#314: Bell's Beer » Hopslam 2015 (DIPA)

(the westy: good for beer; bad for photo lighting)

Bell's Beer » Hopslam 2015 (DIPA) | ABV: 10% | IBUs: 70

Bell's venerable Double India Pale Ale, Hopslam, gleefully permeated far further into Ithaca's beer depths this winter, hitting taps at several locations around town. I grabbed two sixers from Fingerlakes Beverage as last year (Bell's inaugural year distributing to NYS), but needed to experience this lauded brew fresh of the tap.

Hopslam serves up with a deep, translucent amber body, topped with two fingers of fluffy, bright white head. As with bottle pours, it's deeply aromatic, packed with a plethora of citrus rind from Simcoe dry-hopping.

Onto the palate, it's silky hop-heaven. Hot spice of rye and white pepper are deftly balanced with a touch of honey dipped sweetness, making this brew remarkably drinkable. Rich toffee and tropical fruit flavors swirl between citrus rind and pith notes, making this full-bodied brew a growing flavor experience.

Hands down one of my favorite beers, Hopslam was fantastic as always, this draft version boasting a bit sharper bitterness than bottles, making for a slower sipping tasting.

#285: Ithaca Beer Co. » Excelsior! Anniversary Seventeen

Excelsior! Anniversary Seventeen (Wheat Double IPA w/ Brettanomyces) | ABV: 8.8% 
Fittingly, as my pre-Big Day In routine included a stop to Ithaca's Taproom, my celebratory beer of choice, following the 13 hour day, is the latest chapter in Ithaca Beer's praiseworthy Excelsior! series, Seventeen - hybrid between a Wheat ale and an India Pale Ale, bottle conditioned with Brettanomyces.

The awaited Seventeen kicks off with a highly purfumed, floral hop nose with notes of lilac & orchid along side soft, pink peppercorn aromas. It's a spicy, warming, and impressive IPA.

Flavors of white & pink peppercorn and soft chili spices real you in, followed by complimentary, smooth blood orange notes. Like a winter warmer of an IPA. Further through, distinct characteristics of orange & lemon zest peak through, backed by the brightness of the young Brett, which itself yields earthier tones late in the glass. It's complex all the way through, finishing elegantly dry.

A delightful, inspired brew that should get nice & funky with time.

#270: Bell's Brewing » The Oracle (DIPA)

Bell's Brewing » The Oracle (Double IPA) 
ABV: 10% | Rating: 9.3

I'd hate to try and fathom, much less try and count the number of IPAs or even Double IPA's being brewed at the moment. It's fairly astounding to see one style take off and soak in such far-stretching hype. At the epicenter though, is a plethora of amazing beer - which is why we're all hear anyway, right? Sometimes I complain or get beer-political about IPAs hype-dominance, but then I find another gem and shut rite up.

If anyone knows what they're doing with hop-forward beers... Bell's is on that list. Two Hearted, Hopslam, the aforementioned Mars, and now their seasonal summer DIPA, The Oracle makes it's way to the blog. Having Mars and The Oracle back-to-back, just shows how diverse the spectrum is on this particular brew style.

This time around, dry aromas of pine and biscuit kick things off followed up by complimentary, delightfully arid hop flavors. Resinous pine, chocked full of citrus rind and pith notes with a sprinkle of earthy threads sewn in.

An unapologetic, sipper of a hop-heads only beer that is highly enjoyable.

#269: Bell's Brewing » Mars (DIPA)

Bell's Brewing » Mars - The Bringer Of War (Double IPA)
ABV: 10.% | Rating: 9.4

The first in Bell's series of seven beers, inspired by Gustav Holst's 'The Planets' has arrived. Evolved from a trial brew called Larry’s Latest Double IPA, Mars is a big, bold, must-have brew.

Big, orange, juicy and dank citrus hop aromas plume from the glass followed up by a huge hop experience on the palate. Just when I think I may have tired of big IPAs, here comes Mars.

Robust, silky flavors packed with blood orange, pineapple, and mango all stacked up atop sweet, firm malts. Boozy esters rise further through to keep this bold and expertly delivered brew. The whole experience caps off with a sneakily growing dryness in the finish.

Overall a wonderful hop-forward dream that isn't brutally bitter.

#265: High Water Brewing » Hop Logic (DIPA)

High Water Brewing » Hop Logic (DIPA) | ABV: 9.5% | IBUs: 45 | Rating: 8.9/10

Over the weekend, I was in Rochester, catching up with my sister & family in the states from the UK. We decided after a morning & early afternoon of kids-focused activity, it was time for an adult beer and beverages. Tap & Mallet, here we come.

My first brew was a solid, low ABV Berliner-style from Jacks Abby (review to come). Choice #2 was quite a bit more difficult with T&M's plentiful draft offerings. My partner & I ended up tasting their DIPA, Barleywine, and Baltic Porter - all of which were worthy candidates for a final round. To my own surprise, I passed up two of my favorite stiles for the Double IPA. It hit the spot just perfectly.

Lush, heavenly sweet malt flavors slammed with wonderful ruby red grapefruit notes - like hop nectar. Highwater packs 5 types of hops into each batch and you can tell they've done their homework, whichever they are.

Big notes of ripe apricot and resin, make way for subtler notes like vanilla. Not sure how the bottle compares this draft choice, but I'll be looking to find out soon.

Hop Logic is powerful, strong, but expertly well-balanced. A hop-head's treat, but still accessable to any bold beer drinker. Cheers!

#240: Anchorage Brewing Co » Bitter Monk (Belgian-style DIPA)

Anchorage Brewing Co » Bitter Monk (Belgian-style DIPA)
ABV: 9% | IBUs: 100 | Rating: 9.5/10

I absolutely love Anchorage Brewing. Their brews consistently make my favorite beer. I picked up several while in VT (no NY distro...) and have been letting that wild yeast do it's thing. This DIPA in particular is at least 8 months since purchase.

Bitter Monk kicks off with a big, fragrant nose of lychee, Brettanomyces, pineapple, and orange. It's mostly transparent straw-colored body is crowed with a fading, lacy bright white head.

The taste is tart and packed with a puckering funk. Fantastic combinations of flavors at every turn with an arid finish. Champagne and chardonnay (the latter really shines later in the bottle) notes bloom above sweet threads of lychee and white grape. There's a firm hop bitterness in there too that builds with spicy esters that rise in the chest.

A standout, oak-aged, wild DIPA worth seeking out. Recommended.

#187: Dogfish Head Brewery » Hellhound On My Ale (Double IPA)

Good reason to be bitter...

The Brewery: Dogfish Head (Milton, DE)
The Brew: Hellhound On My Ale (Double IPA)
Availability: Bottles & Draft (limited)
ABV:  9.0% | IBUs: 53
Rating: 9.1/10
Location: Home
Found: Fingerlakes Beverage Center

The Story? Last year, I finally got around to burning through Supernatural on Netflix. The Hellhound episode and Robert Johnson intro reminded me it had been some time since I'd had Dogfish's Lemon-infused Double IPA, or much of their rarity series of late, and prompted this recent Dogfish run of reviews.

Originally brewed for Robert Johnson's 100th birthday, aptly using 100% Centennial hops at a rate of 100 kilos per 100 barrel brew-length. Catching on? Good. To top it off, dried lemon peel and flesh are added as a nod to Johnson's mentor, Blind Lemon Jefferson.

The Beer? The beast emerges with a hazy orange-copper body, crowned with a tuft of lacy ivory head. The subsequent pungently hoppy nose is even more brutal than expected with notes of blood orange, lemon, toffee, dates, and hop resin.

Not for the faint of heart, Hellhound On My Ale is an incredibly potent, sipper of an ale. Dark and murky, with a thick, date-filled malt thickness that puckers into a lemony finish. Hellishly hoppy, deep notes of apple, blood orange, and pine are found throughout and continue to build in the finish.

Overall, a flavor-packed, hell-spawn of a beer.

#176: Left Hand Brewing » Twin Sisters (DIPA)

Left Hand's subtle double...

The Brewery: Left Hand Brewing Co. (Longmount, CO)
The Brew: Twin Sisters (DIPA)
Availability: Draft & Bottles (22oz.)
ABV: 9.6% | IBU: 77
Rating: 8/10
Location: Felicia's Atomic Lounge

The Story? I popped down to Felicia's over the weekend to meet up with the Artistic Director of the Ithaca International Fantastic Film Festival to discuss next fall's event. When I arrived, my partner was getting off of work early and relayed Left Hand's Twin Sisters had just been tapped two days prior.

The Beer? Served up in a half-pint glass because of the high ABV, Twin Sisters has a transparent brass body capped with a tuft of fluffy, white head.

For a Double IPA, this one treads softly and unassumingly. Smooth citrus flavors backed by well-balanced blend of sturdy hops and malt are preceded by a mostly transparent, but fresh nose. Cracked wheat; mild, ripe tropical fruit sweetness, and a touch of rind appear further in. The over 9% ABV is completely hidden. The whole thing has a bit of an old-school vibe to it; quality over flash.

Overall, not the most memorable of beers, but worth a go for anyone seeking balance over monstrous flavor. An interesting DIPA offering in the midst of the heavy hop wars.

#128: De Struise Brouwers / 3 Floyds » Shark Pants (Belgian IPA)

De Struise Brouwers & 3 Floyds collaborate on hop insanity...

The Brewery: De Struise Brouwers (Belgium) / 3 Floyds (IN, U.S.A.)
The Brew: Shark Pants (Belgian IPA)
Availability: Draft, Bottle
ABV: 9.0% | IBUs: 260
Rating: 9/10
Location: Monk's Cafe (Philadelphia, PA)

The Story? Knowing I had to limit myself was a tough call with all the amazing brews on Monk's menu. However, De Struise offering on the menu caught my eye, due to my recent bushes with their Black Domination and Weltmerz. Looking further at Three Floyds involvement and a ludicrous 260 IBU, my decision became far easier.

This brew came into existence from De Struise's Urbain visiting Three Floyds Indiana brewery with their house yeast and is brewed in memory of 3F's friend and employee Rich Sheppard who passed in 2011.

The Beer? This, my first introduction to Three Floyds, collaboration or otherwise, sits with an almost opaque, amber-red body with zero head. The aroma is packed with hops as expected, with a touch of funkiness.

I'm far too excited to spend too much time on the nose of this one, so it's head-first into tons of hop power with a distinct, but mild sourness and plentiful boozy esters. Shark Pants is busting with a strong, full body, but despite the 200+ IBU, it's not a palate killer.

This beer is somewhat reminiscent of a heavy-hopped barleywine, but with much more going on. Belgian yeasts dance with hop citrus aside sugars, chocolate, alcohol heat and inferred bourbon flavors, that all tie together into a dry, earthy finish.

Overall, it's a hell of a beer. Recommended for anyone looking for a big, complex beer. Not one I'd hope to have on say, a weekly basis, but I'd never turn down an opportunity if it were presented. Solid, unique, full-flavored beer.

#075: Lawson's Finest Liquids » Maple Wheat Ale and Kiwi (Double IPA) @ Prohibition Pig

Friends and food down at Prohibition Pig...

The Story? Back in July, I met one of my partner's friends from college who relayed she and her wife were now residing outside of Burlington. We shared our vision of a beer weekend in the months to come and agreed we should meet up. On her recommendation, we agreed to meet up for dinner at Prohibition Pig in Waterbury, where we were passing back through anyways.

I was immediately impressed by their selection of herbal liquors, but had to remind myself this weekend was all about beer. I struck out on the first few orders (a Gose, Evil Twin Femme Fatal Brett, etc) and was informed that they were finishing up several of their tap lines in preparation of a Stillwater takeover the next day. Well, that's a fair enough reason if I've ever heard one!

I ordered up a somewhat lackluster Allagash White (I remember this being amazing last time I had it, maybe I wasn't in the mood) and continued on in conversation. The arrival of my stacked Pork Burger (which was delicious, by the way) and my first taste of Lawson's Finest Liquids' perked my spirits. I was also informed that while Heady Topper was no longer on tap, Lawson's own Double IPA, Kiwi just entered the game.

Lawson's itself brews in small batches, some exclusive to the locations they're served. Their line-up of quality, hoppy beers is ever changing.

Maple Wheat Ale (Pale Wheat Ale) 4.2% | 8/10
Nice foamy head with a bit of lace. Sweet taste with mild tartness and quite dry the whole way around. The maple notes are subtle along with hint of banana and cracked wheat. Clean mouthfeel. Tasty, but I really just haven't been able to get particularly excited about maple wheats unfortunately.

Kiwi (Double IPA) 8.1% | 9/10
No, this isn't an IPA brewed with kiwi fruit. This DIPA gets it's moniker from a health dose of New Zealand grown Nelson Sauvin and Pacific Jade hops.

Fluffy, staying head. Hazy amber color. Plentifully fruity, citrus nose. Dry mouthfeel and tons of fruity grapefruit and tropical flavors. Nice, dank and piney. This DIPA is strong, but not overpowering. The soft bitterness of the Pacific Jade hops couple with the prolific fruit notes of Nelson Sauvin hops are a great pairing. Sweet, balanced flavor which gracefully hides the over 8% ABV.

#058: Stone Brewing » Enjoy By 09.13.13 (Double IPA - draft & bottle)

Next batch of fresh hop power hits the streets...

(Good beer pics vs. Dark places to drink: Round 168)

The Brewery: Stone Brewing Co. (Escondido, CA)
The Brew:  Enjoy By 09.13.13 (Double IPA)
Availability:  Draft, 22 oz botttles
ABV: 9.4%
Rating: 9.5/10 (draft) // 8/10 (bottle)
Location: Ithaca Ale House / Home

The Story? Stone has always been one for intense taste and innovation and in this humble blogger's opinion, their "Enjoy By" follows in that tradition. From a lesser company, it could be a gimmick - "oh, you need to buy this now and drink it now." But, it's the truth. Once an IPA is ready, it's far better to drink now. Leave your Imperial Stouts and Barleywines in the basement, but put your IPAs in your gut now. 

I was able to enjoy a glass of their 04.01.13 and was impressed. I heard some mixed reviews about the draft vs. bottle versions, so this time around, I bought both. 

The Beer? 
Draft: Incredibly fragrant with a pungent hop nose. Not that you'd expect anything less from Stone. It's a hop-dream bouquet of sweet flowers, orange, lemon, and tropical fruits. Golden color with a white, lacy head. 

The taste - bold, grassy, hot hop flavor, though not as extreme as the nose might infer. Full, robust mouthfeel with tons of sticky, piney hops packed in, ending in a long, steady hop finish. I'm intrigued to know of any food parings recommendations for this. The finish was so hardy, I had to take water between beer and food in order to taste my meal!

The freshness is the king here - wildly aromatic nose, smooth mouthfeel with a bit of hop oil, and that bold, everlasting finish. A west-coast style, hop-head must have.

Bottle: Out of the bottle, the nose isn't quite as pungent compared to the draft version. There's a strong grapefruit presence on this less-dank nose.

Wow! The taste vastly differs on this one. Starkly crisp, with an immense amount of grapefruit and citrus rind. Sharp flavors and a lighter body and mouthfeel, which finishes far quicker and cleaner. Still bitter, but without the lingering dryness.

It's still a tasty brew, but a complexly different beast. The bottle version of 09.13.13 doesn't nearly have that DIPA dank, stickiness to it that the draft version held. Instead, we're met with a very pithy, crisp, sharp, but still unique IPA.

Give both a try for yourself, but this blogger would suggest jumping for the draft if you get the chance. 

#055: New England Brewing » Gandhi-Bot (Double IPA)

Nectar from our robot overlords...

The Brewery: New England Brewing (Woodbridge, CT)
The Brew:  Gandhi-Bot (Double IPA)
Availability: 12 oz cans, draft
ABV: 8.8% // IBUs: 85
Rating: 10/10
Location: Ithaca Coffee Co.

The Story? Last time I was in Coffee Co. for the delicious Femme Fatale Brett, their beer guru James mentioned brews from New England Brewing would be arriving soon. I'd seen cans of their 668 Neighbor of the Beast (awesome name...) around, which obviously stuck out, but I kept forgetting to research the company further. Once again, it slipped my mind.

Thursday hit and I was on a mission to pick up a coffee-stout as a gift for a friend. Head down, I caught a glimpse of Fingerlakes Beverage Center's draft board and through to myself, "there's that New England company again, I have to check that out". The next day, Friday I see someone post to The Westy about getting New England's Gandhi-Bot on tap. "Gandhi-Bot... I definitely remember seeing that somewhere, must log this to memory."

After work, I'm still on the coffee-stout gift mission and head to Coffee Co. No luck, but they have one can of Gandhi-Bot left. Noted, but not yet worth it. If I'm getting this I want more than a can. Another time.

I'm about to leave when I spot three of my co-workers who invite me over for a round. They convince me to stay and I begin to digest the draft board... "What are you having?" spouts off one of my co-workers as my eyes widen... "Gandhi-Bot", I reply.

The Beer? Dank, densely aromatic, and fruity nose - lots of citrus and tropical fruits going on here. Even on first sip, I'm calling this one IPA perfection. Incredibly full-flavored and the full spectrum of hop power.

This one goes down like a glass of smooth hop nectar. Booming with citrus peel, grapefruit, orange, passion fruit, malt sweetness, and a bit of biscuit; all poured out in a perfectly, hazy golden liquid with a rim of white head.

Highest recommendation. I just picked up some cans this week as well, so we'll see if there's any difference from the draft. Glad the world put a flashing neon sign up for me to finally try this one. One of my new favorites.

#041: AleSmith Brewing Co. - YuleSmith Summer Holiday Ale (DIPA)

In celebration of summer...!

The Brewery: AleSmith Brewing Co. (San Diego, CA)
The Brew: YuleSmith Summer Holiday Ale (DIPA)
Availability: 22 oz. Bottles
ABV: 9.5%
Rating: 8.5/10
Location: Home

The Story? AleSmith, oddly enough, is one of those breweries whose offerings are readily available to me and I've heard great things about, but every time I go to pick up my next haul it's "OK, next time, I just need to pick up one of everything they have." But it just doesn't happen.

Passing through Fingerlakes Beverage Center (as usual) for some sessions on a night in, I saw one lonely bottle of YuleSmith Summer on sale. Now is the time.

I'd heard about this summer offering by name alone. It's rare that I go into a tasting totally blind without researching the beer first (BA score, history, etc), but I did for this one and it really added to the experience.

For those keeping score at home, YuleSmith comes in two varieties - a winter holiday which is an Imperial/Double Red Ale and this summer variety, a Double IPA.

The Beer? Hazy, golden color with a couple fingers of fluffy, white head. Let's dive in.

Wonderfully boozy for a brew with the word "summer" on it. Tart, hoppy, strong, and nicely bitter. Robust, sticky hops with sweet, sturdy, bready malts. Raisin, pineapple, pine, resin, and hints of spices I can't quite put my finger on. Smooth and refreshing with w a far lighter mouthfeel than 8.5% or the word "holiday" might infer.

One of my new favorite DIPAs, especially for the price. Looking forward to finally exploring the rest of the AleSmith line.

#035: Green Flash Brewing Co. - Palate Wrecker (Double IPA) #IPAday

In honer of IPA Day, time to wreck some palates...

(amazing how photo editing on a different comp can change pic settings...)

The Brewery: Green Flash Brewing Co. (San Diego, CA)
The Brew: Palate Wrecker (Double IPA)
Availability: 12 oz. & 650 mL Bottles
ABV:  9.5% | IBUs: 100+
Rating: 9.5/10
Location: Home

The Story? It's IPA Day! Let's play with some heavy hitters.

The Beer? I can already smell the hops from a foot away taking the picture on this one! Pours translucent copper with a bit of lacy head. Do they make air fresheners of this?

Beautiful, refreshing hop goodness. Hints of sweet on the first sip, but bitters quickly.

A hop lovers dream in a bottle right here. Puckery grapefruit, with a solid malt spine, providing robust support. Definitey on the brighter, acidic side of things and it works in its favor.

A bit of boozy tang in the background which grows throughout the glass... not sticky sweet like a barelywine, but does become more and more prevalent. Nice.

Funny thing is, I like this one better in the bottle. I've had it on draft twice of late and cold, out of the bottle I'm able to pull a far broader spectrum of flavor.

I've seen some remarks that this beer is overwhelming and unbalanced (even taking in the nature and purpose of it), but I find it, while still Palate Wrecking, to still be well crafted, balanced, while packing a huge hop punch and letting it shine.

It's never abrasive. Dry, bright, and bold, but I can still sit and hang out with it knowing it's a beer and not some while liquor or herbal disastor.

#036: Six Point Brewery - Resin (Double IPA) #IPAday

IPA day calls for one of my double favorites...

The Brewery: Six Point Brewery (Brooklyn, NY)
The Brew: RESIN (Double IPA)
Availability: 12 oz can - 4-packs & draft (year-round)
ABV: 9.1% | 103 IBUs
Rating: 9.5/10
Location: Home

The Story? A celebration of the essence of a hop cone - the resin. I hotly anticipated this beer last spring when it was released, first picking up a 4-pack at Nathaniel Square Corner Store in Rochester, just before it landed in Ithaca. I picked up this can from Finger Lakes Beverage Center earlier this summer to share with a hop-head friend who was moving to Poland, but we didn't quite get around to it. My gain!

For more background on the concept behind the beer itself, check out more info here and this wonderful video.

The Beer? Nice, staying head and shimmering caramel color. Lighter than some Double IPAs.

Delicious and resiny, as the name would suggest. Packs a bitter punch in celebration of the glorious hop. Strong pine, citrus rind, and even a bit of toasted flavors sneak in the back door along with herbal elements. Resin starts of on the creamier side of a beer this intense, followed by a strong, lingering hop finish. The ABV never comes off as boozy as you may expect. At first guest, I would not have put this one just over 9% in my first taste last year. Excellent carbonation staying power for a high ABV beer too.

There's a dark, dank nature creeping around the thunderous IBUs that really helps take the cake with this one for me. Happy IPA Day!

#033: The Owl House (Three Heads, Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck, Southern Tier, Ballast Point, Stone)

First night of tour...

Location: The Owl House (Rochester)

The Story? For the first night on the road with Mouth To Mouth To Mouth (after a tremendous kick-off in Ithaca the night before) I met up with my parents for a pre-show meal at one of my favorite restaurants in Rochester - The Owl House. One of my favorite semi-recent Rochester memories is when a group of friends and I spent about 5 hours in the upstairs, brunch to dinner, just hanging out, running through their entire tapline, and pretty much owning the place.

With a quick scan of their latest draught offerings, I realized I'd only had two of the thirteen brews on the list. Luckily, I found out that you can make a custom flight, though picking five our of 11 was still a tough call, but I was very please with the results...

The Beer?

Three Heads Brewing: Country Shwheat (Imperial Wheat Ale) | 7.6% ABV | 46 IBUs
Pretty sure this is my first Imperial Wheat. Not a many beers in this style on regular rotation. I've always enjoyed 3HB and this was no different.

Refreshingly hoppy. Prickly carbonation with a nice citrus throughout. Great flight starter.

Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck N.V.: Bacchus (Flanders Oud Bruin) | 4.5% ABV
Wonderful cherry tartness and very smooth. Beautiful, root beer/mahogany color. Subtle, delectably sweet finish. A quality Flanders.

Ballast Point: Victory At Sea (Imperial Porter) | 10.0% ABV
Wow!! Huge amount chocolate up front with a dry finish. Big, staying head. Tons of vanilla. Roasted coffee notes too. Wet up front with a lingering finish. Sweet and dry at the same time. An excellent, thick mouthfull meal of a beer. Picking this one up in bottles soon. We'll deserving of Beer Advocat Bros 100 rating.

Southern Tier: Inner Loop (Saison) | 5.0% ABV
Mmm... very interesting. Brewed exclusively for Rochester brew week and listed as a "Maple Saison" - this peaked my interest. Wet and a little tart. The maple is very mild. Mellow sweet and mild hop finish. Great session, summer, festival beer aimed at a broad audience. I ended up grabbing one of these at Bug Jar post-performance too.

Stone Brewing Co.: RuinTen (Double IPA) | 10.8% ABV
This one has been on the wishlist for a while...

BIG, balanced hops. Citrus and lemon way up front. Very nice malt too. A bit of floral hints peaking through the piney nature of this brew. Further through it gets boozy and drier.

I've since had this in bottles since and have to say it is a bit different, so be sure and try both if you get the chance!
__

Overall, another wonderful Owl House experience. The Ballast Point Victory at Sea and Stone RuinTen took the best of the batch easily (both are really next-level beers to be honest), but a quality run that I would easily choose again.

#025: Avery - duganA (Double IPA)

Avery's once a year Double IPA...

The Brewery: Avery Brewing (Boulder, CO)
The Brew: duganA (Double IPA)
Availability: Bottles (Ltd. release in Sept.)
ABV:  8.5% | IBUs: 93
Rating: 9/10
Location: Home

The Story? Avery (similar to the Left Hand story) is another Colorado brewery that, for whatever reason, isn't readily available in Upstate NY, despite having distribution to Downstate. For months, I eyed such gems as Samael's, The Beast, Hog Heaven, and Maharaja... only to find my gun-shy had cost me my shot at these wonderful brews. Fast forward and our favorite local beverage center pulled a haul up from the City - glory be! Six packs of White Rascal, IPA, Ellies Brown, and Joe's Pils make it into my basket along with Hog Heaven. On the return home, I couldn't help thinking about the beautiful looking IPA I'd passed up - it wasn't the Maharaja I'd been looking for, but why did I pass?

A bit of reading later, finding the duganA I'd passed by is in fact their September-only release with Chinook, Centennial and Columbus hops and Two-row barley, dark aromatic and caramel malt... next trip I was quite thankful to find a bottle sitting in wait.

I passed on my good fortune to my partner Mel and the one and only Cameron Wisch (drummer extraordinaire and soon-to-be guitarist tourmate).

The Beer? Smooth, sticky, and hoppy right off the bat. A beautiful hop experience of pine and resin. The brew beings relatively smooth, but the IBUs really start to creep up on this one, gradually building to a tongue drying finish while brightening a bit as well. 8.5% feels perfect as it never gets too boozy, but instead gives this IPA some serious heft behind it and a nice sweetness.

Overall an excellent big IPA with a high-medium hop bitterness. Recommended.

#024: He'Brew - Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A. (Rye/Double IPA)

Blast from my past blasts my pallet once more...

The Brewery: Shmaltz Brewing Company (Brooklyn, NY)
The Brew: He'Brew - Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A. (Double IPA)
Availability: Bottles / Draft
ABV:  10% | IBUs: ?
Rating: 10/10
Location: Home

The Story? I first encountered this one as a birthday present a few years back and was totally blown away.  Would it hold up to this glorious memory? Re-reading its bombastic malt list (2-row, Rye Ale Malt, Torrified Rye, Crystal Rye 75, Crystal Malt 80, Wheat, Kiln Amber, CaraMunich 60) and equally preposterous amount and variety of hops (Warrior, Cascade, Simcoe, Crystal, Chinook, Amarillo, Centennial. Dry Hopped with Simcoe, Amarillo and Crystal) I knew I was in for an adventure if nothing else.

Technically listed as a Double IPA... but that's not going to cover what is about to go into / happen to your mouth.

The Beer? BIG BEER ALERT. Thick, piney, and full of resin. Almost no head (pic taken seconds after full pour). Cloudy, almost opaque appearance. Very wet with a roasted finish and tons of hops.

OK, big is an understatement, this beer is huge and boozy. A malt and hop orgy swirling with flavors of rye, scotch, potent tea, caramel - maybe honey event? Akin to a massively hopped barley wine - but still smooth, especially for the ABV on this beast.

Another amazing beer in the He'Brew series - bold, boozy and worth the moderate 4-pack price. Fully fragrant and a wonderful experience for malt and hop lovers alike.

#018: An Evening at Bandwagon (Compass, Too Kind, Sixty-One, 400LB Monkey, Rye of the Tiger, High Step)

We found out a good friend was still in town a few days after his band Del Paxton performed at Ithaca Festival, which prompted the notion that a catch-up hangout was needed, along with some quality beer. To Bandwagon..!

Figuring we'd be chatting for a while, I started things off with their aptly named "First Class" flight which boasted 2013 releases including Too Kind from Three Heads Brewing, Compass from Southern Tier,  Great Lakes' Rye of the Tiger, Dogfish Head Sixtey-One, plus Left Hand Brewing's staple 400LB Monkey.

Southern Tier - Compass: Bottle Conditioned Sparkling Ale w/ Rose Hips | 9% ABV
A wish-list beer. Deliciously delicate. Rose hips are very subtle. Dry, floral citrus ale with a touch of bitter.

I'm absolutely giving this one another try. It's brand new release for Southern Tier's bomber sized-bottles, which always peak my interest and usually my pallet as well. This one isn't as urgent, pull-you-in as I was expecting, thought I'm sure this one will climb in my ranks soon. I love that Southern Tier is getting into the bottle condition side of things. LIVE is fantastic. Curious to see what this will progress after it has a little time to mature.

Three Heads Brewing - Too Kind: Double IPA | 8.5% ABV | 87 IBU
3HB's first release of 2013. Based of the consistent experiences I've had with The Kind, the fact that this is a good beer is no surprise.

Nice floral flavor with hints of spice and a bitter, dry finish. Earthy with some rind-fruit tastes. If you've never had a 3HB, show some Rochester love and give 'em a try.
(Update: Turns very fruity drinking again after tasting the Rye and Sixty-One below!)

Left Hand Brewing - 400LB Monkey: English Style India Pale Ale | 6.8%
The "English" in this IPA should be emphasized. Far sweeter than expected, but pleasant and refreshing. A bit metallic and earthy - no American uber-hopping here. Wet up front with a butter-esq, dry finish. Almost a note of cheese on the nose.

Great Lakes Brewing - Rye of the Tiger: Rye IPA | 7.5% ABV | 92 IBU
My second time on dating this one. First on tap. My favorite brew from Great Lakes at the moment and it's their 25th anniversary beer.

Hoppy, bitter, and nicely spiced. Rye is very prominent. A bold, dry, bitter offering that is tops for the price.


Dogfish Head - Sixty-One (61): American IPA brewed w/ Syrah Grape Must | 6.5% ABV
Beautiful, ruby color. Big fluffy, lacy head. Fruity and hoppy and very drinkable with a pleasant mouthfeel. A very juicy IPA that is a wonderful blend of bitter and sweet. Faint hints of the Syrah's dry pepper and there in the background, but the whole thing is smoother than I was expecting, based on Dogfish's hop pallets and the Syrah. Another one off the wishlist.

Bandwagon Beer - High Step: Weizenbock | 9% ABV
While debating whether to finish the night with a after-flight pint, I was made aware that Bandwagon's Weizenbock is their brewer's favorite and won "2012 Best Craft Beer in NYS" from TAP New York Craft Beer & Fine Food Festival. Thank you for making my decision very easy.

Total opaque goodness. A big, boozy, matly beer. Looks like unfiltered apple cider and is simply amazing. Subtle inits of banana with very little carbonation. Hell of a beer to end on and one I'll be heading back for seconds for sure. Have a look...

Way to close out the night with the best beer of the batch, Bandwagon!