Hopsession

A place for refreshment in the desert sun.

[hopsession-blog]

Acting Devilishly....

It's been a while since the last update, and while this is succinct in beers I have a big update planned soon for my recent trip to Santa Barbara, CA in which I visited many breweries including the famous Telegraph Brewing Company. 

With that aside tonight I visited Sun Devil Liquors Cellar Pub.

This place is very nice and is quite the oasis during these sweltering summer days. Even as summer fades into its twilight Tempe is still experiencing 100+ degree days. And, what better place to soothe your sun-baked body than a Sun Devil's underground wine and beer cellar. With an extraordinary selection of fine wines and craft beers, this is a place not to be missed. They offer Wine tastings on Wednesday, and beer tastings almost every Friday.

Tonight was a freshly tapped Bear Republic Mach 10 Imperial IPA (9.20% ABV).

I am a fan of IIPA's in this style. It is personally very similar to Odell Brewing's Myrcenary. It is admittedly very similar to other IIPA's I have tasted and as such I would not make a session out of this beer. The high alcohol content is hidden well within the sweet malt flavor that is balanced by a soothing, almost floating bitterness reminiscent of grapefruit peels.

Stylistically it is a beautiful beer. Golden-orange in color and quite hazy from the hoppy goodness that has been left unfiltered for your viewing pleasure. Mach 10 pours well with a lumpy, cream-white head and it leaves behind a gorgeous well defined lacing throughout the draft.

All in all I give this a 7.5/10. 

Keep your virtual eyes peeled for the next upcoming volume of Hopsession. I am planning on rolling out some beer tasting note sheets that can be printed from home and possibly an android app that will enable craft ber lovers like myself to track and store personal revies and thoughts on beers that we come across.

Until then yours in beer,

-M

[hopsession-blog]

It's National IPA Day!

I get a text alert from my phone... oh hello notification! Today is National IPA (India Pale Ale) Day!

New to beer? Heres the quick and dirty. During the British wars in India the soldiers (like any thirsty man) required beer to ease their thirst and their war-ridden and troubled minds. Fighting in tough terrain and burdened by the passage of time by boat these soldiers required something as bold as their character. Most normal ales that made the trip were not equipped with the preservatives needed to make the journey. Keep in mind that this is the late 1800's and commercial refrigeration has not been invented yet. 

So what was the solution to this quandary? More hops! See... Hops act as a natural preservative to beer. They also provide a bitterness/flavor profile in addition to the aroma of beer. Adding more hops to the brew allowed it to be shipped long distances without fear of spoilage. What the troops drank was a more robust pale ale that was doubly hopped and possibly doubly malted. No spoilage and happy troops = success! As Napoleon learned: " An Army marches on its stomach"...and quite possibly its liver too!

Enough of the history lesson.

Today in celebration of National IPA Day a good friend and I visited Sleepy Dog Brewery in Tempe, AZ.

A young brewery here in the Phoenix area, Sleepy Dog Brewing has grown from an upstart brewery into a great local brewery. Local residents can now find their products across the valley and if you'd like to know more you can get more info at: http://www.sleepydogbrewing.com/

Because it is a special day today, Sleepy Dog was offering their Half Barrel Brew Double IPA on a great special. It didnt take much to get us over there. No special name, this Double IPA is great for a local "seasonal" beer. At 7.5% its in the normal zone for a beer of this style. 

CHEERS!

This DIPA is clear and red-copper colored and has no hop haze. I can only assume that this beer is filtered. It pours well with a two-finger head and leaves behind a nice lacing throughout the session. The aroma is of muted malt and like overripe fruit with some light caramel tones as well. The taste in this is quite similar to their standard IPA a.k.a Tail Chaser a.k.a Boxer. Slight citrus flavor upfront that is quickly (Cascade Hops) muted by the funky tropical fruit that dominates this DIPA. In the finish is the muted malt character that the scent teases.

I really like this beer and I hope they continue to brew it. Sleepy Dog Brewing never dissapoints and if you are in the Phoenix area definitely drop in for a visit!

Until next time, Yours in Beer!,

-M

[hopsession-blog]

Dry mouth? Beer is the cure!

Walking the steps to my car after work... 100+ degrees outside and parched. Another day is in the books and I'm seeking some refreshment. Of course I head to one of my favorite watering holes. I round up the friends and we head out in search of something cool to cure our parched tongues. Todays visit to Taste of Tops did not disappoint as usual.

(Local followers can follow them at: http://www.twitter.com/tasteoftops)

First up was Sierra Nevada California Common ( 6.5% abv )

CHEERS!

Not being a big fan of Anchor Steam I was skeptical at first. California Common or Steam Beers have not been my favorite for a very long time. Surprisingly I must admit this is a very refreshing beer. Very clean in character and appearance. In addition the aftertaste is very balanced. As a Sierra Nevada Beer Camp winner its unique but I really enjoy it. If this was in can format I could see it being a favorite for hot summer days.

Second up was Oak Creek Snake Charmer IPA ( 6.5 % )

Sorry no real good pic. lighting was iffy throughout the afternoon.

CHEERS!

A regional brewery from Sedona, AZ, Oak Creek Brewing has produced an award winning (Silver Medal, 2011 Great American Brew Festival) American IPA that is very good. Personally I find it similar to Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Loaded with Citra Hops it is very bright upfront with citrus tones and bitterness. It does however have a somewhat creamy mouthfeel with a clean rolling bitterness that lingers for a long time. Golden and clear in color, this IPA pours with a 2 finger head and is quite drinkable.

Third up was Hop Rising IPA from Utah. (9% abv)

Once again... stock photo, sorry again.

CHEERS!

Squatters Beers Collective from Salt Lake City, UT produces some very fine beers and this is a good example. It pours well with a single finger head and an extremely hazy look. Lots of hop resin in this one. Specifically the compound Myrcene. This provides a funky, almost vintage funk to the brew that is quite attractive. Very similar to Myrcenary DIPA from O'Dell Brewing. Heavy in the abv but quite enjoyable by the snifter-full.

Finally tonight was Moylans Orange and Black. Considered a one-off ( brewed once) Black Ale, it is brewed with orange petals.

CHEERS!

WOW. Upfront is an enormous amount of citrus character. Suprisingly not from the hops but from the added orange petals. Almost similar to your favorite orange soda. As you can see it is VERY dark in color. The taste does not match its appearance. It is in fact very light in mouthfeel and malt character. This is a superb and a highly drinkable beer. Had this not been my last, I probably would have drank this all night.

*side note* As a baseball fan ( Go Oakland A's! ), I was suprised to find out this was a commemorative ale brewed for the San Franciso Giants World Series win in 2010. Congratulations to them as I sip this quietly in the corner with my A's hat on.

That's all for this time. Stay tuned! I hope to get some beer menus or calendars up for local breweries soon for my AZ followers.

Thanks for reading and yours in beer!

-M

[hopsession-blog]

A late afternoon visit to Taste of Tops

Phoenix. A dry and dusty city known more for its cowboy attitude than it is for its beer scene. For locals we know this is different.

For the last two decades Phoenix and the entire state of Arizona has emerged as a corner stone in the American South-West as a brewing power. From the mighty and time tested Four Peaks to up-and-comers like Sleepy Dog Brewing and Phoenix Ale Brewery. But I must digress, this first real post is about one of my favorite local haunts. Taste of Tops is a small bar nestled into the historic districts just west of Arizona State University (ASU). While small, its association with Tops Liquor makes it a steadfast, strong foothold in the ASU area. With 24 rotating taps its easy to blink and completely miss an amazing craft beer that comes through.

Tonight's visit did not disappoint. Taste of Tops always has something new to try and this evening it was no exception. Firstly was Coronado Idiot IPA (8.5%).

Classified as an Imperial IPA / American Double this IPA was a good one. Gold/Amber in color with a slight hop resin haze, it poured with little head and left a light lacing throughout it's session. Scent at draft temperature was heavy on apricot and had a lingering caramel and dried fruit background. 

Cheers!

First sip is very complex as is most of the tasting throughout the pint. Upfront is sweet with a burnt caramel taste followed by a mid-tongue that is bitter and the hop character comes through. Finally in the back-tongue and finish is the bitterness and pine after-tones. Bitterness on this is good and lingers for a few seconds. As it warms the fruit notes become more pronounced and the hidden malt-bill becomes more evident. This pint was enjoyable and rather smooth for a IIPA and I could definitively quaff a couple of these with no issue.

Secondly was Phoenix Brewing Fretzy Ale (5.0%).

Cheers!

An upstart brewery here in Phoenix ( phoenixbrew.com ), I was excited to try this for the first time. I normally am not a big fan of lighter ales like this  but I actually enjoyed this. At 5% it is lighter than most beers I enjoy. With a medium copper color that is appropriate for The Copper State it poured well with a one-finger head. Touted as an unfiltered ale, this ale seemed rather clear. It is a crisp and clean tasting red/pale ale with a slightly toasted malty flavor. It is perfect for those hot summer days cooking out or a relaxing float down the Salt River. I can only hope this comes to a can format soon. Very smooth and drinkable with a malty nose and a slight hop funk, I would definitely drink this again under the right circumstances. 

Local Note: The brewery is located near 30th/Washington in the downtown area. I don't think they offer public tours yet but this is a brewery to watch into 2012.

Thanks for reading and Yours In Beer,

M

[hopsession-blog]

Welcome to Hopsession!

As the first post for Hopsession I welcome you to what hopefully becomes a great resource for craft beer drinkers in the Phoenix area.