Wells Banana Bread Beer

Well’s and Young Brewing is the largest private brewing company in the UK and makes some of the UK’s most loved cask beers and speciality lager brands.

Pours clear with a rusty gold color and has a lively white head with great retention. This ale has a faint aroma with notes of... wait for it... Bananas!!! Complimented with notes of caramel and a hint of spice. Clean sweet body with banana flavor. The banana isn't too dominant, which I like. Aside from citrus fruits, I have a hard time getting into fruity beers, so the mild banana flavor made this ale easy to get into. Light carbonated mouth feel and easy drinking.

Pairings/ Recommendations

What I really would of went bananas over... hehe... is if this ale would have also had a nutty flavor as well. This would have really gave this brew more of the banana bread flavor. Without it this ale has more of a tropical feel in my opinion, and tropical isn't a bad thing. This brew would be great with spicy Caribbean style food, or as the beer drinkers alternative to Hawaiian style drinks. Aloha.

Cheers!!!

One more thing...

Bananaramma-bobanna-fe-fi-foe-nana.... Banana!!!!

Founders All Day IPA

Pours a pale bronze with a lively white head. Carbonated bubbles constantly rise to the surface during entire enjoyment. Sweet blood orange and floral aroma. Wonderful refreshing flavor. Notes of orange, honey, pine, and a subtle hint of herbs. Great hops, bitterness, and carbonation. The finish is crisp and dry. Very drinkable, this brew goes down easy.

If Punxsutawney Phil ever popped out of his Gobbler's Knob burrow with a cold one in his winter tired paw, it would be Founders All Day IPA. Like Groundhog's Day, this brew popped up the first week of February and reminded us all that spring is not that far away. It speaks of days where the sun rises early and takes forever to set. Where the scent of fresh cut grass and BBQ fills the air. Founders All Day IPA has a refreshing quality to quench an all day thirst, and the taste to keep the good times going long after the sun sets. While we endure the last few weeks of winter, All Day IPA is here to help provoke the spring thaw.

Hey... Is that an Orange Breasted Robin?

Cheers!!!

Founders Double Trouble

Pours clear and golden, with two fingers of white head. Citrus aroma, strong notes of hops. I can already tell this is going to be good just by the smell. Double Trouble has a citrus flavor with notes of pineapple and pine. Immediately noticeable are the explosion of hops followed with some great bittersweetness. Medium carbonated body. The finish is slightly spicy followed by a warming wave of comfort and apricots.

The first thing I thought of when I poured this ale was the legendary blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughn and his band Double Trouble. Stevie and Double Trouble paired with Founders Double Trouble creates an evening where music will absorb your soul. The 9.4% ABV will help release any tension in your shoulders and let the blues consume your troubles. Close your eyes, take a sip, turn up the radio, and let the goosebumps take over. There is something about those long songs, the down tempo back bone, and the mournful guitar licks that mask the everyday woes and makes you feel alive.

At the end of a long week, the best pairing is the blues and brews. With company or in solitary, it’s always the perfect medicine.

Cheers!!!

Founders Dirty Bastard Ale

This ale is a very handsome chestnut brown color with a nice frothy tan head that threatens to be here long after the world comes to an end later this year. The aroma is heavy with chocolate and caramel notes. There are quite a few flavors that dance on the pallet with this ale. I get a lot of toasted grain, caramel, hints of fruit, malts, toffee, and nuts. The variety of flavors make this brew really enjoyable. The body is hoppy and this ale is sitting pretty with an 8.5 ABV rating. The alcohol is nicely masked, making Dirty Bastard very drinkable. The ending is sweet, and the fruity elements take center stage, with just a hint of the caramel coming through.

Pairings/ Recommendations

If the earth starts falling apart and you find yourself in the back of a limo driven by John Cusack, turn on the High Fidelity radio. If Woody Harrelson is ranting about the end of the world, and Danny Glover is giving his final presidential address, then crack open a bottle of Founders Dirty Bastard Ale. Forget the glass, you don't want to spill a drop of this brew while Mr. Cusack is skillfully driving around sinkholes, fissures, and the fast disappearing landscape of the neighborhood you grew up in. When you finish, crack open another and throw the empty bottle out the window with peace of mind. It's not littering, it's recycling, seeing how everything is about to get incinerated by the lava pool that is just about to break through the earths fragile crust. When the tsunami hits the shore tell Johnny boy to step on it, and just for the he'll of it shout out - I Want My Two Dollars!!! If that doesn't a least provoke him to smile in this grim situation you're probably Better Off Dead. But don't worry, you're in luck, there’s the airport, and pilot Bobcat Goldthwait is wearing a Godzilla suit and is ready for takeoff. While you fly away, hand Cusack a Dirty Bastard Ale for a job well done and watch as California sinks into the ocean. There are no words to describe it, and if any one tries, demand silence and tell them not to Say Anything.

Cheers!!!

Founder Curmudgeon Old Ale

The first thing I did when I poured this ale was grab a dictionary.

Curmudgeon (noun): a bad tempered, difficult, cantankerous person

This provoked me to look up the word Cantankerous

Cantankerous (adjective): disagreeable to deal with, peevish.

Synonyms include: cranky, crusty, grouchy, grumpy, quarrelsome, crotchety, and testy.

Those synonyms sound like the seven dwarfs from hell.

These definitions explain the pissed off looking salty dog old man that is frowning on the label of this ale. Like Founders Porter, the label itself is a thing of beauty. An old white bearded sea captain glaring with a not so friendly eye.

Curmudgeon Old Ale pours a cloudy burnt orange color with nearly a fingers worth of biscuit colored froth. Notes of malt, bourbon, and spice. Woody flavor with notes of spice, molasses, and caramel - hint of raisins. The alcohol is strong in the first few sips but quickly gives way to the flavor of this brew. Big warming effect, sort of like global warming in a glass. That can be attributed to the 9.8% ABV! Founders brews can often pack a punch, but they are very skilled at masking the alcohol content. The finish is sticky and sweet, with flavor notes of oak and rum spice.

Pairings/ Recommendations

Given the strong alcohol content of this ale, I would recommend sipping this brew and taking your time. The fact that it was aged in oak barrels brings about some wonderful flavor notes, and these flavors should be appreciated. But be careful and pace yourself, because if your not careful, the person staring back at you in the bathroom mirror in the morning just might be a bit cantankerous.

Founders Red Rye P.A.

Whenever I go to a diner and order the breakfast special the inevitable toast question always follows "White, Wheat, or Rye?" I always choose rye. Not long after this things usually fall apart and Flo steps from behind the counter and yells "Kiss My Grits." Whether that joke is too old for you to understand, or if it brings back fine memories of 70's and 80's sitcoms, I have something that we can all relate to. Founders Red Rye P.A.

Red Rye pours a dark copper color with a strong aroma of grapefruit and rye hops. This ale has a crisp spicy rye flavor with notes of peach and grapefruit. Bright carbonation compliments a heavy does of bitterness. Medium juicy body. Sharp snappy finish that lingers with a hoppy tingling sensation.

This brew was easily an enjoyable experience. It's got a lot of kick and a big sock it to ya flavor. Warning. If you get accustom to Founders Red Rye P.A., it'll ruin your enjoyment of weak watery domestic beers, and that's a good thing.

Founders Centennial IPA

Pours a cloudy burnt orange with one fingers worth of white head. Floral citrus aroma. The carbonation of this brew really flares up once it hits the pallet, giving this ale a nice bitter body. Bright grapefruit flavor dominates the taste buds, and the hoppy body creates a nice crisp balance. This brew has some nice warming effects, yet it also has a refreshing quality to it. It’s Yin is in complete harmony with its Yang! Centennial IPA finishes dry with pine notes and a subtle hint of alcohol. Speaking of alcohol, the citrus flavors of this brew beautifully mask the 7.2% ABV.

Pairings/ Recommendations

Have you ever worked up a sweat on a spring or fall day just to have that workout give you a little bit of a chill. Well you’re in luck. Founders Centennial IPA has the refreshing qualities to quench your thirst, and the warming effects to chase away the cold sweat shivers. Lucky for us, this muliti- tasking brew is one of Founders year round offerings, which makes it a perfect choice for any season.

Founders Porter

Back in 1997 Mike Stevens and Dave Engbers were recent college graduates. They both had steady jobs, and were home brewing enthusiasts. Coincidentally they also had the dream of opening a brewery. So the only logical thing to do was quit their jobs, take out some pretty large loans, and take that blind leap of faith. Today they are one of the most respected brewers in the business. In fact, Ratebeer.com recently named Founders the 2nd BEST BREWERY IN THE WORLD! In honor of this achievement, I've decided it's Founders Week here at Chin Chin. 7 days, 7 reviews. Actually, it may be just my excuse to drink really great craft beer for a week.

First things first, what makes Founders so great? I believe their mission statement says it all.

“We don’t brew beer for the masses. Instead, our beers are crafted for a chosen few, a small cadre of renegades and rebels who enjoy a beer that pushes the limits of what is commonly accepted as taste. In short, we make beer for people like us.”

Founders Porter

The descriptor on this brew is: Dark, Rich, & Sexy (Sexy? Well I be the judge of that!)

First thing. The bottle for this brew is a thing of beauty. A painting of a woman dressed in black that reminds me something you'd find hanging on museum wall for an expo on 19th century art. In fact, the label is so nice you should probably at least get a 30 cent deposit for this bottle.

Pour very dark brown with a thin wet-sand colored head. Aroma of coffee and malts. The body is rich and syrupy, with a sublet touch of bitterness. The flavor is very nice with notes of coffee, chocolate, and caramel. This porter has the perfect amount of carbonation and is smooth, thick, and heavy. to sum it all up I think this brew can be best described as complex. There are defiantly a lot of distinguishable layers. Finishes with more chocolate notes and ends with a very subtle hint of smoke. Silky mouth feel.

I greatly enjoyed Founders Porter. Lived up to the description and them some. Easily, the most sexiest beer I've ever had. How can a beer be sexy? Let me put it to you this way. Pouring this porter was like seduction, i couldn't wait to get my hands on it. It had a intoxicating perfume, which made me want it more. and I fell in love after the first sip. Sex appeal in a glass.

Cheers!!!

Samuel Adams Black and Brew

Samuel Adams Black and Brew is a new addition to this season's "Winter Classic Variety Pack" by the Boston Brewing Co. It is a Coffee Stout that uses 1.5 lbs of Sumatran coffee beans per barrel. The beans are added late in the brewing process, and this helps to produce a very heavy coffee flavor.

Black and Brew pours dark chocolate brown with a brown sugar colored head that forms a constant froth ring that hugs the contour of the glass after it settles. The aroma is similar to that sense awakening smell of fresh brewed morning coffee with notes of chocolate. This stout has a really nice flavor. Notes of bittersweet chocolate and a rich with coffee, along with a subtle hint of fruit. Nice carbonation, just enough to give this stout a creamy body, yet mellow enough to make this brew smooth and very drinkable. The finish is wet, and ends with a lingering mocha flavor. The 5.8% ABV is unbelievably masked.

I was very impressed with this stout. I'm a heavy coffee drinker and really enjoyed the flavors that were going on in this brew. If this brew was available in a six pack I'd experiment by adding cream, or a shot of baileys. Yet since it is limited, I recommend enjoying this brew naturally. If you like coffee and stout, I'm sure you'll love this brew. And it's cheaper than a $5 Grande Decaf Mochachino with an extra shot and no froth. Save yourself the trip and the money.

Pairing/ Recommendations

Forget the Bloody Mary's with brunch, I say pour yourself a nice glass of Samuel Adams Black and Brew. Enjoy with scones, tea cakes, or anything else you normally enjoy with coffee. This brew would also make a great transitional coffee-to-beer or beer-to-coffee brew, or an after dinner treat with dessert. Lots of possibilities with this stout.

*Sadly, this brew may be hard to find as the Winter Classic Variety Packs have already been replaced with Samuel Adams seasonal spring brews. I'm hoping later this year that Black and Brew will be available to purchase individually.Preferably as a 6 or 12 pack.