The Brew Basement

Name: Bigfoot
Brewer: Sierra Nevada
Style: Barleywine
Vintage: 2008
Bottled On: January 18th, 2008
Cellared On: February 12th, 2008
Original Tasting: February 22nd, 2008
It took a month and a half, but I finally have my 2008 vintage beer to review! Sierra Nevada’s Bigfoot is one of the most popular beers to cellar among enthusiasts here in the US, I’m very happy [...]

Name: Alaskan Barleywine Ale
Brewer: Alaskan Brewing Company
Style: Barleywine
Vintage: 2007
Cellared On: February 1st, 2008
Original Tasting: February 8th, 2008
Talk about a beer that has a lot going for it! Just consider the following.
Take a brewery renowned for it’s quality. Add in its multiple-award winning barleywine. Be sure to consider the fact that this is the very first [...]

Name: Decadence Anniversary Ale (Imperial Evil Dead Red Ale)
Brewer: Alesmith Brewing Company
Style: American Strong Ale
Vintage: 2006
Cellared On: November 29th, 2007
Original Tasting: January 25th, 2008
Alesmith’s Decadence Anniversary Ale is a stronger version of their November seasonal beer, the Evil Dead Red Ale. This dark brown beer with rosy-red hues sure looks the part of [...]

Name: Scotch Ale
Brewer: Smuttynose Brewing Company
Style: Scotch Ale
Vintage: 2007
Cellared On: January 4th, 2008
Original Tasting: January 18th, 2008
After recently reviewing (and enjoying) Middle Age Brewing’s Scotch Ale, I knew it wouldn’t be long before I tried a different one. In fact it was only about a hour later before I popped the cap on my next [...]

Name: Ye Olde Kilt Tilter
Brewer: Middle Ages Brewing Company
Style: Scottish Ale
Vintage: 2007
Cellared On: January 4th, 2008
Original Tasting: January 18th, 2008
I find it really refreshing to find a brewery dedicated to British-style ales here in the US, especially with all of the focus lately that seems to be on Belgian-influenced ales. I find it even more [...]

Name: Monster Ale
Brewer: Brooklyn Brewery
Style: English Barleywine
Vintage: 2007
Cellared On: January 3rd, 2008
Original Tasting: January 18th, 2008
Coming inside from a cold January evening, I had one thing on my mind - the case of Monster Ale I had picked up a couple of weeks earlier. I knew I needed something to take the chill out of [...]

Name: 10th Anniversary Old Ale
Brewer: Southampton
Style: Old Ale
Vintage: 2006
Cellared On: November 30th, 2007
Original Tasting: January 13th, 2008
Since I was going over to my friend Darren’s (a beer fanatic) place to watch the NY Giants playoff game yesterday, I knew I just had to bring an interesting beer for us to try. Since the Giants are [...]

There’s a great article on the barley wine style of beer in this months All About Beer magazine. Author K. Florian Klemp covers just about everything you would want to know about this extreme style of beer, from it’s historical origins to the intracicies of it’s brewing. It also goes in-depth to discuss the differences between [...]

Name: Snow Goose Winter Ale
Brewer: Wild Goose (Flying Dog)
Style: English Strong Ale
Vintage: 2007
Cellared On: November 24th, 2007
Original Tasting: December 14, 2007
I hadn’t heard of this beer before I saw it a few weeks ago in my local beverage center. As I was deciding whether or not to purchase it, I noticed the magic words “ages well” printed [...]

Name: Double Bastard Ale
Brewer: Stone Brewing Company
Style: American Strong Ale
Vintage: 2007
Cellared On: November 17th, 2007
Original Tasting: December 2nd, 2007
Stone’s Double Bastard beer starts out innocently enough. It’s a beautiful ruby red in the glass, topped by an average-sized creamy head. Nothing in the aroma of this beer will give you any real indication of [...]