What’s The Difference? Share Your Side By Side (2024)

It is hard to read: black ink on a brown bottle about 1 inch from the top. My bottle lists: 093024.

On the six-pack holders it lists: "Bill of Freshness: Simcoe, Citra, Mosaic, and HBC 586".

Cheers!

 

Thanks for the info on the hops. I looked all over the bottle in the sunlight for a code like that and didn’t see any. I’m sure what I have is no more than a day or two different than what you have, which is in line with what others were saying.

 

Alesmith BA Speedway Stouts, Vietnamese Coffee (2024) and regular (2023) versions...

Looks: Poured at different times, so maybe not a fair comparison, but the regular version seems to have a lot more head. Otherwise, pretty visually similar. Maybe the head on the Vietnamese version is a little darker.

Smell: Regular smells like dark roast coffee, Vietnamese smells like medium roast coffee with vanilla ice cream.

Taste is clearly sweeter and creamier on the Vietnamese side. Both scream coffee.

Mouthfeel is similar - thick, slight chalkiness. Maybe the Vietnamese is a little silkier.

Overall...it's hard to say. I think it depends on mood more than anything. If I want something on the bitter end, regular 100% -- if I want something on the pastry end without being ridiculously sweet, for sure the Vietnamese. Both very good.

 

Ok, decided that I'd end the weekend with a little comparison I figured made sense after having Stone's Old Guardian for the first time in a long time a week ago. I have a 2024 Bigfoot from Sierra Nevada chilled down to be its companion.


The Stone brew is nicely clear, somewhat of a burnt umber color. Coming from the can, it produced less head than the more cloudy, perhaps a little darker bodied Bigfoot. On the nose, Bigfoot and Old Guardian both have a malty note that is like a sweet bread. Bigfoot has cherry and citrus as fruit accents where Old Guardian is missing the citrus. The Sierra Nevada beer has a slightly more fall spicy aroma, where Old Guardian has more of a sprinkle of brown sugar and an aroma that reminds me leather-bound furniture in the library of an old house.

Malt is more readily expressed in Stone's beer. Bigfoot punches first with earthy bitterness that opens to a more piney hop expression. Old Guardian is perhaps a little richer, but smooth and slightly sticky. Somehow, though, Bigfoot ends up weighing on my palate a little more, perhaps an impression brought on by the attack of bitterness. Both have a little bit of earthy fall spice in the mix, but it presents a little more distinctly in Stone's beer.

Overall, I like the beer from the can a little more. I've come to appreciate Bigfoot a bit more over the years, but its brash bitterness is a detraction against what I perceive as a more malt-driven barley wine - relatively.

 

Embracing the darkness with a suite of California legends


Off bat, old Rasputin has the best head by far. Tight and fluffy and sticks around. Stone threw a huge head that broke down slowly in big soapy bubbles. And Narwhal had the weakest showing with nothing serious ever rising up and what was there dissipating right away.

In the nose, Rasputin is very coffee forward above some charred malt. Narwhal brings a crusty dark bread with a touch of dark fruit. I could imagine a central European holiday bread that smelled like this. Stone is the mildest aroma and the booziest, smells like dark chocolate and a little booze.

Taste follows the nose. Rasputin is a lovely blend of roasty charred grain and diner coffee, Narwhal delivers a rich malt drink that carries some dark fruits that's a touch tangy, and Stone is lovely smooth chocolate malty drink with just a touch of boozy heat.

Overall, these are classics for a reason. They each cater to a different preferred emphasis in your stouts but they all bring something to love.

 

Excellent, thank you.

 

I've been wanting to do Old Raspy, Narwhal, and Ten Fidy side by side for almost a year, but I haven't seen regular Ten Fidy in forever.

 

Funny that your tasting notes line up almost perfectly in line with my memory of those beers (only one of which I’ve had quite recently).

You’re welcome

 

I think I saw single cans of it the other day. Haven't had it in years

 

Cherry Adam from the Wood (new to me) and Adam (not new, but been a long time)

Adam has some carbonation, Cherry Adam does not. Otherwise, similar in appearance -- dark brown, a little translucence around the edges. But Adam definitely wins on this one.

Adam smells earthier, nuttier, mustier. Chicory. Cherry smells sweeter and like cherries. Both have dates and nuts and root beer.

Cherry Adam is sweeter and fruit forward, Adam is definitely highlighting the chicory with a bright molasses note. Both again filled with nuts and dates, most striking difference is that sweetness is primary on Cherry and secondary on regular.

Mouthfeel is similar in weight, medium or a little lighter, but regular has a nice little effervescent tickle which works really well.

Overall, they're both good, the slight smoky/chicory character of regular Adam surprised me. I like regular Adam better.

Apparently forgot to take a picture, so just imagine what it might look like.

 

Didn't do as thorough of an analysis of this match up. There's lots of stuff going on. But I really wanted to see how Ten Fidy held up.

Honestly, Ten Fidy was my favorite. It was super smooth like Stone but it has a touch more roasty goodness that really works for me.

My local, Raven's Eye, is honestly outclassed. Which isn't even a criticism. Ten Fidy and Stone IRS seem like they could be brewed from the same base recipe. Just a proper Imperial Stout