Jack's Abby Brewery Maker

The Stats
Style: English Barleywine/ Euro Strong Lager
ABV: 13.5%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.19/5
- RateBeer: 3.62/5

"While we were building our new brewery we were aging this beer in bourbon barrels previously used for our Barrel-Aged Framinghammer Baltic Porter. Lengthy aging allows the 13.5% ABV beer to mellow and develop a deep molasses-like sweetness with port-like dark fruit flavors. This beer is a sipper- you’ve been warned!"

Previously, I have reviewed Jack's Abby Baby Maker and Bride Maker (both made my Top 10 of 2014), but now we have the Brewery Maker sitting on my table waiting to be reviewed.

Pours copper/mahogany red with a clear body and a finger of eggshell white head.

The aroma is bourbon-soaked raisins and oak. Plums, figs, and a multitude of dark fruits are pushing their way to the front of the line and there's a leathery smell to this too. A strong malt presence is noticeable at every turn.

I'd say the taste follows the aroma almost brick by brick. The bourbon has influence not just in the sweet, sticky bourbon itself, but this has some good char and oak from the barrel with even some tobacco. The ensuing melee is a dark fruit parade of raisins, figs, plums, dates, and cherries. I think if you tossed a Fig Newton into a blender with some bourbon, then the results may be similar. I don't own a blender, so I can't try that, but if I can make that work with my Hamilton Beach waffle maker, then we got a story going. On the transition there's a flavor similar to red wine and lots of red grape, but that bourbon adds a big kick on the back end. Also bringing Pepsi and Ring Dings to the party are some candy-like toffee and caramel, which add give this a dessert quality that I was not expecting. I'm even getting a bitter dark chocolate flavor to this too. Damn.

This is a big beer, no doubt, but amazingly it isn't hard to drink. A sipper for sure, but there's no alcohol taste at all and the body, while nice and thick, has tons of carbonation to move it along.

Brewery Maker combined the best parts of Doppelbocks and English Barleywines and then threw them into a bourbon barrel to create a beautiful baby. Really well-done BBA beers do great jobs of masking alcohol while producing stellar flavors and this is no exception. You'll have to sip for an hour or two, but man it is a smooth ride. These "Maker" beers (I don't know what to call them) are one of the best series Jack's Abby has to offer. I have loved each entry and Brewery Maker has won my affection.

Rating
9.2/10

Jack's Abby Triple Dry Hopped Mass Rising w/Equinox & Mosaic

The Stats
Style: Imperial Lager
ABV: 8.0%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 3.82/5
- RateBeer: N/A

Recently I made my first trip to the new Jack's Abby Beer Hall and it was a success on all fronts. A huge, open area for eating, drinking, mingling, etc, a good food menu with homemade pizzas, and 24 beers on tap (with brewery-only exclusives) made for a feast for the senses. Naturally, I had to take a little something home and what better beer to have to myself than a draft special. The standard Mass Rising is a big Double IPL, but this edition is triple (yes, TRIPLE) dry-hopped and contains Equinox and Mosaic. Yay!

Pours a transparent dark yellow bordering on light orange. As aggressively as I poured I still only got less than a half finger of brilliant white head.

Lager yeats is noticeable on the aroma and is obscured by a strong resin character and wet grass. Then there's some tea leaves, sawdust, and cedar.

Garlic and onion come out swinging and they almost one-punched me like McGregor on Aldo, but if you stick with it, you will see other flavors are to be had. This has a significant spicy hop quality to it along with a dank, weed-like contribution that is (quite literally) like fresh grass. I can't get over the big resin presence as well as somewhat of a bready quality. The further it travels through the mouth, the more the aforementioned garlic and onion keep fighting their way to the front. If I concentrate hard I can get just the faintest hint of pine or sap, but nothing overwhelming. Overall it is a dank-tasting beer with spices.

Mouthfeel is surprisingly thick and syrupy. Granted it is a big 8.0% IPL, but it actually feels bigger and could even be classified as a "Triple IPL". With this version, the drinkability isn't exactly sky-high, but it is still not a challenge to put away. No alcohol presence or warming either.

This 3x dry-hopped version of Mass Rising brought an interesting blend of flavors to the table with garlic/onion and spices dominating. Luckily some fresh grass and dankness made things a bit easier, but I think some more help from the Mosaic hops would have made this an easier-drinking experience. You'll need to go elsewhere for something a bit tame, but if you want a big, thick, ballsy Imperial IPL, then this is your jam.

Rating
7.6/10

Jack's Abby Copper Legend

The Stats
Style: Oktoberfest/Marzen
ABV: 5.70%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 3.78/5
- RateBeer: 3.44/5

Oktoberfests used to be the dominant beer come the Fall, but pumpkin beers have seemed to have usurped them as the king of Autumn. I've recently tried immersing myself in the Oktoberfest style and I figured a local favorite would be a nice place to dive in.

Pours a hazy dark orange, (dare I say) copper color with two fingers of white head.

Aroma has a crisp lager scent with sweet caramel notes.

The taste has a lot of sweetness - particularly of toffee. Right after that is the aforementioned caramel from the aroma. The label says it uses Noble hops and I can detect some spiciness throughout, but also something similar to beeswax or honey right off the comb. The back end has almost an herbal, green tea, or even fresh mint kick to it. It might be weird to say it tastes like autumn, but that's what I'm going to go with. Some light crackery maltiness is also here to finish the job.

Mouthfeel is a little under carbonated, but not exactly flat. It doesn't give the beer a syrupy texture either, but it does come out feeling lighter than its abv would suggest. In any case, it is still robust enough to be highly flavorful and highly drinkable.

Copper Legend is a solid entry into the Oktoberfest world, but as a brewery that specializes in lagers, I expected a little more from Jack's Abby. Oh, I'll gladly throw multiple bottles back on a cool Fall day, but I can't help but feel it didn't reach its potential. However, this is still packed with flavor and goes down smooth. Can't ask for more than that.

Rating
7.9/10

Top 10 Beers of 2014

The past year has been quite a ride in my ever-evolving passion for craft beer. None bigger than my decision to start this blog. I've never claimed to be a connoisseur in any way, shape, or form. I'm just a guy who loves his beer.

Over the last 12 months I've mainly stayed local to my new experiences with my first trips to Tree House Brewing as well as Trillium. Along the way I made my yearly pilgrimage to Vermont which I fully plan on doing in the coming months. I've gotten to share those experiences with friends which has given me the opportunity to drink some of the finest beers known to mankind.

That being said, how can you condense all of your experience into a simple list? Well fortunately I've made it easy on myself. I started this blog back in July and made it a point to release roughly three reviews per week. All things considered, I think I made a half decent dent. I reviewed 70 beers on this blog since its inception and those will be the beers I will choose from for my Top 10 of 2014.

If you are (lucky enough) to be friends with me on Facebook or follow me on Untappd (threwredbutter), then you obviously know I had way more than 70 different beers this year. However, I am only choosing to compile this list strictly from reviews on the blog since this is where I was able to sit down and get the full experience in order to properly review these beers.

Just to give a fair warning: with only 70 reviews and most of my endeavors being local, most of this list is populated by breweries from Massachusetts. Actually I'm not sorry. Maybe the rest of the country just needs to step their game up :).

So, now that we have that out of the way, I present the Top 10 Beers of 2014. Cheers!

10. Founders Dissenter

As I said in my review, living in Massachusetts with full access to Jack's Abby has opened my eyes to what you can do with a lager. When I heard that the next "Backstage Series" release would be an Imperial IPL, I was skeptical, especially since it had been over 12 years since Founders had brewed a lager. I'm happy to say they hit a home run.

Dissenter is both one of the juiciest and hoppiest lagers I've ever had. It's also so refreshing and crisp that it makes you forget that it supposed to be an Imperial IPL.The amount of hops and pine can make this compete with plenty of IPA's, but it's also very drinkable thanks to it's abundance of citrus-forward hops. Easily one of the best the Backstage Series has to offer.

9. Surly Darkness (2010 Vintage)

This once-a-year release has easily become one of the more sought-after non-barrel-aged Imperial Stouts in existence and for good reason. It combines all the characteristics of multiple stouts of the style into one sublime experience.

The beer is a wave of milk chocolate and cherry with an unexpected pop of hop bitterness. It's a chocolate-covered cherry in red wine with a thick and fluffy mouthfeel that coats your whole tongue.




8. Jack's Abby Bride Maker

When I heard Jack's Abby was doing a sequel to Baby Maker, I knew I had to have it. This version uses different malts in the recipe to produce more caramel and dark fruits while giving the beer a darker body. The end result is more like a world-class doppelbock than a lager wine, but I am not complaining.

The taste is huge fruitcake, raisins, and plum all soaked in delicious bourbon. It's also quite a malt bomb with toffee and caramel to round everything out. The bourbon barrel-aging smoothed all of the flavors out and combined them into a melting pot of a world-class beer.


7. Jack's Abby Cocoa-Nut Framinghammer

The month of December was big for me when I decided to roll out all of my Framinghammer reviews. The only one I didn't review was the Chipotle Framinghammer as it was a draught-only release (Sorry I'm not sorry). Hey, 6 out of 7 isn't bad, but the clear winner was Cocoa-Nut Framinghammer.

This is classified as a Baltic Porter, but in a blind taste test this would surpass most Imperial Stouts. Big chocolate syrup and coconut come together for a dessert-like delicacy worthy of an after-dinner meal. The bourbon barrel-aging combined with the chocolate, coconut, coffee, and oak produce a feast for the senses and a sweet beer lover's delight.

 6. 3 Floyds Zombie Dust

The best American Pale Ale out there? For my money I would say so. Reviewing such a highly-acclaimed beer is no small task, but when I received this in a trade, I was well aware of its reputation and I am proud to say that Zombie Dust has exceeded the hype.

You can tell it is made exclusively with citra hops with it's inviting aroma of oranges, mango, and pineapple. At the same time, a huge hop bitterness may lead you to believe this is a standard IPA. The hops don't linger and it is just a smooth, juicy ride with insane drinkability.


5. Tree House Julius

What else is there to say about Tree House's flagship beer? Combining the near-perfect balance of pungent hops and tropical juices, it's easy to see why Julius pleases both hopheads and those seeking a juicier IPA.

With it's fruity hops, it actually follows the same path as a lot of Vermont IPA's and that is some great company to be in. The hop taste isn't overly bitter, but more like fresh-squeezed hop juice combined with mango and orange. It's a highly drinkable and fruity IPA. Rumor has it that Tree House's expansion will include a canning line for Julius. Fingers crossed!!!


4. Trillium Heavy Mettle

The last beer I reviewed in 2014 was clearly one of the best. I remember missing out on the first release of this beer last August, but when it was announced another run was being done in December, you bet your ass I was going to be there on the release day to get my share.

This beer is a hop nuke with its strong presence of hop juice, resin, and fresh pine. At the same time, it retains all of the flavors that made the standard Mettle great with grapefruit, mango, orange, and even some lemon zest. It's everything great about an East Coast IPA ramped up to the max. Awesome.


3. Jack's Abby Lager Ness Monster

One day on Facebook, Jack's Abby posted a picture of Lager Ness Monster with a brief description. I knew it had to be mine from day one and I was not mistaken. This 15.00% (no pun intended) monster is comparable to Goose Island Bourbon County Stout. I made that statement before, and it still rings true today.

The sweet bourbon in addition to the dark fruits, coffee, charred oak, and vanilla make this one of the most complex beers I had last year. Throw in a viscous, velvety mouthfeel with flat-out ludicrous drinkability and you have easily the best Baltic Porter on the planet.

2. Tree House Good Morning

A sheer, blind luck, 1 in a million chance allowed me to be at Tree House the day they put this beer on tap. I missed out on the first batch due to recovery from surgery (cue pity applause), but never in my wildest dreams did I imagine would ever actually getting the chance to try this. The end result was easily the best Imperial Stout of 2014, and maybe ever.

Breakfast in a glass? Pretty damn close. Huge maple syrup, coffee,and chocolate will make you think you are eating a stack of chocolate chip pancakes and chasing them with a fresh-brewed cup of roasted coffee. Throw in massive vanilla and roasted malts with a thick, mouth-coating feel and the result is as close to a beergasm as you will ever have. I truly wish I could have this with breakfast every morning.

1. Jack's Abby Baby Maker

You always remember your first time and this is no exception. Where were you on January 18th, 2014? Me? After a day of drinking at my local bar, I had this beer sitting in the fridge for my nightcap. I didn't know what to expect considering the style it claims to be, a "Lager Wine", was something I had never tried. One smell and sip in, I immediately knew this was the best beer I ever had. When it came time for my formal review for the blog, I was unsure if it could live up to my previous expectations. Thankfully, it still retained all of the greatness I had remembered.

If I was to describe this as a toffee-caramel bomb, then I wouldn't be doing it justice. Not only are those flavors present, but there is massive bourbon, vanilla, oak, and even a hint of maple. I compare it to a wheatwine with its syrupy feel, but at the same time its high level of carbonation pushes that feel, and the 14.00% abv, along my palate to make this a dangerously drinkable beer. Baby Maker is complex, looks great, smells great, and is easy to drink. There's nothing else I could possibly want out of this beer. As I said in my review: drinking this is downright pornographic.

Jack's Abby trIPL

The Stats
Style: Triple IPL/Imperial Pilsner
ABV: 10.00%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.36/5
- RateBeer: N/A

The latest release from Jack's Abby is their first ever Triple IPL. Brewed with Columbus, Chinook, and Citra, this is definitely the first Triple IPL I've ever heard of. If anyone can blow you away with one, it's Jack's Abby.

Pours a hazy dark orange/yellow with two fingers of white head.

Well, with just one whiff I can say that has got to be the most hop-forward IPL I've ever experienced. It's not bitter hops, but rather hop juice with orange, pineapple, and peach. It has that distinct yeast smell to let you know it's still a lager.

Juicy on the smell, but the taste brings something new to the table. The front of the tongue is assaulted with bitter, grassy, herbal hops that have some serious bite. Behind that those juicy flavors make a comeback with a wave of tropical fruits which bring a balance to the bitterness of the hops. It actually has the taste of a lot of great Double IPA's. The finish is resinous and even a bit piny.

At 10.00%, you might be expecting a somewhat syrupy mouthfeel, but this drinks like most of Jack's Abby double IPL's. It has a medium body with some good carbonation. The overall feel and finish is refreshing as it has no lingering bitterness and feels relatively clean. Alcohol can't be found, but there can be a warming sensation in the throat on the occasional sip.

A Triple IPL that drinks like a Double IPA, trIPL showcases a diverse set of hops that bring the best of herbal and juicy notes to a bitter, resinous IPL. The 10.00% won't register on the taste, but considering it's high level of drinkability, the abv will catch up to you eventually as you casually slug this down. Probably the hoppiest lager I've ever had and of course Jack's Abby was not only behind it, but made it stellar.

Rating
9.1/10

Jack's Abby Cocoa-Nut Barrel-Aged Framinghammer (Re-Review)

The Stats
Style: Baltic Porter
ABV: 10.00%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.38/5
- RateBeer: 3.95/5

This is a re-review of one my first ever posts. Even in my short time, I know my style of reviewing and writing has come a long way, so while I was reviewing all of the Framinghammer variants, I knew I had to give this one another formal treatment.

Pours jet black with ruby red and brown on the edges. An aggressive pour produced almost two fingers of a light brown/tan head which disappears quickly.

That aroma is so enticing. I can best describe it as a liquid Mounds bar. It's toasted coconut and melted chocolate all the way. Then there is some roasted coffee and and wood with sweet bourbon.

The taste is not only melted chocolate, but a rich, dark chocolate. Definitely more of that toasted coconut followed by a gush of that smooth, sticky bourbon. Some dark roast coffee and oak in the middle of the mouth to go with roasted malts. The finish has almost a maple syrup flavor with a hint of vanilla.

The mouthfeel is thick and viscous like a big Imperial Stout. At the same time, I'm picking up more carbonation than usual in relation to the other Framinghammers. It's definitely a sweet beer, but by no means cloying or sugary. The 10.000% is undetectable and as usual and this is another variant that is luscious and velvety.

Cocoa-Nut Framinghammer edges out the Vanilla Framinghammer as my personal favorite of the variants. There is a ton of chocolate and coconut for fans of sweet beers, but at the same time there are big bourbon and stout qualities to entice the big, barrel-aged beer purists. It's smooth, thick, and flavorful (c'mon, guys!) and makes for an ideal dessert beer for your next meal. Complex, sweet, and drinkable, this clearly stands out as the best in the bunch.

Rating
9.7/10

Jack's Abby PB&J Framinghammer

The Stats
Style: Baltic Porter
ABV: 10.00%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.17/5
- RateBeer: 3.51/5

Peanut butter has become the new "it" ingredient for stouts and porters. Frankly, it's a good call because when done right, it is delicious. Our latest Framinghammer variant is brewed with peanut butter and raspberries. Then of course, it is aged in bourbon barrels.

Pours jet black and I even got a little over a finger of a light brown head.

As soon as I stuck my nose into my glass those raspberries smacked me right in the face. You have to try and find the bourbon with all of the raspberry, but it's there. Some roasted malts too, but I can't pick up any peanut butter. Maybe something similar to peanut shells, but this is a raspberry bomb.

Holy chickens! Well, maybe I wouldn't go far enough to quote obscure Ben Affleck films, but the peanut butter has shown up on the taste. Definitely more along the lines of whole peanuts - shell and all. Raspberries have been throttled back for the taste which is nice to see they weren't going to dominate my palate. The bourbon comes through on the finish with some roasted coffee and even some chocolate. There's even a hint of smoke, but nothing Rauchbier-like. It's sweeter than any of the previous variants, but it's not cloying.

As usual with the Framinghammer series, this has a nice, thick mouthfeel and is velvety smooth with no carbonation. Again, no cloying flavors, but maybe a small lingering sweetness. It's not too bothersome, though. As stated with the others, the 10.00% is non-existent. It has a robust body and flavor profile, but drinks lighter than you'd think.

PB&J is another solid addition to the Framinghammer lineup. While sweeter than the rest, it has some genuine raspberry flavor, but that tends to overpower the bourbon and peanut butter. That being said, every flavor is present and the barrel-aging helps even everything out on the taste. I can only imagine this would have been pure raspberry juice if it wasn't aged. Like the others, it drinks easy and is a rich experience. If you want a fruitier Framinghammer, this is your brew.

Rating
8.9/10

Jack's Abby Vanilla Framinghammer

The Stats
Style: Baltic Porter
ABV: 10.00%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.34/5
- RateBeer: 3.81/5

Until the day I die, I will always love vanilla in my beers. So when I heard Jack's Abby was releasing a bourbon barrel-aged version of Framinghammer with vanilla beans, you can bet your ass I was at the brewery on the release day to snag my share.

Pours black as night with less than a finger of light brown head that vanished quickly.

The aroma is all bourbon and vanilla beans. Very nice, indeed. Some roasted malts, chocolate, subtle coffee, and wood from the bourbon barrel are there to greet you on the back end.

The vanilla has practically terminated any trace of roasted or bitter character. In its place is a dominating, sweet vanilla bean presence that is just delicious. Along with vanilla is the sweetness of the bourbon and the two flavors are living together in harmony. Some roasted coffee and a small amount of chocolate add levels of complexity to those barrel characters.

The sweetness of the vanilla beans has made an already smooth beer a sublime experience. This is a smooth-drinking Baltic Porter with absolutely no alcohol presence and it actually might be a tad bit dangerous to sip on considering how easily it goes down. Much like big Imperial Stouts, this coats your entire mouth, but leaves nothing unpleasant in its wake.

Vanilla Framinghammer has met all of my expectations. It is silky-smooth and flavorful with just the right amount of sweetness from the bourbon and vanilla beans to make this not only a complex drinking experience, but a world-class one at the same time. As far as Baltic Porters go, this is in the elite of the elite. Sweet, complex, and drinkable. I mean, what else do you want on a cold winter's night?

Rating
9.5/10

Jack's Abby Coffee Framinghammer

The Stats
Style: Baltic Porter
ABV: 10.00%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.32/5
- RateBeer: 3.81/5

Add coffee to BA Framinghammer? Why the hell not, right? There was some confusion when this (and Vanilla) was released because the label doesn't say "Barrel-Aged". However, I believe the story is that there was a mix-up when Jack's Abby sent the label art off for printing and they didn't submit the labels that said "Coffee Barrel-Aged Framinghammer". However, one smell and sip and you know this has been sitting in a bourbon barrel. So yeah, if you're wondering if Coffee Framinghammer and Coffee Barrel-Aged Framinghammer are the same, then yes, they are.

Pours jet black with brown on the edges. Got less than a finger of a brown head which disappears quickly.

Sweet bourbon and fresh-roast coffee beans on the aroma. Although, the coffee is not as aromatic as I would think. A little bit of chocolate, wood, and lager yeast too.

This beer has almost a year on it and I have to say I am having some trouble picking up any coffee on the taste. It's there, but I guess just not as much as I expected. Still, it has some rich roasted notes. Middle of the mouth is some pretty good vanilla, bourbon, and wood from the barrel. It is similar to the BA Framinghammer, but with very subtle coffee.

Like the other variants, this too is silky and smooth. Barely any carbonation to speak of with no cloying or lingering aftertaste. Like it's close-knit family, no alcohol taste at all and it goes down so easily.

Coffee Framinghammer is not a bad offering by any stretch of the imagination, but it does come up a bit short in coffee. While it is reminiscent if the BA Framinghammer, I would expect the coffee version to add a significant amount of the ingredient it promises to deliver. Don't get me wrong, there is a good amount of bourbon and oak to imbibe on, but unfortunately the coffee was not front and center as it should have been.

Rating
8.6/10

Jack's Abby Barrel-Aged Framinghammer

The Stats
Style: Baltic Porter
ABV: 10.00%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.35/5
- RateBeer: 3.8/5

Take a smooth as silk Baltic Porter and throw it into Kentucky bourbon barrels and what do you get? Barrel-Aged Framinghammer! I don't know how long the beer was aged, but I have high expectations as I assume the flavors of the base beer will pop and even more will be created with the aging process. Fingers crossed!

Pours jet black like its predecessor. Ruby red on the edges with a finger's worth of brown head that slowly fizzes away.

Bourbon and oak dominate the aroma. Lager yeast shines through with subtle raisins and a faint vanilla and chocolate presence. Barrel-aging has subdued the heavy roasted notes of the base beer.

The bourbon is very sweet, but not cloying. A pleasant chocolate-covered cherry taste starts things off followed by bitter dark coffee and a hefty amount of oak from the barrel. A nice bitter hop presence is there too and it has the crispness of a lager on the finish.

The mouthfeel is reminiscent of flat coke with no carbonation and a slight syrupy texture, but not thick. It's silky smooth like its brethren, but is more Imperial Stout-like with it's feel than the normal Framinghammer. No alcohol taste and it's highly drinkable for such a big offering.

The Barrel-Aged version of Framinghammer has eliminated a lot of the roasted aroma and taste, but replaced it with delicious bourbon and oak. It is a step up in many regards with a thicker body and more diverse flavors. I wouldn't say those sweet flavors are cloying, but there is a noticeable aftertaste that can be hard to shake. But hey, if that's my biggest complaint then I'm clearly just looking for things to bitch about.

Rating
9.0/10

Jack's Abby Framinghammer

The Stats
Style: Baltic Porter
ABV: 10.00%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.15/5
- RateBeer: 3.61/5

Jack's Abby has become synonymous with lagers. Today is their infamous Framinghammer which is a Baltic Porter coming in at 10.00%. A Baltic Porter is basically a stout fermented with a lager yeast. Jack's Abby has done multiple variations on their Framinghammer (obvious foreshadowing), but before we even think about those, we should pay our respects to the base beer.

Pours jet black like a stout. Some dark brown and ruby red on the edges. It gave off less than a finger of a light brown head.

A lot of roasted malts on the nose, but at the same time I am getting a dominant oatmeal smell too. Just, oats and brown sugar with a hint of coffee.

The broken record keeps spinning, but this is just roasty as all hell. There's more of a chocolate flavor on the taste and it makes for a smooth espresso experience. A big black licorice thud hits my tongue on the middle, but that oatmeal is here too and I can also pick up some of that lager yeast. It's also rather bitter too with it's unexpected, but welcome hop presence.

Man, smooth is the word of the day with this beer. Not only smooth, but velvety and pretty thick too. I wouldn't say it coats your mouth like an Imperial Stout, but it gets the job done. Practically no carbonation and no unpleasant lingering flavors. It's a heavy beer at 10.00%, but there's no alcohol taste at all.

Framinghammer is a robust Baltic Porter that is smooth from start to finish. That abv sneaks up on you due to this being such a drinkable offering, so please tread lightly. It has the crisp finish of a lager with a robust taste and mouthfeel of a stout. One of the best of it's style and just a roasted bomb to your palate.

Rating
8.8/10

Jack's Abby Bride Maker

The Stats
Style: Lager Wine/English Barleywine
ABV: 13.00%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.44/5
- RateBeer: 3.5/5

What we have here is the sequel to my favorite beer of all time. So, did Jack's Abby rest on their laurels and just release the same beer for the 2nd year in a row? Nope! Here is the description from the website...

"While Bride Maker is the same style of beer as Baby Maker, the recipe was reworked.  The main difference is the use of Special B malt to give it more color and body as well as notes of caramel, toffee and dark fruits. We feel that Bride Maker is a sweeter, more well rounded take on the style."

Oh, the anticipation is killing me!

The pour is considerably darker than last year's offering. It's a dark, rusty mahogany/burgundy reminiscent of English Barleywines. No head at all.

The aroma is quite the malt bomb with big dark fruits like raisins. As it warms up, I find hidden deep in back are some toffee and caramel. This must be said: This was barrel-aged? I pick up virtually no bourbon at all. It's almost the ghost of bourbon past.

Any booziness that existed in last year's batch is a distant memory. Holy crap is this smooth! Rich caramel greets you on the way in followed by tons of malt. There's a lot of fruitcake taste to this, almost as if I'm drinking a world-class doppelbock. A lot of raisin and even plum notes too. At the same time, the bourbon (thank God it showed up on the taste) ties everything together in a nice melting pot of flavor. Just spectacular!

As I said, no booziness anywhere. Good luck trying to find even a trace of that 13.00% because I think I killed my whole bottle in less than 30 minutes. This is supposed to be a sipper, but it's so delicious and smooth that I just can't help myself. It doesn't have a lot of carbonation and it feels thick and syrupy, but not cloying.

Comparing Bride Maker to last year's Baby Maker is tough. Both experiences yield different results. This year's offering isn't as prominent with the bourbon taste, but isn't as boozy either. The fact is that Bride Maker is a world class beer. It's a perfect combination of a doppelbock with dark fruits, malt, and fruitcake while at the same time sticking to the toffee and caramel sweetness that made me fall in love with last year's batch.

Barrel-aging this year's recipe resulted in a smooth ride with no alcohol presence. While I do wish there was more bourbon on the aroma and taste, I won't let that hold me back from calling this near-prefect beer in all aspects.

Rating
9.9/10

Jack's Abby Lager Ness Monster

The Stats
Style: Baltic Porter
ABV: 15.00%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.52/5
- RateBeer: N/A

Coming in at a staggering 15.00%, Lager Ness Monster is by far the biggest beer ever made by Jack's Abby. How did they make such a big beer? I'll let the website description tell the story...

"During the first stage of the brewing process we mix hot water with our malted grains in our Mash Tun to extract the sugars from the grain that will later be fermented into alcohol.  The resulting liquid from this process is called wort.  For Lager Ness Monster we did this process once, then we refilled the Mash Tun with more grain.  This second time, instead of using water to mix with the grain, we re-used our wort from the first batch and concentrated it.  This allowed the wort to pick up more sugar than our normal process would allow, resulting in a 15% abv monster!"

Then, for an extra kick, it was aged in bourbon barrels for six months. There's nothing more to say, so let's dive in.

Pours pitch black and thick like ink and not surprisingly this gave off absolutely no head. This could be mistaken for flat Coca-Cola. Most Baltic Porters are dark brown or have hints of dark brown, but this is the darkest Baltic Porter I've ever seen. It looks like a barrel-aged Imperial Stout.

The aroma is bursting with bourbon, oak, roasted malts, coffee, vanilla, raisins, and some subtle chocolate. Just...spectacular.

The first thing on the taste (and rightfully so) is sweet bourbon. A lot of charred oak from the barrel, and big dark fruits are the most present flavors. A nice pop of roasted coffee/espresso is in the back with a small vanilla kick on the finish.

If I was blindfolded, I would say this is a big, barrel-aged Imperial Stout. It is so thick and viscous and it coats your entire mouth. At 15.00%, there is a warming sensation in your chest on the finish, but there is absolutely no alcohol taste at all. I don't know how they do it, but I don't care. Considering the abv, this remains insanely smooth and drinkable.

As far as Baltic Porters go, this is easily the the best I've ever had. The difference between this and other Baltic Porters (or other Jack's Abby Baltic Porters for that matter) is how it feels more like a huge Imperial Stout. The mouthfeel is thick and robust and can not only compete, but surpass most barrel-aged stouts. I'm not bullshitting when I say that this is comparable to Goose Island Bourbon County Stout. Yeah, it's that amazing!

If you've had Jack's Abby BA Framinghammer, then just imagine that amped up to 11. If it is this good now, then I can't wait to see how my other bottles do a year from now. With such a high abv, this is no doubt a sipper, but it's so drinkable that you might gulp the whole thing down and regret it later. I swear, Jack's Abby barrel-aging program is one of the best in the country. Please believe me when I tell you that I am trying not to be a hometown fanboy, but I can't find a flaw with this beer and it deserves all the praise it gets.

Rating
10/10

Jack's Abby Baby Maker

The Stats
Style: Lager Wine/Euro Strong Lager
ABV: 14.00%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.18/5
- Rate Beer: 3.68/5

When you think "Jack's Abby", you immediately think of a great lager. But what about a lager wine? What is a lager wine? I don't know. Depending on what site you research, Baby Maker is called a Euro Strong Lager, a Doppelbock, an English Barleywine, and God knows what else. So, what is my frame of reference for this beer? Nothing! And you know what, that's actually a good thing: going in with no idea what to compare it to. Anyway, Baby Maker (whatever it is) was aged for nine months in bourbon barrels previously used for BA Framinghammer. Recently, Jack's Abby released batch two of Baby Maker, but now calling in "Bride Maker" which has a slightly tweeked recipe. So, let's see how the original is before I see the sequel.

Pours a hazy, dark, rusty, blood orange that is bordering on copper or amber. Got one finger of an off-white head.

Woah! The aroma is amazing! HUGE toffee, caramel, and vanilla. The bourbon is right there in your face, but not with an alcohol sting, just pure sweetness. A considerable dark fruit/raisin presence and some oak too. It smells like nothing else I've ever had.

Calling the taste complex is an understatement. Big caramel and toffee are my first impressions. Vanilla is an accent rather than a main ingredient. There's a large fruit cake taste which is why I can see how people would call this a doppelbock. Tons of bourbon, a little bit of oak, and some raisins round everything out. Call me crazy, but I pick up a small, almost maple flavor too. What's great is that each flavor contributes equally and none of them are fighting for attention. Frankly, it's just delicious.

To me, it reminds me of a wheatwine with a think, syrupy mouthfeel. Although, this is also quite carbonated too. I don't think I've had a beer that had both. At 14.00%, I don't taste alcohol, but there is definitely a warming sensation in my chest on the finish. As thick as it is, the carbonation helps move the beer along and makes this quite drinkable. Seriously, my brain is telling me "Hey, slow down! This is 14.00%!". You could slug this down because it's so tasty, but I wouldn't recommend it.

I hate exaggerating when it comes to my reviews, nor do I want to use any hyperbole whatsoever, but if someone asked me what my favorite beer was at this moment, I'm pretty sure I would say Jack's Abby Baby Maker. There is so much flavor going on here that my words can't possibly do it justice. I've never had a beer with such a complex array of flavors combined with a thick, but carbonated mouthfeel that was so easily drinkable. There aren't any more superlatives I can bestow upon it. Drinking this is downright pornographic.

Rating
10/10

Jack's Abby Cocoa-Nut Barrel Aged Framinghammer

The Stats
Style: Baltic Porter
ABV: 10.00%
Current Beer Advocate Rating: 4.46

A long time ago at a brewery far, far away in Framingham, Massachusetts, Jack's Abby took their Framinghammer Baltic Porter and barrel aged it. In addition to a standard bourbon barrel version, they released several other variants including Coffee as well as Vanilla. New this year (to the best of my knowledge) they added Peanut Butter & Jelly and Cocoa-Nut to the family. I had the Cocoa-Nut on draft back in March and remember it being a sublime experience. To my surprise, Jack's Abby did another release and actually put it in bottles. How was it the 2nd time around?

As soon as I popped the cap, just a gush of chocolate and coconut filled the room. I stuck my nose into my nonic glass and I was speechless solely because I could not stop smiling. Aromas of chocolate, coconut, vanilla, bourbon, and roasted malts knocked me on my ass.

If it wasn't for the 10.00% abv, I would have easily chugged this down. It's velvety smooth and rich. The milk chocolate hits you first and then shredded coconut and bourbon cap it off. It's just an array of sweet flavors and none of them overpower one another. A mild coffee bitterness hits you in the aftertaste.

This doesn't drink like a 10.00% abv beer. In fact, the standard Framinghammer is listed at 10.00%, so I'm sure the barrel aged version must be kicked up a couple of notches to around 12.00-14.00, but I didn't brew it, so I'm not the one to see about that. In any case, you can't taste the alcohol at all which makes this beer dangerously drinkable. It's ideal for an alternative to dessert as it ranks up there (and beyond) with imperial stouts and other chocolate/sweet stouts. After I had it back in March, I was hoping they'd release it again and my prayers were answered. It is just as superb as it was back then. Very glad I have a couple of bottles saved so that I can enjoy it all year. I may have found the best beer of 2014.

RATING
10/10