Stone Brewing Co. Total Tap Tower Takeover Tour at ALEWIFE

I was so looking forward to this event when i heard of it about three weeks earlier. Imagine 40 taps of ultra-rare, exclusive, collaboration brews ready for you to enjoy for as long as they last that night...Wow! Greg Koch of the before mentioned Stone Brewing Co., was on hand also to celebrate in his handywork.

I got there roughly 10 minutes after the doors opened to VIP's and the line was already fairly long, but not a big deal...got to talk to a few guys while in line about what we were looking forward to trying first. For me it was the Vertical Epic Ales, specifically the 07.07.07 aged in red wine barrels, some of the Double Dry Hopped brews also.


Once in I found a place near the middle of this gorgeous new gastropub/bar, to camp out and mingle with some of the people I already knew, as well as maybe meet some new friends. I got the 07.07.07 that I talked about and believe me it was true to it's name "Epic". A nice nose that completely speaks of a red wine grape through and through...a light dryness and a lingering tartness flow throughout the 4oz. sample. This was the first taste tonight and made a re-diculous impression of how the night would flow.

While tasting the first beer Mr. Greg Koch came over and started talking about beer and what-not. He was a really down to earth and friendly guy that was completely approachable. He gave me and a couple of new friends some suggestions on what he would try from the list. I gladly went with his ideas of the collaborations, bourbon aged, and the verticals throughout the remainder of the evening.

All in all it was a very satisfying night, with some great people, sharing great beers from an original in the Craft Beer industry. I am so glad I was able to be at this once in a lifetime event, and I hope there would be similar events in the future.


I had a total of 11 of these rare brews while I was there and enjoyed all of them...Specifically the Vertical 07.07.07 Red-Wine, DDH IPA, DDH Ruination, 9th Anniversary Ale and the Smoked Porter with Chipotle were the stand outs for me, although having the chance to try any of these was a treat.

Here are the beers I tried:

1. 07.07.07 Vertical Epic Ale aged in Red Wine Barrels
2. Imperial Russian Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels(2008)
3. 9th Anniversary Ale
4. DDH 14th Anniversary Emperial IPA(Double Dry)
5. Old Guardian Barley Wine aged in Bourbon Barrels(2006)
6. Smoked Porter with Chipotle Peppers
7. Imperial Russin Stout 10th Anniversary GKOs Mad Man Mix
8. 21st Amendment/Firestone Walker/Stone El Camino (Un)Real  Black Ale
9. Ballast Point/Kelsey McNair/Stone San Diego County Session Ale
10. DDH Stone IPA
11. DDH Ruination IPA

Evolution Craft Brewing Co. - Jacques Au Lantern Review

Brewery: Evolution Craft Brewing Co.

Type: Seasonal/Fall Amber Ale with Pumpkin

ABV: 6.3%

Sight: Out of the growler it pours a gorgeous clear deep pumpkin orange with a tint of brown resinating throughout. The head comes out full and almost pure white, an inch or so thick, that after lessening leaves a foamy film on the surface.

Aroma: This is a real treat, pumpkin, clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg are definitely there...The unique thing is that they don't overpower anything. They are full and rich but don't hide the caramel malt body that is the beers base. Mild alcohol is there to tingle the nose on the inhale.

Taste: Clean, and crisp with a mild dryness being the first thing that hits ya. The malt is mellow and is a nice surface to bounce the spices off of leading to the sweet and light tart near the end. The middle is where it comes alive...ginger, cinnamon,and the main part, pumpkin are all represented in the correct strengths keeping it an all around above-average amber, but a great seasonal pumpkin beer, with it's originality.

Overall: Love it, can't say it enough. Just a great all around beer. It could be the balance between malt and hops along with the yeast strain that make this so good. Or, it could be the great combination of the traditional "Pumpkin" spices of nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon, along with some not so traditional spices of mace. ginger, and allspice that make it a original. Or maybe it is as simple as making it with an "Amber" base instead of the more fuller bodied based pumpkin beers out there. All I know is that it is an original. Mouthfeel is light-to-medium with a nice tart aftertaste in the finish.

Keep it up EVO! Another great effort.

Score: 9.3/10

Great Divide Brewing Co. - Rumble IPA Review

Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Co.

Type: Oak-aged IPA

ABV: 7.1%

Sight: Dark-roasted marshmellow to a medium oak in color is a very attractive start. The head comes out unfulfilled at first, but the remaining carbonation redeems it nicely from bottom to top, leaving a half-fingers thick bubbly off-white head.

Aroma: A great citrusy-hop pop in the front that doesn't overpower, but let's you know it's there. A slightly roasted maltiness also comes through with a little tingle to the nose.

Taste: Toasted caramel covers a very nice hop presence. The body stays even as it goes from the caramel to the finish that has a nice bitter-sour bite with a hint of dry.. The middle is mellow with the hints of hop citrus and oak tones intermingling throughout.

Overall: A very good brew, where the oak adds a nice component of toastiness of caramel as a contrast to the citrusy hoppiness. They work off each other very well and add to the complexity of the beer. Light to medium body leads to a nice finish that holds the tongue with a little sour pinch.

Score: 9.0/10

Great Divide Brewing Co. - Samuri Rice Ale Review

Brewery: Great Divide Brewery Co.

Type: Unfiltered Rice Ale

ABV: 5.1%

Sight; It pours slightly cloudy, but still very clear golden-yellow with darker hues throughout. There is a fingers thick fluffy white head that quits quickly, leaving an ultra thin film on the surface.

Aroma: Malt fronts this sweet smelling brew. It is lead into a slight hop earthiness that doesn't take over at all. A little citrus of lemon or lime that keeps it a tad off-balance...in a good way.

Taste: Biscuitiness and a great light malt begin what is a fairly simple brew. A light sour that the rice brings keeps this beer different, and original from those macros we dislike. The finish brings a hint of hops along with a tad dryness.

Overall: Not bad. Sweet and light in taste, with a decent balance that leads to a mild aftertaste. Definitely worth a try if your looking for a beer with a light mouthfeel, as well as the potential of being sessionable. The other good thing for this beer is that you could keep it in the fridge to give to a person who isn't used to drinking craft beer without shocking them too much or someone you might want to start changing over to the good side of drinking beer.

Score: 7.5/10

Schmaltz Brewing Co. - Coney Island Craft Lagers - Freaktoberfest Review

Brewery: Schmaltz Brewing Co. Brooklyn, NY

Type: Seasonal/Octoberfest

ABV: 6.66%

Sight: A really cool translucent deep dark-red pours out of the bottle making for a really cool blood-like effect. The head pours about an inch thick of a bubbly cherry-red that adds to the effect of the name of the brew.

Aroma: Nice sweet light malt with a tad bit of alcohol tingling the nose. Some of those 6 different hops do make an appearance, though they are very subtle.

Taste: Mmmm...A very appealing sweetness represents the body of this seasonal. Those six different malts do create a nice backbone to support the six different hops that try to, but don't overpower the balance. It finishes crisp, with a little dry bitterness that adds to the uniquesness of this brew.

Overall: I completely enjoyed this "Freaky" combo of 6 different malt and hop varieties. Pleasant and completely refreshing. Mouthfeel comes across medium with a little aftertaste that isn't offensive.

Score: 8.6/10