Archive for August, 2009
Clipper City “Big DIPA” Double IPA
I recently tried this beer during a trip to Richmond, VA. All the while, I realized I had a bomber of this sitting in my fridge back home. However, the folks at Capital Ale House were sadly out of their most primo and bizarro offerings on the menu. After running down the list of great beers (and being told they were out of stock), I decidedly had my mind set on a big, ballsy beer. Being a superfan of Clipper City’s big offerings, I had a feeling the Big DIPA was my option of last resort. And, I was correct. Now, here I am back home, so I’ma give you a short review.
The Big DIPA pours a fairly clear and very deep amber color with lots of carbonation and a thin caramel head that froths up, but quickly subsides to a silky sheet over the surface of the beer. In the nose, this is chock full of big, bitter, fresh hops – it smells wonderful, in fact. The flavor of this is just as big as we’ve come to expect from the folks at Clipper City. It is initially quite bitter on the tip of the tongue. However, a rather syrupy sweetness from the malt quickly rises up to squelch some of that hop (but not nearly all of it). A sweetness blended with a delicious floral hop rides the tongue all the way to the back of the mouth, where the malty sweetness slides down the throat while the hop flavor shoots up the nasal passage. These two flavors live, segregated, in the aftertaste for quite some time, giving this a flavor that sticks with you for quite some time. All in all, it’s a IIPA that lives up there with the best of the best. I’ve had tons of these, many of which are great. The Big DIPA exhibits both a strength of character and a balance of flavor that is quite impressive. So, I suppose I’ll keep waiting to eventually be disimpressed by a Clipper City beer, because this one surely isn’t the one to do it.
Smuttynose Farmhouse Ale
This bad boy is a bomber from Smuttynose’s Big Beer series. Smuttynose makes good beers year round, and I especially look forward to their special releases like this. These guys are never stingy with the big ingredients and big flavors, and I’m exceptionally excited to try their take on one of my season faves, a farmhouse ale.
This brew pours a just-slightly-hazy golden color with a fine yet resilient white head and ample effervescence presenting itself in the form of hundreds of tiny bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass. In the nose, this beer is super sour. There is a ton of lemon rind citrus that burns the nose, along with a hefty malty contribution, making this smell powerful and rich. When this first hits the tongue, it threatens a light burn with all of the carbonation and citrus. However, it seems that the big malt profile instantly jumps in, making this feel smooth and silky across the tongue. It doesn’t, however, block out that huge citrus flavor. Through the mouth, there is ample citrus to make your mouth pucker up. At the same time, the malt makes this rich and big, and the hefty alcohol gives it a burn and some serious pizazz at the back of the mouth. This is definitely a farmhouse ale by the books, but turned up to 11. It has all those trademark flavors that we expect, but they’re so big and bodacious that it’s in a slightly different league than most. What we lose in this exchange is the level of refreshment that a farmhouse ale usually offers. Rather, the size of this makes it too big and thick, thus placing it in a more decadent category. I’ve had a few farmhouse ales like this in the past, and I definitely love them. However, it isn’t recommended for a hot day in the sun. Rather, save this one for a warm evening on the porch, and you’ll be very happy with your selection.
Shiner Hefeweizen
Honestly, we don’t do too much with the folks at Shiner. I mean, I like their Bock – it was one of the earlier good American beers I got into. They also make a decent dunkelweizen. This is the first time I’ve tried out there hefe – during these hot summer months, you really can’t beat a good wheat beer, so I took a few of these to a cook-out recently and saved one for the site.
This one pours a hazy yellowish golden color with a dense white head that is surprisingly healthy and long-lasting for a wheat beer. The aroma is fairly, rich – chock full of clove and banana with some sweeter yeasty tints. In the mouth, I’m surprised at how flavorful this stuff is. There is a lot of yeast, giving this a sweet and syrupy mouthfeel at times. In addition, there is a ton of banana – a trait that some would say indicates an imperfect wheat beer, but I’m liking it. There is a decent amount of spice here, going along with that clove aroma. Also, there’s a good shot of citrus, though it tends to take the back seat here. All in all, it’s a decent wheat beer. It isn’t quite as refined as some, and it honestly reminds me of a couple of homebrew wheats we’ve made here at SevenPack Central. However, for the price and availability, this is a pretty killer summer beer…
Harpoon Leviathan Big Bohemian Pilsner
Ben just reviewed the Imperial IPA in the Harpoon Leviathan series, so I thought I would tackle their Big Bohemian Pilsner.
The beer poured a clear yellow with a white head that lasted a few minutes. As the head receded a thick lacing of foam stuck to the glass. The nose of the beer was predominantly spicy noble hops, with hints of pilsner malt. For taste this spice hop characteristic attacks the middle of the tongue. This is well balanced however with the pilsner malt. The malt might not have had much aroma but it stands up to the hops very well, and provides a very chewy mouth feel, akin to under baked bread. The beer finishes slightly bitter, and relatively clean, with a mild aftertaste.
Even though this is an imperial styled beer I found the beer very drinkable and one that did not destroy my taste buds, which can be a side effect of imperial beers. Being so drinkable I had to keep in mind the beer hits 9% abv. A good beer for any time, especially in nice weather. Consider that high praise from a non-lager drinker.
Harpoon “Leviathan” IIPA
Always in the market for a good IIPA, I was happy to see this Harpoon offering on the shelves recently. I’ve managed to catch the Harpoon brewery tour on many occasions whilst in the Boston area, and while I’m not totally nuts about any of their beers, I was always impressed with the operation and their generous pours at the tour. I’m anxious to see what they can do with this genre…
This IIPA pours remarkably clear, which surprises me a bit. Usually, if a brewer is going to go all out with an IPA, they’ll let the sediment remain, but this is remarkably crisp and clear with a big sticky head and plenty of effervescent carbonation bubbles streaming from the bottom of the glass. In the nose, there is no mistaking what this beer is. The hop aroma positively smacks you in the face. It smells very fresh and sticky, like lots of flowery fresh hop buds. In the mouth, this tastes exactly like it smells. It is a true hop bomb, starting with flower sweetness on the tip of the tongue and quickly floating into some heavy hop bitterness, though never losing that floral note. A nice addition to this brew is a pretty heavy malt profile, leaving this tasting (and feeling) remarkably rich through the mouth. You can tell there is a boat-load of hop here, but it never quite overpowers the palate, as the richness of the malt cuts through the bitterness. What is allowed through, though, is a nice pineapple sweetness towards the back of the tongue and into the aftertaste. This is very, very good. I’ve been nursing a keg of Dogfish Head 90-Minute IPA for a few weeks now, so my palate is accustomed to a good hoppy IPA. I’m tempted to say this beats out the 90-minute for my current mood, and that’s saying a lot. The appearance, the freshness, and that fruity sweet pineapple taste from the hop just puts this right over the bar. An exceptional beer that, unfortunately, has a rather exceptional price tag. But, really, isn’t it worth $2.50/bottle for a beer that really exceeds expectations? Probably so…
Smuttynose “Hanami” Ale
I first saw this beer about 15 minutes ago at the Blue Light in Durham, and it was(is) on sale for $4.99/6-pack. Now, normally, I might shy away from a beer on that sort of blowout sale unless I was certain I liked it. However, this is practically half price for a Smuttynose beer, and every other beer of theirs I’ve tried has been great. So, despite the Japanese cherry blossom theme and the risky ‘beer brewed with malt and cherries’ description, I’m going to give it a go.
This beer sure pours like a cherry beer. It is a mix of dull brown and bright pinkish-red with plenty of dense debris. The head on this is fluffy and slightly off-white, puffing up rocky and course, before settling into a nice cake on the surface of the beer. The aroma here is mostly malt – sweet and biscuity – with just a little bit of noticeable fruit aroma. In the mouth, this is super interesting. Initially, it offers a big sour cherry blast with just the lightest fruit sweetness. Shortly, however, the malt begins to mediate the sourness, giving this some richer biscuity flavors. Look out, though – the cherry doesn’t like to be messed with – ’cause on the back of the tongue another blast of sour cherry unexpectedly hits, forcing me to practically pucker up. This sourness diminishes somewhat, leaving me with a light sweetness on the aftertaste, and a mouth coated with rich malt flavors. Very, very strange, but not bad at all. This toes the line of being a Flemish sour ale style, but the richness of the malt backs it off. I can certainly see why this stuff wouldn’t be flying off the shelves, but only because it is so abrupt and unique in its flavors. However, I’m very glad to have picked this up because, frankly, I like it a lot. I find it to be interesting, thirst quenching, and a great experiment with rich malt and sour cherry flavors. I’m liable to hit the Blue Light for a case of this stuff the next time I’m in the area, so you’d better go get yours now…
Craft Brew Gin Showdown!
Tonight I’m posting a review that, frankly, doesn’t belong on this site. Furthermore, it’s a review that’s been in the works for about a year, as I just haven’t felt the gumption to complete it in quite some time. But, what the hey, I’ve got the house to myself on a Friday night, so what better to do than sit around and hammer down a couple of martinis…
That’s right folks, tonight I’m reviewing some fancy pants gin made by two of our most renowned craft brewers in the US of A – Rogue and Dogfish Head. The Dogfish Head “Jin” was purchased during a trip to the brewpub in Rehoboth Beach, and I understand that it is distilled on site. The Rogue Spruce Gin was purchased during time spent in Grand Forks, ND. Now they’re both here with me in the Old North State.
So, as I’ve already alluded, my gin drink of choice is a gin martini. I’m of the mind that the only real martini is made with gin, though I must admit that I muddy the style a bit by making mine with just a splash of sweet vermouth and nothing more – no twist of lemon, no olives, lots of gin. So, let’s do this thing!
Dogfish Head Jin:
I won’t discuss the ‘pour’ or the ‘head’ of these drinks like I normally would because, frankly, there’s nothing interesting about the appearance of a gin martini – it looks like a glass of water. The aroma of this gin is chock full of pine aromas – almost like sticking a Christmas tree up your nose – really quite nice. In the mouth, there is a great amount of sweetness to this gin, more even than the sweet vermouth I used will contribute. There are interesting hints of mint and light fruit on the palate, and even a strange flavor that I couldn’t initially place, but I now have found to be rosemary. It turns out that this is distilled with pineapple mint, juniper berries, rosemary, and green peppercorns and, frankly, you can taste it. I didn’t necessarily get the peppercorns initially, though on subsequent tastes, there is a certain peppery spice there in the aftertaste. All in all, this is good. Probably not a gin for purists, as it does have a large amount of botanical flavoring to it, making it fruitier and spicier than a normal gin. However, there’s no mistaking that it is, in fact, gin – it has all of that evergreen effervescence and a nice burn down the throat. I’ve been very impressed with this gin and I would certainly buy it again.
Rogue Spruce Gin:
The Rogue gin is a beast of a different color. The sweetness is all but gone here, being replaced by an earthy flavor that is, in a word, manly. There is a lot of piney flavor here, as is evidenced by the fact that this is a spruce gin. Insomuch as is possible while holding a martini glass, I feel like a lumberjack drinking this. The flavor isn’t terribly subtle, but rather starts off flat and then smacks you in the face with it’s sprucey flavor, big and earthy. Down the throat, it is quite strong and even a bit abrasive. If you’re a person that likes to really feel your drinks, then this may be down your alley.
Personally, though I may risk cashing in my man card here, I vastly prefer the Dogfish Head to the Rogue in this experiment. The DFH was flavorful and smooth, whereas the Rogue is blunt and harsh. I almost certainly wouldn’t buy the Rogue again, though that’s not to say some wouldn’t love it. If you’re in the mood for a good martini after a long day of toppin’ trees in Montana, then maybe the Rogue is for you. Otherwise, I’d suggest reaching for the Dogfish Head if faced with this choice…
Pretty Things American Darling
I am not a big Lager drinker. It’s probably all those adjunct-lagers I used to drink that turned me off the “style”. I know its not right to cast-off such a large swath of the beer world, so I have slowly been making amends, trying the occasional lager at bars and home. With the recent All-Star game (Dave: This post has been sitting around a while), I decided what better thing to drink then a Lager. I was not going to buy a Bud or something of that ilk, so I went with a craft Lager. Pretty Things Brewing answered that call perfectly with their American Darling, which had hit shelves that day.
The American Darling poured a crystal-clear, golden-yellow with lots of small bubbles quickly rising through the pint glass. The head was a stark white that lasted a good seven minutes. Even after receding there was still a full-thin head atop the beer. This head made an interesting crescent moon with its slight differences in foam density. The aromas of grain, lightly cracked pepper, and noble hops emanating from the head were not powerful but were present and enjoyable. Though the beer was light in the mouth I would not qualify it as watery in the least, giving my mouth a good consistent coating. With a slightly sweetened light bread mid-taste the beer finished with a noble hop spicy characteristic that was the most predominant aspect of the beer taste-wise.
With the beer’s seven percent abv. it is reaching the upper-scales of a session beer. You probably do not want to drink too many while mowing the lawn, you might end up missing a section of said lawn. The beer however offers light, enjoyable flavors that finish clean and is a refreshing experience in all regards.
The Bruery Saison De Lente
A couple months back The Bruery celebrated their one year anniversary. I thought that was fare occasion to pick up one of their beers and see what they were all about. Of the three Bruery beers on the shelf of the better beer store, two of them were Saisons. Being that I enjoy a good Saison, I found this to be a favorable sign. I picked up a bottle of Saison De Lente, took it home, and opened it up on a nice spring day (one of very few) while sitting on my deck. I was prepared to take notes that day, but upon my first sip of the beer, I forgot about that directive and just sat their sipping the beer enjoying the day. Fortunately there were more De Lentes at the store and I compelled myself to actually take notes while drinking one.
In the tulip glass the beer poured a golden color that was so hazy I could only see indistinct shapes through the beer’s body. The beer was topped with a half finger of white head made of tiny bubbles. The head had good staying power and once receded provided a full covering. A bouquet of aromas encompassed my nose. A spicy-hop character played well with a yeast note that had a slightly sour tweak to it. There was also a lemon-citrus attribute, and a fading hint of green apples, which I only noticed some of the time. In the mouth the beer runs slightly rough due to the carbonation. Nothing overly distracting, but noticeable. As the nose of the beer was light, so was the taste. A light bread-malt profile mixes with a slight sour presence that gives the beer a small, enjoyable, and refreshing funky character. This taste profile leads to a finish of light lemon, spice and bitterness.
This was an excellent showing by The Bruery, and I rank it very highly in my ever changing “best beer” list. Definitely a beer I have no issue picking up again… and again. When producing beers like this, it is no surprise The Bruery has lasted a year, and I hope they last many more.
NB: The label mentions the beer can be aged for two years. I find that a bit funny, since the brewery has only been around one year. I assume they are making an educated guess with that statement. Alas the beer is so good I do not think I could hold on to it for that long anyway.
From the country that brought us Scotch whisky…
Patenting Yeast?
Avery “Brabant” Wild Ale
Avery makes some good beers. Now, Matty has been a huge proponent of Avery since day 1. However, I was a bit slower to come around. I always thought their beers were good, but not necessarily standouts. However, after visiting the brewery and having the opportunity to try some of their crazy Demons of Ale series, I had to come around. These guys have a great operation that is small, grassroots, and cranks out some good beers. At the brewery, it seems like everybody does everything, and there’s a true feeling of community. And, hell, a buddy of mine helped build their new tasting room, so that’s also pretty cool.
What I’m really getting around to is, I’d better really love a brewery to drop $9 for a single 12 oz. bottle of beer from them. And that’s just what I did. The Brabant is a little $9 bottle of wild ale brewed with two strains of Brettanomyces yeast and subsequently aged for 9 months in White Zinfandel barrels. I mean, that’s kinda risky, right? It’s very expensive, deals with a very testy yeast strain, and undergoes aging in a very unusual barrel. Anything could happen with this, and it’s ballsy for Avery to try it.
The Brabant pours a deep, deep brown with some purplish tints in the light. The head is sticky and dense and off-white, sticking to the sides of the glass all the way down. In the nose, this is wild and tangy. It actually burns a bit in the nostrils while giving off some light sweet notes reminiscent of light grapes – no doubt a contribution from the Zin barrels. Now, the flavor. It’s obviously unlike anything I’ve ever tasted. There is a sour burn on the tip of the tongue, which is something I’ve come to expect from Brett beers. However, there’s also this tart sweetness that brings to mind light grapes and some grapefruit tartness, as well. It’s deep and flavorful and it positively coats the mouth and throat with a flavor that just doesn’t seem to go away. Down the throat, the predominant flavor is grape and sourness, and it just sticks in the throat. I’m sure there are some flavors I’m missing here, and I’m certain I’m making this very simplistic. But, the fact is that this beer has many layers, and one of those is very reminiscent of a white wine, which can have many layers itself. So, there are several nuances here that would require a more sophisticated palate than my own. What I can say is that it’s unique, appealing, and challenging to the tastebuds, but I do think it’s actually worth the $9, just because it’s so darn novel.
Flying Dog “Kerberos” Tripel
Oops! We almost forgot about this offering from the Beer of the Month Club this month, simply because we drank them so fast! This is actually a beer we have reviewed previously, and I’ve simply appended that review below. It’s still delicious, and I love a tripel – so these disappeared quickly.
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I love a tripel, and I kinda like Flying Dog. Together, we may perhaps have a tasty brew. This one can be found in 4-packs around the way right now, and it MIGHT be a limited release – not sure. Regardless, I was glad to get my hand on a few of these.
This tripel pours a mildly hazy golden color with quite a lot of dense suspended debris and a light white head that eventually fizzes out to nothing. Throughout it all, though, there is a lot of carbonation here, with steady streams of tiny bubbles rising throughout the life of the beer. The aroma of this beer is very nice with tons of spice, lots of sharp candi sugar, and a ‘pungence’ that slightly burns the nose (in a good way). In the mouth, this is a pretty good tripel. All of the ingredients are here for a good tripel. There is a nice burn on the tip of the tongue, some powerful candi sugar flavors that stick all over the tongue, and a good amount of spice to keep the sweetness from being too cloying. The only downside of this beer is a tangy bitterness that strikes right on the front end of the aftertaste. I can’t really say that this twang ruins the beer – some may even say it adds to complexity – but, for me, it taints an otherwise smooth and simple tripel (which is sorta the way I like ‘em). So, overall, it’s a pretty good tripel. It’s a little more abrasive than I like, and it simply isn’t the best I’ve had. But, in this price range, I can’t say it’s a bad buy.
