ipa

New Blog Lagunitas India Pale Ale

New beer tab, Lagunitas India Pale Ale is the feature beer in this new beer blog.  It is part of their everyday six-pack beer.  If you read my earlier blog on their Fusion 8, you are pretty up to speed on this brewery.  If you have not read it, please, go back to read the first part of it.  Let us get into the beer.

It has a dark golden color to copper color with a constant white head.  It has a citrus smell to this IPA.  The taste has a sweet slightly carbonation to citrus taste with nice citrus to piney aftertaste.  It is drinkable for being a West Coast India Pale Ale.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Thanks for choosing to spend the next few minutes with the special homicidally hoppy ale.  Saavor the moment as the raging hop character engages the Imperial Qualities of the Malt Foundation in mortal combat on the battlefield of your palate!

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.lagunitas.com

Twitter:  there is no twitter address

Closing out the beer tab, this beer is a really awesome beer.  To me, this India Pale Ale is a dessert for IPAs.  It is very well balance and has a nice malty backbone.  It is drinkable and I cannot wait for their brewpub to open here in Chicago.  This brewery makes several great brews and puts their own twist on it.  Their beers are worth the value that you pay at the Beer Stores.   You can not say that about all the beers that are in the market.  If you are a hop head or looking for a good India Pale Ale, you need to find this beer and try it out.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Magic Hat Company Blind Faith IPA

Magic Hat Company Blind Faith IPA is going to be featured in this blog.  Magic Hat Company was founded in 1994 in Burlington, Vermont.  Magic Hat brought Pyramid Brewery in 2008 and later in 2010, they were brought out by North American Breweries from Rochester, New York.  Let us get into the beer.

Magic Hat Blind Faith is their India Pale Ale seasonal.  It is available in six-pack bottles and part of their sampler pack.  It is a slightly cloudy copper color with a white head at first.  It goes away after a while. There is really no smell to the beer.  The taste is a grassy to earthly hop taste to it and has a dry mango aftertaste.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Magic Hat is presenting our year long “Tour of IPAs!”  Please join us in welcoming to the stage our revolving roster of FOUR features, specially formulated to entertain the palates of hop lovers worldwide.  Smell the hops, taste the hops, love the hops…. and stay “On Tour” with our quarterly cabaret of IPAs.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  http://www.magichat.net

Twitter:  @magichat

In the end, I have to be honest which I am through these blogs.  It has got me in trouble at times.  I am not a huge fan of this brewery.  However, of late this brewery has been trying to do different things, this India Pale Ale is one of them.  In the craft world now, American Craft Breweries do not know when to stop  making their beers over hop.  It is nice to have a nice English India Pale Ale, which is what this Magic Hat beer.  They are flipping the hops for the turn of the seasonal, which I love to get a different twist on IPA.  I know Samuel Adams did that with their IPA but in a sampler pack which was a few years ago.  Widmer Brothers are doing that to their IPA and I really enjoyed their Fall, Winter, and Spirng IPA in that line.  Magic Hat Blind Faith IPA is coming out of its seasonal so I would go head out and find this beer.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it! \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Slumbrew Flagraiser IPA

Starting a new tab, Slumbrew Flagraiser IPA is the beer that will be featured in this beer blog.  Slumbrew was founded by Caitlin Jewell and Jeff Leiter in Sommerville, MA.  They bottle their beers in 22oz and draft beer.  They brew several different beer.  They take the classic beer styles and put their own twist on them.  Let us get into the beer.

This India Pale Ale has a pretty cloudy copper color a head on it.  Slumbrew IPA has an earthly to slightly piney smell to it.  The taste is a sweet earthly to pine with a piney aftertaste. It is a drinkable beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Flagraiser IPA is a big, hoppy tribute to the unfurling of the Grand Union flag atop Prospect Hill in Sommerville, MA on January 1st, 1776.  This ale celebrates our passion for hop aroma and flavor balanced with just the right amount of malt.  Salute your hops!

Ale brewed with five grains, Columbus, Crystal and Galaxy Hops.  Dry-hopped with Galaxy.

Keep cold, enjoy, while fresh and serve at 45 to 50 degree.

Here is a description from their website (www.slumbrew.com):

Flagraiser IPA is a big, hoppy tribute to the unfurling of the Grand Union flag atop Prospect Hill in Somerville, MA on January 1, 1776. This ale celebrates our passion for hop aroma and flavor balanced with just the right amount of malt.

Huge aroma and resin-y flavors from the elusive Galaxy hops are the signature of this beer. Built on a solid base of pale malts, this double IPA makes generous use of hops from Columbus, Crystal and Galaxy with the Galaxy hops taking the lead during ten days of aggressive dry-hopping.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.slumbrew.com

Twitter:  @slumbrew

Closing out the beer tab, I really enjoyed this brewey’s beers.  As many of you know, I am not a huge fan of 22oz or 750ml bottles but I will reject my thought on that for this brewery’s beer. Many of you know I use to do a metal and beer show on STFU.FM and this brewery was one of the last breweries that was feature on that show. This India Pale Ale is a strong example of the great beers that this brewery makes in their everyday line up.  I really enjoy the hop character to its great malty backbone.  It has a nice balance and huge drinkablity. Those are huge plus for this beer. If you love West Coast Pale Ales or any India Pale Ale, I highly recommend you trying this beer out.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Sierra Nevada Brewery Beer Camp 2012

In this blog, we are going to take a look at another set of beers from Sierra Nevada Brewery.   If you read my earlier blog, you know a little something about this brewery.  The set of beers is coming from a sampler pack called Beer Camp.  Here is the beers, which are Oatmeal Stout, Floral IPA, Imperial Red Ale, and Imperial Pilsner, that are being featured in this blog.  Let us get into the beers.

Sierra Nevada Brewery Imperial Pilsner

This beer has a clear golden color with a constant white head on this pilsner. It has a fresh air smell to it. The taste is a sweet carbonation with a crisp dry slight hoppy aftertaste. Sierra Nevada Imperial Pilsner is extremely drinkable and will get beer drinkers in trouble if they are not paying attention.  I recommend trying this beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Packing a big hop-forward punch and bright crisp finish, this golden pilsner features a hearty dose of “sticky,” resinous Crystal and Pacifica dry hops, which balance the light-bodied yet complex malt backbone.

Sierra Nevada Brewery Imperial Red Ale

The red ale in the glass is a dark amber color with somewhat of a white head on it. It has a sweet raisins smell to it. The taste is of a sweet carbonation malty with a weird aftertaste. I cannot really decide it to you. It is drinkable until that aftertaste.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

This Imperial Red Ale takes the intense hop profile found in a traditional double IPA and turns up the malt.  It has big aromatic hop notes of grapefruit, peach, and melon-balanced by a smooth and surprisingly robust malt body.

Sierra Nevada Brewery Floral IPA

This beer has a copper cloudy color with a constant white head on it. The smell of flowers is what this India Pale Ale has going on with it. The taste is of a citrus to piney with a dry hoppy aftertaste to it. It is drinkable India Pale Ale.

Here a description from the beer bottle:

This unique take on the traditional IPA style pairs the bold and intense aromas of wholel-cone hop “flowers” with aromatic natural rose hips and petals for complex aromas and unexpected flavors.

Sierra Nevada Brewery Oatmeal Stout

It is black in color without a head on this stout. It has a chocolate to toffee smell to this Sierra Nevada Oatmeal Stout. The taste is burn malt to milky chocolate notes to the beer. It is extremely drinkable and will be troublesome to most beer drinkers.

Here is a description from beer bottle:

This big oatmeal stout is midnight black in color-with a big, roasty, mocha-like aroma.  It has a silky body from the use of rolled oats, and a round and lasting finish.  Perfect as an after dinner treat.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.sierranevada.com and www.sierrabeercamp.com

Twitter:  @sierranevada

In the end, this was a really good set of beers in this sampler pack with a great value.  There are a few higher end beers for $19.99 price point, which makes this a great value.  I love all the beers in this pack but the Imperial Red Ale.  I believe that is the weakest one of the four.  This is the order of the beers I like and it is Oatmeal Stout, Imperial Pilsner, Floral IPA, and Imperial Red Ale.  I did blend the Imperial Red Ale and the Floral IPA into one glass.  It was pretty good.  I highly recommend you trying Beer Camp.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Revolution Brewing Company Anti Hero IPA

In this blog, we are going to get into one of many craft breweries, which is Revolution Brewing Company and the beer is called Anti Hero India Pale Ale.  Revolution Brewing Company was founded in 2010 in the Logan Square area in Chicago as a brewpub.  They brew several different styles and took several employees when they opened  from the Goose Island Brewery before they were brought by Budweiser.  In 2012, they opened their production brewery to start the packaging and kegging their beers.  This brewery is one of the best ones in the Chicagoland area and of course is the best one of the new breweries in Chicago.  This is totally my thought.  Let us get into this beer.

Anti Hero IPA is a new line of bottles, cans and draft that is coming from this new brewery. Revolution Brewing Anti Hero has a copper color without a head to the beer.  It has an earthy to slight citrus smell to it. As for the taste of the beer, it has a sweet to heavy carbonation to the beer with a citrus to slight grapefruit to it. It is a drinkable beer for the style with a ABV 6.5%.

Here is a description from their website (www.revbrew.com):

An American hop assault for all the ambivalent warriors who get the girl in the end. “Look, I ain’t in this for your revolution, and I’m not in it for you, Princess.” This iconic ale features a blend of four hop varieties which creates a crisp bitterness and imparts massive floral and citrus aromas.

India Pale Ale

ABV  6.5%
IBU  70

Profile: An American hop assault

Color: Brilliant Copper

Availability: 1/6 & 1/2 bbl, 12oz cans

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.revbrew.com

Twitter:  @revbrewchicago

In closing, it took me several times drinking this beer to really start to like it.  That is not a bad thing to the brewery nor the beer.  This beer has a nice balance from the hops to the malty backbone.  It has a the nice West Coast IPA feel but from a Midwest Brewery.  At least, I know I could go direction to the brewery and get it fresh asides guessing the code dates on any West Coast Breweries beers.  I had this beer on draft at the Blue Bar and I know I will be enjoying this beer on many football Sundays.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Uinta Hop Notch IPA

In this blog, we are going to take a look at this brewery’s, who is Uinta Brewery, flagship beer called Unita Hop Notch IPA.  If you read my earlier blog on this brewery, you are pretty much up to speed on Uinta.  Let us get into this beer.

Hop Notch is one of their everyday beers and it is not organic unlike some of their other beers.  It has a nice light copper color with a constant white head on it.  It has a slight citrus but more earthly smell to this IPA.  Hop Notch has a slight sweet citrus but more earthly to piney taste to it with nice hop finish. It is drinkable for being a 7.3% ABV.

Here is a description from their website (www.uintabrewing.com):

Description

Bold and refreshing, this IPA combines an abundance of hops with a smooth malt profile.

Story

A play on “Top Notch” with a hoppy twist..setting new trends for beer vocabulary, “this IPA is Hop Notch.”

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.uintabrewing.com

Twitter:  @uintabrewing

In closing, I really enjoyed this beer.  I love how it is drinkable and has a ton of flavor.  It might be have a nice hoppy to earthy taste but it has a nice malty backbone to balance everything in the beer.  This beer has a different twist on the west coast india pale ale style.  It is not a cookie cut west coast india pale ale.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Brooklyn Brewery Pennant Ale ’55

In this blog, we are going to take look at another beer from the Brooklyn Brewery.  If you read my earlier blog, you know little about this brewery.  The beer that is going to be feature in this blog is Broolyn Brewery Pennant Ale ’55.  This beer is part of their everyday lineup of beers.  Just like the rest of their beers, Pennant Ale has classic European brewing style.  Let us get into the beer.

Pennant Ale has a dark deep amber color with a white head. It smells like pennies being cooked in a hot summer days.  This meaning is like a burn copper or like Carmel smell. It has a semi-light body with a slight honey to Carmel malt taste. It has a slight dry aftertaste but yet drinkable beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Pennant Ale is brewed from Scottish Maris Otter malt, which is justly prized for its toasty. biscuity flavor and the round smoothness it imparts.  Our house ale yeast brings out an appetizing fruitiess and ferments to a dry finish.  Pennant is best before the freshness date indicated.  For information write us at 79 North 11th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211

Here is a description from their website (www.brooklynbrewery.com):

As Brooklynites, we revere the memory of the 1955 World Champion Dodgers baseball team, so we had to name a beer in their honor. Brooklyn Pennant Ale is a honey-colored pale ale with a brisk malt palate and finely balanced hop character. Pennant is a traditional English-style pale ale. The pale ale style developed in the early 19th century, and was called “pale” because it appeared so in comparison to the darker ale styles of the day (East India Pale Ale was a stronger, paler, more bitter version of the style). Brooklyn Pennant Ale is brewed from Scottish Maris Otter malt, which is justly prized for its toasty, biscuity flavor and the round smoothness it imparts to beer. Our house ale yeast brings out an appetizing fruitiness and ferments to a dry finish. During 2005, Brooklyn Brewery will donate one dollar from every case of Pennant sold to the funding of the statue of Brooklyn Dodgers greats Jackie Robinson and Pee-Wee Reese planned for the Cyclones ballpark in Coney Island.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.brooklynbrewery.com

Twitter:  @brooklynbrewery

In the end, I really love this beer.  Brooklyn Brewery is a different pace to other Craft Breweries. This brewery is refreshing for any craft beer drinkers.  With all the over hopped beers and extreme beers in the market, it is very nice to have this craft brewery around in the market.  I do rotate this beer and their East India Pale Ale into my refrigerator with the rest of the craft beer I drink.  This is a good beer with a ton of flavor.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Schlafly Dry Hopped APA Ale

In this blog, we are going to get into one of my favorite breweries, who is Schlafly Brewery, from St Louis, MO.  I had a friend that traveled down and she asked me if I needed anything down there.  I asked her to pick up Schlafly Sampler Pack and four pack of Tallgrass 8-Bit Pale Ale.  Let us get into some of the history of this brewery.  Schlafly Brewery started to brew their beers in 1991 and was founded by Dan Kopman and Tom Schlafly.  Their goal was to brew some good beers in the downtown St Louis area.  They are now being distribute to nine other states asides their home state.  Some of these states are part of them like Illinois.  Schlafly Brewery is now brewing several different styles of beer and over 25 seasonal brews.  I know the last time I was down there when my sister lived there.  They were just getting into the 750ml bottle business.  This is a really good brewery and St Louis should be proud to have them in their backyard.  Let us get into my favorite beer from this brewery.

Schlafly Dry Hopped Ale APA Ale has a pretty dark golden with a constant head. It has a sexy citrus smell to the beer. It has a sweet carbonation citrus taste with next to nothing on the aftertaste. It is drinkable beer for a unique beer style.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Schlafly Dry Hopped APA is an American Pale Ale with a hearty dose of hop bitterness, flavor and aroma.  We add hops directly into the finished beer to boost the fresh, fruity flavor and aroma of American hops.

Here is a description from their website (www.schlafly.com):

Our Dry Hopped American Pale Ale (APA) is charged with American hops to create a bold, aromatic ale. Assertive hop flavor joins the pine/citrus aroma characteristic of American hops to balance the full body provided by North American malts. After fermentation, the beer circulates through a bed of whole-cone Cascade and Chinook hops, boosting the distinctive hop aroma of this satisfying ale.

In the long view of the history of beer, American Pale Ale is a newcomer.  Based on English Pale Ale, American brewers adapted this style into something new.  Born out of the reverence English Pale Ales during the 1980’s American beer scene, APA is the bold, hoppier cousin of Pale Ale.  With an emphasis on American hops, APA is gaining popularity with breweries racing to make these ales with such great hop characters.

Appearance: Golden amber, slightly hazy

Process: Dry hopped with whole cone American hops; unfiltered

Hops: Cascade, Chinook (US)

Malts: 2-row and caramel malted barley

Yeast: American Ale

OG: 14.8

SRM: 10.6

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.schlafly.com

Twitter:  @schlafly

In closing, this is drinkable beer and this is closest thing to an India Pale Ale in their everyday line up.  They do make IPA but it is a seasonal that is out right now.  This brewery does not disappoint me at all.  Even with beer styles I do not like I just find my way liking their beers.  This beer is available in six packs and twelve packs bottles.  This is a well balance beer and they did a great job.  I highly recommend trying this beer if you love West Coast Pale Ales and India Pale Ales.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Roscoe’s Hop House Craft India Pale Ale

In this blog, we are going to taste another beer from Roscoe’s Hop House, which is their India Pale Ale.  If you read my earlier blog on this brewery, you are up to speed for the short history I found on this brewery.  Let us get into the beer.

It has a constant clear copper color without a head. It has no smell but maybe a slight circus smell.  This IPA has a sweet carbonation and citrus taste to it. It is more of an English India Pale Ale.  It is drinkable.

Here is a descripation from the beer bottle:

harkening back to old world brewing styles, Roscoe’s Hop House uses the highest quality malts and hops to bring forth this smooth, bright flavored India Pale Ale.  With a nod to the past, this nicely balanced, true ale is brewed using traditional brewing methods for an unique flavor profile.  The password to our best kept secret is found inside the bottle.

Here is an award for this beer from their website (www.roscoeshophouse.com):

Silver Medal – World Beer Championship 2012 86 Points “Highly Recommended” – Beverage Testing Institute 2011

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.roscoeshophouse.com

Twitter:

In closing, this beer is not really good.  It is not really hoppy enough to be an India Pale Ale.  This is more like an English India Pale Ale but I do not think it is not that hoppy enough for that beer style.  It is sad when their Pale Ale is little bit more hoppier then this India Pale Ale.   It is drinkable but that is all this beer has going on with it.  Do not go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

New Blog Roscoe’s Hop House Craft Pale Ale

While shopping at Meijer, I came across these four craft beers in their beer aisle.  There are several grocery and drug stores that are doing their name brand craft beer.  I believe this is the Meijer Brand Name Craft beer.  After doing some research, I have discovered that is not the case.  This is a real brewery from New York.  There is not a lot of information on this brewery but they are from Rochester, New York.  This brewery is own by the Genesee Brewing Company.  Let us get into the beer.

It has a nice copper color with no head. There is really no smell to this beer. The taste of this American Pale Ale is a sweet carbonation with a slight citrus malty in it. It is loss between an English Pale Ale and West Coast Pale Ale.  It is drinkable but without a lot of flavor to the body of the beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Harkening back to old world brewing styles, Roscoe’s Hop House uses the highest quality malts and hops to bring forth this smooth, bright-flavored Pale Ale.  With a nod to the past, this nicely balanced, true ale is brewed using traditional brewing methods for a unique flavor profile.  The password to our best kept secret is found inside the bottle.

Here is a some awards that they won with this beer on their website (www.roscoeshophouse.com):

Roscoe’s Hop House Pale Ale

Gold Medal – Monde Selection, 2011

Silver Medal / 86 Points “Highly Recommended”- BTI,

World Beer Championship 2011

86 Points – Wine Enthusiast, June 2010

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.roscoeshophouse.com

Twitter:  no twitter account

In closing, I am pretty stun on pretty good this Pale Ale.  I am not saying this is a staple of Pale Ales but for the price you are paying for this beer.  It is kind of worth it and is a great value.  The only problem for us in Chicago, it is only available at Meijer stores.  It has a good hop and malt balances.  I really enjoy drinking this beer and I might have to add it to my regular lineup of beers.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser