Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron Review

Brewery: Dogfish Head Brewery | Beer: Palo Santo Marron
Style: American Brown Ale | ABV: 12.0% | IBUs: 50
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into tulip glass

There exists deep in the Paraguayan forests, a wood known as palo santo, or "holy wood." It's exceptionally strong, tough, and dense, with an interesting resinous character. When Sam and the gang at Dogfish heard about this stuff, they knew they had to brew up a beer to use with it.

They came up with an incredibly high-gravity brown ale strong enough to stand up to the wood. According to a video distributed with the first packs of Palo Santo Marron, the ingredient list is as follows. Chocolate, Crystal, and Black malt along with a dash of wheat create the backbone. As for hops, we're looking at Warrior, Glacier, and Palisade varieties. Everything is brought to life with a Scottish Ale yeast strain.

To imbue the resulting beer with the palo santo goodness, Dogfish crafted a massive tank built of the wood to ferment it in. This tank sits next to two other oak tanks of the same size. Clocking in at 10,000 gallons each, these tanks are the biggest wood brewing vessels built in America since Prohibition.

I've filed it under the American Brown Ale category, but as big and bad as this baby is, you could make a case for it being an American Strong Ale or even an American Imperial Brown Ale (kidding!).

Here's how Dogfish describe the finished product:

An unfiltered, unfettered, unprecedented Brown Ale. [H]ighly roasty and malty [with] caramel and vanilla complexity unique to this ale.

It's a little off-topic, but this bottle cap is one of best looking I've ever seen. So, there's that. Anyway, let's pry off that beautiful cap and dive in, shall we?

Appearance: A thick, inky black body that only lets a trace amount of red-hued light escape. It’s capped by a finger of rich tan head that leaves a few patches of lacing. Far from brown, this looks more like an Imperial Stout than a Brown Ale.

Aroma: Boozy, woody and malty; this is complex and inviting.

Taste: I’ve never heard of Palo Santo wood before, but from what I can tell it has a similar effect on beer that more plebeian woods do, that is to say it lends the brew vanilla and “woody” notes. There’s also plenty of character coming from the alcohol, but despite the massive percentage, it never dominates the flavor profile. While this is far from a traditional Brown Ale, I can see this family resemblance. I suppose you could call the beer underlying all of the fireworks a Brown Ale on steroids, or in the parlance of our time, an “Imperial Brown.” The aftertaste is a brilliant mix of oaky and boozy notes.

Mouthfeel: A somewhat syrupy, full body with decent carbonation and some good burn coming from the alcohol.

Drinkability: Solidly in sipper territory thanks to the profile and alcohol content, this is a beer that demands your attention.

Verdict: I had high hopes for this beer, and they certainly didn’t go unfulfilled. Palo Santo Marron is a big, bad brew with plenty of complexity and personality coming from the wood and booze. A twelve percent Brown Ale aged on exotic Paraguayan wood is the kind of madness we’ve come to expect from Dogfish, and the result is just as good too. I can’t wait to see how this ages in the cellar.

Grade: A

Budweiser Select 55 Review

Brewery: Anheuser-Busch, Inc. | Beer: Budweiser Select 55
Style: American Adjunct Light Lager | ABV: 2.4% | IBUs: ~7
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into Pilsener glass

The lightest beer in the world. Oh, boy.

In what appears to be the last stop in the race to the bottom that is the low-calorie beer war, Bud Select 55 has reigned supreme as the lightest beer in the world since its introduction back in 2009. It clocks in at 55 calories (duh) and 1.9 grams of carbs. Pretty sure I've had water more fattening than that on occasion.

AB doesn't provide any information on the ingredient bill besides mentioning "caramel malts and a blend of imported and domestic hopping." Here's how they describe the profile:

Select 55 has a light golden color and offers aroma notes of toasted malt and subtle hopping.

I'm trying my best not to be condescending here (I swear). I suppose these types of beer serve a purpose. I must keep an open mind.

Alright, let's pop the top on this lightweight and see what it's like to drink a beer with the caloric content of three Cheetos and a stick of gum.

Appearance: A perfectly clear golden-straw body capped by about a finger of white head that fizzles out quickly and leaves just a hint of sudsy lacing.

Aroma: A faint and watery mix of sweet grains and a hint of grassy hops.

Taste: A twangy and sweetish rice body accompanied by some weak, almost-implied grassy bitterness. A crisp, clean, and damn-near flavorless aftertaste. Have you ever had Bud Light? How about water? Mix ‘em up and this is pretty much what you get.

Mouthfeel: Light bodied with sharp carbonation.

Drinkability: Besides the fact that it’s bland, industrial beer-water this is a highly drinkable summbitch.

Verdict: If you want a buzz without too many calories, Bud Light already exists. If you don’t like the taste of beer, there are plenty of alternatives out there. If you want to cut the flavor, calorie count, and alcohol content off a Bud Light in half, potable tap water is available in almost all American households. So why the hell does this exist?

Grade: D-

Bell's Two Hearted Ale Review

Brewery: Bell's Brewery, Inc. | Beer: Two Hearted Ale
Style: American India Pale Ale | ABV: 7.0% | IBUs: ~50
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into pint glass

Highly rated beers not available here in Texas are like forbidden fruit for me. I pine for them, add them to a sad little wishlist, and wait patiently for the brewery to start distributing them here. Sometimes though, through various means I won't go into, an unavailable beer sneaks over state lines and I get my grubby little paws on a bottle or two.

That was the case with Bell's Two Hearted Ale. Bell's garner lots of buzz for a host of different beers, including a pair of IPAs: Two Hearted and Hop Slam (a Double IPA). Both have been on my wishlist for years, and a while back, a few bottles of Two Hearted found their way into my possession.

Backing up a bit, let's take a quick look at Bell's themselves. Dating back to 1985 when it was founded by Larry Bell, Bell's is one of the true pioneers of American craft brewing. The company was originally known as the Kalamazoo Brewing Company, named after the city the brewery was founded i, but changed their name to Bell's in 2005 to reflect what consumers called the brewery. They currently brew up a deep portfolio of well over 20 different beers.

Getting back to the beer at hand, it's worth noting Bell's are pretty stingy with the details here. They don't let slip the malt bill, but do note that the only hop used is the Centennial variety, which is employed during brewing, then again for a course of dry-hopping.

Bell's describe the finished product thusly:

Two Hearted Ale is defined by its intense hop aroma and malt balance. [A] remarkably drinkable American-style India Pale Ale.

Well it's been quite a wait, but let's dig into the illicitly totally legitimately sourced beer, shall we?

Appearance: A hazy golden-orange body capped by about two fingers of densely-packed off-white head that fades slowly and leaves brilliant lacing.

Aroma: Lots of juicy, citrusy, and slightly leafy hops over a caramel malt body. It sounds strange, but I get shades or fresh orange juice from time to time.

Taste: Up front, the mildly bitter hops lead the charge and are again juicy, citrusy, and a little leafy. Underneath, there’s a solid biscuity malt body keeping everything grounded. It’s balanced rather nicely, though the focus is (rightly) on the hops. That moderately-high alcohol content is totally masked. Biscuity malt and juicy in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with medium carbonation and a drying finish.

Drinkability: This goes back without any issue whatsoever, and would probably make a great session choice if it wasn’t for the slightly beefy alcohol content.

Verdict: It’s clear why Two Hearted has built such a great reputation; this is just a straightforward, well-crafted, and satisfying American IPA. After this introduction to Bell’s I can’t wait to try another of their beers.

Grade: A+

Anchor Humming Ale Review

Brewery: Anchor Brewing Co. | Beer: Humming Ale
Style: American Pale Ale | ABV: 5.9% | IBUs: 65
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into pint glass
Anchor's newest seasonal, Humming Ale hit the package market back in 2010 and slots in as the fall seasonal. Fall beers are usually pumpkin related or malty, so it's always nice to see something that bucks the trend like this American Pale Ale.

Humming is actually a well-established beer term with ancient roots. Instead of a specific style, it refers to a strong, effervescent beer with plenty of character, or just a damn good pint.

As for construction of this particular brew, Humming is built with Two-Row Pale malt and is hopped and dry-hopped with Nelson Sauvin hops. Nelson Sauvin is a relatively new variety (developed in 2000) out of New Zealand with a fruity profile and can be used for bittering, flavor, and aroma.

Anchor is rather spare with the language when it comes to describing Humming, saying only that it is:

[B]old, frothy, effervescent ale, with hints of citrus.

Perhaps it speaks for itself. Let's get cracking and see if this is is really a humming brew.

Appearance: A golden body capped by two fingers of creamy off-white head that fades slowly and leaves great patchy lacing.

Aroma: Lightly spicy and citrusy hops over a mild biscuity malt body.

Taste: Very similar to what the nosed promised, the profile is composed of juicy, delicately spicy, and moderately bitter hops over a calm biscuity malt backbone. Everything is balanced excellently. Husky grain and lingering bitter hops in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and a little creamy with medium carbonation and a drying finish.

Drinkability: Supremely drinkable, Humming is a great accompaniment to an early fall evening.

Verdict: A new Anchor beer is always something to look forward to, and Humming Ale doesn’t disappoint. It has all of the trademark deceptive simplicity, drinkability, balance, and craftsmanship you’ve come to expect from Fritz and the gang.

Grade: A-

Note: While this review is being published in winter, the tasting notes contained within were taken when the beer was fresh in fall.

Anchor Summer Beer Review

Brewery: Anchor Brewing Co. | Beer: Summer Beer
Style: American Pale Wheat Ale | ABV: 4.5% | IBUs: 15
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into Weizen glass

First brewed in 1984, Anchor Summer Beer is not only one of the first summer seasonals, as Anchor points out, it's also the first American wheat beer in modern times. Truly, we have a proper American pioneer here. While summer wheat brews are standard fare today, this beer was cutting-edge stuff back in the day.

It's filtered, but there's still plenty of protein left for a big head that the brewery describe as "similar to meringue." The ingredient list calls for two-role pale malt and malted wheat (wheat making up over half of the malt bill) along with Golding and Glacier hops.

Here's how Anchor describe the finished product:

Crisp and cool as a San Francisco summer. The crisp, clean flavors of Anchor Summer Beer are refreshingly light, a thirst-quenching American-style filtered wheat beer.

Well, it's the dead of winter now, but let's think warm thoughts and time travel back to summer when this brew was fresh.

Appearance: A crystal-clear golden body capped by a mountain of densely packed white head that fades slowly and leaves nice, patchy lacing.

Aroma: Mild grassy hops over a pale, slightly sweet, and wheaty malt body with just a touch of honey.

Taste: A mix of weak lemony and grassy hops, golden fruit, and grainy malt. Just a little thin and not quite as interesting as the nose suggested. Apples and husky malt in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with smooth carbonation and a clean finish.

Drinkability: An easy drinker if it holds your interest.

Verdict: Up to this point in my journey, the Anchor beers I’ve tried have always been incredibly solid and have held up remarkably given their age. Unfortunately, Anchor Summer Beer just doesn’t live up to the rest of the line for me in the flavor department. I can see this being the right beer for the market back when it was introduced, but today it just comes off as a little too thin and bland for my tastes.

Grade: C+

Note: While this review is being published in winter, the tasting notes contained within were taken when the beer was fresh in summer.

Anchor Porter Review

Brewery: Anchor Brewing Co. | Beer: Porter
Style: American Porter | ABV: 5.6% | IBUs: 40
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into pint glass

Dating back to 1972, Anchor Porter is one of the longest surving dark American beers on the shelf today. Like all of the old-school Anchor brews, this is a beer that helped define the American version of its style. Anchor call this the definitive American Porter, and I have to agree with them.

The ingredient bill calls for Two-Row Pale, Caramel, Black, and Chocolate malt varieties along with Northern Brewer hops (added at what the brewers describe as a high rate). Anchor pride themselves on having crafted a dark beer with that's surprisingly light on the palate and define the finished product as:

With deep black color, a thick, creamy head, rich chocolate, toffee and coffee flavors, and full-bodied smoothness, Anchor Porter is the epitome of a handcrafted dark beer.

It's definitely Porter weather outside, so let's dive in to a classic.

Appearance: A dark brown, essentially black body with laser beam ruby-red highlights. Up top, there’s about two fingers of creamy tan-tinged head that feature great retention and lacing.

Aroma: Sweet toasty malt accompanied by mild notes of chocolate, dark fruit, and creamy lactose.

Taste: A sturdy roasted malt backbone with notes of chocolate, coffee, mild spice, and dark fruit. Bitter coffee-ish notes and a good dash of lactic notes cut the malt nicely. Roasted malt and dark fruit in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: A smooth and creamy medium body with good carbonation. The finish dries just a little.

Drinkability: This is a smooth drinker and a brilliant session choice.

Verdict: Anchor Porter is tasty, highly drinkable, and a perfect example of the American Porter style. While it may not be absolutely bursting with flavor, it’s solid and expertly crafted, like every other Anchor beer.

Grade: A-

Anchor Liberty Ale Review

Brewery: Anchor Brewing Co. | Beer: Liberty Ale
Style: American Pale Ale | ABV: 5.9% | IBUs: ~45
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into pint glass

Originally brewed in 1975 to commemorate the bicentennial of Paul Revere's ride, Anchor's Liberty Ale is one of the American beer landscape's most important forefathers. Looking at a beer shelf today it might be hard to imagine, but back when Fritz and company first brewed up Liberty, there were simply no hoppy beers on the American market. This was it.

Not only was it the first hoppy American beer since prohibition, it was also the first single-hop beer and the first dry-hopped beer since the dark days as well. Truly revolutionary stuff here.

Anchor call Liberty an IPA, and it may well have been back when it was new, the market has moved on a little since the mid-70's. Therefore, I'm listing it as an American Pale Ale. I'm not alone in this, as its listed as an APA on virtually every beer site out there.

The ingredient list is about as stripped down and simple as possible, with Anchor only claiming Two-Row Pale malt and fresh whole-cone Cascade hops. Certainly can't get much more pure than that.

Here's how they describe the finished product:

The champagne-like bubbles, distinctive hop bouquet, and balanced character of Liberty Ale revives centuries-old ale brewing traditions that are now more relevant than ever.

So, how will the first hoppy modern American beer hold up now that hops are more prevalent than ever? Let's find out.

Appearance: A slightly hazy golden-amber body capped by two fingers of creamy whitish head that feature terrific retention and lacing.

Aroma: Bright, fresh, citrusy, and floral hops over a slightly grainy caramel malt body—I can already tell this is going to be solid.

Taste: Up front, a wave of brassy and somewhat juicy citric hops lead the way. Underneath, there’s an understated biscuity malt backbone keeping everything in check. The end result is a well balanced English-style Pale Ale with some extra American-style bite. Leafy bitterness and biscuity grain in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and slightly creamy with smooth carbonation and a drying finish.

Drinkability: A perfect session choice, this is a beer that aches for repetition.

Verdict: Back in the dark days, I’m sure it took a pretty exceptional beer to get people back into drinking the hoppy stuff. Liberty obviously fit the bill back then, and is still a mighty tasty brew today. Despite the massive changes this beer has seen in it's 35+ years, it holds up beautifully. Respect your elders.

Grade: A