#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.

#179: Westbrook Brewing Co. » White Thai (Witbier)

Belgian-styling meets Southeast inspiration...

The Brewery: Westbrook Brewing Co. (Mount Pleasant, SC)
The Brew: White Thai (Witbier)
Availability: Cans & Draft (Year-Round)
ABV:  5%
Rating: 8/10
Location: Home
Found: Fingerlakes Beverage Center

The Story? 2013 was a good year for several, fan-favorite craft breweries to make their way into to the NYS marketplace. Bell's I've talked the most about, but towards the end of the year, Westbrook Brewing out of South Carolina made their way in as well. Their first offerings to Upstate NY are their IPA and White Thai witbier. 

The cans are eye-catching - bright, simple, yet artisan in design. This Witbier skips the usual orange/coriander road, instead taking inspiration from the Southeast, and utilizes fresh lemongrass, ginger root, and a dash of Sorachi Ace hops. I was honestly very excited what results lay in store. 

The Beer? White Thai presents itself with a hazy, golden-straw colored body under a half finger of pure-white head. A lovely, delicate nose of dry yeast and nod of citrus zest follows. 

The flavor is pleasant. A quick spice of ginger jumps out of the first sip, but quickly smooths out. The Belgian Wit inspiration is apparent, but subtle. Notes of straw, mild lemon, and soft ginger all linger just beyond the foreground. Carbonation levels are typical and mouth feel and coat are somewhat mediocre. 

Overall, a light, tasty brew, but I would have loved a stronger presence of the lemongrass and ginger for a more adventurous offering. 

#028: Green Flash - Saison Diego (Saison / Farmhouse Ale)

One for the subtle ones...

The Brewery: Green Flash Brewing Co. (San Diego, CA)
The Brew: Saison Diego (Saison / Farmhouse Ale)
Availability: 12 oz. & 650 mL Bottles
ABV:  4.2% | IBUs: 20
Rating: 7.5/10
Location: Home

The Story? Green Flash's offering have peaked my interest for a while and Saison Diego was next up, in my attempt to make my way through their entire bottled line. After Le Freak, Pallet Wrecker, and Friendship Brew; this had high expectations.

Green Flash lists the beer as "Unfiltered golden farmhouse ale, brewed with Seville orange peels, Chinese ginger and grains of paradise. Light, bright, spicy aromas, lively carbonation and earthy flavors co-mingle with musty notes that add funky complexity" - a great number of those words, especially in the combination sound like tasty to me.

The Beer? Mmm... a nice Belgian noise with some mild funky/sour hints - sour dough bread, maybe?  Hazy yellow coloring with a medium head after the pour.

First sip - the ginger is very mellow and not spicy at all. More of the earthiness of the ginger is present than the usual spice. A mild, bright taste with perky carbonation. The orange peel is in there somewhere along with the grains of paradise. Hints of pepper, white bread, and yeast all dialed back with some funk in the back of the room.

Finishes with a bit more earthy, funk imprint at the end of the bottle, but never aggressive.

Overall, a very delicate beer. Not as attention grabbing as I had hoped, but good for those looking for subtle, mellow, and light.  Reminds me of the Game Of Thrones Blonde from Ommegang (another brew featuring grains of paradise) - neither is a disappointing beer by any stretch, but in they're both a bit mellow for their own good. Saison Diego has a lot of potential for wowing beauty with the citrus, ginger, funk, grains of paradise, and yeasts present, but none are present enough to lead the pack.

I'd be very interested in comments from anyone who seeks out more delicate beers such as this and their thoughts on the matter.

#008: Hopshire Farms and Brewery (Flight & Visit)

1771 Dryden Rd, Freeville, NY - 13068

The Story? Here in Central NY, we're lucky to be graced with a plethora of quality craft breweries - Ithaca Beer, Empire Brewing, Bacchus Brewing, Horseheads Brewery, and dozens of others.

As of Friday, May 10th, you can add one more to that list - Hopshire Farm & Brewery. Excellent visuals and associations come to mind from that great name. Last week, my partner and I lined up for their opening night tasting.

Hopshire's claim to fame, in addition to quality beer, will be their eco/sustainability-friendly farm, brewery, and overall processes and ethos. The beer is brewed with as many local ingredients as possible (presuming many of which will eventually be grown on site), a sand bed under the tasting room stores waste heat from the brewing process to heat the main building. Tubing buried in a spring behind the building circulates water for cooling their fermentors and aging room.  Plans are in the works for a biomass boiler, solar water heating, and other energy generation to become climate neutral. Great to have such 21st century minds involved with one of the world's most ancient of traditions.

The Beer? "What does all this mean for the beer they brew?", you ask. Well, the first few words and phrases I read are - "Honey", "Cherry", "Ginger", "Fuggle hops", "6 different barley malts", and "laced with hops". My dear readers, we are in for an excellent ride.

Beehave: Honey Blond Ale | 4.2% ABV | 10 IBUs
VERY light. A great start for a flight. The honey in this brew quickly brings out mead-like qualities a few sips in. Clean, dry, with a very quick finish. Solid summer beer or a gateway for dry wine or mead fans. Not sweet as you may expect from anything including honey in its ingredients.

Bloosom: Cherry Wheat | 4.5% ABV | 20 IBUs
We've got another light, dry one here!  Not too wheaty, which is great for me. Puckered hints of cherry with prickly carbonation. Quite a nice, fresh taste and not minerally at all. A subtle, different ale.

Zingabeer: Belgian Pale with Ginger | 5.5% ABV | 18 IBUs
Two ginger brews in one week! This one presents itself with a much spicier nose than Left Hand's Juju (#007 review). Nice spice up front on the taste as well. The Belgian style really lends itself to this concept. As with the Beehave, there's a quick finish, so the ginger doesn't linger far on your tongue, though it is still noticeable on the noise-breath out. Rooty brew for any ginger lover.

Daddy-O: English Pale Ale | 6.2% ABV | 41 IBUs
Mmmm... a pleasant change of pace here. Malty, like an English ale should be. Bitter, but not hoppy. Lots of roasted flavor and deep character without trying to reinvent anything. Easy drinking... but not too easy. This is a real beer, boy, take it slow!  Solid.

Shire Ale: Scottish Ale | 6.3 ABV | 30 IBUs
Whoa, now they're switching it up.... there's a lot going on in this one. Malty, malt, malts - there are hops in there, but I'm far too distracted by all the lovely, sweet, oaty goodness going on in this one. I'm going to need a few more tastes to pull everything out of this one (oh woe). Overall a rich, complex take on a brown ale - a sentence which doesn't spring from these lips much. Recommended.

Near Varna: India Pale Ale | 7.5% ABV | 74 IBUs
Laced with hops indeed!  Bitter citrus with a wet finish (which is great considering the IBU's on this one). Longest finish of the batch for sure - adding hops five times during the boil and in the serving tank will do it. If you're looking for a big, bold American IPA that you can still put back several pints and not fret about your tongue turning to sandpaper - rock this one.

Overall, a solid first batch of brews with a little something for everyone - sessions, hop and malt-centric, and a few unique variations. All Hopshire beer at the brewery is tasting or growlers only at the moment - no pints - but they will fill half growlers in addition to your traditional American 1/2 gallon or your German 2 liter. Very much looking forward to how this new brewery progresses, especially considering their next three in the line up are called Sneaky Weasel, Shenanigans, and Dragon's Milk - with those names and their record so far, I'm sure more good, creative things are on the way.

#007: Left Hand Brewing Co. - Good Juju (Ginger Ale)

Left Hand returns to Upstate NY...

The Brewery: Left Hand Brewing Co. (Longmount, CO)
The Brew: Good Juju
Availability: Draft & Bottles (12oz.)
ABV: 4.5%
Rating: 8
Location: Home

The Story? Several years back, my partner's sister brought over a 12-pack from a brewery I hadn't run across yet. The artwork was fantastic and the brews were even better. That beer was from Left Hand - Sawtooth Ale, 400 Pound Monkey IPA, Milk Stout, and Stranger Pale Ale graced my pallet. But then, just like that, they were nowhere to be found in town. I was able to snag one or two on draft while out of state, but otherwise hadn't run into them since and they slipped into the back of my mind.

Fast forward until a week back when I stroll into one of my usual pick-up places (Finger Lakes Beverage) and voilà! - they're back in our area. Into my basket go a sixer of Juju and Nitro Stout. Neither of which I'd tried yet.

Juju's story starts way back (ha) in 1994 as part of Left Hand's first 5 production beers, beginning life as Juju Ginger. 2010 the brew was rebranded as Good Juju with fantastic updated artwork.

The Beer? A full mouth of pleasant ginger satiates me in the first big swig. As well it should - they juice 20kg of ginger for each 60 barrel brewery batch, plus using the rinds in quite an innovative manor.

A smooth, wet, mild pale ale finishes the job. The ginger is ever present, but not in a spicy ginger-beer way... this is a far more subtle nature. A bit sultry, thirst-quenching and satisfying. A great alternative to skunky summer beers and boring, phoned-in fruit wheat beers. I'm peaked to try this with some good Indian or Thai food as well.

This isn't a beard-scratching, philosophizing ale; but that's not what it's aiming. Perfect for those of us looking for a high quality session ale as the temperature rises with quite it's own personality.