"Black Magic" Guinness Mix

My favorite tavern has what it refers to as the "Guinness Mix Program" going on, where they mix Guinness with other beers. What you're looking at here is the mix of Guinness and Magic Hat #9.

When it first arrived at my table, the two beers were almost completely separate. The Guinness stayed on top of the glass, with a layer of Magic Hat #9 underneath. I decided to stir it up, just for fun.

The combo is interesting. You get the apricot aroma of Magic Hat #9 with all the bitterness of Guinness. Drinkable, but not a favorite. Leaves quite a bit of lacing in the glass, which dissipates only very slowly.

ABV: ??

IBU: (probably about the same as Guinness)

My rating: 3/5

Kiuchi Hitachino Nest XH – Extra High (6/10)

As I understand it, the Kiuchi Hitachino Nest brewery stopped brewing beer in 2011 after the big earthquake in Japan, in order to produce bottled water for victims of the disaster.  Their web site says that they restarted operations "in full-scale" in February 2012.

I picked up a bottle of Hitachino Nest XH (XH stands for "Extra High", presumably a reference to its 7% ABV) at The Andersons during a recent visit.  XH is a Belgian Brown Ale, brewed with four different malts and two kinds of hops.  Today, I finally popped the cap and poured it into a glass to try.

XH pours into the glass a very cloudy brown, with a decently foamy off-white head.  There is very little aroma, mostly that of yeast.  There are little white flecks floating through the brown.  The flavor carries a tiny bit of oak spiciness from the Shocyu Sake casks in which the beer is "matured".  There is a moderate amount of lacing in the glass as you drink it, which tends to flow back into the beer and doesn't remain on the glass.  There is a mild but noticeable hoppy note to it.  It seems less hoppy than its 44 IBU rating would indicate.  It's a pleasant beer to drink, but not as complex or exotic as I expected given how it is brewed and matured.  I'd describe it as above average, hence the 6/10 rating.

Beer Advocate rates Hitachino Nest XH 85/100.

The Hitachino Nest Sweet Stout is, in my opinion, a much better beer.  I enjoyed it very much and will pick up a bottle occasionally.  Hitachino Nest Red Rice Ale is also pretty good, though I'm not sure I'd rate it higher than XH.

This beer was purchased at The Anderson General Store.

ABV: 8%
IBU: 44
My rating: 6/10

Morland Tanner's Jack (5/10)

Morland Brewery's (owned by Greene King) Tanner's Jack is a clear brown English Pale Ale, actually made in England.  It's bottled in clear glass, which is a little unusual.

Upon opening the bottle, I got a hint of a "skunk" aroma.  This mostly disappeared after pouring the ale into a glass (unlike, say, a Heineken which tends to retain that aroma).  There was very little head, and it appeared to dissipate quickly.  The aroma was non-descript, with a touch of fire-roasted smokiness to it (though it took a pretty hefty inhale to pick that up).

The flavor, unfortunately, is also fairly non-descript.  There is a hint of leather to the flavor, a touch of caramel, and a mild but clearly evident hoppy note.  I didn't love it, but didn't hate it, either.  I'd say it's the kind of beer that I'd prefer over Budweiser or Coors, but not by a lot.

Beer Advocate appears to agree, rating it 78/100 or "average". I can't really argue with that.  It's not bad, but not something I'd seek out again.  Greene King's Old Speckled Hen is much better.

I picked this up as part of a "make your own 6-pack" at Kenny Road Market.  I don't recall seeing it at any other retailers.

ABV: 4.4%
IBU: unknown
My rating: 5/10

Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar (8/10)

Rogue's Hazelnut Brown Nectar is a cloudy dark brown ale with a thin off-white head. It doesn't have much of an aroma to it, but what little is there provides a yeasty nuttiness.

The flavor is a malty, nutty one with a touch of hops.  I enjoyed it enough that I ordered a second right away.

Beer Advocate rates it 91-99, or "world-class".

I've seen this in bottles at Kenny Road Market and Giant Eagle Market District at Kingsdale.

ABV: 6.2%
IBU: 33
My rating: 8/10

Charlevoix Dominus Vobiscum Double (10/10)

I think I may have found my perfect beer. Charlevoix Dominus Vobiscum Double is an excellent beer.

It is dark brown in color, almost black. When poured, it had a relatively thin, pale tan head which leaves behind no lacing.

The flavor is malty, sweet, and nicely spiced like any good Belgian beer. There is little or no hops bitterness. Carbonation is about average. For my taste in beer, this is perfect... Or as close as a beer can hope to get.

Ratebeer.com gives it a 99/100. Beer Advocate rates it 88/100.

The only place I've found this beer locally is at The Andersons General Store.

ABV: 8%
IBU: unknown
My rating: 10/10

Troeg's Troegenator Doublebock (9/10)

Troeg's Brewing Company produces some really unusual and good beer.  Their Mad Elf Ale, available from October through December, is a high-alcohol brew made with cherries, honey, and chocolate malts (and one I look forward to every fall).  Their Java Head Stout has the most pronounced coffee flavor I've ever tasted in a beer (except perhaps for Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Stout).  The beer I'm reviewing here, their Troegenator Doublebock, is one of my favorites.

Troegenator Doublebock pours into the glass a deep brown that's nearly opaque.  The head is a thick, light tan color that hangs around a while.  The flavor is sweet, with a hint of sourness.  There is a very mild hoppiness to balance out the sweetness.  All in all, it's exactly what I think a Double Bock should taste like.

Beer Advocate ranks it 87-94 out of 100.

I sampled this particular bottle at The Winking Lizard Tavern on Bethel, but I've purchased 6-packs of it since then.  I've found it at Kenny Road Market, Cost Plus World Market, and The Andersons General Store.

ABV: 8.2%
IBU: 25
My rating: 9/10

Dogfish Head Ta Henket (10/10)

Dogfish Head's Ta Henket is another unique brew offered as part of their Ancient Ales series. It is based on a recipe found in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, and includes Za'atar (a spice combination), Doum fruit, Chamomile, and Emmer Farro (a grain). Even the yeast used to ferment it is authentic, captured from the air in Egypt.

The yeasty aroma of Ta Henket conjures up a musty tomb in a pyramid. It isn't unpleasant, but you know as soon as you hold the glass to your lips that it isn't a typical beer. There is a very think white head. The beer itself is a clear, slightly pale amber.

The flavor is unlike any beer you probably recognize. It is mild, but complex. The slightly sour note tells you it is a fruit based beer. There is virtually no bitterness to it. It is more like a champagne than a beer.  There is something about this beer that I absolutely love.  Perhaps I was an Egyptian in a past life.

The folks at Beer Advocate didn't like it as much as I did, rating it 79/100 or "average". I like unusual aroma and flavor. It is one of my favorites, but I can understand why others might not appreciate it.

I've occasionally found this at shops around Columbus, but most consistently see it at Ale Wine & Spirits of Powell.

ABV: 4.5%
IBU: 7
My rating: 10/10

Boulder Business Time Draft (6/10)

Boulder Beer's Business Timewas a Great American Beer Festival Gold Medal winner in 2010.  It's an English style mild ale.  In the glass, it's a relatively clear deep brown with a light tan head.

As you can see in the picture at the left, it leaves behind quite a bit of lacing in the glass.

The flavor is slightly bitter, with some smokiness to it, but a good overall balance between bitter and the malty sweetness of it.

This was a "glass of the month" at the Bethel Road Winking Lizard Tavern in 2012.  I've not seen it elsewhere in Columbus.

ABV: 4%
IBU: Unknown
My rating: 6/10

Ommegang Art of Darkness (10/10)

This excellent Belgian dark ale has a finger-thick pale tan head that dissipates relatively quickly. The flavor starts off sweet and malty, then hits a nicely balanced bitterness. There are hints of brown sugar and chocolate to the flavor.

I'm enjoying a second as I write this. This is exactly what I like in a dark beer.

The draft version was available briefly at The Winking Lizard Tavern on Bethel Road.  The bottled version is available but very hard to locate.  The last place I found a bottle was Weiland's Gourmet Market.

ABV: 8.9%
IBU: 24
My rating: 10/10

Left Hand Milk Stout (8/10)

Left Hand Milk Stout pours from the glass as thick as syrup and as dark as night, with a very thin and quickly vanished tan head. Very little aroma comes from the beer.

The thickness carries over to the mouth feel. The flavor is definitely creamy, chocolatey, and slightly sweet - but balanced with a mild hops bitterness. It may be the best stout I've ever had.

Beer Advocate rates it an 88, or "good".

Left Hand Milk Stout is available at a number of Columbus area retailers.  This particular bottle was purchased at Kenny Road Market, but I've seen it elsewhere.


ABV: 6%
IBU: 25
My rating: 8/10

Dogfish Head Noble Rot (8/10)

Dogfish Head Noble Rot is something very unusual.  It's something of a cross between beer and wine.  It's brewed with two kinds of grapes typically used in wine:  viognier and pinot gris.

The result is a slightly pale amber drink, with a decent amount of white head.  It's flavor is sour, similar to a carbonated, fermented grape juice.  It's tart, but not unpleasantly so.

Perhaps because of all the sugar imparted by the grapes, this beer has a high alcohol content (9% ABV).  It's not the least bit hoppy.

I had the draft version of Noble Rot, thanks to the good folks at the Winking Lizard Tavern.  (And a big thanks to Sara for suggesting it!)  There is a bottled version available, too.  If you're wondering where the "noble rot" name comes from, see the Wikipedia article on noble rot.  (I've also seen this beer briefly on draft at The Pint Room in Dublin.)

Although it's hard to think of this as a beer, it's not quite a wine either.  Whatever it is, I really enjoyed it and definitely recommend you check it out if you get the chance.

ABV:  9.0%
IBU:  18
My rating: 8/10

Samuel Adams Alpine Spring (8/10)

Back before Samuel Adams became prevalent and mass-produced, it served as my introduction to "craft" beer (where I lived in those days, Budweiser and Miller products were 90% of your options at a bar).  Although I enjoyed Sam Adams beers quite a bit back then, I don't drink them very often today.  The brewers seem to pride themselves on cramming as much hops flavoring into their products as they can, which is always a turn-off to me.  Still, when I found myself in the local Red Lobster recently, I chose their Alpine Spring draft as the best option among the available drafts.

I was pleasantly surprised by it.  The beer is a cloudy, light brown color. It has a thin white head, and a slightly smoky flavor to it.  Unlike most of Sam Adams' products, it seemed very lightly hopped.  I found it to a well-balanced flavor overall.  It's a beer I'd happily drink again.

The folks at Beer Advocate seem to agree with me, rating it an 83 out of 100, or "good".

I had this particular glass at Red Lobster, but you can find it at other restaurants and in Sam Adams sample packs at places like Sam's Club.

ABV: 5.5%
IBU: 19
My rating: 8/10