Cigar City - Cucumber Saison

Cucumber Saison is an early summer release for Cigar City that is distributed normally throughout their network. Unfortunately, that doesn't include California, so I had to trade for this one. I couldn't find brewer's notes for it, but it's a 5% ABV saison brewed with -- you guessed it -- cucumber.

Appearance: The beer is a rich, cloudy amber color with an aggressively thick head that recedes only very little as I drink and leaves tons of dense, pebbled lacing on the sides of the glass.

Smell: Do you like cucumbers? Then you'll love this nose! There's some of the usual saison character, and notes of clove and grain, but the cucumber is the star of the show.

Taste: This beer tastes like it smells. It's a tasty -- but standard -- saison, yeast forward with barnyard character and Belgian-style spice. The cucumber elevates it, but at the same time, it is the dominant flavor and doesn't allow for much complexity.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, with lightness from the carbonation, and a dry finish.

Overall: This was a good and enjoyable beer, but not a particularly enlightening one that's exemplary for the style. I love cucumber, so personally, I really enjoyed that aspect of the flavor profile, but if I'm being honest that is pretty much all there is. It's like eating a mediocre dish with bacon -- you don't mind that the rest of it is just okay because you love bacon so much. (I'm assuming you love bacon. Because if you don't, we can't be friends.)

3/5

New Glarus - Thumbprint Enigma

New Glarus says: "A few times a year we cut Dan loose to brew whatever he chooses. Always handcrafted, the bottle you hold is brewed for the adventurous soul. This is a very limited edition and we make no promises to ever brew this style again.

A complex and intriguing original. The mystery began with wild yeast spontaneously fermenting a rich treasure of malted barley and cherries. Unlined Oak casks breathe deep vanilla hues and chords of smoke into this sour brown ale. Our Master Brewer has forged a smooth garnet tapestry that defies description. Wander off the beaten path."

That just about does it, no? This sour brown ale is 5.5% ABV and was sent by a friend.

Appearance: This is a densely carbonated, clear, garnet-red beer that initially pours off about 1 finger in head. The head then recedes to about the level you see in the photo and eventually down to nothing.

Smell: So complex! Sour notes of apple, cider vinegar, raspberry, cranberry, oak, and vanilla.

Taste: Wow -- this is complex, like the nose, incredibly well balanced, and has subtle flavors that play with each other on the palate. I get cherry, oak, a bit of sweetness, some spice -- it's overall reminiscent of tart cherry pie.

Mouthfeel: I usually think of sours as being very light bodied and heavily carbonated. Despite looking that way, Enigma drinks creamy, super smooth and dense, and the carbonation actually feels very light. This is a nice surprise. Generally I like the lighter body in a sour, but drinking this in the winter made me appreciate the denser character as it added perceived weight and warmth.

Overall: This was a stellar beer and I'm sorry I didn't get more of it! I couldn't believe the complexity of scents and flavors, and everything melded really well together. I don't have a lot more to say -- this was incredible and if they ever do make this again, I want a case of it.

5/5

Tyranena Brewing Company - Who's Your Daddy?

I don't have a ton of information about this one! I know the October 2012 vintage was bottled in very limited amounts this year, and that it is brewed very irregularly; allegedly the last time was in 2006! Wow! So thank you, as always, to a good beer friend from the Midwest who sent this my way. Who's Your Daddy? is an Imperial Porter, and I don't honestly know what the ABV was, but it's probably somewhere in the low double-digits.

Appearance: The beer appears to be an opaque inky black with a dense head that pretty well matches my bamboo cutting board backdrop! The head recedes down to about that layer that you see in the photo above.

Smell: This is one of the best-smelling porters I have ever smelled, period. Huge notes of bourbon and accompanying vanilla and molasses; there is also a spicy, roasted coffee note and even a scent of dark fruit like cherry. Incredible!

Taste: Not quite as richly complex as the nose, but still delicious, with notes of vanilla, molasses, smoke, bourbon, and mocha.

Mouthfeel: WYD? is full bodied, super creamy, and lightly carbonated. This mouthfeel is spot-on for what I want a beer like this to feel like.

Overall: This isn't a beer that got a lot of hype, and thus it was a pretty unknown entity when I received it. Big props to my friend for sending this over, because this was a fantastic beer. The nose alone on this was out of this world, and the taste -- though not as complex, as I mentioned -- was still well-balanced and varied. The mouthfeel was also perfect too. I think this beer kind of knocked it out of the park on some technical details. It's great tasting, but it goes above and beyond in other areas that are easy to forget when they're not as fantastically memorable as they were here. I'm not sure what the schedule is like for this beer to return to bottles, but if it ever does I'll be wanting more!

5/5

Ballast Point - Victory at Sea (2011 vs. 2012)

The label says: "Two of the world’s oldest beverages join forces to conquer your palate.  Victory as Sea embodies the art of masterful brewing by infusing a velvety Imperial Porter with pure vanilla flavor and specially selected, band of roasted coffee.  The addition of cold brewed coffee to the beer lends a subtle roasted flavor to this robust imperial porter, blending perfectly with rich vanilla and caramel undertones.  By uniting two San Diego brewing traditions, Caffe Calabria freshly brewed coffee and Ballast Point beer, we have successfully created a artisanal masterpiece. "

Victory at Sea Imperial Porter checks in at 10% ABV. It's released in late November by Ballast Point, and though it sees wide distribution through BP's usual network, it tends to get swept up by the end of the month. For a slight change of pace, I tried the 2011 vintage, and the following night, the 2012 vintage, to see how much this beer changes over a year. Overall, the flavor notes were the same, but the balance, profile, and intensity of those flavors were slightly different.

Appearance: Both vintages are deep brown, almost black, and look opaque in the glass but actually do have a bit of noticeable clarity from some angles. Both pour a mocha-colored head that is about 1 finger in height and recedes to a thin foam layer on top of the beer. Neither exhibited much lacing on the glass.

Smell: Main notes include tempered coffee and vanilla. Roasted character is there, but it's not overwhelming or robust. The vanilla is much more present in the 2012 vintage than in the 2011.

Taste: The coffee and vanilla are both more forward in the taste, and bitter cacao is also present. The vanilla provides a bit of creamy sweetness, but other than that this beer does not come across as very malty. Again, the 2012 vintage is more vanilla-forward than the 2011, which is more mellow overall and has almost a nutty character from the subdued toasted malt.

Mouthfeel: Both vintages have a similar (and probably indistinguishable) mouthfeel: medium bodied, creamy, with light carbonation.

Overall: These are world-class imperial porters. The flavors are distinct and meld well together, but they are not overpowering. Some imperial "porters" are more in the glass of stouts than porters, and they kind of cheat. This beer, I think, stays nicely within the porter category but is exemplary in it. Because of their relatively low cost, I like to grab a few of these so I can have them throughout the year. I was lucky enough to have one left from last year, which was why I was able to do this (sort of) side-by-side! Overall, my assessment is that this beer is neither helped nor hindered by the extra year on it. The same core flavors are there, but they just play a bit differently on the palate. This is definitely an annual release worth seeking out.

4/5

Hill Farmstead Brewery - Abner

Regarding Abner, Hill Farmstead says: "Abner (1867-1953) is our great grandfather; Hill Farmstead Brewery rests upon the land that was once home to him and his fourteen children.  In his honor, this Double IPA is dutifully crafted from American malted barley, a plethora of American hops, our ale yeast and water from Abner’s well.  It is unfiltered, naturally carbonated, and double dry hopped.  Aromatic and flowery, bursting with notes of citrus and pine, this is the ale that I dream to have shared with Abner.  8.2%, 18.5º P, 170 Theoretical ibus. Ingredients: Pale and Caramel Malt; Dextrose; Centennial, Chinook, Columbus, Simcoe, and Warrior hops; Ale Yeast, and our Well Water."
 
This is a rotating release from Hill Farmstead which, as with any other HF I discuss here, was kindly sent to me by a friend who is able to take trips to the brewery.

Appearance: Most of the HF beers I've tried look very similar -- a kind of dull, muted goldenrod/straw color that is fairly opaque, with a smallish head that's a maximum of 1 finger in height. They aren't always the most inviting beers, visually, but once you taste them the appearance matters very little.

Smell: Ripe tropical aromas -- mango and pineapple -- bolstered by pine and woody resin. A hint of alcohol as the beer warms.

Taste: On the palate, this reminds me a lot of Heady Topper. There is an abundance of different flavors, ranging from the tropical and citrus fruits to spiciness and earthy wood and pine. Not a lot of sweetness from the malt, which I love, but it doesn't come across as harsh due to the perceived sweetness from some of the fruity notes.

Mouthfeel: This almost feels medium to full bodied, and a bit slick, but the finish is moderately dry, which keeps it from feeling too cloying and heavy. Overall, nice.

Overall: This is another knockout from Hill Farmstead. All of their beers are so high quality, that I feel like a broken record talking about how great they are. This one instantly become one of my favorites I've tried from them, due to the balance and complexity of flavors. As someone who loves IPAs and hoppy beers, I try a lot, and truthfully, there isn't a huge difference among a lot of them: hops tend to produce similar flavor profiles and categories of aromas and tastes. What makes the difference is sometimes a preference for certain notes and aromas, or else it's seemingly differences in craftsmanship: is the beer balanced? What varieties of hops were used, and when were they added to the boil? What kind of dry hopping? etc. Things like the order of hops added, or length of dry hopping, will make a huge difference in the flavor and aroma, and at Hill Farmstead it's plain that care is taken to maximize the potential of the hop varietals, since they're frequently using similar varietals as other brewers but producing much better beer.

5/5

Hill Farmstead Brewery - Society and Solitude #5

Hill Farmstead's concise description is:

"Our experimental Double IPA series continues.

Imperial IPA. American and New Zealand hops.  Think Grapefruit.  7.8% abv"

This was a fall 2012 brew for HF, continuing their "philosophical series" of beers. As per usual, this was a draft-only beer and I was fortunate to receive a growler from a generous friend back east.

Appearance: Society and Solitude 5 (SS5 for short) is a cloudy, dull cork color with a short head that's about 1 finger maximum in height.

Smell: There are strong aromas of mango and especially grapefruit, with a background hint of grass and biscuit.

Taste: Much like on the nose, the taste is rich in tropical fruits and grapefruit. The tropical notes are primarily pineapple and mango again. There is also a bit of green grape in the background that seems to assist the grapefruit in lending a bit of acidity to the sweet fruit flavors.

Mouthfeel: Pretty standard for a D/IPA -- medium bodied, juicy, with prickly carbonation.

Overall: This is a good double IPA (all of HF's DIPAs are,) but actually not my favorite from them. I'm not sure what it is about this one in particular, but it didn't blow me away as some of their others have; for instance, SS4 is a standout beer, and I also deeply enjoyed both SS3 and Double Citra. Perhaps they really shine when they use local hops, and some of the hops used here were imported? I don't know. I'll give them this, though -- if this is an "average" beer for HF, they still outperform most other breweries around the country.

4/5

Arcadia Ales - Barrel Aged Shipwreck Porter (2011)

Arcadia says: "The Baltic-style porter has a robust malt character and a slight herbal hop bitterness. Aged for 12 months in 10-year-old Kentucky bourbon oak barrels, this alluring dark liquid features appealing undertones of vanilla, oak, cocoa and coffee. The aging occurs in abandoned mines in Michigan, at a constant temperature of 45F."

Acadia is a brewery out of Michigan. I don't have much information on the release schedule of Shipwreck Porter, but I am drinking the 2011 vintage, which is 12% ABV and saw distribution to Arcadia's usual distribution states in the midwest and New England. I acquired this bottle through trade -- thank you!

Appearance: This is a very dark brown beer with a tan colored head that pours to about 1.5 fingers in height and is actually retained fairly well as I drink, remaining at about.5 fingers in height.

Smell: There are huge notes obviously from the barrel treatment here -- oak, vanilla, and bourbon --, with additional notes of cherry, molasses, and a hint of juniper.

Taste: The biggest notes are those of roast and chocolate, and then additional flavors of vanilla, coffee, dark fruit, and molasses come in. There is noticeable alcohol in the finish.

Mouthfeel: It's smooth, creamy, and lightly carbonated.

Overall: I thought this was a really tasty and complex porter. I read some other reviews where it was noted that the barrel treatment was overpowering; I disagree. Perhaps it's because I've sat on this for some time, but I thought the notes from the barrel added an interesting complexity that elevated what may have otherwise been a good but standard porter. I'd happily drink this again.

4/5

Midnight Sun Brewing - Arctic Devil (2011)

Midnight Sun has a lot to say about this one, so I'll let them take it away:

"Arctic Devil Barley Wine, aptly named after the ferocious wolverine of the north, is an English-style (meaning malt-inclined) barley wine. Though the recipe and process for Arctic Devil have evolved over the years, it is brewed once a year then aged in oak barrels for several months before the entire batch is blended, bottled and released[...] In its youth, Arctic Devil gnarls and snarls its way across the palate. Containing this beast of a beer for long periods in oak barrels--some having previously aged port, wine or whiskey--tames the unleashed malt and fierce hop flavors, melding and mellowing this powerful liquid into an incredible elixir worthy of a brewer's table. 

Each annual batch of Arctic Devil Barley Wine represents the brewers' resolve to create an intriguing and sought-after barley wine by precisely brewing to well-designed specifications, carefully selecting the type and combination of barrels to use for aging, and meticulously checking the beer as it ages. Distinct nuance and complexity are contributed by the wood's previous tenants, resulting in unique flavor profiles in each batch that continue to change over time. We invite you to savor Arctic Devil Barley Wine upon its release then cellar some for future enjoyment."

Arctic Devil is an annual winter release from Midnight Sun, an Alaska-based brewery. AD hits the west coast only from my understanding and usually gets snatched up within hours, so it's not easy to come by. I'm drinking the 2011 vintage, which is listed around 13.4% ABV.

Appearance: Rich chestnut brown with a reddish-copper tint, and a very thin head that recedes quickly and doesn't leave much residual lacing on the sides of the glass.

Smell: The smell is rich and complex, with notes of caramel, brown sugar, sour cherry, toffee, and vanilla.

Taste: Red wine comes through on the palate in a major way, along with notes of vanilla and cherry like on the nose. There is also a great sweet maple flavor.

Mouthfeel: It's medium bodied, but that's actually a surprisingly thin finish for the style. It's not oily or chewy and finishes relatively clean.

Overall: A year ago, I may have called this my favorite barleywine. Since then, I've tried King Henry, which is now in the top spot; still, this is a worthy and delicious second. It's rich and complex, and though it surely is malt-accented, it's actually not too overbearingly sweet, since there are perceptible sour-like or acid characteristics from the port or red wine notes. Some wish the mouthfeel had more body, but I'm actually okay with it being a little thinner, in this case. Generally it is kind of discombobulating to drink such a big beer with a thinner mouthfeel, but here, given the complexity of flavors including the aforementioned acidity, I found that the lighter body improves its drinkability. Overall, this is a solid, wonderful beer and a great choice for the colder months.

5/5

Kern River Brewing Co - Pumpkin Ale

Kern says: "This fall seasonal ale is brewed with real pumpkin and a hint of allspice. It pours slightly orange in color with a light sweetness and spicy finish. This beer is no trick and all treat."

Kern's pumpkin ale has very limited distribution to southern California during the fall (October, this year), and I happened to be in the right place at the right time at one of my regular stores in order to grab this bottle. It's 6% ABV.

Appearance: Clear orange, with a modest head that recedes to nothing and leaves only the faintest lacing at the very top of the glass.

Smell: The pumpkin spice elements jump out -- allspice, nutmeg, and clove. There is a faint hint of grain, but not a lot of malt-based sweetness or hop character.

Taste: Interestingly, the grain character is much more predominant on the palate, and the pumpkin spices almost take a backseat. There is also a strong vegetal character, which one could easily contribute to the pumpkin; however, the interesting thing about pumpkin itself is that it doesn't really have that distinctive (or even that tasty) of a flavor. People tend to associate all of the other spices with what they think the flavor of pumpkin actually is. What seems to have happened in this beer is that the pumpkin/squash character, as well as the flavor of the grain, overshadow the spice.

Mouthfeel: It's mildly carbonated and medium bodied, somewhat oily on the palate, and it sticks around a bit on the finish.

Overall: This is probably my least favorite beer I've had from Kern, which is a brewery that I otherwise love and respect. It's pretty bland, with an unremarkable mouthfeel. The smell is inviting and creates expectations which the taste doesn't live up to. It's pretty disappointing, and I'm hoping to try some better pumpkin beers this season after this rough start!

2.5/5

Hollywood On Tap 10/20/12

I had a great time last weekend at Hollywood on Tap, which I mentioned in an earlier post was a beer festival benefiting the Blank Theater in Hollywood. Focusing mostly on local breweries and filled with LA's ubiquitous (and delicious!) food trucks, I got to relax on the "streets of New York" (courtesy Paramount backlot) and drink some new beers I'd never tried before.

Drinking LA beer on the streets of New York!

This lady DJ was feeling her beats and I was feeling her enthusiasm!

Among lots of other beers, I got to enjoy Monkish Brewing's Red Table, Monkish Brewing's Feminist, and Beachwood Brewing's Knucklehead Red. I guess it was a red ale kind of a day!

I also am way into food (because food and beer together are heaven, obviously) and was particularly tickled by the theme of the "Trailer Park Truck."

I ended up getting the Mackin' Cheeseburger (macaroni and cheese, bacon, onion rings) but I un-rednecked it a bit by getting it on a bed of lettuce:

So, overall, between the great beer, seemingly seamless organization, and tantalizing food (seriously, that went so well with my beer) Hollywood On Tap was a great little event that I hope was able to raise some money for the Blank.

Bootlegger's - Knuckle Sandwich

Knuckle Sandwich is a 10% ABV, 88 IBUs, and it's released periodically by Bootlegger's, a small brewery out of Fullerton, California. They say about their beer: "Knuckle Sandwich DIPA is an American Style Double IPA. This is a beer that truly lives up to its name! Brewed with copious amounts of North American hops, this Double IPA has a colossal hop profile and an aggressive aroma. Helping round out the floral and citrus notes is a huge malt backbone that provides a great mouth feel to this heavyweight hitter."
 
This one can be found only for a short window of time after its release in the CA market, as it tends to sell out really quickly. I grabbed this bottle at one of my favorite shops in East LA.

Appearance: This is probably the darkest DIPA I've ever seen. It's the color of a dark amber or brown beer, like roasted chestnut, and it's got a robust head that never fully recedes and leaves lacing on the sides of the glass.

Smell: It's very floral and dank, with strong notes of pine and a slight sweet caramel note as well.

Taste: This DIPA leans toward the floral and piney side, and the malt backbone is definitely perceptible here. There are slight mango flavors, but it's mostly resinous, floral, and sweet.

Mouthfeel: It's creamy and thick, with moderate carbonation. As the beer warms, the alcohol becomes more noticeable as well and brings in a bit of heat on the back of the palate.

Overall: This is a solid DIPA, but amongst all of the "hyped" D/IPA seasonal releases, this is actually not one of my favorites. I'm just not a huge fan of maltier IPAs. I understand that a strong malt base needs to be there to support strong hop character, but I'd rather not taste it so much, and this has a definite sweetness that brings it down a notch in drinkability to me.

3/5

Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel - Péché Mortel (Imperial Stout Au Cafe)

The brewery says: "Péché Mortel (French for "Mortal Sin") is an intensely black and dense beer with very pronounced roasted flavours. Fair trade coffee is infused during the brewing process, intensifying the bitterness of the beer and giving it a powerful coffee taste. Péché mortel is brewed to be savored; we invite you to drink it in moderation.

This stout style, high in alcohol and bitterness in order to favour preservation, was historically brewed to support the long and arduous voyage necessary to export the beer from England to Russia. The word Imperial comes from the fact that the beer was specially brewed for the Russian tsar’s court."

Dieu Du Ciel is a microbrewery in Quebec, Canada. I honestly don't know what the range of their distribution is like here in the States, but I can say they are distributed by the Shelton Brothers, which means it's probably pretty limited  to the east coast. The beer itself has been classified as an imperial stout, and it's 9.5% ABV.

Appearance: This is a great looking stout. It's pitch black, with a thick tan head that sticks around for awhile and then leaves some dense webbed lacing on the sides of the glass.

Smell: The coffee note is huge here, and along with the espresso flavor is a bit of leather, and char, all coming from the roasted malt.

Taste: The depth of scents in the beer are also present in the taste, even if the exact notes aren't replicated. Coffee is huge and at the forefromt, but less forward than that are also hints of what seem to me like nuttiness, coconut, and a bitterness that is so roasty that it almost approaches sourness.

Mouthfeel: It's actually lighter than I expect, but there is sufficient body here. It's creamy and smooth, with light carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: This was really delicious. Even though I'm not a regular coffee drinker, I'm really liking coffee stouts, especially if they are balanced and also manage to present a range of other flavors. Péché Mortel has this going for it; the coffee is certainly dominant but not overpowering. I'll be happy if I get to continue drinking stouts of this caliber into the winter months!

4.5/5

Beer every weekend

You may have noticed I never got around writing up the LA Beer Week closing festival at Union Station. There is a good reason for that -- my memories of that day are fuzzy at best. Drinking high octane beers in 100 degree weather can do that to a person! Regardless, the festival itself appeared well-planned and well-executed, with tons of breweries each providing a pretty decent selection of brews. I was impressed to see breweries bringing 4+ beers, plus some that were opening "special selections" at times throughout the day! One particular highlight was Hangar 24's opening of their Barrel Roll #3 - Pugachev's Cobra. While everyone was clamoring for a pour, the crowd chanted "Pugachev! Pugachev!" and clinked glasses uproariously when it came time to taste. Notably missing was Craftsman; it's hard enough to find kegs from the LA area's most mercurial brewery, so it was disappointing to not see them represented at Union Station. Maybe next year!

Moving forward, though -- since Oktober is not over yet (see what I did there?) This Saturday I'll be hanging out at Hollywood On Tap, a charitable beer festival with 100% of the proceeds benefiting The Blank Theater. The festival is boasting unlimited 4oz tasting pours from around 50 local or California breweries. Tickets must be purchased beforehand if you're interested in going; hopefully I'll see you there!

See what I mean when I say "Beer every weekend?" The fun never stops when you're a craft beer fan...

New Belgium Lips of Faith - Cocoa Mole

NB's website says: "Say Hola to a spiced up ale full of cocoa and ancho, guajillo, chipotle peppers. But don’t fear the heat, because plenty of caramel and chocolate malts bring a smooth, complex flavor to our Cocoa Molé. Scents of cinnamon when poured will have you saying, “¡Olé for molé!”"

Cocoa Mole is an "ale brewed with spices" that comes in at 9% ABV. It was brewed back in January 2012, and I'm just getting around to it now, with the weather finally cooling down here in LA -- there was even a bit of rain today! -- and getting me more into the holiday beer spirit. This one should have a bit of pepper kick to it, too. Part of the Lips of Faith line of more "experimental" beers, this still would have been distributed wherever New Belgium is distributed, which is pretty extensively in the US.



Appearance: Rich dark chestnut brown, with a modest head that pours to about 1 finger and then disappears completely, leaving no foam layer or lacing on the glass.

Smell: Definitely get a whiff of the chile, as well as a massive cinnamon note, nutmeg, and a bit of what seems like cumin. The cocoa is there too; rather than the richness of chocolate it seems more sharp and bitter, and it blends nicely with the overall spice profile.

Taste: Again, the cinnamon and cocoa flavor is predominant, and the heat from the chiles comes in toward the back of the palate and in the throat. I get a little bit of the nutmeg, and even a hint of what seems like coconut.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, medium-bodied, and lightly carbonated. It's nice that it's not too heavy, while still retaining a velvety character. It's very nice, overall.

Overall: Not a bad way to start off my personal spiced beer season! I like chile beers, and this one combines that element with some of the great spice aromatics and flavors in a rich mole (hence the name.) It's a creative concept for a beer that works surprisingly well, and overall I wasn't swooning over it, per se, but I definitely enjoyed it.

4/5

Goose Island - King Henry

Good evening, all! Assuming I counted correctly, this marks my 100th review! Yay! To celebrate, I wanted to open something special. I'd been trying to get my hands on this beer for awhile. Shortly after it was released last year, it wasn't too difficult to get. But once people started drinking it, they realized it was delicious and snatched up every last bottle. Since this only hit the midwest and northeast markets, trading was my only option, and at long last, a stellar east coast friend was able to send me a bottle last month.

King Henry is a 13.4% ABV barleywine that Goose Island says was "Aged in bourbon barrels, [and] is a burgundy hued English-style barleywine with aromas of vanilla, oak, and dark fruit. Caramel and toffee flavors blend together with bold notes of bourbon delivered in a smooth body followed by a malty finish. No matter the occasion, King Henry promises a regal drinking experience." I'd also like to add that this beer wasn't just thrown in any bourbon barrels; rather, it aged in Pappy Van Winkle 23 year barrels that Goose Island had previously used to age their Rare Bourbon County stout.

Appearance: From the side of the glass it appears dark, opaque brown, but from the top you can see that's actually clear, just extremely dark. There is very little head on the pour, and it receded to nothing in seconds. Swirling the beer in the glass leaves large legs running back down the sides. This even looks big in every way.

Smell: The nose on this is just insane. Toffee, caramel, spicy bourbon, vanilla, cherry, oak, cocoa, fig, and molasses. I can't even believe the complexity of the smell of this beer.

Taste: There is prominent spicy vanilla from the bourbon, as well as a big note of dark chocolate, sweet molasses, brown sugar, salt toffee, and dark fruit. There is a small hint of soy sauce, which some will say is a negative, but I've never really minded it.

Mouthfeel: Thick and sparingly carbonated, this has all the weight of a melted chocolate milkshake, but packs surprisingly little heat, considering the alcohol percentage.

Overall: This is a massive barleywine that is, without question, the best barelywine I've tasted to date. The barrel treatment definitely imparted some flavor from the Rare Bourbon County Stout, which lent some fantastically unique (to the style) bitter/dark chocolate flavor, which actually helped balance some of the typical barleywine sweetness. This beer has a lot of hype and huge fans, so I don't really need to go on and on about how great it is -- but it is great.

5/5

More Beer Week Recaps: Beer Wednesday!

As you may recall, I had written that I was excited to check out the FiftyFifty tap takeover at Verdugo Bar last Wednesday. It was great, but that wasn't the only beer encounter of my day!

I actually first had the opportunity to try a flight of the beers brewed over at Haven Gastropub in Pasadena, along with some lunch. My main course was a plate of pulled pork tacos, which you can never go wrong with in my opinion, but my true love of the hour was the macaroni and cheese with black truffles. As I learned at Blue Palms awhile back, truffled food and drinking beer is a sublime experience. I previously was unaware that Haven actually brewed beer onsite, so I was stoked to try their lineup. Of the eight beers I got to sip on, my two favorites were "Hello World," their pale ale, and "Brewmaster's Breakfast," their light breakfast stout. Both had great flavor, and for lunch on a hot day, neither felt too overpowering. They struck a nice balance of being bold but not heavy, which was exactly what I was looking for given the weather and the fact that it was mid-day lunch.

Photo credit: Friends of Local Beer

And look who it is! The back of my head is a celebrity! This event was really cool: I got to try two FiftyFifty beers I'd never had before -- "Rockslide IPA" and "4 Wheat" -- as well as the latest version of BART (Barrel Aged Really Tasty), a beer that changes with every batch basically based on what the brewer wants to throw in. I'm not entirely certain what was blended into this version, but it had the rich sweetness of a barleywine and some dark fruit flavors. Very decadent and delicious. I'm really looking forward to the Eclipse release at the end of the year. California and the west coast tend to be known more for their IPAs and hoppy beers than for their imperial stouts and barrel-aged beers, but the Eclipse series beers collectively rank in my top 3 for west coast barrel aged stouts (due to both the barrel treatment and the strength of the base stout, Totality) and prove that we go toe-to-toe with some of the more stout-heavy regions. Look out for reviews and tasting notes for those later this winter!

I'll write up the closing festival at Union Station in my next post, but be warned -- my precise recollection may be... unreliable?

Eagle Rock Brewery - Unity 2012

On the side of the bottle: "On August 20, 2012, a team of cohorts from the LA Beer Industry joined forces for the brewing of Unity to commemorate the 4th anniversary of Los Angeles Beer Week. The name "Unity" represents the collective idea of promoting ongoing growth of the beer culture in our city. The camaraderie and support we lend to each other in this industry inspires and enables Angelenos to realize the common goal of unity through better beer!"

This year's Unity is a Berliner "Rye" (as opposed to Berliner Weisse) brewed with prickly pear and is a very manageable 3.25% ABV. It was available from Eagle Rock throughout Beer Week, and as this is a one-off beer, when the bottles run out, it's done for good!

Appearance: The picture makes this look quite orange, but it's actually a very light, cloudy yellow. I poured off minimal head that recedes to approximately nothing.

Smell: There is definitely a funky foot smell from the sour character, and the prickly pear also hits the nose in a big way. There is a bit of grain/breadyness, and a slightly sweet note from the rye.

Taste: Overall light and fruity, with a tart kick. This isn't an overly complex beer, but it's certainly refreshing; the prickly pear and rye flavors work well together with the tartness to create a flavor balance that has an impact without feeling heavy or overwhelming.

Mouthfeel: Very light and dry, with a perfect amount of carbonation.

Overall: It has been so damn hot in LA over the past few weeks, and this is a very welcome beverage to beat the heat. The brewers and collaborators definitely knew what they were doing when they decided on this style for a late-summer beer. Berliners aren't necessarily a "wow" style in that they don't really specialize in huge flavors, but Unity 2012 is exactly on point for what I would expect a "Berliner rye" to taste like. Sessionable beers can be very tough, in that their more delicate flavors don't mask "off" qualities as well as a bolder flavors do. This didn't appear to be a problem for Unity, as I can't pick up on any off flavors and am thoroughly enjoying the delicate palate and mouthfeel on this 100-degree day.

4/5

Boulevard Brewing Co - Saison Brett

"Saison-Brett, based on our very popular Tank 7, is assertively dry hopped, then bottle conditioned with various yeasts, including Brettanomyces, a wild strain that imparts a distinctive earthy quality. Though this farmhouse ale was given three months of bottle age prior to release, further cellaring will continue to enhance the “Brett” character, if that's what you're after."

I don't have, and was not able to find, much information on what the seasonal production/release of this beer is like, but I can tell you that it sees distribution mainly in the Midwest, with a few scattered coastal/near coastal states. California is not among them, so I received this in a trade. It's 8.5% ABV, and this bottle is relatively fresh.

Appearance: The photo makes it look more orange than it actually is. In person, it's a hazy golden blonde color, and the head leaves thick, dense lacing on the glass and itself remains pretty foamy on top of the layer of beer throughout my sipping session.

Smell: Lemongrass, ester qualities like apple and pear. There is definite rubber-Brett-funk, particularly the more that the beer warms up. There is surprisingly little straight-up earthiness; the aroma is mostly fruit with the funky Brett overtone.

Taste: This beer tastes a lot like how it smells -- like juicy apple and pear, with lemongrass again and a bit more of a straight lemon "zing", like zest rather than pulp. Toward the back end of the palate is where the Brett character really pulls focus, introducing the barnyard and tire funkiness and finishing crisply on the palate.

Mouthfeel: Saisons are often light and moderately dry; that is definitely the case here, and the addition of Brett helps to create an even more dry finish. Which if you've read any of my entries before, you know I love.

Overall: It's still been really hot in LA. It finally seems like it's starting to cool down, as of today, but it was hitting 90 and above basically every day for the last three weeks. BRUTAL! In such temperatures, saisons are a great go-to beer, as they are light and crisp on the palate, and for me there is a quintessential summery-ness to them that feels so appropriate for warm weather consumption. This is a fantastic saison, with the citrus and acidic fruit really shining, and the Brett addition adds a little something extra to the flavor. It's balanced perfectly and continues to develop as I have been sipping it over the course of the evening. If you're in a state where this is available, I'd highly recommend it!

4.5/5

Mammoth Brewing - Apocalypse Lager (Bluesapalooza 2012)

Say the brewers: "We are trying to appease the Mayan gods with this light-colored, bold flavored strong lager so they kill us quickly. Apocalypse beer was made using malted barley, flaked maize, white wheat, Owens Valley honey, organic raw blue agave nectar, Indian paintbrush essence and flowers, hops, Mexican lager yeast, and mystical Palo Santo wood. Don't drink the Kool-Aid. Drink up the Apocalypse."

It may have been a long day of drinking, but that description is hilarious. Why aren't more brewers making "the world is ending in 2012" beers? Anyway, clearly a lot went into this American Pale Lager from Mammoth, which ends up at 7.5% ABV -- not bad for a lager! This was a special brew created for the annual Bluesapalooza in Mammoth Lakes, CA during the summer, and it's a brewery-only offering for as long as it's available. Having tried it up tap when I was up there a month or so ago, I knew I'd want to take home a bottle and write about it; it's definitely one of the more unique and tasty lagers I've ever had. And look at that bottle art! Kinda cool, right?

Appearance: Clear and honey-colored, with a head that pours to about two fingers in height, before receding to a thin layer of foam on top of the beer and leaving rings of lacing on the sides of the glass.

Smell: Some phenolic notes, slightly medicinal or bandaid-ish, with more prominent bready characteristics from the grain. There is also some spiciness and a bit of dank grassy earth from the yeast and hops, definite floral notes, and even a scent that seems a bit like coconut.

Taste: The most prominent flavors are honey, grain, a hint of spicy floral that seems a bit like dandelion. As the beer warms, I get a bit more of the agave flavor, and it becomes a lot more rich and warming at the front of the beer, but still remains grainy and light at the back end.

Mouthfeel: Extremely smooth and creamy, but also light in body with a moderately dry finish. This is the type of mouthfeel I expect from a lager, and it delivers. Very refreshing.

Overall: Mammoth's intention here was definitely to make a full-flavored lager, and they absolutely succeeded. They packed a lot of dimension into this beer, even while retaining the lightness and sometimes grainy characteristic I often associate with this category of beer. Even as I recommend this beer, I'm aware that it's not an easy "get" for anyone, really, but I acknowledge that I was fortunate to try it. The more that I have Mammoth's beer, and particularly their seasonal offerings, the more that I am impressed by what they accomplish. As the only brewery for miles upon miles around, it would be really easy for them to rest on their laurels; instead, they continually push themselves and produce interesting beers featuring local ingredients. Anyway, I really enjoyed this beer, particularly as it's been hot as all get out in Los Angeles, and this was a perfect beer that offered deep flavor while not feeling too heavy or strong.

4/5

LA Beer Week - 9/24/12 - 9/30/12

Let's look now at the week coming up, where I will again give you my picks for LA Beer Week! Let me remind you that I'm tending to stay on my side of town, but please check out the whole calendar to see all of the events and figure out what appeals most to you!

Monday, September 24: Dogfish Head Ancient Ales Dinner at Little Bear
Quite honestly, I'm too broke to go to this. This meal of beer and food pairing will be $75 a head, and it includes five courses which sound absolutely delicious. As a fan of the food at Little Bear, and of DFH's ancient ales, this is something I myself would love to go to, but shall probably have to live vicariously through those who do go. If you go, make sure to let me know how it was!

Wednesday, September 26: FiftyFifty Night at Verdugo Bar
I am really looking forward to this one. Though I haven't officially reviewed any FiftyFifty beers yet on this blog, I am a huge fan of their Eclipse, a barrel-aged imperial stout that is released in December every year. Outside of the Eclipse, which sees limited distribution in California, we don't really see FiftyFifty beers down here in SoCal much, so this will be a fantastic opportunity to try some of those other beers that I wouldn't have an opportunity to without trekking up to their brewpub in Truckee, CA. (Which I would love to do eventually, but haven't had a chance to yet.)

Thursday, September 27: This is a toss-up between the Port/Lost Abbey night at Surly Goat and the Firestone Walker pig roast at King's Row.
Either one could be great; the P/LA event will be more strictly beer-focused, with the Surly Goat having an array of some of the brewers' more specialty offerings, including some aged vintages. The FW event, on the other hand, appears to be a relatively inexpensive dinner option, including a pig roast in FW beer, plus mac and cheese, and beer on the side. At the moment, I'm leaning more toward the food event, but I'll have to see where the night takes me!

Saturday, September 29: Flight Night at 38 Degrees
This event is no joke. Several brewers, tons of beer. I'm definitely going to have to rally if I want to do this the night before the closing event at Union Station, but from everything I hear this is not a party to be missed.

Sunday, September 30: Aaaaand this one is obvious. The Festival at Union Station features ~70 localish breweries, as well as a bunch of LA's famous food trucks, all together in an all you can drink madhouse, cleverly located on the public transit hub of downtown. Who is getting nowhere near a car that day? This girl!

My wallet is going to hurt at the end of this week, but as a beer lover, I'd be nuts to not take advantage of some of these awesome events. If anyone else is planning on going to any of these, I'd love to say hello and talk beer with you.

LA Beer Week - Brewer's Brunch at Eagle Rock Brewery

I just returned from the Brewer's Brunch at Eagle Rock Brewery, where Chef Jerry was serving up great brunch out of his food truck pop-up Tot Box (operating out of the Deano's Deli truck today.) I tried the Heisenberg tots, which consisted of tater tots with a variety of Italian sausage and maple syrup. If you like salty-sweet, it's a slam dunk. But, this is a beer blog, so I'd be remiss if I didn't also mention the wonderful variety of Eagle Rock beers on tap today:

• Solidarity, both the "regular" version and the vanilla bean version on nitro -- this is their unofficial "breakfast beer," as I like to think of it. A black mild with a nice roasty flavor that is low in ABV
• Manifesto -- their version of a wit, a great light option with floral notes provided by the addition of rose petals
• Populist -- their west coast style IPA; you'll get citrus and resin out of this
• Revolution -- their XPA, which displays the character of the grain in nice balance with the hops

The above are their year-round offerings; in addition they also had some seasonal selections:

• Eradicator Jr -- the bock they brewed for the GABF ProAm category, with a sweet nutty character
• Imperialist -- the first DIPA they've brewed, it's a huge 10% hoppy delight
• Unity -- the official beer of LA Beer Week, this year Unity is a "Berliner Rye," or a twist on the Berliner Weiss style that is brewed with rye rather than wheat. Unity also has the addition of prickly pear, which lends a crisp fruit note on top of the tartness from the traditional BW style.

If you try nothing else new this week, make sure you grab the Unity when you see it on tap. This light, refreshing beer could not be more appropriate for the scorching heat of the past few weeks here in LA. I'm going to review it later this week in more detail, but before I get to it I want to let everyone out there know that they should be on the lookout for it!

The brunch is officially done by now, but the taproom at ERB is open until 6pm on Sundays and 4pm-10pm Wednesday through Saturday, which should give you plenty of opportunities to try Unity before the closing festival next weekend!

LA Beer Week Starts TOMORROW!

Hey! So did you know my Aroma Coma review was my 100th post on the blog? Not quite my 100th review, but that's probably coming up since I haven't done that many non-review posts! I'll probably stick a fashionable confetti GIF or something to mark the "milestone" review, or something. Anyway -- onward to the important news, which is that LA Beer Week is back! Here are some of the events I'm going to try to hit up this weekend:

TONIGHT (Wednesday, September 19th): Women's Beer Forum at Eagle Rock Brewery
Though Beer Week doesn't officially kick off until tomorrow, Ting at ERB has done a Women's Forum once a month for about a year and a half, encouraging women to come and try flights of different styles of beer. She conceived the forum as a way to encourage women to find out what they like in a beer, and to try to develop a vocabulary around how to describe what those taste preferences are! It's a great opportunity for lady beer novices and "experts" to come try different beers, and tonight the focus will be on "LA Beer," including Unity, ERB's annual LA Beer Week Brew.

Thursday, September 20th: Dogfish Head invades Little Tokyo at Far Bar
I love the Far Bar, a tucked away little spot with a great outdoor patio in Little Tokyo. I don't always give a lot of love to Dogfish Head beers on this blog, but I credit them with being some of the first beers I tried as I got into craft beer. I think overall they produce solid, innovative beers, and the "tap takeover" includes 120 Minute IPA and Burton Baton, two beers we don't see too often out here in California.

On Friday, September 21st:, I'm going to take it easy.

Saturday, September 22nd: I'm going to be at UCLA vs. Oregon St football game during the day, so I'm not holding my breath for having a ton of energy left to hit up a lot of beer week events after tailgating. Since it's during the game, I definitely won't be able to make the Saturday with Kern River at Far Bar, but that would be a top pick for the day. KRBC is a fantastic small brewery, and their beers are in such high demand out here that getting a taste of any of their stuff at all without having to drive to Kernville is a freaking treat. If I can make it to anything in the evening, I might want to try to make it out to one of the Walker's Wild Ride events, where rare sours are going to be randomly tapped by out-of-a-hat (or similarly random) drawing at various bars around LA.

Sunday, September 23rd: I'm definitely interested in hitting up the Brewer's Brunch at Eagle Rock Brewery, both for the opportunity to hang out at my favorite LA craft brewery again, and for the (sure to be) delicious food that Jerry, family of the brewery owners, is going to be cooking. Guy is damn talented. I may head later to Beer Belly to participate in Crap for Craft, a charmingly named opportunity to trade in craft beer for local craft beer at the bar. Their food is also great...

I'll check back in early next week with some more events I'd like to attend. You should definitely check out The Calendar for yourselves, as there are tons of events every day, and I'm selecting events partially based on my geography. There will be something that interests you, whether it's drink specials at bars or more structured "learning" or "meet and greet" activities, and the events are all over the city! 

Will I be seeing you out at Beer Week?

Drake's Brewing Co - Aroma Coma

Drake's says: "Aroma Coma India Pale Ale – 6.75% ABV, 75 IBUs —Our summer seasonal India Pale Ale delivers an olfactory hop assault that lives up to its name. Made with almost all 2-row barley malt and a touch of Caramalt for body, abundant Cascade, Chinook, CTZ, and Citra hops add huge citrus, pine, and floral notes. A double round of dry-hopping then amps up the aroma to a new level. Breathe in the hops, and enjoy."

This beer is distributed only in CA, from the small brewery out of San Leandro, CA. Like their blurb says, it's summer only. I'm finally getting to it after a rash of trying an insane amount of great IPAs that were released this summer. Fortunately, it's only about a month young, so it still has fantastic fresh hop flavor and an inviting hoppy aroma as well.

Appearance: Rusty orange, with a modest head of about two fingers that leaves stringy lacing along the sides of the glass.

Smell: Great citrus aroma, with tangerine coming across particularly. There are also pungent hits of grapefruit, and a slight dank undertone. The nose is basically all bright hops -- it smells great.

Taste: Much like on the nose, there are great citrus notes here, including orange and grapefruit. I also get a few more tropical-like flavors-- perhaps mango and passion fruit? There is a bit of resin and biscuit on the palate that isn't as evident from the nose, and the dankness I smelled doesn't really make an appearance in the taste, either -- it's all juicy, fruity hops with a slight resin character that seems to add sturdiness.

Mouthfeel: Aroma Coma is light to medium bodied and is neither particularly dry nor particularly slick. It's a pretty standard mouthfeel for this style, and I have no complaints.

Overall: This is a seriously good IPA. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: there a finite amount of flavors that one typically picks up from an IPA, so just by looking at tasting notes it's difficult to pick up which ones are great and which ones are so-so. It comes down to things like balance, and the particular composition of the flavors, and the complexity. Having a beer that smells as good as it tastes is a huge plus too! Suffice it to say, this hit all the right notes for me, especially considering it's not an Imperial or Double IPA, and that it has a slightly lower ABV. It just goes to show that it doesn't necessarily need to be bigger and stronger to have great flavor!

4.5/5

Jack's Abby Brewing - Hoponius Union

Jack's Abby says: "This lager harmoniously combines lager yeast fermentation and west coast IPA hops. Our India style Pale Lager is like a traditional IPA but with a twist - it’s fermented cold and aged for extended periods. A blend of classic American hops creates a huge tropical fruit and citrusy hop aroma. A dry finish accentuates the pleasant bitterness and hop profile. Hoponius Union uses locally grown dehulled spelt from MA."

Here's an interesting idea: an "India Pale Lager." It comes off a lot like an IPA, but there are very, very subtle differences that I was only really able to pick up on as the beer warmed up a little. This IPL is 6.7% ABV and is available only in Massachusetts, so I acquired it through a trade.

Appearance: Bright orange, with a modest head of about 2 fingers that leaves some lacing on the sides of the glass.

Smell: A lot of the typical IPA aromas here -- citrus and a little bit of grass/pine, with a hint of a biscuity malt base underneath.

Taste: It tastes like how it smells, with those citrus and resin notes, but there is also a bit of mango creating an additional tropical fruit dimension. There is a bit of sweet caramel malt that comes through at the end, too. In almost every way, this tastes like an IPA. The only difference I can notice, and this might even just be my palate playing tricks on me rather than any kind of real difference, is that it just seems to finish a bit more crisp or clean. This isn't the same as the "dry" finish I talk about a lot in the mouthfeel. When I am tasting a beer for review, I try to pick up flavors from the time the beer first hits my tongue until after I've swallowed it, all from the time the beer has first come out of the fridge to when it's been sitting with me for close to an hour. Many times, as IPAs warm, the alcohol seems to come out more, or the hops seem to lose their fruit characteristics and become more bitter/astringent. In any case, certain flavors, to me, often become more pronounced. This beer does the opposite: it calms down as it warms. I have literally no idea if this has anything to do with it being a lager, or if that is just a quality of this particular beer, but as I was sitting and trying to think of differences between this and the IPAs I typically drink, that's what I came up with. Make of that what you will.

Mouthfeel: Light in body, with moderate carbonation, and a finish that neither slick nor dry. It's nice, overall.

Overall: This was a pretty refreshing, drinkable beer, and I'm pleased with the results of this style experiment. I didn't get much out of this that I couldn't get out of any number of IPAs that are available to me in California, but it was unquestionably tasty and a pretty good choice for a summer beer.

3.5/5

Stone Brewing Co - 16th Anniversary IPA

Stone says: "This year our brewing team was inspired by some exotic-ish additions of the lemony persuasion. Yes, it's a Double IPA (can you really say you're surprised?), but as we strive to do with all our Stone Anniversary Ales of the let's-take-this-IPA-in-a-new-direction variety, we've brewed up a Stone-worthy divergence from tradition. The amount of rye malt we used isn't quite enough to warrant the appellation "Rye IPA," but it still adds hints of spiciness that contrast deliciously with the tropical fruit flavors and aromas of the Amarillo and Calypso hops. Add a few European specialty malts, some lemon verbena, and three more hop varieties to the mix, and you have a highly complex brew melding both bitter and fruity hop notes with rich toasted malt character punctuated by nuances of spicy rye and subtle lemon."

This DIPA is 10% ABV, distributed nationwide, and will be available basically until it sells out.

Appearance: The picture makes it look much more red than it actually is, but there still is a red hue to this beer that is more apparent than usual in IPAs. The head poured to about 1.5 fingers and dissipated, leaving no lacing or rings on the glass. It's slightly cloudy and overall color is probably amber, but with that slight red tone I mentioned earlier.

Smell: Spice and herbal notes are dominant on the nose, and some tropical fruit aromas from the hops come in toward the end. I'd say the additions (rye, lemon verbena) make up the majority of the smell of this beer.

Taste: Even though I'm sure Stone hopped the crap out of this beer, it's definitely a "different" IPA. Much like on the nose, herbal and spice characteristics are dominant here, making this appear to be a very yeast-forward beer (whereas most IPAs, especially double IPAs, are hop-forward.) I can almost taste what seems like flavors of sage and thyme, and the lemon definitely comes through as well. The hop notes are mostly tropical, like mango. There isn't a lot of sweetness from any perceptible malt backbone, but the beer does seem pretty well balanced.

Mouthfeel: Slightly slick and oily, and medium bodied. This is a weaker aspect of the beer. My mouth feels a bit coated after I sip.

Overall: Stone hit it out of the park on two IPAs they released this summer: Ruination 10 and Enjoy By 9.21.12. I wouldn't say this is an "afterthought," since they definitely seem to have put some effort into making this a unique brew, but so soon after the former two, it pales in comparison. It's still a decent IPA, especially if you like herbal notes in your beer. I do think they achieved what they were going for: this is a deceptively strong DIPA (I didn't mention it before, but the alcohol is pretty well masked) that is unique and flavorful. As far as true IPA mastery goes, though, it's not my favorite.

3/5

Soon: LA BEER WEEK!

Fellow beer friends! Did you know LA Beer Week is coming up on us?

It's a glorious week filled with events held at different locales around the city, where craft beer admirers, newbies, and devotees alike have the opportunity to attend tastings, pairings, evenings with brewmasters and brewery owners, and other beer-related shenanigans all over the city, every day for 10 days (liberties are taken with "week," here!)

For last year's Beer Week, some of my favorite events included the kick-off festival at Naja's Place, featuring a TON of Stone beers, and a Trappist pairing with artisanal gourmet sausage at Wurstküche Venice. I also helped out at the 3rd annual Beer Float Showdown at Eagle Rock Brewery:

    Unfortunately, I missed the main event: the closing celebration at Union Station. I was away at a department retreat for school. But not this year! Beer Week falls in September this year, which has no conflicts with any retreat or conflicts I'll need to go to! So I'm looking forward to getting my fill of tasty craft beer at LA's most dedicated beer spots.

Remember that thing I said about possibly posting more about events? This may begin my foray into that, if I can remain coherent enough to take decent notes...

New Belgium and Alpine - Lips of Faith Super IPA

Super IPA is a 9% DIPA collaboration between the folks at New Belgium and Alpine brewing company. This will be a great way for those who have never had an Alpine beer to try their take on hoppy goodness. And goodness is what this is. It has been available in the LA area for about a week and probably won't last too long; I assume it will be the same around the country. I expect that this won't be made again, since the Lips of Faith collaborations are usually one-offs, so grab this while you can!

Appearance: Bright, clear orange, with about 2-3 fingers of head (was initially much taller than can be seen in the photo) and leaves dense lacing on the sides of the glass.

Smell: WHOA. Such an intense nose, bursting with tropical fruit like mango and pineapple, a bit of dankness and a lot of pine, and more citrus from tangerine.

Taste: So big, fruity, and sweet, but not in a malt-forward way: the fruit flavors from the hops contribute sweetness, while the malt backbone plays a necessary supporting role, but doesn't offer any additional flavor. Also on the palate are slightly grassy notes. Overall, I feel like I can taste mango, orange zest, resin, and a bit of biscuit in addition to the slight grass. There is no burn from the alcohol or astringent flavor.

Mouthfeel: A little slick and oily, but otherwise medium bodied and a reasonably, but not incredibly, dry finish. Despite the slight oiliness, it's remarkably drinkable for such a boozy and hoppy beer.

Overall: I've been having a bunch of delicious, fresh IPAs this week. POOR ME, not. Anyway, this is such a good beer. I don't know how long it will keep before the hops start to fall off, but as of now it's been one of my favorite new IPAs of the season. It's kind of hard, just based on flavors and tasting notes, to differentiate between these beers -- hops will tend to contribute the same flavor categories, so it often comes down to overall complexity and balance. For me, the nose is also huge. It really contributes to my overall enjoyment if it smells as good as it tastes, which this beer does.

4.5/5

Port Brewing - Hop 15

I have reviewed this once before, but I wanted to revisit because of my strong suspicion that it was older and rather stale by the time I opened it. In the interest of doing a more fair review, I have selected a bottle that was bottled this month, released last week, and should therefore be pretty darn fresh.

Port says of Hop 15: "First brewed in 2002 to celebrate the 15th Anniversary of the Pizza Port in Solana Beach, Hop 15 was imagined and designed by Tomme Arthur and Jeff Bagby as a celebration of 15 years of “Good Beer Brings Good Cheer.”
Hop 15 has 15 different hop varieties added to the beer every 15 minutes. Over the years, Hop 15 has racked up numerous accolades. It has won two silver medals at the Great American Beer Festival. It also was named Alpha King in 2004 and 2008, and received a first place award at the Bistro Double IPA beer festival in Hayward, CA."

As I mentioned previously, this is labeled a DIPA at 9.7-10% ABV. It's a "seasonal" or rotating release according to their website, and it does tend to disappear from shelves fairly quickly (the stale bottle I had last time was my own fault, as I let it sit in the fridge too long. I have since learned my lesson and do not commit such crimes against IPAs any longer.) Port/Lost Abbey beers have scattered limited distribution around the US, so if you're lucky enough to see fresh Port IPAs on the shelves, they're generally great quality, relatively inexpensive, and overall worth a purchase. Now -- on to the (re-)review.

Appearance: What I wrote before applies: "This beer has tons of visible carbonation, with about 2-3 fingers of head that leaves tons of sticky lacing on the glass. It is darkly honey colored."

Smell: Ah, now this is much better -- extremely dank and resinous, with notes of citrus (particularly pineapple.) Pine is most upfront of everything, though. Very different from the flowery/sweet smell and taste of the stale version.

Taste: Some citrus and tropical fruit, but still mostly dominated by sticky pine and grass. Having had a fresh version and a stale version, I now appreciate the malt backbone that was more predominant earlier, as it lends a balance to this beer that prevents the huge hop character from getting too sharp and medicinal.

Mouthfeel: Pretty big and thick, with moderate carbonation. It's pretty heavy overall. I like a slightly lighter or more dry mouthfeel, but it's not a dealbreaker.

Overall: I'm glad I came back to this, as this really is a great DIPA and my review did not do it justice before. It definitely falls into that typical West Coast style of bold hop flavors and (when fresh) a barely perceptible malt base. Next in the freshness quest is probably to try it on tap! So this gets bumped up a full point from last time.

4/5

Founders - Breakfast Stout

Breakfast Stout, according to Founders, is "The coffee lover’s consummate beer. Brewed with an abundance of flaked oats, bitter and imported chocolates, and Sumatra and Kona coffee, this stout has an intense fresh-roasted java nose topped with a frothy, cinnamon-colored head that goes forever."

It's 8.3% ABV and available during the fall and winter in the Founders distribution network, which includes most of the Midwest and East Coast. There are rumors and rumblings about Founders bringing some of their offerings out to California, and we have in the last year seen a few kegs make their way out here. There's still no concrete word about if we'll see regular distribution of either kegs or bottles, but we have our fingers crossed! My bottle today is a late 2011 bottling that I received in a trade.

Appearance: Dark opaque brown, practically black, with a mocha-colored thin head that recedes to a small layer of foam of the same color without leaving much lacing on the glass.

Smell: A huge wave of sharp, bitter coffee, particularly espresso. There is also a hint of smokiness, and overall the scent is strong and black and not very sweet at all.

Taste: More massive espresso flavor, but a bit of milk chocolate creaminess rounds out the palate. There is no burn from the alcohol, which is nice. Like the nose, the flavor is predominately that of fresh roasted coffee -- the roasted quality is so present -- but it is nice to get a little bit of sweetness in from the chocolate. That sweetness becomes a bit more obvious as the beer warms, which is a pleasant effect, and the flavor becomes reminiscent of a creamed coffee liqueur.

Mouthfeel: Thick and creamy, with soft carbonation. Very substantial.

Overall: A pretty delicious stout, particularly if you like them coffee-forward. I think I tend to prefer just a bit more sweetness, but this delivers 100% on what it claims to be, and I love drinking it when I get the chance.

4/5

Stone Brewing Co - Enjoy by 09.21.12 IPA

Stone says: "You have in your hands a devastatingly fresh double IPA. While freshness is a key component of many beers - especially big, citrusy, floral IPAs - we've taken it further, a lot further, in this IPA. You see, we specifically brewed it NOT to last. We've not only gone to extensive lengths to ensure that you're getting this beer in your hands within an extraordinarily short window, we made sure that the Enjoy By date isn't randomly etched in tiny text somewhere on the label, to be overlooked by all but the most attentive of retailers and consumers. Instead, we've sent a clear message with the name of the beer itself that there is no better time than right now to enjoy this IPA."

Like Stone said, this is a 9.4% DIPA, bottled 8/17/12, that absolutely must be had fresh. My understanding is that after 9/21/12, they're supposed to force all retailers to pull this from the market. The Stone blog says that initially, this batch will hit the Southern CA, New Jersey, and Chicago markets, but that they will continue to brew batches with the same 35 day freshness window and eventually get those out to cover more of their usual markets. Good stuff!

Appearance: Completely clear golden wheat colored, with a modest head and minimal lacing on the sides of the glass. Carbonation is visible and appears sparse.

Smell: Huge. Dank hoppiness, pine and tropical mango, lemon zest, and a touch of sweetness.

Taste: More great tropical fruit flavor, with citrus coming in as well to join the trifecta of wonderful hop flavor (resin, tropical fruit, citrus fruit.) It's definitely bitter, and a little peppery as well, with the tiniest hint of biscuit that remains on the tongue after swallowing.

Mouthfeel: Wow -- this is smooth, medium-bodied, and it finishes bone dry. Incredible. There is no heat from the alcohol, which is quite a feat, and despite a bit of initial oiliness the beer finishes perfectly clean. Very nice.

Overall: I'm really impressed with this. Between Enjoy By and Ruination 10, Stone has knocked it out of the park lately. Any hophead would love this. Critically, since I feel I should at least try, I do think that in their effort to give this a short shelf-life, they compromised a bit on the balance with the malt bill. As the beer warms, it loses some potency and the taste becomes thinner, as the hop aromatics become less obvious and there doesn't seem to be much of a foundation in malt to bolster it. That's a nitpick though, because it's still tasty, and the "problem" is easily avoided -- don't let the beer get warm. Anyway, if this reached your market, definitely grab a bottle, but don't wait to drink it!

4.5/5

The Alchemist - Heady Topper

On the back of the can, Alchemist writes: "Heady Topper is an American Double India Pale Ale. This beer is not intended to be the biggest or most bitter. It is meant to give you wave after wave of hoppy goodness on your palate. Tremendous amounts of American hops will creep up on you, and leave you with a dense hoppy finish in your mouth. 
So drinkable, it's scary.
Sometimes I wish I could crawl right into the can. Freshness and control have always been my main concern when it comes to our beer. We are committed to providing you with an unfiltered and unpasteurized hop experience."

Heady Topper is a 9% DIPA produced year-round in Vermont, and it's only really available in that state on a reliable basis. The Alchemist's "mission statement" is that they are currently committed to brewing this beer perfectly, so they don't make any other beer besides this one for the time being. If you're in Vermont state and/or can take trips to the brewery, this is a fairly easy get; for me in California, I rely on friends to try this brew. So again I say: thank you friends!

Appearance: You'll see I don't have a shot of the glass here. You may also notice that the can says "Drink from the can!" Brewer John Kimmich says on this point: “Why do I recommend that you drink it from the can? Quite simply, to ensure a delightful, hop experience. The act of pouring it in a glass smells nice, but it releases the essential hop aromas that we have worked so hard to retain. If you MUST pour it into a glass, you may find that some of the hop resins have settled to the bottom – leave them in the can when pouring.” So, I have left it in the can as requested.

Smell: Massive floral notes and tropical fruit aromas, including pineapple and mango. There is also great earthy pine and a hint of caramel malt sweetness.

Taste: So many different notes in this beer: pine, grass, pepper, citrus (grapefruit and lemon), mango. Hop bitterness is there, but it's balanced exceptionally well, so the hops contribute the aforementioned flavors rather than anything astringent. The alcohol is also masked very well.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with low-ish carbonation. The finish is a bit wet, but not sticky or oily. It reminds me of drinking juice, in a way.

Overall: This is an unquestionably stellar DIPA. The aroma is huge, which is such a nice thing -- a lot of times a beer will taste great, but the aroma will be simply average. Here, it contributes in a big way to the overall experience. I have zero complaints about this beer. It's wonderful, and I'm lucky to have people on the east coast to send it my way.

5/5

Founders Brewing Co - Frangelic Mountain Brown

Frangelic Mountain Brown is a limited (brewed-once) beer that was released into the Founders distribution network July 2012. Midwest and some East Coast folks got a shot of getting this in bottles; lil' ole me in California needed to rely on friends out that way to try it myself. Thank you, as always, friends across the country! Founders says: "We’re excited to share this beer with all of you. The use of hazelnut coffees in the brewing process gives Frangelic Mountain Brown distinct flavor and aromatics, with sweet and nutty notes beautifully balanced. We think you’ll enjoy it. We do." 

As the name suggests, this is a brown ale that checks in at 9% ABV. As the quote from Founders mentions, it was brewed with hazelnut coffee as a adjunct, so there is meant to be a strong flavor from that, melding (ideally!) with the nuttiness from the brown ale style.

Appearance: Clear dark brown, not opaque, with a small one-finger head that recedes down to invisibility and leaves essentially nothing on the sides of the glass.

Smell: Hazelnut is super dominant: nutty and sweet. There are coffee notes there, as well as faint traces of biscuit and milk chocolate.

Taste: It tastes exactly how you would expect it to, from the smell: huge hazelnut coffee sweetness dominates the palate, with more subtle notes of caramel, toffee, and light chocolate at the end.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with a slight chewiness, that then finishes surprisingly dry. Excellent mouthfeel -- there is body and heft throughout that feels appropriate given the flavor profile, but then it doesn't linger and feel sticky and overwhelming. Nicely done.

Overall: For me, this wasn't the most complex beer. The hazelnut was super dominant and overpowered a lot of the more subtle notes I might have otherwise picked up from the brown ale style. All that said, it was pretty damn good, especially if you are a hazelnut fan -- think Nutella, Frangelico, etc. Particularly considering that great mouthfeel, this is still a beer that Founders can be very proud of. The beer fully commits to its style and namesake, which is a nice change from me often drinking a beer that claims to be brewed with something, and not actually being able to taste it that much. So overall, well done.

3.5/5

A quick note on my numerical scoring

My scores are not meant to be comparable to those on BeerAdvocate, or any other site that ranks beer. When I score, the following are taken into account:

• I am only judging this beer against other craft beers, so even my lower scored beers will almost certainly outclass macrobrews
• Style is given some consideration, i.e., how does this IPA stack up against other IPAs? I try to think this way because I obviously have styles that I prefer and would tend to rank higher overall. I don't review beers that I suspect I don't like simply because of the style. Before giving a final score, though, I still do think about the rank of the beer in general amongst all of the beers I enjoy, so style isn't everything. I wouldn't give a 5 to a beer just for being among the best of its style; I would have to enjoy it that much to warrant its 5. It is my blog after all, and at the end of the day I don't really want my scores to speak for anyone's taste other than my own.
• I don't grade on a curve, so while a score of 3 appears harsh on several other sites, it's not intended to be here. Beers that receive a 3 or 3.5 are still beers that I liked and would happily drink again. 

I hope that clears some things up.

Stone Brewing Co - Double Bastard Ale (2007)

Stone tends to write a lot about their beers, so instead of grabbing the blurb from their website this time I'll go back to describing it myself. How old-fashioned! Double Bastard is another American Strong Ale, ranging anywhere from 10%-11.5% ABV depending on the vintage. It's released seasonally in the winter, and since Stone's distribution is extremely widespread, it's pretty easy to come by. The bottle I'm tasting tonight was recently re-released at Stone -- on a weekly basis, they do "special" bottle releases or growler fills, and the 2007 Double Bastard was one such release. This was a nice grab, since I feel I can trust Stone to age their beers properly, not like sticking a box in some guy's hot garage or something. So, happy 5th birthday to this beer!

  

Appearance: Clear, dark copper-brown, with a modest head that recedes quickly to a paper-thin foam layer and leaves no lacing on the sides of the glass.

Smell: Raisin, brown sugar, chocolate, a touch of spice, and slight alcohol. There is even a slight piney character that appears to be residual from the hops, even after 5 years. Very cool, and very Stone, since they hop the crap out of their beers.

Taste: The taste is not quite as complex as the smell, but it's still warm, sweet, and tasty. More strong notes of brown sugar and dark fruit, and yes! There is still a bit of earthy, resiny bitterness there on the finish.

Mouthfeel: The body is very smooth, and the carbonation seems pretty upfront when I first take a sip. After a second, though, it dissipates and leaves the beer with a rich, thick, viscous quality that is definitely strong, but not in an off-putting way.

Overall: This beer holds up really nicely, and is in fact a very different beer from how it is fresh. After it's first released, it comes across like an imperial IPA, albeit one with a stronger malt profile. Now, though, the hops have obviously faded, but they still contribute some pine bitterness that makes this different from many other malt-forward strong ales. In general, whether aged or not, I've always thought Double Bastard is a great "bang for your buck" beer, and especially considering that it's not barrel-aged, it packs a considerable flavor punch.

3.5/5