#263: Sierra Nevada Beer Camp » Chico King (3 Floyds Collaboration)

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp » Chico King (3 Floyds Collaboration)
ABV: 6.5% | IBUs: 45 | Rating 9.2 (Draft @ Ithaca Ale House)

Another birthday Beer Camp brew, down at Ale House, this time in collaboration with the lauded 3 Floyds. My only 3F experience so far has been a De Struise collaboration down in Philly. It was fantastic, but I'm still highly jealous of my mid-west pals with ample experience.

A hazy exterior and fluffy heads reels me in. This unreal pale is incredibly smooth, packing hoppy, cool, and spicy flavors. Backed by high carbonation and a big malt backbone, this King is rustic and dry. Lots of dry resin notes in fact, augmented by serious rind notes and amped up herbal and pine.

A solid hop heads dream...

In the bottle... the story is a bit different, as with the Yonder Bock. Still comes off a hazy amber (with a bit more bubble) and thick white head, but not nearly as complex and boisterous as it's draft counterpart. The big malt and huge hop notes are rolled way back and a bit lack luster.

Not sure if my palate wasn't into it this time around, but the story brewing here seems to be check these Beer Campers out on draft & bottle/can for the full experience.

#210: Florida Tip Pt. 1 » Terripin Rye, Sweetwater Happy Ending, Orlando Brewing Pale Ale

OK, this post is well overdue. Back in mid-February, just before the massive snow storms in the Northeast (which caused me to have to head home early), I had the opportunity to travel to Florida for work. As always, time for regional beer was made...

Terrapin Beer Company » Terrapin Rye Pale Ale | ABV: 5.3% | 8/10
After landing and getting to the hotel, it was beer time while waiting for the rest of our crew to arrive and figure out where we wanted to go for dinner.

This rye pours up a hazy caramel with minimal head. Smooth, light body with soft rye notes, coupled with mild citrus and lemon and a touch of esters on the finish. A bit weak for how I enjoy my ryes, but enjoyable nevertheless.

Sweetwater Brewing » Happy Ending Imperial Stout | ABV: 9.0% | IBU: 53 | 9/10
On the way back from a mostly enjoyable meal, I realized I was in 70º+ weather with access to an ourdoor pool, in Florida and no bathing suit. We caught a convenience store on the way back and I picked up a suit that I'm still quite content with. Being me, I figured the cold case was worth a look and amidst the American Adjunct Lagers whats a label touting a "dry-hopped Imperial stout" weighing in at 9% - I figured this monstrosity could got either way, but couldn't be passed up.

Out of the bottle, a thick, mocha head, with plenty of lacing, bubbles up from the jet black nectar below. A superbly citrus nose starts things off.

The flavor is semi-sweet. Bright orange flavors dominate with a solid malt depth of sugar and caramel notes. Fresh, citrusy, hop  bitterness and goodness couple far better than expected with dark malts and lively carbonation. Reminds me more of a quality Black IPA than traditional stout characteristics.

There's a mid-level hop spice and booze heat in there as well, with the stout roasted notes peaking through further in. Overall, a worthwhile venture and unique meld of styles.

Orlando Brewing Partners » Pale Ale | ABV: 6.25% | 8.5/10
I'd say OBP is the brewery I've head the most about, second to Cigar City. Their Pale pours out clear amber with a tuft of fluffy white head with a pleasant, soft hoppy nose.

The flavor is incredibly smooth and quite silky for a pale. Caramel malt notes and soft citrus strike a wonderful balance. A solid pale ale for sure.

Coming Soon... (Florida Haul)

#169: The Bronx Brewery » Bronx Black PA

Bronx Pale joins the dark side...

The Brewery: The Bronx Brewery (Bronx, NY)
The Brew: Bronx Black PA
Availability: Draft Only (Winter Specialty)
ABV: 5.7% | IBUs: 57
Rating: 8.9/10
Location: Felicia's Atomic Lounge

The Story? I'm still stoked that Bronx Pale has been in regular rotation down at Felicia's. On my last stop, Pale moved from draft to cans to make room for this deep, dark seasonal, Bronx Black PA.

The Beer? Bronx Black serves up with a tuft of mocha head and is, as it's name implies, jet black with a smooth, roasted and hoppy nose. Sharp, dark bitter coffee flavors quickly follow suit and dominate the first gulp. Medium body and soft carbonation are consistent throughout this black pale.

The dark, dry finish is quick at first, but quickly builds to linger relentlessly. Slight black licorice flavor begins to emerge with a mild earthiness and pine notes while deep espresso takes hold.

Overall, my best analogy is a Russian Imperial Stout getting aggressively intimate with a hop cone. Complex, bitter, and damn dark. One to go back for seconds.

#142: New England Brewing Co. » Galaxy Pale Ale

Brewed with a Galaxy from far, far away...

The Brewery: New England Brewing (Woodbridge, CT)
The Brew:  Galaxy Pale Ale
Availability: Draft Only
ABV: 4.8%
Rating: 9.5/10
Location: The Westy

The Story? After a lengthy work day, productive rehearsal, and another meeting about the water damage repairs at the house, it was time to meet up with my partner for a drink. My friend Michael Stark has been on residency at The Westy this fall, but I've been too swamped to catch a single solo or collaborative set.

Lucky for me, he had a special line-up this week including one of my own bandmates. An evening of good conversation, fantastic improv, and hoppy beer? Sign me up.

While I've made it through New England's Sea Hag and Gandhi Bot, this was the first time I've run across their Pale Ale. Galaxy is their first beer in a series of single hop releases, brewed exclusively with Galaxy hops from New Zealand. These NZ hops have been getting a good amount of buzz of late and for good reason.

The Beer? I'm served up a mug of Galaxy and it's a opaque, deep yellow with a thin wisp of white head. The nose wastes no time flaunting voluminous passion fruit, citrus, and tangy grapefruit aromas with lemon and orange zest. So far, this brew is quite enticing and the fist sip does not disappoint.

Galaxy is gracious on it's feet with only 4.8% and a light body and goes down easy with a plethora of hop complexity, zest, and excitement. Notes of kumquat and grapefruit are apparent throughout and close with a wonderfully dry finish and pleasant mouthcoat. I'm almost hesitant to get another beer after this. Wow!

One of the best showcases of New Zealand hops I've run across yet. Highly recommended.

#085: Bronx » Pale Ale

My first taste of Bronx...

The Brewery: The Bronx Brewery (Bronx, NY)
The Brew: Pale Ale
Availability: Cans & draft
ABV: 6.3% | IBUs: 50
Rating: 8.5/10
Location: Felicia's Atomic Lounge 

The Story? I found myself with an unexpected night free on Wednesday and hopped down to Felicia's after work to meet up with my partner and her sister. My partner recently started working at Felicia's, so I've been down there far more frequently then before. They have a solid bottle beer selection for a cocktail-oriented (make that delicious cocktail-oriented) bar - Dogfish Head, Oskar Blues, Liemand's, etc - and they typically have a half-dozen or so draft options with a rotating regional selection. Last time down they had Pumking on tap, so I was excited to see what lay in store this time.

Probably the last thing I expected to see was big, bold letters spelling "BRONX". Their flagship Pale Ale cans only recently made it into distribution in our area and I certainly hadn't seen it on bar draft in Ithaca yet. Easy choice. Sold.

The Beer? As seen above, Bronx presents a completely transparent, deep-amber pale with just a tip of head. The nose is dark and hoppy with a touch of citrus and muted floral notes.

Onto the tongue, it has a compelling, intriguing flavor for a pale ale - nutty, dry, and bitter. Not your typical pale, in regards to many more recent releases heavy on the citrus, rind, and bright hop flavor. There are caramel and biscuit notes I equate more with English-styles. This is solid.

All of that is finished and delivered with a smooth mouthfeel, med-high carbonation, and nice hop and slight booze heat in the finish that stays with you. I'm looking forward to doing a comparison to how the can may differ... and eventually getting my hands on any of their barrel age series.

#080: Hill Farmstead » Edward (American Pale Ale)

One more before leaving Hill Farmstead country...

The Brewery: Hill Farmstead (Greensboro Bend, VT)
The Brew: Edward (American Pale Ale)
Availability: Bottles (limited) & draft
ABV: 5.2% | IBUs: 85
Rating: 9.5/10
Location: Farmhouse Tap & Grill

The Story? I knew I had to make our final round at Farmhouse Tap & Grill count, as we'd be heading to The Alchemist in the morning, then back on the road for home. This would likely be my last chance at any beers that don't distribute out of Vermont.

Edward was one of two beers on tap at Hill Farmstead that we didn't get to try. I was tempted to pick up a growler of Edward on good reviews a lone, but Everett stole our hearts too quickly. A porter of that quality is nothing to balk at. That said, Edward was relatively common around Burlington and Waterbury and I figured I should experience what seems to be their flagship brew.

The Brew? My nose is immediately hit with a citrus bomb of auroma with a hint of white pepper and I am instantly happy with my decision. It's hazy, unfiltered, gold body goodness continues the allure.

Down the hatch, Edward has a great mouthfeel and a wonderfully quick, bitter finish. Lots of juicy citrus vying with hop bitterness for attention all over the core flavors. Hints of orange peel evolve into rind, pith, and grapefruit flavors further through my portion as the finish begins to build and lengthen.

Natural carbonation, local water, and dry hopping along with plenty of American hops makes a Pale to remember.

#071: Steadfast Beer Co. » Golden Blond Ale & Sorghum Pale Ale (Gluten Free)

There's a new gluten-free brewery on the block...

The Brewery: Steadfast Beer Co. (Albany, NY)
The Brew: Golden Blond Ale
Availability: Bottles, Draft
ABV: 5.5%
Rating: 8.0/10
Location: Home

The Story? It's a tricky time for those seeking, or who require, a gluten-free beer experience. Taste can be an issue, as some market offerings aren't quite up to par with the rest of the craft movement. Some just attempt to provide a lack-luster substitute without taking into consideration the full potential of non-wheat ingredients. Others still aren't truly gluten-free, having removed the gluten from wheat, which in sever cases of gluten intolerance is just not enough...

Thanks to our friends at The Westy, a new upstate brewery - Steadfast Beer Company - is on our radar.  My partner is gluten intolerant and while she's lucky enough to be able to still enjoy beer if the rest of her diet is gluten-free, we have other friends with full-blown Celiac disease who are not so lucky. So, we're always on the lookout for the latest, true, quality gluten-free offerings, and boy did we find it this time.

The Beer? Hazy, yellow body with a very quickly fading head. The nose is quite interesting, with full, Riesling-esq notes of sweet white grape and subtle notes of the coriander and orange peel it's brewed with.

On the mouth,we're met with very bubbly carbonation coupled with lemon and yeast flavors. I'd easily use the word "sparkling" on this one. Notes of citrus and vanilla appear early on and lead way to a pleasantly dry finish.  The honey provides some subtle sweet notes, but is never overly present on it's own, more balanced to support the rest of the cast.

This brew is notably self-aware (no, not sentient) in-so-far as it's not trying to just be a beer. Steadfast has taken the strengths of sorghum, coupled it with complimentary ingredients, and produced an elegant blond that is somewhere between a champagne and a beer.  On to the next one...
_________________

The Brewery: Steadfast Beer Co. (Albany, NY)
The Brew: Sorghum Pale Ale (brewed w/ Molasses)
Availability: Bottles, Draft
ABV: 5.5%
Rating: 9.0/10
Location: Home

The Beer? Wonderful caramel-amber body, again with a quickly fading head. The nose is reminiscent of the Blond with that Riesling aroma, but the sweet white grape notes are much brighter, coupled with jammy hint of strawberry.

Great mouthfeel right from the first sip. The carbonation is much subtler than with the bubbly blond. Unlike some other gluten-free offerings, this Sorghum Pale Ale is packed with plentiful hops along with sweet mild strawberry notes that were found in the nose. Fantastic balance of the bitter hops and sweet malt & sorghum. There's mild floral notes to the hops as well (perhaps rose?) along with a slight nuttiness and robust body from the molasses.

My partner and I both agreed that this one is an easy 9/10.  A great pale ale whether you need gluten-free or not. Look for Steadfast to be one of the best options on the gluten-free market.

#052: Ithaca Beer Co. Multihead (Wild Hop Pale Ale) and Hoodoo Voodoo (Imperial Stout - cask & draft)

More unique creations from Ithaca Beer's 5-Barrel and Cask series...

The Brewery: Ithaca Beer Company (Ithaca, NY)
The Brew: Multihead (Wild Hop Pale Ale)
Availability: Draft Only (5-Barrel Series)
ABV: 5.9%
Rating: 8/10
Location: Ithaca Beer Taproom

The Story? Humulus Lupulus Neomexicanus is a newly discovered, wild hop from New Mexico, which is the star of Ithaca Beer's Multihead - one of their latest in their on-going 5-barrel series.  The beer gets its name from this hop's unusual tendency to develop two hop cones per varietal, unlike the usual one-per for all other varieties. I'm impressed by Ithaca Beer's level of adventure on this one as the hop is still so new it isn't yet widely available through usual mass distribution channels. The brewers had to keep ordering until they had enough to brew and experiment with. That's dedication!

The Beer? Light in color and mouthfeel as you'd expect from a primarily single-hopped pale ale. Right off the bat I can tell this isn't going to be your typical pale. Most notably, it's sweet. Mild fruits immediately come to mind like white peach and white nectarine. There's a touch of Magnum hops up front to provide some bitter counterpoint to the sweetness, but otherwise this new dual-hop is front and center.

The sweetness isn't sugary or thick, in fact it's quite refreshing, but on the dryer side. It's subtlety sweet with fresh and noteworthy hop spice and pine flavors from the use of whole cones, plus a filtered wheat presence. A very unique beer that I wouldn't have pegged it as a pale ale at first. Recommended for those with a broad pallet looking for a fresh flavor in the session realm. I have high hopes that Ithaca Beer will use this as a drawing board for future releases with this uniquely wild hop.

The Brewery: Ithaca Beer Company (Ithaca, NY)
The Brew: Hoodoo Voodoo Cask (Imperial Stout, Aged on Oak)
Availability: Cask Only (very limited)
ABV: 11%
Rating: 9.1/10
Location: Ithaca Beer Taproom

The Story? Wednesday is Cask Night and this beer is the reason I pushed to finish up rehearsal and bombed down to the taproom. Sometimes the casks kick before 8PM, but to my elation, there was still plenty of this go around.

Hoodoo Voodoo is Ithaca Beer's new Imperial Stout, another recent addition to their limited 5-Barrel series. Ithaca Beer doesn't have any dark beers in their year-round offerings and only a few seasonally, so I always jump at the chance to taste one - their 14th Anniversary Dark Ale and Gorges Smoked Porter are world-class. This cask version has been aged on oak and wields a higher ABV.

The Beer? It starts off with a strong, dark, woody nose that is quite earthy. Going into my mouth, I already agree cask is the perfect delivery for this brew. A bit boozy up front, notable roasted marshmallow flavors, with a mildly dry finish. A distinct roasted coffee flavor hangs out even after the initial finish dies out. The cask temperature and carbonation mellows the bite of the ABV, instead allowing it to be the support for the rest of the dark, roasted, warming flavors. This would be absolutely superb on a winters day. Woody, earthy, dry, booze, roasted goodness.

I decided to aerate this one in my mouth like you would a wine, which immediately pulled the booze and some dark red fruits to the forefront giving it subtle Cab Sauv-esq notes. Very tasty and another hit for IB's limited series.

The Brewery: Ithaca Beer Company (Ithaca, NY)
The Brew: Hoodoo Voodoo (Imperial Stout)
Availability: Draft Only (5-Barrel Series)
ABV: 9.8%
Rating: 9.0/10
Location: Ithaca Beer Taproom

The Story? It took me three questions to indeed verify that I wasn't crazy and that they had on not only a cask version of Hoodoo Voodoo, but a regular draft version as well. No oak age on this one and a slightly lower ABV, bust still no joke at 9.8%. Three ultra limited beers in one night... I'm in heaven.

The Beer? Cappuccino colored head a top deep, dark brown brew. Medium body.

The taste is much different than the cask version. A prominent nuttiness dominates the flavor with a semi-sweet, English-style feel. Pleasant mouthfeel, reminiscent of a Guiness (in that way only though). Not as earthy and lacking the marshmallow aspects of the cask version, but instead has more malt & chocolate characteristics. Still has some wine-esq qualities on the finish as they booze builds further through the glass.

A great example on how a beer differs based on finish and delivery. An easy choice to try again.

___

Overall a great night of beer. Ithaca Beer Co. has really caught their stride with these one-offs and experiments. I'm eagerly await the next batch...

#048: Bacchus Brewing Co. - Flora's Fate Pale Ale

The first beer release from Bacchus' new brewer...

The Brewery: Bacchus (Dryden, NY)

The Brew: Flora's Fate Pale Ale

Availability: draft only

ABV: 5.0% // IBUs: 51.22

Rating: 8.5/10

Location: The Westy

The Story? Thanks to frequent visits to The Westy, I've been able to explore almost all of Bacchus Brewery's line. Their brewer, Richie works down at The Westy which, while an obvious reason why they're such a proponent of Bacchus, is pretty cool the whole way around. A quality, consistent, draft-only brewery worth checking out amongst a plethora of Finger Lakes breweries.

The Beer? BIG hops with a light body. Staying, fluffy, mustache-giving head. Plenty of strong, bitter citrus flavors with a very dry, lingering finish. Nice amber coloring too. Very piney, but never sticky or dank. A robust blend of lots of Chinook and Ahtanum hops and Vienna, German Carapils, and Acidulated malts, then dry-hopped with and Falconer's Flight.

Overall, a very pale ale with modest gravity. Looking forward to more beers from Bacchus as they continue to climb the ranks of CNY breweries. Flora's Fate has been one of my new go-tos down at The Westy.

#013: Heavy Seas Alehouse (Visit & Tasting)

While in Baltimore for Maryland Deathfest, stopping in to Heavy Seas was a must...

Heavy Seas is generally available up here in Central, NY and plenty of six-packs, half-cases, and bombers have graced our refrigerators, but there's nothing quite like getting it from the source - especially when cask options and barrel aged brews are available.

We stopped in for lunch before our first day at Deathfest looking for a good meal and good ales before a weekend of festival food and drink and HS delivered. We drink 'em down right to left.

Powder Monkey: Pale Ale | 4.75% ABV
Very different on cask. Mild, roasted flavor. Bitter and a bit nutty, with a dry finish. Excellent with salty food like their house made chips.

Loose Cannon: American IPA | 7.25% ABV
Also on cask. Hoppy and smooth, while still being piney and bitter. One of the hoppier IPAs I've had on cask. Much of the hop characteristics are usually muted with the warm, almost uncarbonated style, but this still punches through. The finish is much earthier than in bottles. Great variation.

Riptide: White IPA | 7.25% ABV
Excellent. Bright and citrusy with a wonderful, prickly mouthfeel. A bit tart and tangy. Looking forward to picking this one up in bottles. No cask option on this one this time around.

Holy Sheet: Abbey Ale | 9% ABV
Brandy barrel aged "Uber Abbey Ale" from the Uncharted Waters series. Mmm... taste the barrels. Mildly boozy and nice oak notes. Sweet, but not too sweet - caramelly with hints of tropical fruit. Wonderful mouthfeel. Not heavy or sticky. Hints of vanilla extract in the finish.

Overall a wonderful ale house. I would have liked to see a few more local-only brew options on draft (or more tap options in general), but the food was great and the service was ultra friendly, accommodating, and knowledgeable. We were even graced with a "Apple Jack Sparrow" - a beer cocktail of their Imperial Stout with Fireball liquor and Green Apple Pucker, which was marvelous.

#009: Victory Brewing Company (Flights & Visit)

Last weekend my partner and I finally crossed one of our long-time favorite breweries off out "must visit" list - Victory Brewing Co. in Downington, PA. 

Strong, hoppy beer was the first thing that pulled me into a beer lover and I've consumed far more of Victory's Hop Devil than I could really keep track of. Storm King was my gateway into stouts. I'm missing time from several gatherings thanks to one too many delicious Golden Monkeys. While I've worked through just about every beer which they bottle, the only non-bottle brew I've tried is their wonderful Ranch Double IPA. 

All that changed as Victory had well over a dozen draft-only selections, including several one-offs for the recent Craft Brewers Conference. Lets jump in... 

#002: Ithaca Beer - Excelsior! White Gold (Rustic Pale Wheat Ale)

Fresh batched just released!

The Brewery: Ithaca Beer, Co. (Ithaca, NY)
The Brew: Excelsior! White Gold (Rustic Pale Wheat Ale)
Availability: Draft and bottles
ABV: 8.0
Rating: 8.5/10
Location: Ithaca Beer Taproom, Ithaca, NY

The Story? A long running part of Ithaca's Excelsior! series, White Gold is fermented with Belgian, English and Wild yeasts which makes it one of the brewery's best beers for aging.

The Beer? I've had several batches of White Gold, but this is the youngest I've tasted it so far. Too new to have evolved into the complex, juicy citrus of the last batch - which was one of my favorite beers of 2012.

Instead, the brew boasts it's more rustic features with a healthy amount of yeast up front, subtle tang on the finish (foreshadowing what that wild yeast is up to), and wonderful unfiltered mouthfeel of a quality craft wheat. Opaque color and voluminous head as is par for the course.

I'm looking forward to how this batch ages and evolves. When mature, it's always one of my top rated beers.

Nickname: The King of Wheats