ipa

New Beer Blog Du Claw Brewery Neon Gypsy India Pale Ale

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In this beer blog, we are going to get into another brew, which is Neon Gypsy India Pale Ale, from Du Claw Brewery.  It is another beer from my beer trade.  If you read my earlier beer blog posts on their beers, you know the history of this East Coast craft brewery.  If you have not, please, read them to get to know this craft brewery.  Let us get into this beer.

It has unfiltered copper color with a semi white head on this India Pale Ale.  The smell has notes of citrus and grapefruit.  The taste of this medium body is a heavy grapefruit to citrus notes with a dry hop bitter finish for the aftertaste.  It is pretty drinkable IPA.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Unplug with this golden IPA infused with grapefruit, citrus, and notes of pine by a Vagabond blend of seven hops that continues to roam your palate long after the beer’s crisp finish.  Pop the top, it’s time to … disconnect!

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

Neon Gypsy, our 6.5% abv India Pale Ale, new for 2014! It is medium-bodied and clear with a thin white head and crisp mouthfeel. A vagabond blend of 7 different hops dominates with grapefruit and citrus flavors and aromas, accented by notes of pine, that continue to roam your palate long after its clean, hoppy finish. Disconnect, and you will find your way.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.duclaw.com

Twitter:  @duclawbrewing

Closing, there is some nice flavors in this beer.  I really enjoy drinking this beer and I wish I could get this brewery in the Michigan market.  I love the hops and the malty backbone.  It is a medium body beer that is pretty drinkable beer.  There is a heavy citrus to grapefruit notes.  I am pretty amaze with the seven different hops that they used in this beer.  If you are able to get this beer, I highly recommend it.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

Instagram:  @djweiser13

New Beer Blog Devil’s Backbone Company Eight Point India Pale Ale

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In this beer blog, we are going to get into the second brew from my beer trade.  It is a brewery, who is Devil’s Backbone Company, made it on my blog but during a live blogging at the Savor in DC.  I was pretty impressed with their beers so I went out for a beer hunt for more of their brews.  I found out that I had to trade for them.  We are going to sample their Eight Point India Pale Ale.  This brewery was opened in 2008 in the mountains of Roseland, Virginia. They opened another brewery in 2012 in Lexington, Virginia.  They have won several metals for their beers.  They brew several different beer styles.  Let us get into this India Pale Ale.

It has a clear copper color with a white constant white head on this India Pale Ale. The smell has earthy watery to citrus notes. The taste is carbonated earthy notes to slight citrus notes with a dry hop finish for the aftertaste. It is a pretty drinkable beer.

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

A cornucopia of hop varieties imparts a floral-citrus aroma and a crisp bitterness to this medium-bodied ale. Concocted from Pilsen and a dash of Caramel malts, this burnished-golden brew has a sweet malt backbone for balance. IBUs – 60, ABV – 5.9%

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.dbbrewingcompany.com

Twitter:  @dbbrewingco

Ending, I had their Congo BPA at Savor and I never stop looking for their beers. I had a total of two of their beers so far I am not disappointed.  I love the heavy hop bite of citrus and yet it is drinkable beer in any season.  I believe the aftertaste is what makes this beer.  I normally do not like the dry hop finish but in this case I do.  It makes you comes back for more of this great liquid.  This is a great craft IPA.  It is in my top five of IPA’s that I cannot get in my market.  They did a great job design every segment of  this beer.  If you are able to get hold of this brew, I highly recommend it.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

Instagram:  @djweiser13

New Beer Blog Widmer Brothers Upheaval IPA

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In this beer blog, we are going to get into the first beer from my beer trade with my friend Matt from the East Coast.  I have been wanting to try this beer and I was pretty excited to get a few bottles.  It is Widmer Brothers Upheaval IPA.  If you read my earlier beer blog posts on their beers, you know the history of this West Coast craft brewery.  If you have not, please, read them to get to know Widmer Brothers.  Let us get into Upheaval IPA.

It has a cloudy copper color with a constant white head on this India Pale Ale.  The aroma has a heavy citrus to slight grapefruit notes.  The taste profile of this medium to full body beer is a carbonation citrus notes with a dry hoppy finish.  It is pretty drinkable IPA but I find myself sipping it.

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

Upheaval IPA is the result of our brewers’ relentless pursuit of the perfect IPA. With more than two pounds of hops per barrel, Upheaval IPA unleashes a huge hop flavor and aroma with serious bitterness and balanced finish. Brewed with wheat, the result is a hazy, bold IPA that’s Unfiltered. Unexpected. Unapologetic. Uncompromised.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.widmerbrothers.com

Twitter:  @widmer_brothers

Closing, this is an awesome brew.  I really enjoyed it.  I just find it funny.  When I make this trade with my friend, package finds its way into my market but it is still a drive.  I am cool with that because now I can pick up a six-pack.  I love big malty backbone with some Northwest hops.  It has a nice bold and powerful hop character but nice enough to make it drinkable beer.  Widmer Brothers did it again.  They pushed the limits of craft beer.  This is the new standard of IPA’s.  I highly recommend this beer.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

Instagram:  @djweiser13

New Beer Blog What Is Good Beer?

In this special beer blog, we are going to take in-depth look at beer. What is good or bad? How do we come up with this conclusion? Many of you know, I have been drinking beer for a while. I started like everyone from the Bud Lights and moved up to all the craft beers. Most craft breweries around the country know of me or know me. I started as a Metal DJ on STFU.Fm. The station shut down but before that I started to feature craft beer on the air while playing music. After the station, I started document the beers that I had in my life time. This blog was for me to go back and see if my thoughts grown. Plus, I have always wanted to be a writer. I know I am not the best on spelling and grammar, however, I believe I have improved because of this blog. I just want to say thank you for coming by reading, and putting up with my errors. This blog also made me a better beer drinker. I have learned more about each beer style. I am finding out I like all styles and it is including wheat beers. I am still writing music and sports review. I wanted to give you a little more about myself. When I thought about writing this “What Is Good Beer?” I will not point out breweries. I am not calling out anyone. Let us see if we can answer this question.

What Is Good Beer?

I know several craft beer drinkers will jump to the answer.  It is the little guys, who are Craft Breweries.  Is that because they do not make a golden lager or the companies that make it?  Craft Breweries make different beer styles asides the American Style Lager.  They will make Pale Ales to Porter to Stouts and sometimes even a German Style Lager.  Is Good Beer is more selection or “Flavor”?  “Flavor” has been toss out there.  A little style of the American Golden Lager.  German immigrants wanted to have their beers here in the States. This is where American Golden Lager came from.  Is it a ton of Ads to make the beer better?  Mass produced?  There is a brewery in the big Midwest brewery that puts their beer through hard test make sure their quality is the highest. It is make sure that their beers are up to their standards and constant. Is that a bad thing?

There are other things wrong with the mass-produced beer companies.  It is the fact they put other things into their beers.  However, it adds to their cost, they make less on their beers.  Mass produced beer market is getting smaller everyday.  They put these items into their beers to get it as close to their old country style. More and more people are drinking craft beers.  The question is their beer better or good.  Yes, it has a ton more flavor and that is the first thing anyone says.  I agree with that.  I see in every state, please, drink local.  There is nothing wrong with that.  The problem that I have is most of the newer beer companies out there are making some bad beer.  I do not mean bad in the beer will hurt you.  I mean it is just not good beer.

What about the craft breweries?

Some of the smaller breweries do not put their beers through as many tests like the bigger breweries. This leads to inconstant batches of beer. This is not a good thing when you like that beer. When you try the beer for the first time and do not like it, the quality might be the issue. Beer drinkers might be turn off and never try it again. Is this a good beer? I get it that most breweries do not have the capital to do all tests. I am not saying this is a case for all these small craft breweries.  Some little craft breweries do not even have labs to test anything.

Closing, I love craft beer and I will keep on searching for better version of my favorite beer styles.  The local guys are making beer but I am open-minded to say there are some bad or not so good beer coming from those craft breweries.  I enjoy some of the mass-produced beers but I will not go out of my way to buy them nor drink them.  Many people will not like this statement I am going to put out there.  If the beer you are drinking is good to you, it is a good beer.  We all have thoughts on beers and they are all correct.  This goes for all mass-produced beer.  If there is a bad beer on the market, the beer drinkers vote with their wallet and they will let beer companies know that it is not good.  It will disappear off the market.  Please, share your thoughts with me.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

Instagram:  @djweiser13

New Beer Blog Greenbush Brewery Dunegräs India Pale Ale

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In this beer blog, we are going to sample another brew, which is Dunegräs India Pale Ale, from Greenbush Brewery.  If you read my earlier beer blog posts about their beers, you know the history of this west side Michigan craft brewery.  If you have not, please, read those beer blog posts to get to know this craft brewery.  Let us get into this India Pale Ale.

It has a dark copper color to light amber with a constant white head.  The aroma has a slight floral to citrus notes.  The taste has a light carbonation with a sweet notes to citrus like notes towards the middle of the drinking experience.  The dry bitter hop aftertaste at end.  It is kind of drinkable to a nice sipping beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Here at Greenbush we’ve always known that good ideas often start over beer.  We also know that there’s nothing like taking a good idea too far.  You’re reading this, so you must be one of us.  Enjoy the first step in taking your own idea too far.

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

A justly hopped india pale ale with absolutely no dunegrass.

Combining west coast and noble hops, we created our own IPA with a shining finish. And as an environmental treat, absolutely no dunegrass was killed in order to make our fine beer, so drink up!

Grain: Golden Promise, Gambrinus, Munich, Belgian Aromatic, Crystal 60L

Hops: Columbus, Amarillo, Cascade, Spalt

Yeast: House yeast

Specs:
67 ibu
alc. 6.7% by vol.
12º Lovibond

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.greenbushbrewing.com

Twitter:  @Greenbush_Brew

Closing, I have had several of their brews.  This one was pretty good and I did enjoyed drinking it.  I have to say I was a little disappointed compared to rest of their beers.  This beer is still a great beer.  I love two out of four of hops that they use in this brew.  I do not know why I am pretty disappointed with this beer but it is still good.  I guess every craft breweries has that beer in their line up.  This beer is the weakest in their line up but this beer could be some craft breweries best beer.  This Michigan craft brewery makes some great beers.  I recommend this beer and I want to hear your thoughts.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

Instagram:  @djweiser13

New Beer Blog Arbor Brewing RyeClops Imperial Rye PA

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In this beer blog, we are going to same RyeClops Imperial Rye PA from Arbor Brewing.  If you read my earlier beer blog posts from Arbor Brewing, you know the history of this southeast Michigan craft brewery.  If you have not read those posts, please, do so to get to know this craft brewery.  Let us get into this Imperial Rye IPA.

It has a cloudy copper color with a constant white head on this Rye IPA. The aroma has a slight malty notes. The taste has a sweet malty notes with a spicy and rye notes for an aftertaste. It is a pretty drinkable beer.

Here is a description from the beer box:

Arbor Brewing Company has been a pioneer in the craft beer industry since opening our Ann Arbor brewpub in 1995.  Our passion for handcrafted beer, local courcing, community involvement, and environmental stewardship has been our foundation for nearly two decades.  In 2006 we opened our microbrewery in Ypsilanti to brew and package our award-winning beers for distribution.  In 2012 we expanded our operation and became the first solar brewery in Michigan and also became the first American craft brewery in India with the opening of an Arbor Brewing Company pub in downtown Bangalore.  We hope you’ll pop in next time you find yourself in southeast Michigan (or southern India).  Cheers!

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

Description

Ryeclops is dominated with a mouthful of distinct rye malt character complimented by the spicy fruity hoppiness of American high-alpha simcoe hops.

Use caution when confronted with the Ryeclops, as it’s delightful aroma and complex flavor camouflage a might, boozy-backboned single-hopped monster of a brew!

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.arborbrewing.com

Twitter:  @ArborBrew and @ArborBrewYpsi

In the end, I had many Rye IPA or Rye PA’s.  There are not too many Imperial Rye IPA’s.  Maybe I am missing them in the market or did not realize how many are out there.  This brewery might be a head of the curb as far as the Imperial Rye IPA side of things.  Anyways, back to this review, I can always search out and see if there are other Imperial Rye IPA’s on the market later.  I really enjoyed the hop character and the build up on the malty backbone in the beer.  This is an excite beer and Arbor Brewing did a great job like the norm on it.  I highly recommend this beer while it is still in season.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Wieser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

Instagram:  @djweiser13

New Beer Blog Dragonmead Brewery Crown Jewel IPA

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In this beer blog, we are going to sample Crown Jewel IPA from Dragonmead Brewery.  This is the first appearance for this brewery and beer.  We will do a belief history of this Michigan craft brewery and then get into this beer.  Dragonmead Brewery opened in 1997 in Warren, Michigan.  It was founded by Earl Scherbarth, Larry Channel, and Bill Wrobel.  They brew several different beer styles.  Their packaging and brewpub has a Medieval era theme.  Let us get into this beer.

This Michigan craft India Pale Ale has a dark amber to dark copper color.  If you glance at it, it looks almost looks like a brown color. The smell has earthy tones and notes with hints of toffee to malt notes. The taste profile of this medium body has earthy notes to toffee and slight caramel with dry hop bitter finish for the aftertaste. It is kind of drinkable beer.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.dragonmead.com

Twitter:  @Dragonmead

In closing,  This is not American IPA. It is an English style IPA. There is a huge malty backbone that is overpowering the hops. They picked some nice hops.  It is a bad version of IPA and I am not liking the metallic notes.  I just find it pretty funny that this beer is not on their website.  Is it still being made?  Or did this beer found itself in grave?  These are some pretty important questions.  This is beer is in a four pack and it is overpriced.  I believe this craft brewery needs to look at their beer a little bit more.  I believe they need to take a hard look at their recipes.  They have a shot of making some good beers. I just feel they are at a cross roads. With all new craft breweries and beers in the market, this craft brewery needs to take some notes. I do not recommend this beer but it is worth trying at least once.  Don’t go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter: @djweiser

Instagram:  @djweiser13

New Beer Blog New Belgium And Odell Brewing FOCOllaboration American Pale Ale

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In this beer blog, we are going to get into collaboration from New Belgium and Odell Brewery.  It is their FOCOllaboration American Pale Ale.  If you read my earlier beer blog on both of these breweries’ beers, you know the history of this craft breweries.  If you have not, please, read them to get to know these craft breweries.  Let us get into this American Pale Ale.

This American pale ale has a clear copper color with a white constant head. The aroma has grapefruit to piney notes with a slight but fated citrus notes. The taste has a sweet fruity to piney notes with citrus to grapefruit notes for the aftertaste. It is pretty drinkable beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

We teamed up with our hometown hop heroes at Odell to brew a FOrt COllins collaboration. Our proximity allowed sharing of ingredients to create this unique Pale Ale. If only we could employ the prairie dogs that inhabit the space between us to courier the Fawcett malt, an Odell standard, we used to complement our favored Centennial, Cascade and Citra hops. Best enjoyed with a neighbor!

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

We teamed up with our hometown hop heroes at Odell Brewing to brew a FOrt COllins collaboration. Our proximity allowed sharing of ingredients to create this unique Pale Ale. If only we could employ the prairie dogs that inhabit the space between us to courier the Fawcett malt, an Odell standard, we used to complement our favored Centennial, Cascade and Citra hops. Best enjoyed with a neighbor!

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.newbelgium.com and www.odellbrewing.com

Twitter:  @OdellBrewing and @newbelgium

In closing, I love both of these breweries and their beers they come out with.  Odell’s, I wish was in the State of Michigan.  I will have to do trades to get some of their beers.  I have had pretty much all of their beers and blogged about them.  I was happy to see this beer make it to the state.  It was a no brainer to pick up this brew.  It is an American PAle Ale but just a little different.  I really enjoyed the hops and nice malty backbone.  I highly recommend this brew and I would get out to find it as soon as possible.  There is a limited of bottles in the market.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

Instagram:  @djweiser13

New Beer Blog Sierra Nevada Brewery Hoptimum Imperial IPA 2014

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In this beer blog, we are going to sample one of my favorite Imperial India Pale Ale.  It is Sierra Nevada Brewery Hoptimum Imperial India Pale Ale.  If you read my earlier beer  blog posts on their beers, you know the history of this craft brewery.  If you have not, please, read them to get to know Sierra Nevada Brewery.  Let us get into this Imperial IPA.

It has a clear copper color with a constant white head.  The smell has a heavy piney to earthy notes.  The taste has a heavy piney to earthy notes with a heavy dry hop bitter finish for the aftertaste.  It is a nice to comfortable sipping beer.

Here is a description from the beer bottle:

Hoptimum is the biggest whole-cone IPA we have ever produced: a 100 IBU, whole-cone hurricane of flavor.  Aggressively hopped, dry hopped AND torpedoed.  Hoptimum delivers ultra-intense flavors to hop fanatics everywhere.

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

Hoptimum® Imperial IPA

A whole-cone hurricane of flavor.

Hoptimum is a hurricane of whole-cone hop flavor. Hopped, dry hopped and torpedoed for incredible hop flavor and complexity, Hoptimum is the pinnacle of whole-cone hoppiness and the biggest Imperial IPA we have ever produced. It features resinous hop varieties: Magnum, Chinook, Simcoe and a new experimental hop variety exclusive to Sierra Nevada. With intense hop flavors and aromas of grapefruit rind, pine, herbs and tropical fruit, Hoptimum is an aggressive drinking experience. Originally created as part of our Beer Camp program, Hoptimum throws down the gauntlet to all other IPAs.

Dry Hops

We work hard to get strong hop flavors into our beers and one of the ways we do that is through dry hopping. Dry hopping refers to the addition of whole-cone hops to the fermentation tanks. The addition of hops to cold beer allows the aromatic oils and resins to infuse the beer with flavor and aroma without adding any additional bitterness.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.sierranevada.com

Twitter:  @SierraNevada

In the end, I love Sierra Nevada and their beers.  This brewery does not make a bad beer and I had pretty much all their brews.  This is one of the best all around craft brewery and I feel they are very under rated.  I believe that is because there are so many new breweries around.  They just get forgotten in the mix.  If you have not went back and retry their beers, I highly recommend doing so.  I believe you will be stun at how good their beers are compared to other breweries’ beers.  I am not saying they are the number one brewery but pretty close.  I love the IBU count in this beer.  It is like eating a whole hop cone.  This is a great beer and it has a nice malty backbone.  I highly recommend this beer.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

Instagram:  @djweiser13

New Beer Blog Oddside Ales Paranoia Imperial India Pale Ale

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In this beer blog, we are going to get into another brew, which is Paranoia Imperial India Pale Ale, from Oddside Ales.  If you read my earlier beer blog posts on their craft brews, you know the history of this Michigan craft brewery.  If you have not, please, read them to get to know Oddside Ales.  Let us get into this glow in dark label Imperial IPA.

This Imperial India Pale Ale has a clear dark copper color with a semi white head.  The aroma has earthy notes.  The taste has earthy with some light carbonation.  The aftertaste is dry hop bitter finish.

Here is their website and twitter addresses:

Website:  www.oddsideales.com

Twitter:  @oddsidesales

In closing, I love this brew as far as the taste profile.  However, I am really not a huge fan of the dry hop bitter finish, it is a little too powerful for me.  I normally do not mind but today I was little turn off on it.  This is a great beer and I know many craft beer and hopheads drinkers will love this beer.  I love the hops they picked in this brew.  They did a great job designing the malty backbone.  I highly recommend this brew, plus, it glows in the dark.  Go get some!  Drink it!  Enjoy it!  Metal it!  \m/

Cheers!

Bill DJ Weiser

Email:  djweiser13@comcast.net

Twitter:  @djweiser

Instagram:  @djweiser13