Flossmoor Station Lady Columbia IPA

Beer: Flossmoor Station Lady Columbia IPA
Brewery Location: Flossmoor, IL
Beer Style: American IPA
ABV: 7.5%




This is my second bottled offering from Flossmoor. I was a fan of the brown ale that I had, and I've got high hopes for this beer. They actually brew several varieties of IPAs, and you can tell what one you are having based on the wax top on the bottles. They use the same bottle for each of their IPAs. This blue wax topped bomber is the Lady Columbia IPA.

This beer pours a hazy golden color with one finger's worth of off-white head that faded quickly into decent spotty lacing. The nose hits pretty nicely on this beer and is full of pine, grapefruit, and other citrus spice, and only really a touch of caramel malt base on the nose. The flavor starts with plenty of hop bitterness followed by a big rush of citrus fruit and resinous pine flavor. The bitterness upfront settled down a bit about half way down my glass and then the caramel malt really provided a decent balance to the hops. I think this beer was brewed with only Columbus hops, but if anyone knows for sure please let me know. The wasn't much carbonation in this offering and it left an almost astringent bitterness lingering after the swallow. I am fine with that, but I can see how others would not like that in the finish. I think one bomber was just about perfect for me, and I would very much like to try the other IPA styles from Flossmoor.

I've yet to be disappointed in a beer from Flossmoor Station. This beer runs a bit higher on the IPA meter than most. It has a huge heaping of citrus flavor, but also has the bitterness to match, and many people just don't like that, but if you are a hop-head at all this beer is worth getting your hands on. Another great beer from the duo up in Flossmoor.

Cheers!
Matt

Ballast Point's Sculpin IPA

Beer: Ballast Point Sculpin IPA
Brewery Location: San Diego, CA
Beer Style: American IPA
ABV: 7%

I've got a list of beers that is about 110 beers deep right now, and another one that is about 40 deep with beers that I want to try. The list that is 40 deep is separate because that list contains the name, release date, how much is released, and what the limit is for purchase. (Yes, I am this beer geeky!) This beer is one off of that smaller list. I've really liked all of the beer that I've had from Ballast Point, and this is their highly sought after and very limited IPA. A very easy beer from them to find is called Big Eye IPA, and is also one of the better examples of an IPA I've found.

Ballast Point actually started out as a homebrew shop in 1992, and only fours years later they installed major scale brewing equipment. The homebrew shop is still open, and they have opened another brewing location to try and keep up with thirsty consumers. I am pretty happy to finally have acquired a bottle this beer after a very long wait. Their last release was just a few weeks ago, and they only released 30 cases of this beer.

This IPA pours a gorgeous clear bright golden orange color with a good sized bone-white head on it that left spotting lacing on my glass. The nose on this beer is very unique and interesting for an IPA. I think mango is the strongest scent followed by passion fruit, peaches, lemon and orange zest, floral hops, and a slight pine bitterness as well. The smell on this beer is leaping from my glass, and it never left for the entire beer. The flavor profile is loaded with citrus fruits with grapefruit and tangerines being very dominant followed up with only a slight touch of caramel malt. The hops are extremely fresh and vibrant on this offering. The malt is only barely noticeable, but somehow supports the hops beautifully. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium carbonation that left a very dry finish on the back of my palate. The drinkability is superb on this beer, and is one of the best IPAs I've have ever had the pleasure of tasting.

This is a top notch IPA, and is a hop-heads dream. The bitterness is there on this beer, but the soft accents of everything else really helped this beer be much more than just a "hop-bomb." Another tasty beer from Ballast Point that I am pretty excited I was able to try.

Cheers!
Matt

Sweetwater IPA

Beer: Sweetwater IPA
Brewery Location: Atlanta, GA
Beer Style: American IPA
ABV: 6.7%



I know I said I was out of my kick for IPAs, but I didn't want to open a bomber of something and just wanted a 12 oz serving of something. I've had this sitting in the fridge for about a month waiting to be consumed. I got three of these in trade recently, and this was my last one of those. I've got several other Sweetwater beers to try, but those will be this winter most likely. They have a couple beers with names like "Happy Ending" and "Donkey Punch." At least they have a sense of humor right?

This beer pours a very deep copper/amber hue with a small head that left spotty lacing on my glass. The smell on this beer is really surprising for a regular IPA, and the notes are very clear while pouring this beer. I get loads of fresh citrus fruit with grapefruit, oranges, passion fruit, and peaches dominating with just a touch of spice and pine in the background. It has quite a bit of punch for a regular IPA. The flavor profile is a bit more subdued with the caramel malt coming in upfront before making way to all those citrus flavors, but along with the other citrus fruits I noted in the nose I am also picking up some lemon zest on the palate. The mouthfeel is very crisp with medium carbonation, and I do not really detect much alcohol on the mouthfeel. This is one of the best balanced IPAs that I've had the pleasure of drinking.

This was a really tasty and well made IPA. The balance was my favorite aspect of this beer in the flavor profile, and is really just a well made example of the style. This beer would certainly have a permanent spot in my beer rotation if I could get it locally. This beer is not to be missed if are in the South and get some of this beer.

Cheers!
Matt

Ballast Point Big Eye IPA

Beer: Ballast Point Big Eye IPA
Brewery Location: San Diego, CA
Beer Style: IPA
ABV: 6%




Did I mention that I love west coast IPAs? I've traded for some things from Ballast Point recently, and I've only ever had this beer before and their Big Marlin porter, and I should be working my way through the rest of them in the near future. Ballast Point is another brewery making a nice name for themselves out of San Diego.

Big Eye pours a nice rustic amber color with a good sized and slightly off-white head on it. It left spotty lacing on my pint glass. The smell is packed full citrus fruits with notes of oranges, tangerines, and lemon peel. There is some slight caramel notes coming out of the malt as well, but not well pronounced. I don't think I am giving the nose justice there, but this is complex and wonderful nose on this IPA. The scents leads right into the flavor profile with the bitter hops upfront flooding with flavors of grapefruit, pine needles, lemon zest, and finally the caramel soaked bready malt comes out in the finish. The flavors meld very well together and create a unique and balanced IPA for a hop-lover. I would think a non IPA drinker would find this offering quite harsh though, but not me. The mouthfeel has plenty of carbonation for this medium bodied beer that leaves no detectable alcohol in the finish. The drinkability for a hop lover is excellent and would also be quite session able at only six percent.

This is just a really nice IPA. It certainly isn't a DIPA by any stretch of the imagination, but this also isn't an entry level IPA. It has more bitterness and more malt than your average IPA. I am guessing that is because they only used one type of hops, centennial, for bittering hops and for dry hopping purposes. This beer is well balanced, clean, and quite refreshing. I would go so far as to say that it would be in my normal rotation in my fridge if I could find it locally.

Cheers!
Matt

Tyranena Bitter Woman IPA

Beer: Tyranena Bitter Woman IPA
Brewery Location: Lake Mills, WI
Beer Style: IPA
ABV: 5.75%



I've been a fan of Tyranena since I was able to give them a try last year. I will be certain to pick them up if I make a trip up to Wisconsin. As far as I know, and from what their website states their beer is only available in Wisconsin. I sat down outside a couple nights ago and had this offering that I received in trade recently. I think the label art catches the name of this brew quite nicely.


Bitter woman pours a clear golden copper tint with a small cap of bright white head on it, and it left minimal lacing on my pint glass. I get a mild hop presence in the nose with hints of grass, citrus, and pine needles. I would say that the carmel malt has a bigger precense than the hops do on this offering. The flavor profile is where the hops come to life with plenty of fresh citrus fruit upfront and on the finish with the fairly soft caramel malt flavor coming in. The mouthfeel is good with medium carbonation, but I feel the body is rather thin on this one. The drinkability is pretty good for this offering, and would make a decent session brew.

Overall this was a decent beer, but I wouldn't go to it very often. The thin mouthfeel and toned down body of this beer. I enjoyed Tyranena's brewers gone wild series the most thus far, but this one just didn't do it for me, but I am ready to give some more of their beers a try if I can get my hands on more of them.

Cheers!
Matt

Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye

Beer: Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye
Brewery Location: Healdsburg, CA
Beer Style: American IPA
Serving Style: Bomber
ABV: 8%


I've been trying to get some more Bear Republic offerings since I was pretty impessed with Racer 5, and this is my second offering from them. I never thought I would like any beer with rye in it, but Fouders Red Rye has got me convinced that I will always give something with rye in it a chance. The Founders offering is one of my favorites. I split this bottle with my best friend and beer drinking buddy Kevin.

This beer pours a deep mahogony hue with three fingers of very dense tan head on it. The head collapes fairly quickly, but does leave good spotty lacing on my pint glass. There is some significant amount of spent yeast and hop particles in this offering as well. I smell this beer as I pour it. The hop scent is extremley dominant on this offering with big wafts of grapefruit rind, sticky pine needles, and pineapple. The malt isn't as dominant as the hops but does present itself with scents of grain and caramel. The first taste brings on all of those hops with the grapefruit and pine flavors coming to the forefront, but the malt is much more pronounced in the flavor profile than in the nose. The malt has flavors of the caramel, grain, rye, candied fruit, and a certain honey sweetness is present as well. The flavors meld very well together and I think the rye is the perfect compliment to the bitterness of the hops and adds a fruity spicyness to the beer. The mouthfeel on this beer is super smooth and medium bodied. I can't say to much more about this beer other than I will purchase any time I have the opporutunity.

Overall I was pretty happy with this offering. I am not sure why they classify this as an american IPA. It walks and talks like a double IPA, and has the mouthfeel and finish of a top notch barleywine. This is worth getting your hands on if you can get it.

Cheers!
Matt

Victory Brewing Company Hop Devil

Beer: Victory Brewing Hop Devil
Brewery Location: Downingtown, PA
Beer Style: American IPA
Serving Style: Bottle
ABV: 6.7%


I am working my way through about six offerings from Victory Brewing right now, and I've heard and read some great things about this beer, so I was pretty excited to give it a try.

This beer pours a deep amber with one finger of white head. This is a deeper color than most other IPA's I've encountered. It does leave very good lacing on my pint glass. Hops are the only thing I smell on this beer, but that isn't really a good thing. The hop scent is rather muted and not as bold as I was expecting. I don't really pick up any other secondary scents as well. The taste is very sweet upfront with a bit of caramel before the hops take over and assert themselves, but the hops fizzle out rather quickly and leave a tea-bitterness for the rest of the beer. I am rather unsatisfied with each passing drink. The mouthfeel is rather thin, but there is quite a bit of astringency that normally isn't found on IPA's.

Overall, this was a big miss for me. I am a big hop-head, but this one fizzled out, wasn't well balanced, and the astringency wasn't expected either. This beer is so highly regarded by the masses, and I am wondering what I am missing here. I am going to try it again if I make it down to Jungle Jim's and see if it was just an off bottle.

Cheers!
Matt

Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA

Beer: Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA
Brewery Location: Healdsburg, CA
Beer Style: American IPA
Serving Style: Bomber
ABV: 7.0%


There are so many great breweries across the county, and I am doing my best to try and give each one a try. I've heard some great things about Bear Republic, and this is my first offering from them. I've been impressed with many California brewers interpretations on the IPA style, and I've also been quite let down by some hyped IPA's from there as well. I can't believe this beer is only 2.99 in California. I am not sure why west coast beers are significantly cheaper than here in the mid-west. I can't really think of any bombers that are available locally that are around that price point that I would purchase often. If you ever shop at Liquid Solutions you will notice how west coast brewers tend to have very attractive price points for very well respected beers. You can buy this beer right now for $3.48 a bomber over at Liquid Solutions.

Pours a hazy amber color with one finger of creamy white head that left sheets of lacing on the walls of my imperial pint glass. The smell of this beer hit me as I was pouring it. Big scents of citrus fruit and an earthy grassy scent that both equally vie for your attention. A slight bit of sweet malt is also trying to make itself known on the nose as well. The flavor profile is a duel battle between the sweet caramel malt and the citrus and pine flavor of the hops. Neither flavor dominates each other and this flavor profile is well crafted and well made. The mouthfeel is a bit thin, but overall it is medium bodied with lower than average carbonation. The drink ability on this beer is impressive, and it leaves me wanting Bear Republic in Indiana.

This is a quintessential IPA. This is a well made IPA that doesn't slap you in the face with over the top hop flavor, but instead it is a well crafted and well balanced IPA that is a pleasure to drink. This would be good on most any occasion and would pair itself nicely with spicier food. I will continue to buy this from Liquid Solutions or trade for it. This is well worth that minor trouble.

Cheers!
Matt

Terminal Gravity Brewing IPA

Beer: Terminal Gravity Brewing IPA
Brewery Location: Enterprise, OR
Beer Style: IPA
Serving Style: Bottle
ABV: 6.7%


I got this beer as an extra in a trade a couple months back. I've been on a such a stout kick lately that after I had Hopslam I am beginning to gravitate back to the IPA and DIPA style. I really like seeing regional takes on the IPA style, and I also like tasting each brewers take on this style. I think there is more variation (good and bad) in this style than other styles being brewed by craft brewers.

This beer pours a cloudy rustic bronze color that is very murky. A small one finger head sits on top on this murky beer, but it disappeared very quickly. The smell is of citrus fruit leaning towards red grapefruit as the most dominate scent. As the beer warmed a bit I got more bready malt coming through as the hops died down a bit. The taste is very sweet upon first taste, but the hops come through very quickly with citrus and pine making their appearance known on my palate. This has medium hop bitterness with slight caramel undertones from the malt. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium carbonation that left a rather dry finish. The drinkability is very good on this beer and would go well about anytime.

Overall this is a good IPA. I wouldn't go that far out of my way to get more of this beer, but if it were ever available in Indiana I would order it while I was out or pick up some from the store. If you are interested in ordering this beer you can get this beer here: Liquid Solutions.

Cheers!
Matt

Surly Brewing - Furious

Beer: Surly Brewing's Furious
Brewery Location: Brooklyn Center, MN
Beer Style: American IPA
Serving Style: Can
ABV: 6.20%


Beer for a glass, from a can. That is quite the mantra that Surly has come up with. It has been a struggle for many micro brewers to convert the masses over to cans. Several companies like Oskar Blues Brewing company, makers of Dale's Pale Ale, have successfully served their beers in cans to the public. Many craft beer enthusiasts are still very reluctant though to drink beer out of a can, but canned beer has a longer shelf life, better protection from UV light, and is usually cheaper to manufacture, and new technology lines the can with plastic to protect from any metallic taste.

I've been trying to get this beer for over a year, and I was finally lucky enough to trade for it. Surly is a small regional brewer in Minnesota. I am pretty sure Surly is only available in Minnesota. They have made a name for themselves with this beer gaining national fame among hopheads, and another beer called "Darkness" (a Russian imperial stout) is rated as one of the top beers in the world according to BeerAdvocate and Ratebeer.

The beer pours a rustic brown with light tan highlights when held up to the light. A one finger head caps this beer off, but the head quickly dissipated and was almost gone by the time I was ready to take a picture of it. It left patchy lacing on the sides of the imperial pint glass. You can smell the aromatics coming off of this as you pour the beer. Huge wafts of fresh grapefruit, pine, ripe citrus fruit, toffee and caramel malt scent try to even things out. The first sip brings on huge flavors of fresh grapefruit, fruity esters, and a very dominant malt base. According to the can the malt is direct from Scotland. This beer has a bite on it that is approaching double IPA proportions. The hop flavor is in your face, but the biscuity malt reigns it in just right. The mouthfeel is smooth and medium bodied. Drinkability is very good on this beer. It isn't the most well balanced IPA, but I like the different take Furious brought to the table.

I enjoyed this beer a great deal. I will trade for it every opportunity that I can. It isn't my favorite IPA, but if I had better access to this it would go into my regular rotation most likely. A nice treat if you can get your hands on this beer.

Cheers!
Matt

Stone IPA

Beer: Stone Brewing IPA
Brewery Location: Escondido, CA
Beer Style: IPA
Serving Style: Bottle
ABV: 6.9%


I've written about some of Stone's beer before, but this is the beer that started my love for Stone Brewing. IPA's are my favorite style of beer, and this is one of the best ones out there. This is one of my top three go-to beers and usually have some on hand in the house. Stone has some of the best bottle labeling out there. I am still curious what the cost of silk screening their bottles add to the price. The beer is very reasonably priced between 3.99 and 4.99 depending on where you are shopping.

Pours a light golden hue with a huge two fingered head that leaves sheets of lacing on my pint glass. The aroma is classic of a great IPA. A fantastic floral bouquet filled with scents of citrus fruit, sweet malt, and a second dose of grapefruit scent just to make sure you know the hops are in your face. It smells like I have fistfuls of hops cones. The taste is what a great IPA should taste like with the citrus, floral, sweet malt, and bold hop character playing off each other like the Harlem Globetrotters. The flavor profile just melts together on your palate and makes for a nice drinking experience. This beer is medium bodied with medium carbination. Alcohol is very well hidden and I didn't really ever notice it. This beer is highly drinkable and should be on the list to try for all hop lovers.

Overall this is an outstanding beer for the style, and just overall an amazing beer. Some say the hops are overdone, but if you are a hophead this is really nice for when you don't want a DIPA. This pairs quite well with a good burger, whereas DIPA's usually don't. Give this beer a chance if you see it out. I've found the best price on this at the Sunflower Market in the Broadripple village, and there is always plenty of it. Do the organic foodies not know how great this beer is or something?

Cheers!
Matt

Bells Two Hearted Ale

Beer: Bell's Two-Hearted Ale
Brewery Location: Comstock, MI
Beer Style: American IPA
Serving Style: Bottle
ABV: 7.0%


This is the beer that really got me into beer. I can still remember my very first two-hearted with my best friend Kevin. Earnest Hemingway wrote "Big Two Hearted River" and this beer carries that on by stating on the bottle: India Pale Ale style well suited for Hemingway-esque trips to the Upper Peninsula. It may sound corny, but I would like to drink a two-hearted in the Two-Hearted River in the UP.

Pours a beautiful amber/orange hue with a good sized pearl white head. The head collapses fairly quickly, but this beer leaves some of the best lacing on the sides of the pint glass that I've seen. The nose makes itself known while pouring the beer into the pint glass. Heavy scents of pine, ripe grapefruit, and orange rind. The floral nose is well done and matches perfectly with the taste. The flavor profile is the winner for me here. Starts out with bitter hops but the delicate pale malt comes into play to round out the bitterness. Fresh citrus fruit flavor, pine, and the sweet malt just work so well. This is probably the best balanced beer I've tried. The malt and the hops play the split perfectly here and neither ever dominates at all. Medium body and medium carbination leaves a slight dry sensation after the drink. The mouthfeel is actually a little creamy as well.

I just love this beer. There isn't a bad time of the year for this. It works for BBQ's, cold nights, fall tailgating, and about anything else you could think of. I was lucky enough to try this on cask earlier this year and the cask is really something special as well.

You know that commercial from Coca Cola where they want to buy the world a coke? I think this would a better thing to buy the world than a coke. This will continue to always have a home in my refrigerator.

Cheers!
Matt

Hop Hearty Ale

Beer: New Glarus Hop Hearty Ale
Brewery Location: New Glarus, WI
Beer Style: IPA
Serving Style: Bottle
ABV: 6.10%


I am still working through some of the beer my friend Courtney brought back from Wisconsin. I didn't realize I even had this in my stash. It was a nice surprise to find this and give it a try. Regular IPA's are usually my go-to beers. I almost always have Two-Hearted from Bells or Stone's IPA on hand for just about all occasions.

Pours a slight hazed copper color with a small tight white head. The beer leaves decent rings of lacing on my pint glass. Good nose with a dominant scent of heavy hops and a slight grass scent with a touch of caramel about half way down. The taste is balance of toasted malt, slight caramel flavor with citrus fruit making its way onto your palate. The hop bitterness blends very well with the caramel flavor the entire beer. Lightly carbonated body, but it leaves very little aftertaste after swallow. I was hoping for a bit more here, but overall very solid offering. The drinkability is very good for this IPA, and with how well balanced it is makes for easy drinking that will have you wanting another one.

This isn't a smack you in the face IPA, and I tend to like balanced IPA's a bit more than the over-the-top hop profile IPA's with no malt balance. Solid offering from New Glarus. If this ever comes back to Indiana it is well worth the try.

Cheers!
Matt

Three Floyd's Harvest Ale

Beer: Three Floyd's Harvest Ale
Brewery Location: Munster, IN
Beer Style: American IPA
Serving Style: Bomber
ABV: 6.5%


I've really been looking forward to this since I learned it was out in bottles this year. They have been making it for several years, but I do believe this is the first year that it was ever bottled. I picked up a bottle at The Hop Shop the other night.

Harvest Ale is an ale that is made using "wet" hops. That means the hops are undried when added to the beer. The undried hops preserves more natural hop resins and fragrant oils. According to the bottle it states "from vine to brewhouse in one day." I am curious where these hops are coming from in that time frame. FFF's usually has some interesting artwork on the bottles, but this one is personally one of my least favorites, but don't hold that against the beer.

The beer pours a beautiful copper/orange color into my pint glass. This has a nice color for the fall season. There isn't much head to speak of for this beer. I poured in a very unaggressive manner, so that may have something to do with it. It does leave a nice swirl of lacing that stayed for most of the beer and left ample lacing on my glass. The aromatics on this beer are top notch. You can easily pick up the citrus hop resin scent on this as you are pouring it. The nose is just really nice to smell for a bit. I can pick up a bit of bready malt also coming through, but doesn't have much of a chance against the hops. The taste matches the nose very well. Pine, citrus, and grapefruit flavors are the first things that hit my taste buds, but the heavy malted backbone brings flavors of biscuits coming in. The caramel character comes to life as the beer warms. Good complex flavors going on with this beer and it is still well balanced the entire time. There isn't much carbination on this beer and the beer finishes almost creamy, but still somehow finishes a little oily as well. The drinkability is solid on this beer and would go well on about any occasion.

This has been my favorite thus far of the wet hop beers. The Sierra Nevada is a little more gentle on the palate and is also well made and well balanced. This beer is 100% a FFF's creation and would be enjoyed by a hop head. If you are not much of a hop head and still want to try the wet hop beers I would go with the Sierra Nevada over this, but if you love IPA's I give this one the nudge over SN.

90 Minute Imperial IPA

Beer: Dogfish Head 90 Minute Imperial IPA
Brewery Location: Milton, DE
Beer Style: DIPA
Serving Style: Bottle
ABV: 9%


I've had this on a number of occasions since I started this blog, but I've just never took the time to review it. This is one of my very favorite beers, and I am really curious what the hop shortage will do to this beer. DFH I am sure has their contracts with their hop companies, but I am curious if the recipe will change, pricing will go way up, or if this beer will be harder to find in the Midwest.

DFH are known for their big beers and unique takes on beers. Their IPA's come in 60 minute, 90 minute, and 120 minute. The name is reference to how long the wort (unfermented beer) is at boil with the continuous additions of hops. They recommend this beer be served in a snifter according to DFH's website. It really does help the nose on this beer.

I read a story that they first made this with an old electric football game that slowly added the hops. The board shook and gradually added the hops to the boil. I would like to see a picture of how this was accomplished. Now, I am sure it is all done with process automation with as much of this as they make.

It pours a nice deep amber hue with a slight touch of orange. Decent head to start with, but it quickly dissipated and left good lacing on my glass. The nose is packed full of hop aroma settling into citrus and pine scent with the malt scent trying to make it through all of that hop scent. The taste is what makes this beer something special. Bitter at first, but the malt quickly comes into play balancing out that bitterness. The malt is big and bready and rings in the hops just right. The sweet caramel finish on this is my favorite aspect of the beer. It is just very well balanced and not a tongue/taste bud grenade that will make everything taste like pine cones for the next few hours. Each drink the flavors of those hops keep coming though. Citrus, pine, and grapefruit meld so well with the sweet sticky caramel finish. The mouthfeel as I stated is very sticky and the beer coats your entire mouth very well, and is still so crisp and actually extremely refreshing. I would drink this beer pretty much any chance that I get in pretty much any time of the year.

I do have to say that I prefer this beer on tap vs. the bottle. It's not that much of a difference really, but I think it is slightly better on tap (but most are). If you are a hop head this is a fantastic offering from DFH, and easily one of the top DIPA's that are widely distributed across the country. If you are not much for big, bold, and hoppy beers this may not be for you. I would still suggest giving it a try, but try a regular IPA first (particularly Stone's IPA and Bell's Two-Hearted Ale to break you into IPAs).

Cheers!
Matt

Great Divide: Old Ruffian

Beer: Great Divide Old Ruffian
Brewery Location: Denver, CO
Beer Style: American Barley Wine
Serving Style: Bomber
ABV: 10.2%



Holy palate-smacking deliciousness! I haven't had this beer in so long it's a crime for me to have forgotten how amazing a beer that Great Divide has come up with. As most of you know I am a big hop head, and if you are a hop head then barleywines are something you should give a try. Barleywines in my experience take on something that DIPA's just can't. A DIPA can tend to be a hop bomb that isn't well balanced, not well made, and full of brewers mistakes, but the hop bomb will cover up those mistakes. A barleywine on the other hand is something so much more. Smooth, bitter, complex, balanced, lively, and just has so much more character most of the time vs. a DIPA. I still like DIPA's more though when they are done right.

When sampling this beer get your palate ready. There is just so much going on with this beer at every single drink. The smell hits you before you can get it close to your face, the sweet intense front flavors followed by a huge bold finish and an amazing aftertaste that leaves you wanting more.

It pours a beautiful deep mahogany. When held up to the light colors of rust and crimson show themselves. A non-aggressive pour reveals a huge tan head that lasted throughout the entire beer with very big rings of lace all over the glass.

The nose on this beer is an achievement. Floral hops, oily hops, and then some more hops hits your nose with a deep aroma of toasted malt and caramel. The nose on this beer is by far the best of any beer I have yet reviewed.

The taste on this beer is exactly what I want from a beer. Huge flavors of bready malt hit your palate followed by an amazing caramel and candied fruit sweetness just before a hop wallop takes command of your taste buds. No part of your mouth is left without tastes of pine, grapefruit, malty backbone, and warming alcohol. In terms of balance on the big beers that I love so much there isn't much better than this. Each drink becomes better than the last drink. The beer provides the perfect balance of sweetness and bitterness, but challenges the palate every single step of the way. Even at 10.2% the drinkability is so high on this beer. I finished my bomber and wanted another one. No flavor is so dominant that you won't want to come back for more. The warming alcohol was subtle and will be very nice during the winter as the temperature keeps falling.

Overall this beer is simply amazing. I don't normally gush over a beer, but this beer is really something. It's a very reasonable price for a barleywine and delivers the flavor better than the more expensive barleywines. I really can't say enough about how amazing this beer is all around for the senses. I will say again though be ready for the beer when you try it. I still can't give out a 5 out of 5. I just can't do it, but this is pretty damn close to it.

4.9 out of 5.
Cheers!
Matt

Brugge Brasserie's Lupulin L'Amore

Beer: Brugge Brasserie's Lupulin L'Amore
Brewery Location: Indianapolis, IN
Beer Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale/Blonde Ale
Serving Style: On Tap
ABV: 8.5%


The Brugge had five beers on tap when I was there and I have never heard of Lupulin L'Amore before. I asked the server about it and he said it was a blonde ale that was hopped like and IPA, so I said that was the beer for me.

It was presented in a Chalice with a solid sheet of white head and a floral bouquet that I picked up on when the beer passed by my nose as the waiter set it down. It pours a beautiful hazy-golden straw color that looks very inviting and ready to drink. The floral bouquet is a real winner on this beer. Scents of citrus and pine with bready malt overtones and a deep aroma of cloves and a touch of banana. The taste on this matches the scent perfectly. Wonderful hoppy bite on the front of the palate with hints of apple and fruity esters make their appearance as well. Medium carbination on this beer, but it still paired very well with my red meat dish I had for lunch. It is very satisfying on the palate. Mouthfeel is excellent and coats the tongue well and the alcohol is very well hidden.

I am not sure what style of beer this is though. The waiter called it a Blonde ale/Strong ale, but I really think it tastes and has the characteristics of a Belgian IPA. Clearly you can taste some strong amarillo hops in this beer, and it really reminded me of La Chouffe's Houblon IPA. I guess it still is a blonde though that is hopped like an IPA. If you anyone else knows different please let me know.

I really enjoyed this beer, and I hope they keep producing this beer, and maybe even eventually start selling the beer.

4.25 out of 5.
Cheers!
Matt

Update: Jim Matt the creator of this beer has been kind enough to give me a nice update on where this beer began and what style it actually is. He says the beer is actually a "hoppy triple." I can see that now that it's been pointed out to me. The Brugge made this beer from Jim's home brewing recipe and entered it into the Pro-AM at the Great American Beer Fest. Thanks for the info Jim.

Boulder Beer's Cold Hop

Beer: Boulder Beer's Cold Hop
Brewery Location: Boulder, CO
Beer Style: English IPA
Serving Style: Bomber
ABV: 6.5%


I have been trying to drink this for a while now. I helped my best friend move from his apartment about a month ago, and he was kind enough to know what I will work for: GOOD BEER! That's pretty much an open invitation to everyone out there. You need some muscle to help you move I will work for beer.

I've only had one other beer from Boulder Beer and that's the Mojo IPA. That is a really nice beer from them if you like IPA's. According to the bottle this beer: "We've expanded on Charlie Papazian's.....favorite recipes, gave it out own twist, and we're over the moon with the result."
(My non-beer geek friends Charlie Papazian wrote the bible for home brewers. It is called The Complete Joy of Homebrewing, and if you want to brew your own beer it is a must to own.)

I was very excited to give this a whirl. I really do love English beers deep down, but since I've become a serious hophead most just don't live up to what I am after. I would soon find out this is exactly what I have been searching for.

This pours a clear orange/amber hue with a big active off-white head that collapsed very quickly and left a good sheet of lacing until the end of the beer. I poured with a non-aggressive pour and it was a solid three fingers of head. Decent lacing along the glass as well. The smell is a very vibrant floral nose of citrus, grapefruit, pine, and sweet oranges and a slight touch of bready malt. This reminds of me a well balanced American IPA at this point. The taste follows the nose very nicely. Sweet toffee is the first flavor to me before a nice hop bitterness floods my taste buds. I get a nice shot of bready malt aftertaste on the back of my palate. This is so very well balanced with the malt and hop flavoring sharing their roles as it should be. This beer provides the hop bite I am looking for in a well made and well balanced beer. The mouthfeel is very crisp and clean with a medium finish and overall very satisfying. The drinkability is extremely high for me. It's a little high on alcohol content, but I would make a session out of this.

Fantastic effort from Boulder Beer on this. It's on a limited availability. I did a search for it, but I couldn't find out how often they actually brew this beer. It's on a "rotating release" according to the sites I checked. I can't even find this beer on Boulder's website. This beer delivered exactly what I wanted. I got a great hop bite, but still tasted the other flavors that should be in a well built beer. I will gladly return to this beer when given the chance.

4.25 out of 5.
Cheers!
Matt

Avery Brewing's The Maharaja

Beer: Avery Brewing's The Maharaja
Brewery Location: Boulder, CO
Beer Style: Double/Imperial IPA
Serving Style: Bottle
ABV: 9.7%


If you read this blog you know I am a hop head. I have been wanting to try this beer for a while, but every time I see it I just haven't bought it for some reason. I have been very satisfied with some of the other Avery offerings that I have been able to try, so I felt pretty good giving this beer a try.

I could actually smell the citrus scent coming from the bottle as I opened it and got ready to pour it. The smell has me very excited about the taste that will hopefully follow. It pours a deep amber/copper hue with what started out to be a very nice covering of frothy head quickly dissipated into a small thin head.

It has a great nose on it. Loads of oily hop scent with big fresh oranges coming through and some great big bready malt tones coming through as well. This is a real winner at this point. The taste at the start of the beer is very well balanced with bready malt and citrus coating my palate. As the beer warmed though certain things were coming to light. The beer is actually very sweet to me, and the warmer it got the more malt come though and wasn't what I was expecting at all from this. Some drinks the malt was the most dominant flavor and then at other times the grapefruit and pine flavor would take center stage. This isn't like other DIPA's that I am a big fan of, but still has very good characteristics. The mouthfeel is the best attribute to this beer. It's smooth and velvety across my palate with a strong finish and very likable aftertaste. The drink ability is good on this even though the alcohol isn't extremely well hidden, but one bomber is more than enough for me.

It's a good representation of the style and well worth a try, but I found it to be overly sweet and to much malt for my liking.

3.9 out of 5.
Cheers!
Matt

Three Floyd's Dreadnaught India Pale Ale

Beer: Three Floyd's Dreadnaught DIPA
Brewery Location: Munster, IN
Beer Style: Double/Imperial IPA
Serving Style: On-tap
ABV: 9.5%


This was my final beer of the day and I saved the best for last. As I have stated before I am a huge hop head, and I will drink just about any IPA or DIPA I can get my hands on. I have had Dreadnaught many times and it is my favorite beer in the style and maybe my favorite beer overall.

It comes served in a bowtie and pours a golden orange/amber hue. It has a medium dark off white head and left sheets of lacing from the top to the bottom of the glass when I was done with it.

The floral bouquet on this beer is just about the best I have ever smelled before. Heavy pine and grapefruit scent with slight scents of orange citrus and more hop resins. The first taste is all hops. This is so well balanced because the hops are not overpowering or overly bitter but fresh and provide a unique flavor. The malt is a perfect balance to go along with the heavy hop bitterness. Sweet caramel notes also come into play as the beer warms. The mouthfeel is very heavy and coats your entire mouth and throat on the way down. The alcohol is only barely noticeable with as high of an ABV as this has. The drinkability is very high for me. It's bitter, but not so much that I don't want to keep on drinking this. This is my idea of just about a perfect a beer as you can make. This beer is fantastic and I will keep coming back to this again and again.

4.9 out of 5.
Cheers!
Matt