Tag Archives: Super Imperial

Glacial Mammoth Extinction – Storm Brewing (Aged 1 year)

by Mike

From the Mad Scientist of beer in British Columbia James of Storm Brewing comes their “Glacial Mammoth Extinction” a beer released on December 5th, 2015 after being aged for 2 years in Oak Barrels.  I aged my bottle for a year until late November 2016.  The beer pours a very deep brown without head.  The aroma consists of toffee, caramel, treacle, sweetness and alcohol.  The flavour is of treacle, toffee, caramel, syrup, port wine, dark fruit, cherries, berries, oak with some mild tartness to accentuate the alcohol burn in this beer.  The alcohol content comes in at 25% alcohol.  While this beer is very extreme in every way it is also very enjoyable by the ounce or two.  Any more than that would just be crazy as it is a freeze distilled spirit! I am so happy that I was able to pick some of this up last year and I am glad I have quite a bit left to sip slowly.

Commercial Description:  The Glacial Mammoth Extinction is the first beer of it’s kind, and the result of freezing a strong sour beer to -30C in two stages over a one month period.  The sweet alcoholic liquid was separated from the extinct ice glacier that was left in the tank, and then aged in French oak barrels for two years until it was ready.  The final product is a rich, complex, and viscous 100% malt beverage that resembles Port more than beer.  Residual sugar: 80 grams per litre Volume produced: 400 litres.

This was the beer dubbed the most expensive beer in Canada as they had special hand blown 1L growlers made that had a Mammoth Tusk pendent that went for $1000. Read about it here.

Here is my review of this beer when it first surfaced.

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When the beer was released on December 5th, 2015 I was there to pick up my beer as were many others.  I was able to view the $1000 bottle in person.  Here are my photos from that launch!

C-DOS Cuvée Delphine On Steroids aka Pablo Eiscobar – De Struise Brouwers

by Mike

Some times you get a chance to try out some very interesting and rare beers and this is one of those.  From De Struise Brouwers in Belgium comes their “C-DOS (Cuvée Delphine On Steroids aka Pablo Eiscobar” a Double Eisbocked version of Cuvée Delphine.  This version was brewed in 2010 and aged for 5 years in Arran Lochranza barrels.  The beer pours a very deep brown colour with no head or carbonation and some sediment.  The aroma consists of bourbon, chocolate, treacle, licorice, dark fruit, oak and lots of booze.  The flavour is alcohol up front and lots of it with bourbon, oak, chocolate, treacle, licorice, dark fruits, some nuts, peat and cherries.  The alcohol content comes in at an insane 41% and is very very thick!  This beer drinks like a bourbon but this is no surprise as the beer comes in at the same alcohol content as a bourbon.  If you do not like spirits then this beer is a total miss for you but if you do and you find a bottle then it is something you need to try.  But this will cost you a serious pretty penny.

Bottled on 11/08/2015
lot number CDOS 0002/2015

Drank 10/13/2016

Here is a link to the base beer description: Click Here

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Horizon Tokyo* Black – Nøgne Ø (Mikkeller, Brewdog) (Aged 3 Years 7 Months)

by Mike

Brewed at Nøgne Ø in Norway in collaboration with Brewdog and Mikkeller comes their “Horizon Tokyo* Black” a collaborative version of all three breweries huge beers Dark Horizon, Tokyo and Black.  The beer pours a oily black colour that is opaque with a small brown head.  The aroma consists of chocolate, smoke, dark fruits, cranberry, treacle, syrup and some alcohol.  The flavour is of chocolate, caramel, toffee, molasses, treacle, cranberry, ash, smoke, burnt malts, leather, earth and only really a hint of alcohol.  The alcohol content comes in at an insane 16% with an IBU of 100.  This beer is insanely smooth for a beer of 16% let alone 8% and has all the making of an amazing stout.

Commercial Description:  Horizon Tokyo Black:  On a cold, windy and rainy day in November 2010 we visited  BrewDog together with world famous beer merchant Mikkeller.  Our plan was to make a beer, which would be close to an interpolation between our individual brews Tokyo, Black and Dark Horizon.  This beer should in turn be brewed by us and also for Mikkeller.  It was called Black Tokyo Horizon.   Unfortunately we have been very busy, but it is now time to make the second celebration of this great collaboration:  Please welcome Horizon Tokyo Black!

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Utopias 2013 (Aged 2 years) – Samuel Adams

by Mike

Limited Edition
Bottle 6,561 of less than 15,000

From Samuel Adams out of Boston Massachusetts comes the Holy Grail of most beer nerds “Utopias” 2013 Vintage (also the most expensive beer to date).  This beer destroys your perception of what a beer is as not only is it uncarbonated but it is also 28% alcohol and is a blend of beers some of which have been aged in barrels for up to or more than 20 years!  This years edition has been aged in Bourbon barrels, 8 year old port barrels and rum barrels and the finished product is blended together with a small amount of their beer the Komsic Mother Funk.  Before you pour this beer understand it is not meant to be refrigerated and should be served at room temperature in one or two once pours.  The beer pours a deep brown colour with absolutely no head which makes sense as this is uncarbonated. The aroma consists of maple syrup, cognac, whiskey, booze, vanilla and some dark fruits.  The flavour is of maple syrup, dark fruits, vanilla, cognac, whiskey, alcohol warmth, chocolate, cherry, earth, brown sugar, rum, butterscotch, toffee, honey and plums.  This is a huge beer at 28% and there is no doubt when you drink it.  I still really enjoyed this beer although I have to say that there has not been a huge change over the last year since I tried this last.

Commercial Description:  Utopias is brewed using traditional methods. The brewers begin with a blend of two-row Caramel and Munich malts that impart a rich, deep amber color. Noble hops – Hallertau Mittelfrueh, Spalt Spalter and Tettnang Tettnanger – are also added to lend complexity and balance. During fermentation, several yeast strains are used, including one normally reserved for champagne. The beer is then blended with a variety of different brews, some of which have been aged in different wood barrels for more than 20 years. As a result of the blending and aging, Utopias invokes the flavors of a rich vintage Port, fine Cognac, or aged Sherry while feeling surprisingly light on the palate.

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Utopias 2013 – Samuel Adams

by Mike

Limited Edition
Bottle 6,561 of less than 15,000

From Samuel Adams out of Boston Massachusetts comes the Holy Grail of most beer nerds “Utopias” 2013 Vintage (also the most expensive beer to date).  This beer destroys your perception of what a beer is as not only is it uncarbonated but it is also 28% alcohol and is a blend of beers some of which have been aged in barrels for up to or more than 20 years!  This years edition has been aged in Bourbon barrels, 8 year old port barrels and rum barrels and the finished product is blended together with a small amount of their beer the Komsic Mother Funk.  Before you pour this beer understand it is not meant to be refrigerated and should be served at room temperature.  The beer pours a ruby brown colour and as mentioned is uncarbonated.  The aroma begins with alcohol up front with whiskey, vanilla and some sweet fruits.  The flavour is of huge malts, maple syrup, toffee, plums, cherries, butterscotch, chocolate, honey, vanilla, salt, rum, port, bourbon with a good sweetness.  This beer is quite viscus and feels almost more like a syrup than a brew.  The beer has a strong alcohol warmth and a medium alcohol flavour in the finish.  To say this beer is tasty would be the understatement of the year!  This is a game changer in the brewing industry as not only is is amazingly flavourful but it is also a beer that is brewed to an amazingly strong 28% (IBU is 25).  This beer does not use any gimmicks such as freeze distilling to achieve the alcohol content.  This beer tastes as good as high end Cognac and sherry.

Malts:  Two-row, pale malt, caramel 60, munich
Hops:  Hallertau Mittelfruh, Tettnang Tettnager
Special Ingredents: Maple Syrup, Komsic Mother Funk

Commercial Description:  Utopias is brewed using traditional methods. The brewers begin with a blend of two-row Caramel and Munich malts that impart a rich, deep amber color. Noble hops – Hallertau Mittelfrueh, Spalt Spalter and Tettnang Tettnanger – are also added to lend complexity and balance. During fermentation, several yeast strains are used, including one normally reserved for champagne. The beer is then blended with a variety of different brews, some of which have been aged in different wood barrels for more than 20 years. As a result of the blending and aging, Utopias invokes the flavors of a rich vintage Port, fine Cognac, or aged Sherry while feeling surprisingly light on the palate.

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