Terrapin Moo Hoo Chocolate Milk Stout

Hey, hey, it's Wednesday. Tonight's review is from the Terrapin Beer Company out of Athens, Georgia. This is probably the 3rd or 4th beer I've reviewed from Terrapin, and I have yet to have a bad Terrapin beer, so I'm looking forward to it. I should say though, that over the last couple of months, Terrapin made waves in the craft beer world. You can read all of the details here: http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2011-10-17/terrapin-brewery-selling-minority-interest-miller-coors-craft-beer-division. Basically, they sold a minority stake of the company (less than 25%) to Tenth & Blake. T&B is the "craft beer" arm of MillerCoors *cue the boos*. Try not to overreact though, the Terrapin folks have said that just because one of the big boys has invested doesn't meant that they will stop doin' what they do. We should all be happy for Terrapin though because this will get them more capital to expand their company and do more exciting things, which will benefit all of us. We'll save the T&B/MillerCoors bashing for another thread, let's get to this Moo Hoo!

I told you, dark black!

Moo Hoo is one of Terrapin's new seasonal brews. There are two other seasonals: Pumpkin Fest, which I've had and was great, and Hop Karma Brown IPA, which I'd love to try. Anyway, the Moo Hoo uses a mix of hops, malts, chocolate, cocoa nibs, cocoa shells and lacoste. Interestingly, the cocoa nibs and shells come from a company in Nashville, Tennessee known as the Olive & Sinclair Chocolate Company. Sounds good right? Even their website looks delicious (http://www.oliveandsinclair.com/)!

The cow pours an extremely dark black (as opposed to light black), with a fairly thick cocoa head. The scent is a surprising combination of hops, cocoa, and vanilla. After I let the beer warm up a bit, the flavors and sweetness really start to shine. Cocoa, vanilla, and standard roasted malts come through very well. It's also quite thin, which upon first glance, wouldn't seem possible. That said, it's a very drinkable stout. I think if it were a bit thicker, it would emulate a good glass of chocolate milk, but I also think that would make it tougher to drink. So, I won't complain!

This is another really solid offering from Terrapin. I'm hoping to visit their brewery/tasting room in Athens this year, so hopefully I'll be able to pull off a full blown Terrapin Brewery review! That'd be a first. So, to close, Moo Hoo is 6% ABV, which is about normal. I'd say that this would be a great stout for those of you who aren't totally comfortable with darker beers, like stouts and porters. It's not overpowering, and it's thin. So get to gettin people, and "Enjoy It... 'Til The Cows Come Home".

Terrapin Pumpkinfest

Happy 11-11-11! I have the day off, so in beer speak, that means we're drinkin early today! I'm actually planning on reviewing two beers today. I'd love to do three, but the second beer is large and I plan on milking it for a while. Until then, I have a fantastic Terrapin product to talk about: Pumpkinfest. I've never had it before today, so I'm really looking forward to it because Terrapin has some solid-solid beers. I think they're slowing becoming my favorite craft brewery. What a love story.

A little about Terrapin. They're based out of Athens, Georgia and have three year-round beers: Hopsecutioner, Rye Pale Ale, and Golden Ale. I've had the first two (I think I wrote about Hopsecutioner), and they were pretty good. They have three seasonal offerings: Pumpkinfest (new to the lineup), Moo Hoo Chocolate Milk Stout (OMG), and Hop Karma Brown IPA. Finally, they have four "Monster Beers": Wake'n'Bake Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout (which I had earlier this year and was unbelievable), Big Hoppy Monster, Monk's Revenge (Belgian IPA), and Hopzilla (Imperial IPA). They also have some random side projects and collaborations too - including Hoptaneous Combustion (a SMOKED Double IPA - which was intense). So I'd say that is quite a line up of very, very unique beers; and as I said, I've had several and they've all been amazing.

On to Pumpkinfest. This beer is pretty unique for a couple reasons. One, it's a lager and not an ale. Most pumpkin beers are ales and incorporate different ingredients. Since the main brewer at Terrapin is a bit of a nutcase, they decided to do Pumpkinfest differently. It's actually the combination of a german style oktoberfest beer and a pumpkin ale (aka a 'hybrid'). Therefore, while there was about a pound of pumpkin used in the brewing, the malts are very germanesque. All in all, I am expecting a quality brew here.

As you've probably noticed, I've been on a pumpkin beer kick. However, some of the latest "non-imperial" pumpkin beers have been flat for me. Combine that with my high thoughts of Terrapin, I've got high hopes.  The beer pours the standard golden/copper hue that you normally see with a pumpkin beer. Thankfully, right off the bat, I was hit with nutmeg and clove scents; a good sign of a really good pumpkin beer. The spices are pretty complex for a pumpkin beer, which kinda gives it that tie-in to the oktoberfest/pumpkin beer, which is pretty cool. The back end is a little big hoppy, but certainly big on the spices. It's pretty smooth all around, and is a pleasure to drink.

Overall, this is a solid offering from Terrapin. Of the non-imperial pumpkin beers, this one tops the list for me (yes, above Pumpkinhead from Shipyard - which would be #2). It's 6.1% ABV, so while drinkable, it could have you topsy-turvey after a few. I definitely recommend this beer while we're still in the fall, and before the winter beers start taking over the shelves. Heck, they kind of have already. So, what are you waiting for!? Get out there and buy the latest from the crazy green turtle!!

Terrapin Wake 'N' Bake Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout

Well I hoped you survived Super Bowl weekend. The Packers won, which I suppose is a good thing since there were multiple Alum's on the team from my University. I have to admit to not watching the second half; not from negligence, but for beer! After "gulping" the usual suspects during the first half, the second half was about breaking out the geographic specials. So we did, in the form of Victory Brewing Co. HopDevil Ale and Golden Monkey; and Leinenkugel Honey Wheat and Sunset Wheat (now affectionately known as the "fruity pebbles beer" - review coming soon). However, none of these fine selections are today's topic of conversation. Instead, I will be reviewing Terrapin's Wake 'N' Bake Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout. Fortunately/Unfortunately I had this beer while out at our typical beer dive (World of Beer) so I was unable to get photos of the bottle and what it looked like in the glass. But never fear beer lovers, I will still be able to deliver the goods. Let's "hop" to it!

Image from http://www.terrapinbeer.com/

Pour before you GULP! Holy mother of chocolate. The Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout (COIS for short) is black. Like, straight up night time with no stars. What was great about it was that the head, as thin as it was, left hints of mocha chocolate coloring. That fact was very telling to what was going to happen during the drinking process.

GULP! It Up! Holy mother of coffee. Wait, did I already use that line? No? Okay I was close. This grandma terrapin did not screw around when making this little black mamba. Right from the get go your senses are pounded with combinations of coffee (a "premium blend of Costa Rican, Guatemalan, & Zimbabwe coffee") and chocolate. It was not thick by any means, the dense color fooling you, but the deep flavors make it an incredibly unique experience. The oatmeal flavor is not very strong, nor is the hop flavoring on the back end. But this multiple award winner is no slack in the alcohol department, weighing in at 8.6% ABV.

Grade the GULP! Stouts and Porters tend to have very unique flavor combinations. The COIS from Terrapin is no different. While you're drinking you may have an urge for vanilla ice cream or chocolate bars, but hold back. Be sure to enjoy a full drink first, then venture into other combinations - which is my plan. While having very intense alternative flavors, the COIS was unbelievable. Up to this point, I had never had a beer like this one. I personally wouldn't recommend having more than one due to the complex flavors, but enjoying one over an extended period is not a bad idea. Grade? 9. Congrats to the Terrapin Wake 'N' Bake Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout for achieving the first 9 in GULP! history. What's the prize? Nothing. Well, maybe a few more purchases. Don't be scurred kiddo's, go give this turtle a shot!

Terrapin Hopsecutioner

Today was one of those Florida days where you realize that it is just fantastic to live in this State. While the northern states are buckling down for yet another blizzard, I was able to walk the dogs wearin' a pair of shorts and a light t-shirt. Gotta love it. Naturally though, in July and August, I will be begging to get out of this State and be teleported to Maine or some other awesome New England destination. Oh well, until then I will bask in the glory of early summer time and enjoy what we have now.

The last couple of reviews, aside from the awful Walgreens beer, have been amber red ales, and to be honest, I'm a bit ambered out. I know I keep saying I enjoy ambers, but I could use a break; and what better way to take a break from ambers than with an IPA. Taking a hint from last night, tonight will be another award winner with Terrapin Beer Co's Hopsecutioner. That is such a cool name for a beer. Can't help but notice that Bell's has an awesome IPA name too with their Hopslam. I don't know what it is with hops, but for some reason they're very angry. Maybe they should check in to some anger management classes...

Terrapin Beer Company, of Athens, Georgia, is another brewhouse that established itself within the past 10 years. In 2002, their first offering, Rye Pale Ale, won a gold medal at GABF in the American Pale Ale category. Tonight's killer IPA also won a gold medal, but at the 2010 Atlantic Beer Festival, IPA category.

Pour before you GULP! Probably one of my favorite things about reviewing beers that aren't from the big companies is getting to look at the colors of each beer. Lately the standard colors have been amber/red/copper, and what do you know, the Hopsecutioner falls in to the same category. But if you hold it in the light, you can see a very light shade of orange. Overall it's a great shade of copper orange, and upon first pour, you get quick glance at the carbonation.


GULP! It up! Keep in mind the last IPA I had was Hopslam, which was a Double IPA, so I was sort of preparing for a quick death by hops, however that wasn't exactly the case. I wouldn't say that's a bad thing though! The killer turtle delivers a nice blend of citrus fruity notes, and definitely a hoppy back end, which shouldn't be a surprise considering Terrapin's use of six different hops.

The nice part about the Hopsecutioner is that it's very drinkable for an IPA. Dare I say it's probably the most drinkable IPA I've had in my short IPA drinking life. Just a heads up, be prepared for a pretty bitter midsection. From an alcohol perspective, this killer of hops sits at a non-conservative 7.3% ABV. That part actually makes me laugh because last night, while at a new burger joint, my wife and I overheard some people, best described as "middle aged", saying they wanted to check out at nearby bar. They were warning each other because the select establishment sold "real beers" that had alcohol levels higher than "4%". I can only imagine how they would react to this!

Grade the GULP! This is my first Terrapin brew, and I must say, I really like it. Even with the 7.3% ABV rating, it's not too overbearing. The hops make a quick appearance before being beheaded by the Hopsecutioner. GULP! Grade? I give it an 8. Beware, "you may lose your hophead over this one!"

What's on Tap for GULP!

What's up party people. It's Monday, a new week, and less than 14 days until the most anticipated sporting event of 2011... at least until the next most anticipated sporting event of 2011. Thanks for coming back to the site. I've spent a bit of cash money lately on brews that I'd like to try, and of course share with you, my faithful, loyal, readers. That being said, the picture above will give you a sample of what's on tap here for GULP! in the near future. They aren't in any particular order, but I will say that I plan on starting with Hopslam from Bell's. Hopslam has been getting a lot of airplay online lately, but I'm not going to say anymore because then my eventual review will be skeletal. Anyway, you may recognize some of the selections, such as the Terrapin Hopsecutioner, some you may not, such as the Lobstah' Ale. Either way, prepare to be bombarded with information as I plow through these bottles of fun over the next couple weeks.

On a side note, please "follow me" and tell your friends. We're going to have some fun going through this journey together, so the more the merrier. Plus, I could use some more friends (no offense real friends).

Be responsible!

Steve