Founders Brewing Porter

 

Style: American Porter
ABV: 6.5%
Current Untappd Rating: 3.86

Brewery Description
"No absence of hops gives Founders’ robust porter the full flavor you deserve and expect. Cozy like velvet. It’s a lover, not a fighter."

When I first got serious about beer way back in 2012 it was hard to find Founders beer in my area (hard to believe now). I distinctly recall the day I found Founders Porter at one my stores and immediately grabbed it off the shelf and clutched it tighter than my true love. I don't remember the last time I've had it but even to this day this remains one of the most highly thought of American Porters on the market.

APPEARANCE

Absolutely black out. Pitch black in all regards with no red or brown on the edges. The pour produced a hefty three fingers of off-white head.

AROMA

Lots of roast and I mean A LOT. It's like a cup of coffee though I don't think it is specifically brewed with any coffee. I get some sweet caramel notes and even some vanilla. A good hint of chocolate syrup rounds out what is turning into a decadent dessert beer. 

TASTE

I tell ya that roast from the aroma is singing just as loud and proud here on the taste. It's bordering on burnt coffee, but is reeled in just enough where it is just dark roast. With that comes a big blast of bitterness, but it is quite pleasant. My next swig just got me a ton of that chocolate syrup which brings us right back to dessert beer territory. Subtle caramel notes in the front and the end is more of that coffee bitterness.

MOUTHFEEL

Not too thick, but not watered down. Very smooth and velvety as the brewer's description prepared me for. Despite all that coffee bitterness it is a pleasure to drink and it doesn't leave behind a sticky film despite all the sweet flavors.

OVERALL

Lives up to its reputation and then some. It's a robust porter at a reasonable ABV and is available year round. A winner in all aspects.

RATING
8.7/10

Tree House I Have Promises To Keep

The Stats
Style: Imperial IPA
ABV: 7.9%
Current Ratings...
- Untappd: 4.46/5
- Beer Advocate: 4.42/5
- RateBeer: N/A

BREWER'S DESCRIPTION
"In 2014, I brewed an American Pale Ale - Beneficiaries of Chance - to celebrate marrying the love of my life, Lauren. Over the years time it has become a perpetual tradition to honor our bond with a new, celebratory beer to mark the occasion. For our fourth anniversary, I am pleased to offer a new Double IPA, I Have Promises To Keep! It is brewed with copious doses of Nelson and Citra in both the kettle and the dry hop. It tastes and smells strongly of citrus, sweet sauvignon blanc grapes, and gooseberries. It is loaded with flavor and yet maintains an easy drinking, mouth watering appeal. As the years pass by, and bonds grow deeper, it’s vital to reflect upon, and give thanks for, the special people in your life. I sincerely hope that this beer may serve as a vehicle to do so."

APPEARANCE
Pours out the typical golden yellow/brilliant orange with that familiar murky body and two fingers of solid, white head.

AROMA
I love that distinct Tree House yeast smell. This is a grapefruit and orange sherbet nuke for sure as this reeks (in a good way) of fresh-squeezed juice and some white whine. Juicy Fruit gum and orange sherbet are fantastic additions to the aroma and again, that yeasty smell is great. Not much in the way of bitterness, but the smell is so pleasant, I can forgive it for not being balanced.

TASTE
The taste retains a lot of the juicy goodness from the aroma, but has the addition of the bitter bite that was missing from the nose. Orange juice is a big flavor throughout and is accented on both the front and back by the aforementioned sherbet and grapefruit. The back end contains even more of that bitter hop flavor and it is what remains in the aftertaste. A Juicy ride with bitter bookends.

MOUTHFEEL
The body is full and creamy, buy maybe not as creamy as you'd expect. It's never watered-down at any point, but it should still feel fluffier. ABV is non-existent and it drinks easy.

OVERALL
I Have Promises To Keep Delivered on the Citra and Nelson in big ways, but a lighter-than-expected body keeps it from reaching elite levels. Still, this is another stellar IPA from a brewery with an entire catalogue of world class offerings. This one fits right in with the family and could be a welcome addition to their rotation.

Rating
8.9/10

Widowmaker Boubron Barrel Aged ComRAD

The Stats
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 11.6%
Current Ratings...
- Untappd: 4.31/5
- Beer Advocate: N/A
- RateBeer: N/A

BREWER'S DESCRIPTION
"As we culminate our first year at our brewery, we offer you this warm, big, textured Russian Imperial Stout aged in Buffalo Trace Bourbon Barrels. A play on our Donut Shop utilizing additional hops, Belgian Candi syrup, lactose and of course coffee, we could not be more pleased with the results! Cold Brewed by Widowmaker Brewing, using roasted beans from Red Eye Coffee Roasters: 3 Otis Street in Hingham MA"

APPEARANCE
Pours pitch black with just the slightest ruby red on the edges with less than a finger of almond-colored head.

AROMA
The aroma is dominated by sweet, sticky bourbon. It is almost sugary sweet with maybe notes of caramel and toffee. A bitter, dark coffee smell is also just as big, but then there's also big cherry and dark chocolate. Additionally, I'm picking up a small bit of tobacco and some boozyness is definitely present.

TASTE
Not surprisingly, the bourbon is first and foremost and it is followed by that caramel and sugary sweetness from the aroma. I get almost a molasses and tree sap flavor from this with a small influence from the wood from the barrel. As it warms, fluffy milk chocolate emerges for some relief from the darker, more bitter flavors, but it still keeps in line with the overall confectionery theme this one has going on. If you can get past the sweeter moments, you'll find some smoke and char from the barrel and maybe even a little black licorice or anise. I must say that this doesn't have a burning, alcohol taste, but it is considerably boozy and that often is the exclamation point on each sip.

MOUTHFEEL
The body is thick enough to be called an Imperial Stout, but I can't help but feel it should be much more thicker and viscous for an 11.6 % BA beer. Still, it meets the requirements. As I said before, booze is noticeable, but it doesn't do enough damage to ruin the beer. It's a sipper for sure, and would come in handy as these nights in New England start to get colder.

OVERALL
BA ComRAD is a flawed, but satisfying Imperial Stout. It hits all the items on the checklist of what you are looking for in a bourbon barrel aged beer, but I personally feel the booze was a bit too prominent. It's not without its imperfections, but as a big, warming beer with good barrel character, it's mighty fine in my book.

Rating
7.9/10

Peak Organic Coconut Lime Kolsch

The Stats
Style: Kolsch
ABV: 4.7%
Current Ratings...
- Untappd: 3.38/5
- Beer Advocate: 3.68/5
- RateBeer: 3.04/5

Commercial Description
"Bringing a wave of tropical notes and a touch of citrus, this beer is beautifully designed. A crisp, bready, German-Style Kolsch serves as the foundation for this beer. Then we add a splash of organic coconut and organic lime. This Kolsch is very complex, but remarkably refreshing. It’s like we put the beach in a can. We hope you enjoy!"

Appearance
Straw yellow color with a transparent body and lots of carbonation bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass. It poured to a finger of white head.

Aroma
The lime is unquestionably the most prominent and has a puckering, zesty kick. There's a small toasted note, which I attribute to the coconut, but Kolsch characteristics are hard to find as they are masked by the title ingredients, but a subtle herbal quality is noticeable if I try hard enough.

Taste
The lime is still here, but definitely muted when compared to the aroma. The coconut actually came through big, which was a nice surprise. It has a sweeter quality to balance out the lime zest. The base beer itself doesn't lend much flavor as it has more of a generic, wheat, corn, or grain taste. I get a very tiny bit of a spicy hop note, but it fades away quickly. If it wasn't for the coconut and lime, it would taste like a subpar Kolsch.

Mouthfeel
Still, thanks to the lime, this managed to be a refreshing experience. The light feel and carbonation also helped make for a crisp body and it was easy to drink.

Overall
As I said before, the added coconut and lime steal the show and help elevate an okay Kolsch into something with a semblance of flavor. It's an Americanized version of the style, but it turned into something enjoyable.

Rating
7.1/10

Greater Good Pulp Daddy

The Stats
Style: Imperial IPA
ABV: 8%
Current Ratings...
- Untappd: 4.18/5
- Beer Advocate: 4.14/5
- RateBeer: N/A

"PULP DADDY is an 8% ABV IPA created as an extension of the popular PULP (Pauls Ultimate Lupulin Protocol) brand; like PULP, this “juice forward” IPA has a predominant citrusy aroma and tastes like nectar of the hop gods!  We made one modification to the base process for PULP with a single objective in mind:  dial up the haze. Objective accomplished.  PULP DADDY is easy-drinking and refreshing with perfect nebulosity and mouthfeel."

Pours out a glowing orange with hazy body and a finger of white head.

Sweet tangerine is first on the aroma. It has that thick, syrupy presence you get with a lot of big DIPAs, but it isn't too much that it becomes a turn off. Deep down are clean orange zest and grapefruit peel.

If you read my review of GG's Pulp (of course you did), I was pretty harsh on it for being a big, syrupy concoction. Pulp Daddy on the other hand has brought in a lot more juice befitting of the "New England IPA" style.

Fresh oranges burst forth out of the glass and onto my tongue and then there's a THUD of pine coming in like someone dropping an anvil on your head. It's impressive how the flavors changed on a dime. Going back to the sweeter notes from the aroma, I get more tangerines and then there's that creamy orange sherbet flavor that is a hallmark of this style. It has small moments of bitterness, but that isn't the overall goal here. While leveling up the juice with this version, this still lets you know it is a hefty DIPA that shouldn't be trifled with.

Mouthfeel is lighter than standard Pulp, but it does manage to retain some of the thicker and more syrupy feels from the base beer. Still, it drink much easier thanks to a lighter body. While it feels big, the alcohol is never a concern.

Pulp Daddy managed to stay a big, resinous Doule IPA while also morphing into a juice-forward New England IPA. Greater Good Brewing sure does do a great job of making big beers easy to drink and this is one of their best.

Rating
8.8/10

VERSUS: Tree House Green vs Trillium DDH Congress Street

The Stats
Tree House Green
Style: American IPA
ABV: 7.5%
Current Ratings...
- Untappd: 4.49/5
- Beer Advocate: 4.59/5 (Top 250: #38)
- RateBeer: 4.07/5
Trillium DDH Congress Street
Style: American IPA
ABV: 7.2%
Current Ratings...
- Untappd: 4.53/5
- Beer Advocate: 4.6/5 (Top 250: #40)
- RateBeer: 4.09/5

This is a battle of Galaxy IPA's. I have previously reviewed both the Tree House Green and the Trillium DDH Congress Street. Since I have been fortunate enough to have both of these beers cross my path at the same time, I would be a fool to pass up the opportunity to have these beers have an all-out battle to the death. 

BREWER'S DESCRIPTION

Tree House Green

"Our cross-continental IPA! Made with Australian and American hops, this tropical heavy IPA opens up in the glass with notes of hugely flavorful notes of lemon-lime, pineapple, orange sorbet, and tangerine. It has a soft but pointed bitterness and a rich, velvety mouth feel. Intensely kettle and dry hopped yet balanced and flavorful, Green is a beloved crew  favorite here at Tree House!"

Trillium DDH Congress Street

"This amplified version of our flagship American IPA, Congress Street, is a focused exhibition of the Australian Galaxy Hop."

APPEARANCE

Tree House Green

A hazy body with light orange color and almost two fingers of bright, white head that retained beautifully and left tons of lacing on the glass.

Trillium DDH Congress Street

A sunset orange color complete with a body that is a bit more murky and opaque. No light getting through this (on an IPA!). The pour produced a finger and a half of white head that leaves no lacing.

AROMA

Tree House Green

A clean hop dankness with Juicy Fruit gum and a sprinkling of pine and grapefruit. Some orange rind and a biscuity malt presence round it out nicely.

Trillium DDH Congress Street

Much more aggressive with the hop bitterness. It has the same grapefruit aroma, but much more acidic. Hints of creamy orange sherbet add some sweeter notes. Some potent dank hops too.

TASTE

Tree House Green

That bubblegum and Juicy Fruit from the aroma starts things off on the taste. Subtle hop bitterness starts to shine, but the more I sip on this, this has a creamy sorbet flavor and tons of pineapple. There's maybe even some tangerine and clementine as well. The back end actually pops with more bitterness and dank flavors.

Trillium DDH Congress Street

Like the aroma, this has a much more aggressive approach to the hop bitterness, but that's a good thing. Acidity is the name of the game once again as tart grapefruit and citrus tend to dominate. Once more, this is not being said in the negative. More of that creamy sherbet adds a dessert-like feel with faded moments of pine and spruce to boot. The lingering effect is dank bitterness and it is quite appetizing.

MOUTHFEEL

Tree House Green

Despite the creamy taste, the body is lighter than the taste would lead you to believe. There's some lingering astringency with each sip, but a good bitter aftertaste is welcome anytime.I'd say this has a lighter feel than others in the same 7.5% abv range, but it gets the job done.

Trillium DDH Congress Street

The body is full and creamy and leaves a delectable combo of dank hops and orange sherbet. The abv is well-hidden, and despite having a strong bitter bite, the drinkability is sky-high for me.

OVERALL

When comparing these two Galaxy-saturated IPA's, it is a tale of two cities.

If you want a lighter feel that still has solid dank flavors, and a ton of tropical fruits, you go for the Tree House Green. Green is (again) lighter in body, but packs in a lot of flavor with a smooth feel and easy drinkability.

Trillium DDH Congress St manages to smack you in the face and kick you in the balls with a ton of dank bitterness, but still manages to be just as drinker friendly as the TH Green.

It's a battle of delicious Galaxy IPA's, but since DDH Congress had more complexity with the same drinkability as Green, I am giving the nod to DDH Congress Street.

RATINGS

Tree House Green
8.8/10

Trillium DDH Congress Street
9.0/10

Trillium Peanut Butter PM Dawn

The Stats
Style: American Stout
ABV: 10.1%
Current Ratings...
- Untappd: 4.39/5
- Beer Advocate: 4.49/5
- RateBeer: 3.54/5

"What started as a special treatment to celebrate our 5th Anniversary, is now a small scale batch! We started with the base recipe for PM Dawn American Stout, then slightly dialed back the ratio of cold brew Italian Roast from Barrington to allow the heavy dose of Peanut Butter to find it's perfect place in the flavor profile and balance the beer."


Poured out pitch black in all aspects and produced a towering two fingers of frothy, mocha-colored head.

The aroma is a liquid peanut butter cup, but with a big, bitter dark chocolate influence. There's plenty of black coffee too as well as coffee grounds and roasted malts, but hot damn, this is a peanut butter overload. They did not skimp on the PB here.

Much like the aroma, I am getting a lot of bitterness. It's not the coffee, but it is that dark chocolate flavor with help from the roasted malts. The coffee itself, once again, has a strong influence, but this is really all about the peanut butter. My experience with peanut butter stouts is limited, but even I can tell this was legit made with an ungodly amount of PB. I compare it more to a chocolate and peanut butter bar as I am getting a baked or bready feeling to it, maybe like fresh brownies. I will say that, at times, that bitter flavor I get can get to be a little cloying or biting, but the peanut butter helps fight that off.

Mouthfeel is as full as it should be. It is not the most viscous or fluffy stout I've had, but it isn't getting points deducted for the body. The alcohol is non-existent and this would be an ideal dessert beer.

PB PM Dawn added a blast of peanut butter to an already great coffee stout. Again, it had it's bitter, burnt coffee ground moments, but the abundance of peanut butter more than made up for it. It's a decadent dessert stout sure to satisfy the sweet tooth.

Rating
9.2/10