Not For The Faint Of Heart

by John Mizer
February 1, 2006

If you're looking for a few good brews for sipping on during the remainder of the winter season, I've compiled a short list of a few crowd pleasers that will warm you up, curl your toes, and hopefully have you beg for more. These styles are to be consumed in moderation with a brandy snifter to envelope the full experience.

Dogfishhead 90 Minute IPA
- Milton, Delaware
This hoppy gem is an Imperial India Pale Ale that enjoys an extended dry hopping process that will invigorate your taste buds with a citrus explosion of hops, hops, and more hops. India Pale Ales were created with the British sailor's journey in mind, preserving the beer for extended sojourns to India. The Dogfish 90 Minute is a yellow/orange in color, unfiltered and checks in at 9.0 % abv.

North Coast Brewing Company Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout
- Fort Bragg, CA
You say you take your coffee black? This may be the beer for you. Imperial Stouts were requested by the Russian Czars who lacked the ability to brew one of their own and to survive the trip from western to eastern Europe. The Old Rasputin is definitely bitter while being "blacker than anything could be" to paraphrase Ed Grimley and also hovers around 9% abv.

Stone Brewing Company's Arrogant Bastard
- San Marcos, California
The label on The Arrogant Bastard reads "this an aggressive beer, you probably won't like it." Maybe you won't and maybe you will. Without a doubt, The Arrogant Bastard is an acquired taste well worth acquiring. This is a big beer with a curious balance of malt and hops. It has a reddish hue and packs a 7.2% wallop. Also worth checking out is the Double Bastard (seasonal) which is actually smoother, due in part to a higher alcohol content of 10% and hint of cherry for a finish.

EKU 28 - Kulmbacher Brewing
- Kulmbach, Germany
For those who may believe that lagers are watered down sissy beers, I'd highly recommend the EKU 28 to set you straight. This eisbock is smooth and a bit syrupy, relatively speaking, and has a root beerish flavor. An 11% abv should be reminder enough to have just one!

Rogue Brewing's Old Crustacean Barley Wine
- Newport, Oregon
What is barley wine? More than beer but hardly wine, this style gets the "wine" tag due to the high alcohol content it maintains. Barley wines require extra barley malt to produce more sugar to bump up the alcohol content and leave you with a beer with a complex finish that will age gracefully for years to come. The Old Crustacean is as interesting as they come and is available in 7 oz. Bottles.