#296: Hopshire Farm & Brewery » Frisky Imp (Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout) & Boggled (Cranberry Saison)

Hopshire Farm & Brewery » Frisky Imp (Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout) ABV: 9.5% | IBUs: 55
Twas the eve before Xmas Eve and my partner, her sister and I decided to take a break from holiday stressers and head up the hill to Hopshire for one of their latest creations - an Imperial Stout brewed with all NYS hops and aged in local McKenzie Rye Whiskey barrels from Finger Lakes Distilling, aptly named Frisky Imp.

Upon arrival, Diane immediately served the three of us up tastings of the aphotic brew, emitting cozy whiskey aromas with a brief note of sweet candy. Onto the palate, it's instantly satisfying. The body is silky with a drying finish. Smooth whiskey flavors and heat are held in balance with lively carbonation. As big as this brew is at 9.5%, it's a touch juicy and jammy with notes of cherry, threaded with soft coffee and smooth spice that gradually achieving a dry, earthy finish.

Frisky Imp is surprisingly refreshing and drinkable, an Imperial Stout that's easy on the palate, never becoming too sticky or sharp.


Hopshire Farm & Brewery » Boggled (Cranberry Saison) | ABV: 8.0% | IBUs: 9
Following Frisky Imp, Diane served us up a round of Boggled, a Belgian-style Saison, packed with fresh Cranberries and a dash of orange peel.

Boggled kicks off with a pleasant, sweet & tart nose with a touch of yeast. It's a smooth marriage of tangy cranberry and sweet orange with a hint of vanilla. It's a zesty, fruity brew with a dry, earthy finish that's delightfully light on its feet for 8% and though it's a fruit beer, it doesn't venture into juicy or syrupy territory. Clocking in an just 9 IBUs, Boggled is a solid seasonal for those who avoid bitter in their beer.

#277: Allagash Brewing » Fluxus 2014 (Bier de Miel)

Allagash Brewing » Tribute Series: Fluxus 2014 (Bier de Miel)
ABV: 8.8% | Rating: 8.6/10

After a fun, productive day, which included picnicking, a walk along Cayuga lake, a stellar tasting at Myer Farm Distillers, was temporarily derailed by a slew of since resolved phone issues, it was time to get things back on track with a home cooked meal, finally watching Barton Fink, and cracking into this anniversary brew from Allagash.

Each year, Allagash, whom recently returned to Upstate NY distribution, brews a different, limited recipe under the Fluxus moniker, in celebration of the first beer they sold in 1995. This year, Fluxus is brewed with a blend of 2-row and vienna malts, spruce tips and honey.

Fluxus '14 starts off with an aptly honey colored body topped with lacy white head. A beautiful, soft nose of honey, mild spice, and almond follows with just a touch of sweet earthiness.

The taste is elegant, as par for many of Allagash's limited releases, held up by lovely, soft yet lively carbonation. Firm malts create the backdrop for the subtle sweetness from the honey and mild floral notes of the spruce tips to peak through. The nearly 9% ABV is expertly masked throughout.

For you honey buffs out there, the honey is less at the forefront than say, a Braggott, but still present.

Overall, Fluxus '14 may be a bit subtle for some in regards to the price tag, but for those looking for an elegant beer to slowly enjoy and relax into, this might be just your ticket.

#247: Tröegs Brewing Company » LaGrave (Belgian-style Tripel)

Tröegs Brewing Company » LaGrave (Belgian-style Tripel)
ABV: 8% | Rating: 8.7/10

I've unfortunately only been privy to a couple of Tröegs batch brews, so I'm not as well versed on the full-caliber of their offerings, but Nugget Nectar, Flying Mouflan and others have always been impressive, so I've been looking forward to this LaGrave since it first caught my eye with it's classy, caged cork.

As the 3rd bottle in, during an in-home tasting session, LaGrave meets us with a hazy golden body and fluffy, staying white head whose lace clings for the full drink duration.

The nose is somewhat transparent, with mild notes of yeast, banana, and confection sugar. Lively carbonation follows onto the palate, presenting a firm, traditional Belgian-tripel body and mouthfeel. Firm flavors of savory spice and very slight chili give this strong brew a shot of complexity. Soft, sweet malts caress the palate the whole journey through.

Overall, a pleasant foray into Belgian-styles in bottles for Tröegs and worth a try for any Belgian fan, however it's a bit shy of much of what's going on across the pond and other Belgian-style American houses. Curious how this one would age and where Tröegs continues with this solid offering.

#239 New Belgium » Lips Of Faith: Pluot

New Belgium » Lips Of Faith: Pluot (Tripel) | ABV: 10.0% | Rating: 9/10
This high ABV fruit beer is fermented with Brettanomyces and New Belgian's house Belgian ale yeast. The result is yeasty aromas, threaded with champagne, lemon, and pluot notes and mild spice. The transparent, golden body is wears a rapidly fading, effervescent white head.

I'm a sucker for anything from the Lips of Faith series and in my opinion, this is a damn good fruit beer. Spicy booze heat stacks up with wonderful note of plum & apricot. It's quite dry, with a robust mouthfeel, fully of wine-like qualities on the finish and in the body. There's a touch of white grape notes and brilliant Belgian yeast flavors throughout.

We pushed this one to the edge of the Enjoy-By date, but still scores well as a hefty fruit Tripel to toss into a tulip.

#199: Ithaca Beer Co. » Box of Belgians

Earlier this month, Ithaca Beer launched their second, limited 12-pack - Box of Belgians, packed with (mostly) hop-centric takes on the Belgian style.

Fleur de Belgique – IPA w/ Trappist yeast) ABV 7.5% | 9/10
Kicks off with a bright, fruity, citrus nose - like a citra hop party. The body is pale, hazy, light caramel color with a thin lace of white head. It's undoubtedly an IPA with big tropical and citrus flavors, with some esters in the second sip. Dry, semi-sweet with a champagne-like mouthfeel and hot hops in the finish. Great start.

Hopbloem (IPA w/ Belgian yeast) ABV 8% | 9.2/10
The hop nose has a bit more pine and earth than Fleur with a pale yellow body and lacy white head. The flavor is delicious and the finish is amazing - smooth and bitter with tons of complexity. Soft hops, spices along with hints of lime, clove, yeast, and esters make this a highly enjoyable beer. Big ups on this one.

Laissez Faire (Belgian-Style Tripel Ale) ABV 10% | 9/10
A clear, pale straw body pours out with minimal head. The nose is beautiful - tropical fruit, muscate grape, green apple, minterals; all akin to a Resling. Down the hatch, it's a pleasant brew. It's wet and smooth up front with a dry, spiced finish. Juicy fruit up front quickly snaps shut with sweet, prickly light cinnamon. Solid.

Obscurite (Belgian-Style Stout) ABV 10.1% | 8.8/10
Black body and leggy, mocha head set this stout up right. There's light spice to the mildly roasty nose. Dry, roasted and scorched flavors supported by a light body and lively carbonation. Robust flavor with a short finish.

Overall, a great box. Hopbloem and Laissez Faire easily took the cake for me personally. I'd grab any of these on draft if presented with the opportunity. Kudos to Ithaca Beer for stepping it up a notch over the last year. Looking forward to the next one...!

Ithaca Beer's Box of Belgians hits Feb 13th

As follow up to their popular Box of Hops, Ithaca Beer has announced their next variety pack - Box of Belgians. Limited to only 10,000 packs, the Box will hit select markets in mid-February, but will hit the Taproom on Thursday February 13th with special tastings and events around Ithaca Chili Fest. More information here. Now for a quick preview:

Hopbloem (India Pale Ale with Belgian yeast) ABV 8%

Fleur de Belgique (West Coast India Pale Ale with Trappist yeast) ABV 7.5%

Obscurite (Belgian-Style Stout) ABV 10.1%

Laissez Faire (Belgian-Style Tripel Ale w Abbey Yeast & New Zealand hops) ABV 10%

See you in February!