So here I am, anxiously waiting for my freshly bottled nectar to be ripen in the bottles. I suppose I should back up a week and explain how the bottling process went. 

For some reason I was under the impression that this pale ale only needed to ferment for 1 week...no secondary fermentation, no second week in the primary fermenter. The yeast was very active the first few days and the whole thing seemed pretty calm for several days in a row after that. Stupidly, I based my decision to bottle on these observations. I do have a hydrometer, but I'm not really sure how to use it properly, and I decided that shooting from the hip was OK for this first round. 

I learned from other online posts that I could have risked extreme pressure build up in the bottles had the fermentation still been happening, leading to "bottle bombs"...a somewhat undesirable version of a "works bombs" with added glass shrapnel. However, I've had no problems so far, so I think I am in the clear for the most part. 

The most exciting part about bottling is the moderately high level of stress involved with trying to make sure everything is sterile. Not only does the task carry a certain amount of worry, it goes without saying that it's a pain in the rear to clean 40+ bottles. 

This is a rather unpleasant look into the fermenter. Fortunately, a lot of the hop sediment was pushed to the walls of the bucket. I was actually very pleased with the the look of the beer as it was coming through the siphoning tube. 

I tried to get a shot of the relative clarity of the beer as it was flowing, but I can see now that this picture sucks. 

So yada yada yada, all of the bottles are filled and stored away in a dark spot at room temperature. I was definitely not going to rip labels off of all of the bottles, but eventually I would like to put a little effort into making some of my own labels...if for no other than to just distinguish more easily between my home brew and some beer that I might actually want to drink. 

 

*Footnote: I tried a beer about 4 days into the bottle conditioning phase because I wanted to learn and be aware of the changes that take place over time. It was palatable in that I finished it without any issues; however, it was basically raw and "green" as expected. I'm crossing my fingers that it will round out nicely into a mild pale ale with some pop. We'll see. 

It's been a really long time since I've posted to this blog, and let's be honest, nobody reads this thing. It started as a way for me to keep a record of what I drank. That spun wildly out of hand and I was getting backlogged. Right around the time that I felt like posting to this thing was eerily close to homework, I decided to give it a rest. Actually having legitimate homework was another deterrent. How many different ways can you say, "this is hoppy, malty, medium bodied"... etc. I'm not discounting the art of rating beer, the exercise was a huge part of me learning about craft beer and becoming passionate about the many nuances. Why am I breaking the silence for the 3 people that look at this blog you ask?

My wife let go of her fear of the space limitations that define our apartment and bought me a home brew kit for my birthday! So here's a new rabbit hole to explore. It's mind boggling for sure, but all of that brewery tour lingo is starting to make so much more sense to me now. 

My first batch has been in my high tech drywall mud bucket for about a week now. I have really resisted the urge to mess with it too much in fear of contamination. However, I have opened it on two occasions to give the proverbial man nod of approval as if I have any idea whatsoever if anything is right or wrong. 

Recipe: Basic no frills 60 minute extract boil

3.3lb Northwestern Gold Extract Syrup 

7g Coopers Dry Yest

1oz Columbus Hop Pellets

1oz Simcoe Hop Pellets

60 minute boil with hop additions at 20 min (Columbus) and 40 min (Simcoe). 

I wouldn't dare name this beer without tasting it, but I'm expecting a pretty raw pale ale. 

Below is a picture of a sample of the brew a few days into fermentation. I poured a New Dogtown Pale Ale from Lagunitas to compare the appearance and because I was thirsty...I mostly just wanted a beer and felt like I was doing something by taking this picture. So my non-carbonated beer on the right is cloudy and, well, not carbonated. Other than that, I wasn't disappointing with the appearance; I was expecting a lot more floaters and undesirables in there. I have a hydrometer, but if you give a monkey a scalpel he ain't gonna perform heart surgery. In other words, Homebrew 1.0 will have to a little mysterious. 

Bottling conditioning is next and I plan to post a tasting after one  week (because I know it wont be ready but I wont be able to help myself) and 2 weeks...with the understanding that it may take that 3rd week to really be mellowed out and homogeneous. Haha, it could be straight swill in a bottle, it's 50/50 at this point.

Cheers!  

Bear Republic: Hot Rod Rye (American IPA) 8.0%

This one poured a lot darker than I was expecting. It has an unfiltered haze to it along with a nice big, tan head. The nose is most notably sugary, but the hops and the grains come through as well. I haven’t had many ryes, so I am still figuring them out. I do feel a difference in the body. For an 8% beer, it seems like this beer should be much heavier; somehow the rye has a less oppressive presence than a heavy malt version. The beer is very caramely, but then bitter hops to follow to round this one out. I cannot get over the clean feeling this beer has in the aftertaste. This brew boasts a great aroma, crisp yet complex flavor, and a clean bite finish…easy drinker considering. Note: This beer only contains 18% rye, so it isn’t a dominant flavor. 

My Rating: A/4.4

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/610/3158

Grand Teton: Lost Continent IPA (Double IPA)

It pours murky, dark peach color that you cannot see through. The head is there, but does fade quickly.  The whole feel is juicy... pretty heavy, sweet and under carbonated.  The smell is heavy hops and sugary spice. There is a pleasant toasty bitterness that makes this DIPA pretty drinkable. However, the heavy fruit and sour flavors do become overwhelming by the end.  This was good for one, it would be hard to drink two.

My Rating: B+/4.0

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/413/49696

Stone: Arrogant Bastard (American Strong Ale) 7.2%

This pours a dark, hazy brown and has a good amount of off-white head and sticky lacing. The smell is dark fruit and a little spice. The flavor is heavy bitterness and dark-fruits…I guess. I feel like the flavor should be sweeter or something, I just taste a lot of extreme bitterness...black walnut comes to mind. I’m not complaining, however, I don’t even love highly sweet beers. This beer is definitely tasty, but I would like to revisit it in a food pairing situation.  Additionally, I think this beer would be best served in the fall or winter. At a $3.59 price point, I see myself coming back to this in those situations when you want something a little meatier than an IPA. 

My Rating: A-/4.05

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/147/92

Natty Green's: Southern Pale Ale (APA) 5.3%

This pours hazy orange and has a good head that lasts; no complaints on the appearance. The smell is invitingly hoppy with a subtle amount of malt. The flavor is immediately tart and grassy. The earthy woodsy taste is actually pretty overpowering. I don’t find this to be my favorite pale ale by a long shot, but I would definitely recommend this to someone who was seeking out that “mowed grass” taste.

My Rating: B-/3.35

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/9792/19162 

Emmett's: Victory Pale Ale (APA) 5.6%

This pours a fuzzy copper and has a nice head and some sticky lacing. For a Pale Ale, the hops are surprisingly detectable in the nose…then some mild malt. The flavor has a nice mild malt center with a bitterness that falls off almost as soon as you notice it. The whole feel of this beer is extremely clean and refreshing. This is a nice beer that I could have a few of. Notable Midwest Pales: Goose Island, Two Brothers, Three Floyds, Emmett’s?!...Yes.

My Rating: A-/4.05

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/5188/39984

Loanrider: Peacemaker Pale Ale (APA) 5.7%

First off, this beer is fantastic for a Pale Ale. It pours a nice hazy copper color and has a decent head. The smell is fairly strong floral hops with some malt. The flavor has a pleasant tip-of-the-tongue bit. The whole bitter hops thing lingers and it never really moves to sugary malt, which I welcome. You get a lot of earthy, floral malt up front without the heavy malt back end. The lack of sweetness makes the body seem pretty manageable; I’d definitely have a couple. Great local find.

My Rating: A/4.45

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/19126/54903 

This beer pours a clear golden color with two fingers of head and some lacing. The smell is inviting, but not huge. Again, the flavor is pleasant but nothing crazy. I first had this beer alongside Lonerider’s Peacemaker Pale Ale. The pale ale was stronger and arguably better. If you are looking for an IPA that is agreeable, this beer has a nice finish and a bitter bite. For those not seeking a large amount of hops, this beer had a pretty clean finish with a nice bite of bitter fruitiness. If you like IPA because it’s delicious and awesome and you can’t quench your craving for “loud” beer, then this is something that you might as well not buy, nuff said. 

My Rating: B/3.68

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/764/9699

Ballast Point: Yellowtail Pale Ale (Kolsch) 5.0%

This pours slightly cloudy golden with one finger of head. This beer is quite honestly, disappointing. It tastes like a tolerable golden lager at best. Although the beer is still “crafty” in its quality, the flavor is heavy on the bitter malt side of things. It kind of reminds me of a Dortmunder from Great Lakes…only thinner and not as good. Admittedly, I was expecting an APA, and didn’t realize that this was actually a Kolsch midway through my experience; I still didn’t love this beer.

My Rating: B-/3.35

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/199/696 

Ballast Point: Sculpin IPA (America IPA) 7.0%

This pours cloudy golden with nice head and juice resin lacing. The smell is floral and mildly fruity. The flavor starts with a crisp bite but turns smooth with a subtle amount of fruit and punch-in-the-face hops. The flavor works through bitterness but it does not take over. I can taste some pleasant grassiness…but not overpowering. The whole feel is pretty much here and gone, but I would not classify it as “rounded” because of the lack of sweet malt. I love this west coast style, and would easily put this beer in my top ten. If you are looking for a rounded IPA with malt and hops at war, this is not it. If you are looking for awesome hop bomb that is easy to drink, this is a must try. Delicious.

My Rating: A+/5.0

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/199/29619 

Orlando Brewing: Blackwater Porter (American Porter) 5.43%

This pours very dark brown with big, tan head and some sediment. The smell is slight coffee and toasted malt. The taste is slightly sweeter than I would expect from the smell, but there is still a pretty good balance to this beer. The aftertaste leaves a bit of a crisp, dry sensation…thus the name. This beer seems a little thin to me, and the retention of the head is not outstanding. Still, this is a drinkable beer with a pleasant, smoky flavor that is great for the style. If you like this beer, you will love Edmond Fitzgerald from Great Lakes. 

My Rating: B+/3.93

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/4614/17648

Lagunitas: IPA (America IPA) 6.2%

This pours hazy orange with light, fluffy head and active bubbles. There is only a little bit of lacing, but the retention is good. The nose is fresh and smells a lot like orange citrus with a little bit of graininess. There is enough of a crisp, bitter bite in the flavor…but a surprising amount of cereal malt in the aftertaste to balance it out. I like that the malt is presence, but not in a sweet syrupy way. This beer is very “approachable”. It’s easy to have a couple, and I feel like even a not-so-adventurous beer drinker could enjoy one. This is like a pumped up Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale, very west coast in style and appearance. 

My Rating: B+/4.0

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/220/916

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp

Weizenbock: 6.8%
This pours a cloudy dark orange, almost brown. The head is very big, but light. There is great lacing and soapy retention. The smell is kind of spicy and sweet. The flavor is very pungent and sweet. This whole beer feels pretty heavy and complex. There is some citrus present here, but I really just taste a lot of soapy sweetness. Upon buying the beer camp 12 pack, I knew this beer would be the weak link for me. I just don’t like any of these cloudy wheat style beers. I don’t really like any wheat or white beers as a rule. I will certainly try them if presented and I can enjoy them for their different uniqueness, but you won’t see me reaching for these styles in the beer isle.

My Rating: B+/3.78
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/140/69070


California Common: 6.5%
This pours a nice orange with large fluffy head. The lacing and retention are superb. The smell is pretty mild…light malt and sweetness. There is a refreshing bitterness to this that is almost lager-ish. The malt is pretty dominant, but there is a decent balance of hops to make this a summer refresher. The beer is well crafted and good, but I don’t see myself craving this style in general. I prefer Liberty Ale to Anchor Steam too, I just lean toward the hops. However, I like a curveball now and then, and this beer tickled my fancy.

My Rating: B+/3.93
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Double IPA: 8.5%

This pours hazy dark yellow with big chunky had. The aroma is very potent and primarily hoppy. The smell is almost skunky, sticky and herbal. So far I approve and I haven’t even tasted this beer. The flavor is a sucker punch of perfect bitter hops and grapefruit. I love this take on a double IPA. I don’t get that heavy, syrupy malt aspect that is so prevalent in a lot of double IPAs. This is just an amazing zing of crazy bitter hops that is just the thing I am always after. The drinkability is very nice for a DIPA. This is my new favorite beer for sure.

My Rating: A+/4.72
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/140/68958

Juniper Black Ale: 8.0%

This pours very black, and almost purple. The head is tan and frothy, and as usual with Sierra Nevada, lasts and lasts. May I remind my large viewing public…I prefer IPA. When you stray away from your norm, SN just cannot disappoint. This is similar to their porter in its dark smokiness, but this Juniper Black Ale has an ever so slight tart flavor. There is a bitter crispness that reminds you of the ale that we oh so love. I think I can detect more “juniper” (whatever that is) in the smell. There is a pleasant fragrance that makes this beer artisanal…a fine, rare treat. I Googled “jumiper”…and yeah, this is kinda piny. Thanks Internet.


My Rating: A-/4.03
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/140/55397

Cigar City: Jai Alai IPA (American IPA) 7.5%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pint glass

This pours very cloudy dark orange and has nice fluffy head with good retention and lacing. The smell is citrusy and slightly malty…you can almost smell the tartness. The taste has a unique fruitiness that I have not quite had before. There seems to be a robust tea-like presence in the flavor, and I can detect some peppery hops as well. There is quite a bit of flavor going on here, and the body is medium-heavy. There is a pleasant crispness that allows this beer to finish pretty smooth, just as you expect it to linger and be overly syrupy. I’m drawn back to this beer's unique complexity again and again. One drink begat another, and so on…

My Rating: A-/4.22

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/17981/46363

Orlando Brewing: Olde Pelican (English Pale Ale) 6.82%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pint glass

This pours glassy copper and has a nice fluffy off-white head. There is also a nice amount of lacing and retention to this beer. There is a lot of malt on the nose. My first impression of the taste is big bitterness. I really like how the toasty malts are preempted by this massive amount of bitterness. The malt flavor does come through, and this beer almost reminds me of a red ale, however, the malt is slightly more mild and bready. This medium bodied beer finishes off crisp and refreshing. This is a great English Pale Ale that could pass as an English Bitter. 

My Rating: A-/4.08

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/4614/34802

Orlando Brewing: European Pilz (Czech Pilsener) 6.15%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pint glass

This pours hazy light yellow and has a big foamy head. The lacing and retention are awesome for a pilsner. The smell is grainy and beery. The taste of this brew is fantastic. I love the complex cereal/bread flavor of this beer. There is a pleasant bitterness as well. For a “lighter” style beer, this is a great example of an easy drinker with a great flavor. The feel of this beer is just a little more tart/crisp than say…a German lager. I got this beer in a sample pack straight from Orlando Brewing, I’m glad I took a chance on this one. 

My Rating: B+/3.9

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/4614/43031

Lagunitas: Cappuccino Stout (American Double/Imperial Stout) 8.8%

Drank From: bomber, poured into a pint glass

This pours very dark brown with a nice tan head. There is some lacing and retention, but not a lot. The smell is strong caramel and sweet coffee. The taste is very dark and toasty. I would even call it woodsy and smoky.  There is a heavy body here that limits your intake, and the syrupy sweetness also doesn’t help the drinkability. This is a solid stout, but not my usual style. 

My Rating: B+/3.85

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/220/20445

Bison: Organic IPA (American IPA) 6.0%

Drank From: bomber, poured into a pint glass

This pours cloudy orange with decent head and some lacing. The smell is a little on the malty-sweet side, I usually like a little more citrus in IPA. There is a mild grassy almost metallic taste that is unusual. Maybe that has something to do with the organic nature. This is a decent beer that doesn’t really jump out at you. It’s a little sweet. I would prefer more bitterness.   


My Rating: B-/3.28
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/609/24093

Three Floyds: Alpha King Pale Ale (APA) 6.5%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pit glass

This pours cloudy amber and has nice fluffy head and good lacing. There are a lot of notable hops on the nose, surprising for a pale ale. The amount of malt is also outstanding, but not surprising once you've seen the dark color. This pale ale is delicious and crisp. There isn’t quite the hop presence that would be in an IPA, but the balance of strong bitterness and heavy malty sweetness packs a powerful yet sessionable flavor combo. The body is fairly heavy for a pale ale, but again, easy to drink. 

My Rating: A/4.5

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/26/39 

Dark Horse: Crooked Tree IPA (American IPA) 6.0%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pint glass

This pours cloudy orange/brown with some sediment. There is moderate head and lacing and the beer is pretty active. The nose is citrus and malt. Flavor is pretty fresh and mild, very minimal yeast detectable...but it does leave a little of that mucky aftertaste. Overall, its fairly sweet. The body is medium and drinkable.

My Rating: B/3.68

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1471/5385 

Sierra Nevada: Southern Hemisphere Harvest Fresh Hop Ale (American IPA) 6.7%

Drank From: bomber, poured into a tulip glass

This pours a really nice dark copper color and has a fluffy head with some larger bubble on top. The lacing is pretty nice, but this beer really isn’t all that thick and sticky…which adds to its appeal in my opinion. The nose definitely does not come on strong, but the taste isn’t a crazy hop bomb either. This is really more of a perfect balance of tart/bitter hops, crispness, and smooth malt rather than a crazy kick in the tongue. Don’t get this expecting some flav-o-ninja to captivate your senses. This is just a solid medium bodied IPA that isn’t all weird and spitty. Drink this beer and you will say, “This is good…the taste is a good taste.”

My Rating: A+/4.6

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/140/42533 

Bear Republic: Racer 5 IPA (American IPA) 7.0%

Drank From: bomber, poured into a pint glass

This pours a nice light brown/orange. The head is moderate with larger pebbles and acceptable retention; the lacing is good as well. The nose isn’t super strong, but the usual smells are there. I wouldn’t call this a hop bomb, but it has a fairly large hop presence, but then a smooth malt finish. This is a solid beer that has a great well-rounded taste and feel. My only criticism is that it seems a little heavy and slimy and I wish there was a little more distinction. Then again, not all beers need to taste like a grapefruit I suppose. 

My Rating: B+/3.9

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/610/2751

Anderson Valley: Summer Solstice Cerveza Crema (Cream Ale) 5.6%

Drank From: can, poured into a pint glass

This pours cloudy dark copper and has a very small amount of head with no retention or lacing. This is a very sweet beverage that barely tastes like a beer. It’s big boy’s cream soda. Although I don’t reach for one of these every time I’m craving a beer, I thoroughly enjoy this as something different and refreshing. The quality is top notch…medium smooth body and very drinkable. Again, not my first choice, but for the style this has to be an “A-”. 

My Rating: A-/4.08

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/193/23506

Widmer Brothers Brewing Company: X-114 IPA (American IPA) 6.2%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pint glass

This is beer is very crafted and good, dare I say, almost too refined. The pour is a cloudy golden color with foamy head, good lacing, and moderate retention. The smell is pleasant hop/floral. The taste is dominated by bitter hops. Rather than a sweet malty complexity, there is a cereal graininess that adds a nice non-syrupy complexity. Again, the craft of this beer disallows any harsh imperfections that you might experience with a small time brewery. The body is medium and smooth, and the aftertaste is rounds out and is devoid of that “dirty” bitterness.   

My Rating: B+/4.0

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/8/46205

Great River: Roller Dam Red (Irish Red Ale) 5.4%

Drank From: growlers, poured into a pint glass

This pours dark amber and has underwhelming head/lacing/retention. There is a nice dark toasty malt flavor that finishes off pleasant and bready, I can even taste a sweet grain/almost corn flavor. There is no sourness that is sometimes seen in red ale. I enjoyed this representation of the style. The drinkability is great, and probably the highlight. 


My Rating: B+/3.88
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Great River: Organic Farmer Brown Ale 6.2%

Drank From: growler, poured into a pint glass

This pours almost black and seems a little under carbonated. The taste is slightly hollow, but drinkable. It is very dark and has a caramel smoky and slightly sweet flavor. I shared a growler of this and it just wears on you. It’s smokier and less sweet than most brown ales, but lacks in refinement.


My Rating: B-/3.38
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/23052/70181

Peace Tree: Blonde Fatale (Belgian Strong Pale Ale) 8.5%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pint glass

This pours golden and has a bitter yeasty flavor that is not too sweet. It is medium bodied and reminds me of a saison. I had one in between a pale ale tasting and an IPA tasting, not exactly the ideal format for over analyzing this beer, so I won’t. I do know that the body was pretty heavy and one was enough.


My Rating: B/3.73
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/21818/60168

21st Amendment: Brew Free! Or Die IPA (American IPA) 7.0%

Drank From: can, poured into a pint glass

This beer is fantastic. It pours dark peach and has great head and retention. The nose is pungent and hoppy. The mouth feel is a crisp medium body that keeps you coming back for more. The taste, however, is surprisingly complex. There is a very heavy maltiness, yet the bitter hops also seem almost dominant. It leaves you wondering which takes precedence. This beer is a little deeper and darker than the typical citrusy or floral IPA. It almost has a black liquorice flavor. This is a solid beer with a heavy malt presence.

My Rating: B+/4.0

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/735/20781

Left Hand: Sawtooth Ale (ESB) 5.3%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pint glass

This pours copper and has a nice head with excellent retention. The smell is malty, but not overly strong. The taste has a lot more dark fruit flavors than I was expecting, but the body is light and sessionable. The complexity is there without the sticky sweetness. This beer is fantastically smooth and delicious. I could have a few of these when I’m not craving a hop punch.  

My Rating: B+/4.0

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/418/1543

New Belgium: Somersault (American Blonde Ale) 5.2%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pint glass

This pours dark golden and has very active bubbles and fluffy head. This beer, like some other New Belgium beers, seems pretty earthy. This one is particularly herbal and bitter, and not that amazing. This tastes like a bad salad. OK, ok, it’s decent. I don’t usually prefer summer beers for these weed-like flavors, so shoot me. This is medium bodied and drinkable, but I don’t want another. 

My Rating: B-/3.35

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/192/68008

Southern Tier: IPA (American IPA) 6.9%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pint glass

This pours light orange and is transparent with active bubbles. There is a decent amount of head, but the retention isn’t the best. The smell is very fragrant floral and citrus hops. The taste is very smooth and delicious with a good sweet and bitterness balance. This is not my new favorite IPA, but I was impressed with this beer the first time I had it. I have had it since, and it seemed a little bit lacking and possibly a little too sweet. I still say it's pretty good. 

My Rating: B+/3.98

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/3818/9088

French Broad: 13 Rebels (ESB) 5.2%

Drank From: bomber, poured into a pint glass 

This beer poured copper and was average in appearance. It had a very bitter feeling throughout. As described by a friend also drinking this brew, it has the qualities that you crave in an IPA…minus the sweetness and syrup qualities. I really like this beer as a session choice. It was an easy to drink medium bodied bitter beer that provoked continuous sipping. It is a great beer, and great for the style.          


My Rating: B+/4.0
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/2455/17559

Max Lager's America Grill & Brewery Atlanta, GA

Demon D’or (Belgium IPA) 6.5%

Drank From: on-tap, poured into a goblet

This beer pours as expected for a Belgium style ale. The smell and taste was very herbal…possibly sage. I liked that it was not soapy or too yeasty. There was a nice bitter bite that made this Belgium beer much better than the usual crap this style has to offer. Props to this beer for not sucking. 

My Rating: B+/3.9

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1033/69479

Hopsplosion!!! (American IPA) 6.5%

Drank From: on-tap, poured into a pint glass

I had this after the Deamon D’or (a Belgium ale offering from the same micro brewery). It was a welcome change to a style that I like over Belgium ales. It was very good, maybe a little sweet and syrupy. There wasn’t anything spectacular about it, but I do remember enjoying it. It had a good balance of hops and malt, and must have been easy to drink because I had two. 

My Rating: B/3.63

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1033/58452

Founders: Double Trouble (American Double/Imperial IPA) 9.4%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pint glass

This pours a hazy, pale orange and has decent head, retention and lacing. The smell is noticeably hoppy and specifically grapefruity. The taste is pretty powerful, but I really like how this beer is, very much so, on the bitter side of double IPAs. There is slight hint of malt and sweetness up front, but it is washed out by the delicious zest of hops. This is pretty heavy in the body, but who cares? Give me another!


My Rating: A+/4.65
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1199/34146

New Glarus: Fat Squirrel (English Brown Ale) 5.80%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pint glass

This pours a nice caramel brown and has great foamy retention and layered lacing. This beer is what you would expect in a brown ale, a lot of sweet malt. I just don’t love this style of beer, but this beer does have a nice crispness that takes away from the syrupiness. This teeters on the edge of burned malt red ale type flavors. I detect some booziness. It has a decent medium body and is a good beer for the style. I just don’t love brown ale. 

My Rating: B-/3.3

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/590/9900

Two Brothers: Long Haul Session Ale (English Bitter) 4.2%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pint glass

Pours darker brown than I expected with off white head; there is a little bit of lacing and good retention. The smell is pleasant malt but not too pungent. The body is medium but very smooth. The French oak aging has given this beer a nice tangy bite, but it isn’t near as noticeable as it is in the Resistence IPA. This is a great pale ale with a unique fruitiness and delicious malt finish, I could easily have a few of these. 

My Rating: B+/3.85

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/689/56938

Two Brothers: Resistance IPA (American IPA) 6.9%

Drank From: bottle, poured into a pint glass

This pours light orange and has a decent foamy head and good lacing. The smell is very hoppy and citrusy. The flavor was shockingly hoppy and grapefruity. I even taste pineapple. There is a nicely combined bitterness and sweetness. I feel like this beer is a breath of fresh air; it takes that craving that you seek in a really citrusy IPA and maximizes it. I hate to say it…it’s almost too fruity, making it hard to identify any malt. However, this is a great beer with a peculiar tanginess. I haven’t had a lot of Two Brothers, but from what I’ve tried so far, I’ve been blindsided by their approach to uniqueness. I am looking forward to the Long Haul Session Ale

My Rating: B+/3.78

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