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I’ve been sick for the last 10 days or so. This was the first beer I’ve had since I fell under the weather. I was looking forward to this Coffee Dopplebock from Dark Horse. It was stashed in the chill box for a few weeks. Today I was ready to pour.

Overall, I am disappointed. The taste is heavy, overpowering. The coffee is there, but it is more like a dark chocolate explosion with the associated bitter sharpness. I wanted to like this, and maybe it wasn’t the right choice to kick off my post-flu tasting. I’ll shelve the remainder and give them another try later.

Presentation

Came in a four pack of 12 ounce bottles. Two bottles’ label has artwork by Jared Brownell, a bunch of coffee urns that look like landed spaceships. The other two have a two-headed demon drinking a cup of coffee.

Pour

Dark color. Small head that dissipates quickly.

Aroma

Coffee smell with a bit of chocolate.

Taste

Strong coffee taste with heavy dark chocolate tones. It almost tastes burnt.

Reviewer’s Grade

D

From the brewer

This is a true dopplebock and Dark Horse Brewing’s only publicly distributed lager. It was so normal that we couldn’t stand it so we made it into a coffee dopplebock. Ha, take that Germany, with your Reinheitsgebot purity law! Anyway, we use fare trade organic coffee from our friends at The Ugly Mug Cafe in Ypsilanti, MI

We did a lable contest and opened it up to the public for this beer. We had so many awesome entries that we couldn’t just pick one winner so we have 2 lables for this beer. We stager the bottles in the six packs but with no order in mind. I have to find the digital img for the other lable and get it posted here. Sorry.

Statistics

Price/Quantity: $6.99 for a 4 pack 12 ounce bottles
ABV: 7.5%
IBU:
Calories:
Suggested glass:
Website: Dark Horse Brewing Co.

Initial take: It’s a 5.25% ABV India Pale Ale (IPA).

If you find yourself in or around Holland, Michigan, I strongly recommend heading downtown to New Holland. Their food is only rivaled by their beer.

I found these near to my house in a six pack of twelve ounce bottles.

Presentation

Dark bottle with an appropriate “Alice in Wonderland” theme.

Pour

Good pour. Healthy head. Orange color. Filtered.

Aroma

The nose is very hoppy, as one would expect of an IPA.

Taste

The taste is hoppy and citrusy. The drink is tart but goes down well.

Reviewer’s Grade

B

Statistics

New Holland Brewing Co.

The Detroit Dwarf is a red lager

Detroit Dwarf is actually brewed in Webberville, MI by the Michigan Brewing Company.

Presentation

The bottle is dark. The label is bright but verbose.

Pour

The pour is reddish with a small head. The color is a dark red.

Aroma

Taste

Hops and citrus leap out. It’s a flavorful red, no doubt. The tongue feel is easy going down with some bite in the after taste.

Reviewer’s Grade

B+

Statistics

Price/Quantity: $8.99/6 pack 12 ounce bottles
ABV: unknown
IBU: unknown
Calories: unknown
Suggested Glass: Pint glass
Website: Detroit Beer Co.

I’ve become familiar with Mill St.’s Coffee Porter.

I like it. A lot.

Since it’s Autumn, I’m big into porters and stouts and dark lagers. This coffee porter is a great match to any winter comfort food and deep snow drifts.

Presentation

Standard Mill St. fare, though the bottle is appropriately dark.

Pour

It’s dark, almost black, with a brown head on the pour.

Aroma

Rich chocolate, coffee, toffee, and smoke.

Taste

The tongue feel is very smooth.

Reviewer’s Grade

A

Statistics

Price/Quantity: $12.99 CAD/6 pack 12 ounce bottles
ABV: not sure
IBU: unknown
Calories: unknown
Suggested Glass: Pint glass
Website: Mill St. Brewery

Mill St. is a fantastic brewery in Toronto. If you find yourself in the Distillery District, go to their restaurant. If you’re at an L.C.B.O. or The Beer Store and see anything labeled Mill St. grab it.

The organic lager is … okay. There’s not alot of flavor or character to it, though I prefer this to a pilsner, any light beer anywhere, or any mass produced commodity beer in the US. The web page describes it as “delicate”, and that’s as good an adjective as I can come up with.

It’s a 4.2% ABV with a filtered, yellow color. There’s not alot of nose to it. It drinks easy.

If you’re keen on organic beer, this is your brew. I’ve tasted many, many worse options. Mill St. Organic Lager is superior to most mass produced off-the-shelf beers in the U.S. If you like a Bud or Miller or their ilk, you will more than like the Mill St. Organic. Take a suitcase home with you.

Presentation

The bottles are clear. The label underwhelms.

Pour

The color is yellow. The head is sparse.

Aroma

Nondescript, but not in a bad way

Taste

The taste is surprisingly okay.It drinks easy.

Reviewer’s Grade

C

Statistics

Price/Quantity: $12.99 CAD/6 pack 12 ounce bottles
ABV: 4.2%
IBU: unknown
Calories: unknown
Suggested Glass: Pint glass
Website: Mill Street Brewery

This ‘Authentic Bavarian Festival Lager’ was strongly recommended by the staff at Western Market in Ferndale. It’s a 5.6% ABV in a 500ml/1 pint 9 ounce bottle.

A good brew for $2.99 US. I’m not sure if I’ll cellar this one or not.

Presentation

The label is non-descript with a German farm house at the center. The bottle is dark.

Pour

The pour looked to be filtered with a rich yellow-orange color. It pours with a good head and tight bubbles.

Aroma

The smell was rich with citrus.

Taste

The taste is decidedly citrus-y. It seems to have some of the same sulphuric compounds as a North American would expect in a European lager like Heineken or Stella Artois, but fewer. It took the glass coming to room temperature before I could detect it.

Statistics

Price/Quantity: $2.99/1 pint 9 ounce bottle
ABV: 5.6%
IBU: unknown
Calories: unknown
Suggested Glass: Pint glass
Website: Ayinger

“Wow!” was the first thing out of my mouth after tasting this 8.6 ABV ale.

I plan on picking up another of these to cellar. I’ll get the last two releases and look for the earlier ones. I paid about $8 for the 1 pint 6 ounce bottle.

Presentation

A 1 pint 6 ounce dark bottle with painted text and labels, it’s clear that Stone is making this for the long haul. Impressive and arrogant at the same time.

Pour

It pours with a great head.

Aroma

The nose feel is rich and complex. I’m too stopped up to get a good read on it, however. It is dark and thick, more porter than ale. Rich and creamy, kind of a toffee taste. There’s a faint citrus and clove taste, but my buds may be off.

Taste

It is hard to detect the alcohol, making it a deceptive brew. Spicy. Smooth. I would pair this with smoky barbecue, chili, or Ben & Jerry’s Heath Bar Crunch.

Statistics

Price/Quantity: $8/1 pint 6 ounce bottle
ABV: 8.6%
IBU: unknown
Calories: unknown
Suggested Glass:
Website: Stone Brewing

‘Dark, Rich & Sexy’ is how Founders describes this 6.5% ABV, 45 IBU porter.

I really enjoy this porter as the weather gets colder. It pairs well with smoky barbecue, spicy greens, and coffee ice cream.

If you find yourself in Grand Rapids, rejoice! There are lots of great brew and food joints to enjoy, and Founders should be on your list.

Presentation

Founders Brewing Porter

The label has an old world feel to it.

Pour

It pours with a nice toffee-colored head. There was about a finger of head after the pour which left a nice lace on the glass. The beer’s color is dark and rich, almost black.

Aroma

It is slightly aromatic after the pour, but not that much to my stopped-up nose: malt, coffee, and hints of smokey notes.

Taste

The taste is slightly chocolaty, slightly smoky with some caramel. The tongue feel is smooth and thick. Together it is deceptively smooth, especially considering the high ABV.

Reviewer’s Grade

A

From the brewer

“Pours silky black with a creamy tan head. The nose is sweet with strong chocolate and caramel malt presence. 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.”

Statistics

Price/Quantity: $8.99 per six pack of 12 ounce bottles
ABV%: 6.5
IBU: 45
Calories: n/a from brewer, estimate between 228 and 239
Suggested Glass: Pint glass, mug
Website: Founders Brewing

The idea of Gravy Boat was born in 2008 while I was in Canada on business. My cohorts Jeff, Neal, and Tanja took me out to dinner at a little Italian place near downtown Toronto. Wine and beer was consumed with the fine food fare. Eventually things took a silly turn, and gravybo.at was born.

When I got back home I registered the domain. Neal set up the first server but it lost power on a regular basis. I moved it to my DreamHost account, but there it languished.

I picked it up, dusted it off, and am making it a compliment to http://www.extendedstaygourmet.com. All beer and gravy stuff will be here, food there.

I hope Neal, Jeff, Tanja, and others will contribute. We shall see.