Westbrook Brewing Co - IPA

I got this in a trade from BeerAdvocate member in South Carolina. (Trading f'ing rocks, by the way. Loving the opportunity to try new stuff from around the country.) 6.8% ABV

Appearance: Cloudy amber. Head and lacing on the glass are minimal.

Smell: The nose is very malt forward. Caramel malt and yeasty bread are predominant. Mixed with the sweetness there is a bit of a dank scent from the hops, but it's not very aromatic. If I am getting any notes from the hops, there may be citrus.

Taste: Oh, there are hops in this! I like to call IPAs like this "forest" IPAs. Resin, pine, and a nearly nutty quality are present on the palate. A bit of mango in there too, but mostly wood.

Mouthfeel: Pretty light and dry, actually. This is nice and refreshing.

Overall: It grew on me. I'm spoiled by "hop bomb" west coast IPAs and this is a bit more subtle. The more that I drank it, the more that I appreciated its understated quality. It's a pretty drinkable IPA. I think at the end of the day I still like being punched in the face by the hoppiness of my IPAs, but I absolutely would drink this again. And I will, as I have another can. Yay!

3.5/5

Stone Vertical Epic 11-11-11

They're calling this year's beast an "Ale Brewed with Anaheim Chilies and Cinnamon" -- 9.4% ABV

Appearance: Dark chestnut or cherry wood color. Pours a nice, full head with decent retention that leaves net-like lacing around the sides of the glass.

Smell: It smells almost like a blonde wit! It's very yeast-forward, with clove, ester, and perhaps a trace of the cinnamon that they brewed with. I don't get chile in the aroma at all.

Taste: There's a nice malt backbone, but it's not sweet at all and the forward tastes are all spice. The cinnamon is there, clove as well, and alcohol at the end. There are some nice dark fruit characteristics as well. I still am not getting the chilies in the taste; however on the back of the bottle they claim that the Anaheim chile doesn't really generate heat, but just provides "rich flavor." Unfortunately, without knowing specifically what an Anaheim chile tastes like, I don't really think I can pick it out from the flavor line-up here, and there isn't really anything unusual jumping out on the palate that I might attribute to the chile either.

Mouthfeel: Surprisingly light-bodied given the flavor profile -- the carbonation seems to pick it up a bit.

Overall: This is a solid beer, and probably my favorite of the Vertical Epics I've tried. I can't say overall that I'm too excited about it compared to some other favorites, but I have to give Stone credit where it's due that they took some pretty seemingly discordant flavors and the result is a nicely balanced and complex brew. Wish I got more of the chilies though!

Since I've already gone ahead and done it once, I might as well go ahead and add the .5's into the regular ratings rotation.
3.5/5

Sierra Nevada and Dogfish Head - Life and Limb (Batch 2)

American Strong Ale / Brown Ale - 10.2% ABV

  

Appearance: Life and Limb is dark brown/black with a modest head, but it doesn't recede much. Lacing sticks to the glass nicely.

Smell: Dark fruit, caramel, a bit of wood/earth, and some roasted character as well.

Taste: Like the aroma, but more complex. The fruit is there, with caramel and brown sugar, which to me are both more dominant than the maple that is supposed to be added to the beer. The alcohol is present but not overly dominant, and there are traces of chocolate and even a touch of liquorice. The birch addition provides a slightly smoky quality, but it is not overwhelming.

Mouthfeel: Fairly heavy, with warming from the alcohol, but not too thick or cloying.

Overall: This was a very pleasant, warming beer to drink in the fall/winter months. Both the aroma and the taste have nice complexity, and there is some uniqueness in the taste character due to the birch. I'd definitely get this if I saw it again, and I'd also be interested in aging for this one. It drinks very well fresh, but I'd love to try it after a few years as well. It's not an absolute favorite overall, but a great beer.

4/5

Elysian - Avatar Jasmine IPA

American IPA, 6.3%

 

Appearance:  Cloudy and light amber with a really inviting, full head, which is about 3 fingers thick. It eventually recedes slowly, leaving a layer of foam and lacing around the glass.

Smell: Jasmine is prominent and smells fantastic. It's backed with a fresh, bright hop aroma and a faint backbone of bready, caramel malt.

Taste: The hops are bright, with citrus and pine. As in the aroma, the malt character is bready and (fortunately) not overly forward. The jasmine is really nice, and for me pretty well balanced with the hops and malt. The overall flavor profile is earthy and floral and very unique.

Mouthfeel: On the heavier side of medium-bodied, with light carbonation . It's a little chewy as it warms.

Overall: I'll definitely want to pick up a bottle of this whenever I see it. It's very unique, and as someone that happens to love jasmine flavor, this is right up my alley. As a straightforward IPA, it's not perfect, because the hop character isn't really front and center and may seem underpowered compared to the jasmine notes. As I said though, fans of jasmine flavor will love this.

4/5