April Preview Tasting Notes
Assorted Notes:
1) It was great to meet Leanne, the new League Coordinator, and chat with her a bit. She's an excellent addition to an already stellar team of people - if you see her at a tasting, event, or around the brewery, make sure to welcome her.
2) Steven said we should be seeing our next included League bottles next month and he was adamant that he be quoted on that. Ask and ye shall receive, my man.

3) Andrew and Steven continue to be the hottest comedy duo around. If you haven't made it to a San Diego preview tasting to experience the magic, you're seriously missing out. The beers are pretty okay, too.
The Beers:
1) Oblivion Ring: NOLA Coffee Edition
Style: Barleywine w/ Coffee, Chicory, Almonds, & Vanilla
Score: 4.25
Notes: This is a new batch brewed in PDX that differs fairly significantly from the pilot batch that was brewed in LA, as the sweetness was dialed back and the adjuncts were increased. First whiff reveals some sweet, nutty notes, followed by moderate coffee and touches of vanilla. The adjuncts definitely dominate the nose with the base floating in the background. The palate is somewhat of a reversal as rich barleywine flavors hit hard right off the bat - toffee, moderate dark fruits, hints of leather and tobacco - followed by coffee, chicory, and notes of marzipan and vanilla. Remarkably balanced, I'm quite pleased with how the cans came out after thinking the pilot batch was overly sweet and a bit disjointed. The base really shines through as it warms, I'm curious to see what other adjunct combinations they end up doing with it.
2) Monsters' Park Aged in Bourbon Barrels w/ Vanilla
Style: BA Imperial Stout w/ Vanilla
ABV: 14.2%
Score: 4.75
Notes: Seventeen barrels went into this blend, ranging from eight to eighteen months old. The vanilla is a blend of beans from Madagascar and Ghana and the addition of the Ghanaian beans this year really stepped it up compared to the 2017 batch. The nose is just an outrageous blast of vanilla, with marshmallow dominating along with touches of fruity and floral vanilla rounding it out. Barrel notes support the vanilla along with light chocolate character. The palate opens with just a touch of bourbon heat before diving right back into vanilla. Dark chocolate shines through nicely as does a bit of roast character to provide a nice counterpoint to the vanilla jackhammering your mouth is receiving. If you like vanilla forward beers, this is definitely for you.
3) Monsters' Park Aged in Jamaican Rum Barrels w/ Coconut & Vanilla
Style: BA Imperial Stout w/ Coconut & Vanilla
ABV: 14.2%
Score: 4.75
Notes: Ten pounds of coconut per barrel along with one pound of Ghanaian vanilla per barrel, just absurd levels of adjuncting. The rum barrel leads the aroma with a big dose of dark fruits, then coconut comes through hard with vanilla and hints of semisweet chocolate supporting. On the palate, rum and dark fruits again lead but really meld with the coconut to create a sort of tiki, candy, rum soaked coconut effect. The adjuncts are heavy but the barrel really plays a big role, even more so as it warms. This doesn't quite top the Barbados Rum Monsters' Park w/ Coconut & Vanilla from 2016 in my book, but it's still an excellent beer.
4) Double Dry-Hopped Orderville
Style: IPA
Score: 4.25
Notes: Three times the usual hop load, spaced into two different dry hop batches, and the heavy hopping definitely shows. Big nose of tropical fruits, moderate dankness, and light hints of cat piss. Some nice mosaic candy sweetness leads on the palate before giving way to a big tropical fruit profile. Ridiculously crushable.
5) Wizard & Graf: Chapter 2 w/ Cherries
Style: BA Blend of Apple Cider & Funky Saison
Score: 4.25
Notes: They added Balaton cherries at a rate of four pounds per gallon to Wizard & Graf Chapter 2, which is a pretty crazy amount of fruit. The aroma is led by heavy tart cherry character but has a ton of balance with earthy funk, apple cider, light acidity, and touches of grain all coming through and intermingling. The palate opens up with big cherry notes but a wave of acidity hits quickly, giving way to moderate funk, apples, minerality, and light barrel notes. Tons going on and it's definitely something to sip, savor, and contemplate.