn near under a bridge behind this door:

But if you're coming from the north, be careful to divert to the right just before the bridge (you'll know it when you see it), or else this is all you'll see:

I guess he's content to be hidden, seeing as how people seek his BBQ out without so much as a website, although others put his store on theirs. Vencil's been doing it his own way for a while--he's 87, you see, and has an air of being proud of what he does without the need to glorify it. Although if you ask him about being one of the best BBQ joints in Texas he'll probably get up and walk behind the counter to get you an autographed copy of the September 26, 2010 Taylor Daily Press, in which he was featured.

I noticed the banner and asked when his birthday was, thinking I'd missed it by a day or so because the banner was still up. "Back in November." I guess if I live that long and anyone prints me a banner, I'll leave it up and slap a new number over the old one every year, too.

As for the food, well, I reached a sort of an epiphany. Not because of the food, but because of the man. I've tried, and think I have largely succeeded, in being constructive on this blog. Except where those have billed themselves as something they're not, I've gone fairly easy. And most of those are brewers, especially those who brew something ridiculous or make claims like being a craft brewer when they are clearly not. And even those guys won't see so much as a blip because of something I've written. Nobody reads this and nothing results from it. It truly is more of a journal, intended to suffice where my memory cannot, I've just left it public.

But it has become so easy to criticize the life's work of another person. To sit back and take shots at certain things that you presume to know more about. Vencil has been doing it for decades, and no criticism of mine will compare to his life's work. 64 years in Taylor, and someone who hasn't been alive hardly half that time can criticize him? No way.

But these are my notes, and I will make them.

I ordered my standard three meat plate of sausage, ribs, and brisket, with a half chicken as well. There were only two sides--potato salad and pinto beans, so that's what I had. The potato salad was pretty good. I'm not a huge potato salad fan, but it wasn't mushy and gooey like many are, and was a little zippy. The beans seemed a little ranchy at first, but settled down and were well-cooked and got more peppery the more I had. I was a bit surprised to see the meat come out with sauce on it. The sauce was a little tomatoey, with a slight vinegar zip. Not too spicy, but otherwise a good compliment to the food.

The brisket was good, but had a ton of fat on it. It trimmed easily, but if you're buying something by the pound it would be better of it was leaner. Otherwise, it was well smoked and tender. The ribs were outstanding. Again, I wish they had been leaner, but the rub was great and they pulled away from the bone nicely. The chicken was also outstanding, well smoked by not dry. And the sausage was probably my favorite of the Hill Country sausages. All beef and lean but not dry, and also not chunky like summer sausage, it was nice and peppery and as good as everything else was, this was far better.

There are very few days where you go to eat and feel like you can come away with a sense of what Texas and BBQ should be all about, but go early and sit by Vencil. You'll get that feeling too.

Billy Joe Shaver

If you're a country music fan, and I mean real country music and not that faggotty long-haired untucked-shirt boy band fake country bullshit like half the crap on the country stations today, you need to catch Billy Joe Shaver at one of his current concerts. Or even if you're not.

He's written songs that have been sung by Elvis, Johnny Cash, and Willie Nelson, among others, and continues to write songs that tell great stories.

In addition to some of his standards, he tells stories that are rambling accounts of dead wives and a dead son, religion, a struggle to live, addiction, and salvation. Some are clearly better than others, but all are good and all can cause some serious introspection if you're listening to the words.

My particular favorite--his new song about shooting a man in the head when a bar fight got out of hand. When you look at this guy, you have to wonder with as frail as he looks (he may not be around too much longer folks, so go see him while you can), why in the hell was he fighting anyone at all? When he was asked by the prosecutor--on the stand--why he didn't retreat when the fight escalated, he responded "Ma'am, if I was chickenshit I would have. But this is Texas. And I'm not." And he was acquitted anyway.

One of the strangest things about the night was that I counted at least four songs with strong allusions to God, or Jesus, if not being completely about Christianity, and sandwiched right in the middle of them was the song about shooting a man in the head. And he sang every one of them without a hint of irony. Without a single inclination that the songs might be the least bit conflicting. God bless Texas, I guess.

Go see this guy.

...But I do no like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.

...but he doesn't want the poor to be able to see a doctor.

It's funny, to me, that those who throw the name of God around the most are also the most likely to argue against things like social services for the poor, universal health care, and such.

I'll just leave this here for you to think about.

Saint Arnold Brewing Company's Divine Reserve No. 11

Hey--y'all wouldn't happen to know where there's a local beer store that has a few bottles of DR 11 squirreled away for sale, would you?

I do. Suck it.

I'm glad to buy a few singles of this, since the DR 6 was a complete disaster in my opinion. I know it wasn't in your opinion. Feel free to write your opinions down somewhere. And yes, I know 6 was a barley wine and 11 is an imperial IPA. But you'll be hard pressed to point out any substantive differences in the two styles.

This one, however, is sitting next to me in a glass smelling much better than DR 6. It seems to be malt-forward so far, with a bigger, sweeter malt profile in the smell than you could ever get through the pine sap in a glass that they called DR 6. Big body with a nice solid bitterness that doesn't drown out everything else. Great malt backbone in what I would call a malt-forward barleywine or IIPA.

Probably the best beer St. A's has ever made. Much better than their standards, and with increased capacity I look forward to bigger batches and maybe even bombers of their bigger beers like this.

/relieved

San Miguel Brewery's Red Horse Beer

In searching my past beers, I see I've already had one from the Philippines, which surprises the hell out of me.

This one pours a very clear yellow with a pretty nice white head. I'm going to call it a pilsner already, because the head is throwing off that pilsner funk. Seems kind of sweet, so I'm going with German.

No, it's too crisp for a German. So I'm switching to Czech. It's not as crisp as a Czechvar or something similar, but it's not nearly malty enough for a German. If not for a fairly strong adjunct grain harshness, it would be a very nice beer. As it is, it's just middle of the road. Better than an American macro, but that's not saying too much.

Diamond Bear Brewing Company's Paradise Porter

Pours an opaque blackish brown. Nice tan head to it. Smells great, but a bit more like a stout than a porter at first, but it does have a few tannins in there if you really try.

Still more of a stout in the taste, and feels a bit like a milk stout. Only in the aftertaste does it taste like a porter. Until then, it seems like a standard stout. A good one, but not really a porter. More heavily carbonated than I like porters to be, too.

Maybe it's because I've had this one sitting around for a while, but it seems just a bit off style.

Snake River Brewing Company's Pale Ale

I remember liking this brewery, but I don't remember why. I can't remember where I got this beer or how long ago, but I'm hoping it has held up over however long.

Pours an unfiltered deep amber with a nice light tan head. Holy Hell, I've heard and even described some beers as being floral, but this one is nuts. The head throws off a huge lavender smell. It had me wondering if there was some dish soap in the glass, but I've just been rinsing it out after every use. So it has to be coming from the beer, and I mean it is big. It smells like I'm about to drink a girl with too much perfume. I don't mind that, though. Been a while...

Odd. Smell is so attached to taste, and this smell is so big, that you can't drink this beer without smelling it and that smell is still overpowering. It has fairly strong carbonation and because the taste is so weak compared to the smell, it sort of comes across as a bland soda. Empty.

Disappointing beer, although interesting because of that smell.

Disappointing beer. Interesting though, because of that smell.

Sweet Water Brewing Company's IPA

Pours a nice amber, with a decent sized light tan head. Both good, grassy hops and a nice sweet malt. Well balanced and promising so far.

I don;t want to say it's light in the body. It's more that it's more crisp than many IPA's, and it's nice and drinkable. It has a nice bitterness to it that comes out more than the malt, which is surprising based on the smell. Still, if it was weaker in taste I would have hammered it for the lighter than usual feel. But instead, it's an all around nice, even if light, IPA.

Primo Brewing and Malting Company's Bombucha

Not so sure about Hawaiian beers.

This one pours a medium amber, but has a great light tan head. Man, the head throws off a great crisp pilsner smell. And I mean, huge. It's crisp and not very sweet, so it must be more of a Czech than a German.

Very nice. Spot on for a Czech, and a very light and drinkable beer. Every time I run across one of these I'm reminded that you don't have to be one of those asshats at Stone or Victory to make great beers. And although this is an unlikely one, it's still very good.

Blue Moon Brewing Company's Full Moon Winter Ale

An abbey ale... brewed with Belgian sugar... by a macro brewer. What the Hell, I like Budweiser, we'll see if this is any good.

Pours a nice, fairly opaque amber with a very nice head--although I poured it fast, so we'll see if there's any taste left once the head is gone. Blue Moon Brewing Company's Full Moon Winter. Pretty nice smell to it. Fairly malty and slightly peppery, like a winter (warmer?) ale should be.

Meh. Very weak in the feel compared to the appearance. Empty cardboard bitterness that fades almost immediately and leaves you with a feeling like you're missing something. Or maybe that something has even been taken from you. Or like you've been fondled by a stranger, or something.

If it was a movie, I'd want my two hours back. Instead, I'm just going to pour it out and be glad I didn't have to buy more than one of them, and them I'm going to go take a shower. Although I don't know if I'll ever feel clean again.

Live Oak Brewing Company's Primus Weizenbock

Had to google this to make sure the bartender gave me the correct style, and she was off by a touch. She said it was an eisbock, which probably would have made it a bit stronger. No big deal, and the only thing I''m a little pissed about is the "banana and cloves" description on the website. That is the faggiest beer description ever, and I hate it every time I see it.

Pours a loosely or even unfiltered brownish red, with a nice dark-ish tan head. Nice bready smell with floral hops.

It's a bit yeasty, which is where they get their banana and cloves BS. Seems almost more like a Belgian strong ale than a weisbock, because it has more body and is much smoother in the feel than any type of bock. It has the Belgian flavors in the yeast that I mostly don't like, but Live Oak makes easy to drink by making it subordinate to the malt.

Very nice beer. One of the few that I like that is this yeasty.

Descheutes Brewery's Jubelale Winter Ale

This is another one I had out of the bottle.

Nice slightly peppery zip in addition to a fair amount of bitterness in the smell. The way a warmer should be. It has a bit of an alcohol smell, but it's minor.

Tastes about the same. Not as much alcohol, but it's still there. Right on type for a warmer, but nothing terribly spectacular.

Harpoon Brewery's Leviathan Barleywine

Had this one out of the bottle, so I'm fairly clueless as to the appearance.

It has a solid, sweet, bready malt-forward smell. Big and smooth in the feel, with a good grassy bitter kick to it, but still feels maltier than most barleywines. Glad to see it, too. Most breweries think they have to hop the style up beyond recognition, so a maltier version is a good find.

Rogue Brewing Company's XS Imperial Red

I seriously hate the little bottle.

Pours a fairly deep, loosely filtered reddish brown with a nice tan head. Big, bready smell.

Pretty good punch to it, about like an imperial pale should be, although it has a pretty harsh bitter aftertaste. I don't know, seems kind of meh overall, although that may be because it's a pretty bland style to take imperial. It should be closer to an IPA, but it just, isn't.

Lake Superior Brewing Company's Sir Duluth Oatmeal Stout

I don't even remember where or when I got this. Which may not be a good sign, but we'll see.

Pours an opaque black that is amber to clear at the edges. Looks a little light in the body. Very small tan head that is pretty small for a stout, much less one with oatmeal. Nice smell to it though. Lots of tannins, like a porter, and some very subtle coffee, but mostly alcohol.

Smooth, like an oatmeal stout should be, but still a lot of alcohol. And that's weird, for a standard stout. It diminishes fairly quickly though, and gives way to a nice roasted coffee flavor.

Good beer that I bet is really good on tap. The alcohol bite bothers me, but I'm chalking it up tot he age of the beer, which is my fault. I need to drink more.

Dogfish head's Burton Baton

A blend of Old Ale and Imperial IPA? Where in the Hell did they decide to come up with that? I could have sworn I had this before, but maybe I swore off Dogfish before it became widely available in Texas. Didn't know it was an IPA, at least in part, or I might not have ignored it. Then again, who knows what it will actually be, based on their penchant for mislabeling styles.

Pours a loosely filtered deep reddish amber with a nice tan head. Sweet and floral, like a decent IPA should smell--I guess the Old Ale tones it down a bit from the Imperial IPA. The 10% ABV comes out in the smell the more it warms. And in the taste. Otherwise it has a decent feel to it, with plenty of malt that translates into the taste well. It has a fair amount of hops as well, but it's well-balanced and well thought out. Probably the best Dogfish beer I've had.

Descheutes Brewery's The Abyss 2010 Reserve

Alright--brewer's licorice (is there such a thing?), black strap molasses, cherry bark and vanilla beans aged in oak barrels has all the hallmarks of trying too hard. But I've liked everything this brewery has ever done, so I'm keeping an open mind.

Pours an inky brownish black with a solid dark tan head. Smells deep and grainy, with oak.

Good body, although I expected bigger. Maybe it's all the hype. Very good beer though. The oak is there, but I like that only a third of it is aged in oak because it keeps it in check. The licorice is there, and the molasses in the aftertaste. 11% ABV? Not a hint of that. Very well hidden, which is something a lot more beers need to do. Says best after 11/15/11, so I'll have to go get some more and hold it for a while.

Magic Hat Brewing Company's Roxie Rollie's Autumn Seasonal

Pours a deep brown with a big tan head. Smells sort of spicy. There are some grassy hops in there, but more peppery than hoppy.

Says it's an amber. Weird, although in the light it is more like a deep amber than a brown. Nice amber taste to it though. The hops and spice trade places in the taste. Nice enough winter warmer.

Snake River Brewing Company's Zonker Stout

I've had this beer for at least a year and a half, which has to be past its date. I'm betting it's big enough to age well though.

Pours an inky brownish black with a nice dark tan head. No sign of aging poorly there. Still smells pretty grainy and robust, too.

Feels a little light compared to the appearance and smell though. It still has plenty of taste, and it hasn't lost any zip because it still has a fair amount of carbonation for a stout, but it just tastes lighter than everything else would indicate. It's a good straight up stout, that looks like a much heavier beer.

Descheuts 2010 Jubel Once A Decade Ale

Belgian Strong Ale? Quad? I was expecting an imperial stout or some such, but it pours too fast and is too light. Nice, rich brown with a huge tan head.

Very floral and slightly grassy. I'm putting it as a strong ale. None of the Belgian yeast tastes. Just Googled it and it says winter seasonal, but that's so broad that it could be anything. It's got some spice to it, so that's on type, but the 10% ABV makes it a bigger beer than your standard warmer. The alcohol is well hidden though, and is relatively light in the taste until it warms a bit. The body is a bit light for most strong ales, but the style is as broad as winter seasonal so that's where I'll keep it. Good beer. Wish it had a bit more malt, but all in all it's very good.

Rogue Brewing Company's Juniper Pale Ale

If you can't tell, I'm dumping a ton of beers I've kept notes on into the blog, so I can track what I've had better. Most Rogue beers would deserve a more detailed post, but unfortunately this one doesn't so I don't feel too bad including it in the dump.

Pours a cloudy yellow, with a fizzy almost white head.

It has a slightly malty sweet smell, with indistinct hops. Tastes about the same, and unfortunately there's not a whole lot to say about a middle of the road pale. Light body, just a tad too sweet.

Brew Dog Brewery's Toklo

Brew Dog Toklo? I think thtat's what the label says. I hate this brewery though. Stout with cranberries and jasmine? Dumb. 18.2% ABV? Even dumber.

Pours like a standard stout--not as opaque as an RIS. Nice head though. Can't smell much but alcohol. Amateurish. Slight roasted grain smell, but not much. Tastes awful. Like rubbing alcohol with some grain in it. Too bad too, because the aftertaste is pretty nice. Like it would have been a good beer if they hadn't used champagne yeast or whatever it was that got them such a high ABV. Idiots.

Bell's Brewery's Java Stout

Pours a deep black, with a great deep brown head. Fair amount of roasted coffee and grain in the smell. I'm hoping it's as good as Founder's Breakfast Stout, and so far it's headed that way.

Pretty nice. Strong roasted grain in the taste, with a good coffee aftertaste. Smooth, almost like a milk stout, but not quite. Wish it had a bit more carbonation, but other than that this is a pretty fantastic beer. Almost got to Founder's, but that one is hard to beat.

Bell's Brewery's Special Double Cream Stout

Pours a blackish brown, with a dark tan head. Roasted grain smell, but with the edge taken off of it.

You can definitely feel the lactose, but you can't really taste it. And I like that better than those that throw the sweetness at you with no improvement in the body (I'm looking at you, Left Hand). Very nice beer. It has the feel of a smooth imperial, with a laid back stout taste.

Spoetzel Brewery's Shiner Old Time Alt

Pours a clear coppery brown with a nice tan head. Very malty smell, with a hint of the standard Shiner smell that most of their beers have. Still nice.

Nice punch to it. But, as I mentioned, it tastes like a shiner Bock version of an alt. Good beer and very drinkable, just comes across as a lighter version of their bock. Glad to see them trying so many different styles in recent years though.

Tommyknocker Brewery's Imperial Nut Brown Ale

Imperial brown? I see a shark being jumped.

Pours a deep brown. Moderate head that disappears making it look more like a Coke than anything else. Smells, I don't know, like a wanna' be stout. Tastes about the same. More hops than a brown should have, even an imperial, whatever that means for a brown. Otherwise it tastes like a slightly nutty standard stout.

Meh. It's like a boring brown, but bigger.

Millstream Brewing Company's Colony Oatmeal Stout

Stout.... lager?

Pours an opaque black with a fairly light tan head for a stout. Fairly light smell for a stout too. Not sure of that's the oatmeal, which always seems to give stouts a lighter and sweeter smell, or the fact that it's a lager.

Pretty nice. Probably one of the heaviest lagers I've felt, it's similar to a dopplebock in feel. But it's a stout in the taste. Pretty strong coffee flavor in this one, especially in the aftertaste, which is very nice.

Good take on the style, and a very good beer.

August Schell Brewing Company's Schell's Stout

I've had several assorted stouts waiting in the beer cellar (which has now moved from the kitchen cabinets to the bedroom closet) for quite some time. I'm not sure why, but I've been keeping an eye on this one in particular.

Pours an opaque brownish black with a nice tan head despite a very slow pour.

Great, solid smell to it. Lots of roasted grain, but also something sweet. Almost like a milk stout. Maybe a Snicker bar. (I might be a little drunk already.)

Yeah, I would totally have called this a milk stout in a blind tasting. Very smooth and slightly sweet feel and taste. Plenty of roasted grain taste that every stout should have as well, but slightly silky like lactose does.

Nice beer. Fairly substantial for a standard stout.

Thomas Creek Brewery's Dockside Pilsner

Pours a light orangish-yellow, with a nice fizzy white head that stays surprisingly well, especially considering how old this beer has to be.

Sweet malty smell to it, which should make it a German. It has the right hops hit to it as well.

Very nice. Definitely a German pils, because it's maltier and smoother than a Czech. Still light and drinkable though, with a clean finish and feel.

Very good beer.

Cerveceria La Constancia's Cantina

Man, I haven't seen a beer this pale and clear since they were giving away free Cerveza Sol at Lado B in Guadalajara.

You know, I actually like Budweiser, and this looks and smells a lot like it. Bright yellow with strong carbonation and a fizzy white head. Strong adjunct grain smell.

I like this beer. It is what it purports to be--and nothing else. Crisp and light, it has a little bit of a sweetness to it that I wish it didn't have, but otherwise this is a nice and easy-drinking beer.

Twisted Pine Brewing Company's Raspberry Wheat

Drinking this one in the middle of the day so I can cover it up with other beers later--like that DR11 I just scored.

Pours a very slightly hazy yellow to light amber. Big foamy head that I'm hoping will go away, and makes me wonder if I need to switch dishwasher soaps. We'll have to try out that theory with a few more beers. Very strong carbonation despite the foaming and despite the fact that it has to be almost two years old--I've been avoiding it for a while.

Yup. Raspberry and wheat. Has a zippy wheat smell that is just right though.

Same in the taste, but without the wheat zip. The raspberry just drags it down.

It has to be right on style, but why there are beers like this I will never understand. It is not pleasant to drink.

Widmer Brothers Brewing Company's Brrr Seasonal Ale

Never been impressed with Widmer. Bought this as a single a while back and have been avoiding it in favor of others, but I figure, what the hell.

Pours a slightly hazy amber with a quickly dissipating tan head. Throws off a nice smell though, slightly peppery with some alcohol. So far, better than expected and seemingly on type.

Seems like a repurposed amber. Pretty big hops bite for a winter warmer, and although there seem to be some spices they don't really come out as much as they should until well into the aftertaste.

I like it, but it's a better amber than a winter warmer.

St. Peter's Brewery's St. Peter's Cream Stout

Pours inky black, but not opaque as it poured. On type for a stout. Nice dark tan head that sticks fairly well.

Throws off a sweet floral smell as the head dissipates, and settles to a nice grainy smell. Still a bit sweet, apparently from the lactose.

Huh. I like it. But the lactose isn't too apparent. It is mostly apparent in the feel, making the feel a little smooth up front like the type should be, but is quickly offset by a carbonated soda feel and aftertaste. Roasted grain still, but still soda-like.

Wish there were more cream/milk stouts out there. This one is fairly average, not going far enough into the style to really stand out.

Kulmbacher Braurei's Kapunziner Schwarz-Weizen

A black wheat? Should be interesting. And it's good to see a German ale, as opposed to all of those god-awful lagers stinking up the place.

Pours an opaque inky brown, with a great tan head. Smells like a lot of European beers--very yeasty. More yeast than hops or malt to it, even. Not as bad as a wit, but not as clean as I like a wheat to be.

Not zippy like my favorite American wheats. It has mild bitterness that stays into the aftertaste, but is predominantly close to some wits. Not quite as chemical-tasting, but the yeast is still huge. One of the better European wheats, but nothing compared to a good American one.

Jester King Brewery's Black Metal Imperial Stout

Alright, this is what made me think of posting again. I recently had this beer at lunch in a pretty nice restaurant in Houston, and thought I should start putting things down here again. I remember when this brewery just announced that it was opening, and I thought it was a stupid name. Still do. Like someone couldn't let go of the Renaissance Festival or something. Then I looked up the website, and their artwork is the same. A mix of Renaissance Fair and goth, with a little steam punk thrown in on one logo. Whatever it is, I don't like it.

But this is a damn good beer. And who am I to criticize someone else's work and creativity, anyway. Especially when they're doing it right where it counts.

This one pours an inky black with a thin, dark tan head head. Very low carbonation, which I think is just fine in this style.

Great smell. Deep roasted and coffee flavors. Website says "aggressive bitterness," but at 60 IBU the bitterness isn't so aggressive in a RIS. That's OK too, I hate Victory beers and overly hopped styles remind me of them. This one is just right though. Despite the 10.4% ABV, the alcohol is virtually imperceptible. Perfect.

Excellent beer. I hope it makes it to Spec's soon, because it will compete with any RIS out there. Maybe they can ramp up production and distribute more widely so I can try the rest.

Or maybe I'll have to make a beer trip to Austin.

Michigan Brewing Company's High Seas India Pale Ale

Holy crap. Been since October since I posted? I know y'all have all been sitting around wondering "OMG, where is BOTD?" Well, y'all can all just relax now.

This one pours a deep amber with a big, pillowy tan head. Smells great. Hoppy and slightly floral, but with a big bready backbone to it.

Funny though, it's more malty than hoppy in the taste. That's fine, just different. And it may be a bit old... If so, though, it aged very well. Bitterness comes out more in the aftertaste, and is actually pretty nice.

Very good beer. I can't recall having other beers from this brewery, but I'll be sure to try more.