#233: Bell's Brewing » Consecrator (Doppelbock)

Bell's Brewing » Consecrator (Doppelbock) | ABV: 8.0% | Rating: 9.2/10
With a busy week of shows, mixing, writing, and possible travels ahead, I've been catching up on some recent activity. Activity always goes better with a a bit of lubrication, don't you think?

I've been eyeing Bell's Consecrator for a bit now, having never been disappointing with any of their higher-end sixers. However, doppelbocks have to be pretty tasty to drop $18 for a pack. Initially, we picked this up for a bottle share. In hindsight, I recommend having this early / middle and not later as I'd expected.


Starts up with a deep, translucent and unhazed ruby body with a ring of staying head. Beautiful, sweet lager malt nose of brown bread and toast shines through with distinct notes of ripe grapes.

Understated and exquisite flavors and prickly carbonation roll over the tongue, pushing soft sparks of caramel sugars, bright esters, and hazy dark fruits. Malts are the star here, in this wonderfully subtle brew, riding the balance of soft, dark bitterness and roasted flavor, hovering on a light and fluffy mouthfeel.

Note to pour the entire bottle into the glass as there's flavor-packed goodness that settles. Further through some dry cocoa notes appear with a mild, building, soft chalky mouthfeel.

As one of the most German-inspired American brewed Doppelbock I've run across of late, it's all about classic elegance with this brew - no kitchen-sink, Americanized gimmickry here. The pricepoint will target this one to the dark lager fans and those with particularly discerning palates - highly recommended for both. Overall, a wonderful find. Looking forward to see what this does in a couple months.

#232: Bottle Share: Victory Mad King's Weiss, Sam Adams Longshot Gratzer, Founders Rübæus, Elysian Oddland #2, Dogfish Burton Baton, Sierra Nevada Hoptimum

First in a series of summer '14 bottle shares!

Victory Brewing Co. » Mad King's Weiss (Hefeweizen) | ABV: 6.2% | Rating: 8.6/10
I was delighted to see one of my favorite draft-only offerings from Victory had made it's way to bomber status. It's not as rich as I recall, but still packed with Golden Belgian-style spiced goodness, wonderful wheat and yeast notes and at around $5 a pop, it's a steal.

Samuel Adams » Longshot Grätzer | ABV: 4.4% | Rating: 8/10
An excellent brew for summer. Soft smoke notes and a touch of tartness backed by smooth, drinkable wheat and soft bitterness. Not as complex and sour as some more traditional Gratzers, but brew worth trying for sure. It's rare you'll see a Sam Adams on this blog, so take that for what it's worth. A great value for a still rare old style.

Founders » Rübæus | ABV: 5.7% | IBUs: 15% | Rating: 9.1/10
My second round of Rübæus this summer, Founders once again shows they do fruit beer like no other. Packed with juicy, tart, and semi-sweet raspberry notes, it's massively drinkable, but still an ale. The raspberry never dips into tart, Lambic territory and remains fresh. A delightful warm weather alternative brew.

Elysian Brewing » Oddland Spiced Pear Ale | ABV: 6.5% | Rating: 8.8/10
Brewed once as the second installment of Elysian's Oddland series, this brew is an ale brewed with pear, cumin, and cardamon. We were all expecting something in the fruity, juicy spiced-peary realm, but instead got an adventurous, spice-packed, hardy ale with considerable more hops that expected. The cascade and saaz hops pack a firm punch of hops, providing a solid backbone to ride the savory, spicy, and herbal exotic dance of cumin & cardamon. This one won't be for everyone, for sure, but this was the unexpected standout of the night.

Dogfish Head » Burton Baton | ABV: 10% | IBUs: 70 | Rating: 9.3/10
As a hybrid of English Old Ale and American Imperial IPA, this is easily and predictably my favorite of the night. Silky sweet Old Ale malt notes notes elegantly dance with dense, but softened hop flavors. Citrus, vanilla, and oak notes are perfectly balanced. Tasteful bourbon notes are threaded throughout, but the ABV is well-mellowed making for a dangerously drinkable whopper of a brew.

Sierra Nevada » Hoptimum 2014 | ABV: 10.4% | Rating: 8.5/10
There was a lot of discussion before popping open this one. 100 IBUs will do that. The majority of us are hop lovers and IPA fans, but were seemingly in agreement that there's definitely a "too far" when it comes to the hop-arms race of recent years.

Cracking into this year's batch, Hoptimum screams out with biting, bitter grass notes, sharp pine, and astringent citrus rind. There's almost an herbal quality to the brew, being so hop-forward. While the Magnum, Chinook, and Simcoe hops are relentless, the 10.4% provides some relief. I'd honestly love to see this brew barrel aged and show a bit more dynamic character. Overall, a hop-head must try and the last word in bitter, massive Imperial IPAs.

#231: Shmaltz Brewing Co. » He'Brew Funky Jewbelation '14 (Strong Ale)

Shmaltz Brewing Company » He'Brew Funky Jewbelation 2014 (Strong Ale)
ABV: 9.4% | Rating: 9/10

This year's Funky Jewbelation blends up...

Jewbelation Fifteen (Aged 18 months)
Messiah (Age 3 months)
Bittersweet Lenny's RIPA (Aged 12 months)
Reunion (Aged 6 months)
Origin (Aged 6 months)
Rejewvenator (Aged 6 months)
Death of a Contract Brewer (Aged 4 months)

...aged 35% in bourbon barrels and 65% inf rye whiskey barrels.

Presented as a dark, murky brown with an ever-staying ring of off-white head; a huge, boozy nose kicks this year's Jewbelation off with a bang, touched with cherry and dates. The flavors follow suit and are surprisingly and deliciously sour.

Big, bold, sour dark-cherry bliss right here. It's chewy, intense, but expertly well-balanced. The best quick comparison I could give on this is an American Strong Ale and Oud Bruin hybrid.  It finishes up dry, with plentiful dark fruits including cherry and pomegranate, with a touch of champagne and a healthy hint of rye and bourbon.

Overall, it's considerably more fruity and sour than 2013 and less of a booze-heavy sipper. A tasty, strong/sour hybrid.

#230: Jack's Abby Brewing » Barrel-Aged Framinghammer (Baltic Porter)

Jack's Abby Brewing » Barrel-Aged Framinghammer (Baltic Porter)
ABV: 10% | IBUs: 55 | Rating: 9.2/10

After a busy day of the day-job and an evening of recording, it was time for a movie night in with my partner. At the moment, we were seemingly on the tail end of this summer congestion, so it was also time to break into a few items from the 'save me' fridge, including this gem from the Massachusetts lager crew, Jack's Abby.

This Bourbon-Barrel aged version of Framinghammer pours up jet black with a silky mocha head. Lush aromas of chocolate, cocoa nibs, vanilla and bourbon calm and entice.

It's incredibly silky, with a plethora of creamy dark chocolate notes wrapped in soft bourbon flavors. Satisfyingly smooth esters follow with notes of oat, faint brown sugar, and vanilla with a lingering sting of booze and soft hop bitterness.

Overall, a wonderful take on the Baltic Porter tradition - silky, chocolaty, and easily drinkable with a well-hidden ABV.

#229: Ithaca Beer Co. » Hazed In Captivity (Wild IPA)

Ithaca Beer Co. » Hazed In Captivity (Wild IPA) | ABV: 6.3% | Rating: 9/10

After a solid anniversary meal at the new Istanbul Turkish restaurant, my partner and I headed straight down to the Ithaca Beer Taproom. I'd heard about their just-released 100% Brettanomyces IPA, dry-hopped with Galaxy & Nelson Sauvin and knew there was no way I could miss this latest, draft-only 5-Barrel series brew.

Bright white head sits atop its pale, hazy straw body, pluming bright, sweet citrus and pine hop aromas. Onto the lips, bright Brett notes prevail - firm barnyard flavors are up front and in the finish with plenty of earthy notes threaded the whole way through along with a touch of hay. It's fumey, funky, and closes with a bone dry finish.

A dynamic, flavorful hop-forward summer brew for Brett lovers. Drinkable, a touch fruity, wild, yet tastefully contained.

#228: Ithaca Beer Co. » Cayuga Cruiser, Poster Child, Galileo Gambit, High Roller, Honey Love, Green Trail (Bravo), Ozzy, Chardonnay-Aged White Gold, 16 Lambic

Due to shows and two bouts of summer colds, I've had a bit of catching up to do. Much of which surrounding Ithaca Beer's seamlessly endless supply of new experiments.

From their new, Berliner-Weisse summer sixer, robust 5-Barrel brews, cask & aged versions of year-round hits, and even a couple ultra-limited special releases.

Cayuga Cruiser (Berliner Weisse-style) ABV: 4.3% | Rating: 8.5/10 Bottle (8.7/10 Draft)
After last summer's 5-Barrel Berliner Weisse, I've been very intrigued if Ithaca Beer would ever include the classic German style in a more general release. Wish granted.

As their new summer seasonal, Cayuga Cruiser is a very light brew. It's far less astringent than their 5-Barrel BW, but still quite tasty. Out of the bottle, it presents a light body, mildly quenching finish, with faint notes of lemon and just a touch of pucker.

On draft, it's a bit more up my alley, with a greater nod to tradition through higher sour, acidic notes and prominent lemon. Either way, an excellent recommendation for a low-gravity, refreshing, warm-weather brew.

Poster Child ABV: 5.8% | Rating: 8.6/10
Transparent, crystal-clear straw body, topped with lacy, soapy white head kicks of this 5-Barrel brew. A beautifully strong and sharp hoppy nose follows with crisp grapefruit aromas and a hint of lime & lemon.

The taste? Smooth hop love in a glass. Strong, but soft, rolled-over flavors of pine, yellow grapefruit and a touch of tropical fruit in the bone-dry finish. An enjoyable, light-bodied, fully-flavored beer. It also pairs well with Flower Power to create 'Flower Child'.

Galileo Gambit (Porter) ABV: 5.8% | Rating: 8.7/10
Fluffy, lacy ivory head crowns an opaque, but not hazy, dark brown body with a glimmer of ruby. Aromas of dark, roasted malts invite the nose with a pinch of spice.

The flavor is a fully-bodied porter witha touch of spice heat. Wet up front with a pleasant, dry finish. The addition orange and cardamon are subtle, but exquisit, meandering their way through the traditional dark malt flavors. A uniquely drinkable porter, without the milky, earthy notes of many in the style.

High Roller (Wheat Saison) 5.3% | Rating: 8.5/10
This 5-Barrel starts with an unabashed yeasty nose with a touch of citrus. A rustic brew, with big wheat flavors, and a touch of earthiness, and mildly dry finish. (Left-most pic)

Honey Love (Barrel-Fermented Saison w/ Oats, Honey) ABV: 6.0% | Rating: 8.9/10
A beautiful, orange citrus nose blooms into a wonderful flavor bouquet of wine-like complexity having been fermented in Chardonnay Barrels, all backed by prickly carbonation. Soft, semi-sweet and breathy earth flavors of local wildflower honey peak through, firmly supported by the addition of oats. (Third-in pic)

Green Trail Cask (Session IPA dry-hopped with Bravo) ABV: 6.0% | Rating 8.8/10
Smooth, hoppy goodness in a glass. Where many cask IPAs can loose their hop-forward nature, IB has packed this one with Bravo hops for a breath of additional acidity and distinct orange and tropical fruit flavors. It's core Columbus and Cascade hop bitterness take a momentary back seat to allow it's soft malt backbone to shine through, sitting well with the aforementioned Bravo cones.

Ozzy (Belgian-style) ABV: 4.7% Rating
A highly tasty, heavily aromatic, Belgian-hybrid brew. Belgian yeasts, dance will Ella hops - an excellent choice to calm the heavy yeast flavors with mild floral and spice alongside distinct tropical and grapefruit flavors. (No pic)

Chardonnay-Aged White Gold (Oak-Barrel Belgian Wheat) ABV:  Rating: 9.5/10
In special release for their Luminous Wild Ale, Ithaca Beer concocted a handful of what I would argue as some of their finest releases to date.

This aged edition of one of my Ithaca favorites, presents a cloudy, pale straw-yellow body topped with pure white head. A beautifully fruity brew that is light on it's feet, threaded with pleasant Chardonnay notes. It's rounded off, elegant, and a touch less rustic than the original White Gold, wonderfully smoother and buttery.

The dance of white stone fruit, soft hops and white wine flavors vied to top of my already top Ithaca brews. Kudos.

16! Lambic (Lambic) 9.4/10
Last but not least. After a worthwhile half-hour wait for my two bottles of Luminous, I parked my seat at the Taproom bar for a look over their special, release-day brews. Most would only be there for the day and after a quick look, I knew there was no way I could pass on a local limited lambic.

16! Lambic bursts out with a pungently tart and funky nose. Fluffy ivory and auburn-flecked head crowns the murky, opaque, dark-caramel body.

In a word? Intense. Funky barnyard and wet hay notes meet sharp, fermented berries with spicy esters. By far the most intense Ithaca Beer I've enjoyed yet - a completely unhinged experimental success. Further in, sweet dark fruits, like past-ripe cherries, peak through the wild funk, but just barely. It's all wrapped up in a dry funk finish, that wets with each new sip. On the final sips, fine, raw Brettanomyces notes shine through. Superb.

#227: Hopshire Farm & Brewery » Sympathy (Belgian Strong), Hamlet of Varna (Session IPA), Zingabeer (Belgian Pale w/ Ginger)

This past Saturday afternoon was particularly perfect weather-wise. A great day for a mid-paced flyer postering stroll around The Commons downtown, then palling up to Hopshire Farm & Brewery, having heard about their new Belgian Strong Golden Ale.

As usual, the place was hopping. We ran into several friends at the brewery, one of which had just finished up a run. His routines is a run to Hopshire to meet up with his sister for a glass. I have to say, if beer was at the finish line, I might run more.

Sympathy (Belgian Strong Golden Ale) ABV: 7.9% | IBUs: 25 | Rating: 9/10
This Belgian-style Golden kicks off with a fantastic aroma of banana, mild golden raisin, and smooth yeasts emitting from a hazy, golden body.

Down the hatch, intriguing flavors burst across the palate. An excellent use of Saaz hops for striking subtleties of herbal and spice notes, expertly balanced against always stunning Trappist yeasts.

Firm, pleasant booze notes and heat and strong esters charge out of the gate, followed by soft malt sweetness, mild mineralness, and event faint notes of pineapple; all wrapped up with a mild dry finish and plentiful Belgian spice.

Overall, a wonderful showcase of fruit flavor, Belgian yeast, and bold flavor.

Hamlet of Varna (Session IPA) ABV: 5.0% | IBUs: 45 | Rating: 8.7/10
In the surge of session IPAs over the last year, many have fallen short in the flavor spectrum, appearing as a merely mild, afterthought of a Pale Ale and a dull shadow of a true IPA.

But not here. Hopshire's Hamlet of Varna (a play on their Near Varna IPA) packs in west-coast Mosaic and Cascade hops and only light grains, Vienna & Pilsner malts for a burst of grassy hop and smooth grapefruit aromas, followed up by lively carbonation; deep, bitter hop flavors including dry pith, sharp grass and grapefruit notes, with a touch of minerals in the finish.

Overall a standout session IPA, which doesn't hold back on hop strength, instead holding the malt, and therefore gravity, in check, resulting in a drinkable, full-flavored brew.

Zingabeer (Belgian Pale Ale w/ Ginger) ABV: 8.0% | IBUs: 18 | Rating: 9.1/10
Again we're met with Vienna and Pilsner malts, but this time around it's a healthy dose of Belgian malts and Abbey yeast, alongside freshly grated local ginger from Good Life Farm which take center stage. Sign me up.

Mild, spicey aromas with wisps of malt introduce Hopshire's Zingabeer which breathe up from it's transparent, deep amber body.

This brew is particularly tasty, to put it simply. A perfect balance of the aforementioned showcased ingredients along with a touch of coriander.

Expertly balanced spicy ginger, smooth caramel, and crisp malts grace the palate. The 8% ABV is completely hidden behind beautiful Abbey yeast notes, and there's even a sweet, savory notes of cashew in there. All of that wrapped up with a dry finish and mouthfeel, that also presents a mild creaminess halfway through.

A dangerously drinkable, highly enjoyable, upper ABV summer brew.