Pale Ales, and Belgians, and Stouts. Oh my!

On here you will find (eventually) a myriad of beer reviews done by myself, as well as stuff that I find humorous. Also science, probably a lot of science.

[lupulusislove-blog]

In Wine, Truth. In Beer, Happiness.

[lupulusislove-blog]

‘MURICA! Alright that’s out of my system. In other news, I’m back! I talked a bit about my absence in my haul post on Thursday, but basically it boils down to my having a ton of work as of late, and also being kinda burnt out in regards to reviews. It started to feel more like a chore and less like a fun hobby. So I took a couple weeks off and I’m happy to report that I’ve found my groove again, so yeah, posts should be coming about every week like usual. Anyway, enough of blabbing about my personal stuff, y’all are here to read my beer reviews. (I suppose, alternatively I’m doing all this for myself, both are equally possible.) So today being America’s 240th Birthday (in before someone corrects me on this factoid) I thought I’d review a beer that had to do with this date. Enter Stone’s Enjoy After 07.04.16 Brett IPA. I have been aging this thing in my basement/closet for just over a year. I’m going in blind, I have no idea if this is gonna be great, or if it’s gone bad b/c I couldn’t “properly” cellar, so let’s find out together! (Note, for this review the quick summation review will be at the bottom, so if you wanna avoid more text blocks from me, just scroll down a bit.) Full Review: Name: Stone Enjoy After 07.04.16 Style: Brett IPA ABV: 7% IBUs: 70 Appearance: A beautiful golden caramel color, with a fluffy white head that forms in a nice foam, and then dissipates somewhat quickly. Aroma: Lots and lots of brett on the nose, sharp, mildly biscuity, with a wonderful savory character to it. There’s also an interesting underlying note that is reminiscent of black tea. There’s a bit of earthy hop character on the nose but other than that, the nose doesn’t give a lot of IPA vibes. Taste: Have I ever mentioned how much I love Brettanomyces? Because if not, let me tell you, I am a huge fan. Along with adding a tart flavor, it also imparts some crazy different flavors that are hard to predict. It’s because of this when a beer is brewed with Brett and it comes out tasting amazing, it’s a wonderful thing. This is what has happened with this beer. Stone figured out an idiot-proof way of making a Brett IPA, giving it out to people an entire year before they’re supposed to drink it, and after that year, it tastes delicious. The IPA aspect of this beer is all in the taste, moderately bitter, with a good amount of dank earthy hop flavors, but the Brett transforms this. With any Brett beer you’ll get a tart almost lemon like sour flavor, which this beer has in spades, but aging this beer for a year has evolved a very interesting flavor .. tea. Specifically, black tea, I’ve been sitting here for about 15 minutes trying to determine if the tea flavor is in my head but after giving my roommate a sample, he confirms that this beer has a definite black tea flavor, which is an under utilized flavor in beer. I know Stone has used tea in some of their previous beers, and they’ve been great, but I did not expect that flavor to pop up in this beer. Along with tea there is a bright citrus flavor from the Cascade hops. But by and far the main flavor that I’m getting is black tea, which I’m 100% ok with. Mouthfeel: Mild bodied, with what I’d call a “normal” viscosity, not too thin, not too thick, just smack dab in the middle. The hops leave a bit of bite on the tongue, but the most notable thing is this beer is dry. Like, super dry, I find myself drinking this faster than normal to quench my thirst. This isn’t a bad thing by any means, it’s just notable. Overall: (This is where you need to scroll if you want to see my quick review.) I thoroughly enjoyed this beer. I had been a bit worried in the last couple of weeks that I had messed this beer up, but I don’t feel that’s the case. Sharp tartness, bright citrus, a solid hop profile, and black tea flavors all work together to make this beer something special. If you know someone who has a bottle of this and they’re willing to share, bribe them. If not, Stone does more of these, I myself have an Enjoy After 10.31.16 sitting in my closet as I type this up, and they’re releasing more, but this is definitely a project to undertake if for nothing else to test your patience and see how aging impacts flavors. All in all, this gets a 5/5 Mugs rating. Well, there it is, my first review after a brief hiatus, I’m glad to be back and even if no one reads these things (Idk why I’m so self-deprecating with this stuff, I see your notes, I think I’m trying to be humorous, I don’t think it’s working, whatever), I look forward to doing more of these. I hope all of you who live in the U.S. have a good Fourth of July, spend time with family, have a beer, or two, or six, most importantly, have fun, take a day and enjoy yourself in whatever manner you like. Until next time, read next Monday/Tuesday, have a great week, Cheers!

[lupulusislove-blog]

So uh, hey, how’s it going. It has been, quite some time since I last did anything here. Though, let’s be honest, probably just talking to myself here. Anyway, as it turns out, being a summer TA is a lot more hectic than being a normal TA. Way more work to do, and just overall way busier. So yeah, I missed a couple of weeks, didn’t really have the time to do any reviews of anything, and if there is anyone who reads these things and found themselves missing them while they were gone, I’m sorry. But yeah, the whole summer TA thing is ending in a couple weeks, and then hopefully I’ll be back to some sort of a normal schedule. But I figured I should post something, so I thought I’d share my recent haul from my local establishment. So, here we have: - Almanac Farm to Barrel Tropical Platypus: This is a sour blonde ale, aged in wine and oak barrels, with kiwi, mango, lime, and passion fruit added. Great name for a beer as well. - Foley Brothers Pieces of Eight: This is an 8-hop Double IPA from a local brewery that has a theme for pirates, which I’m always down with. - Mayflower EvoLupulin: So, Mayflower is doing this really cool project, where they’re doing this same beer, a double IPA, but rotating out the hop varieties, looking at the date in which this was canned, I’ve got the one made with Columbus, Equinox, and Galaxy. I’ve had this one on tap before and it’s amazing. - Foolproof Queen of the Yahd: Raspberry Puree + American Hops + Silly New England Accent Inspired Name = What can go wrong? This is yet another Double IPA (It’s the summer, the perfect time for these beers imo.) and I can’t wait to dive into this one as well. So yeah, sorry for not posting as of late for those who have noticed, I’ve been rather busy and to be honest, a bit burnt out, but I’m getting the itch to do reviews again, so more will be coming. On the 4th, there will be a special review of something that I’ve been waiting on for over a year now. So yeah, I promise there will be a review come Monday afternoon-ish. Anyway, until then, I hope you have a great weekend. Cheers!

[lupulusislove-blog]

So, I kinda suck. Yesterday I just 100% forgot to do a beer review. I think I realized around 9:30p.m. and by then I was way too pre-occupied with other things to pull together a review. So yeah, that’s why you’re getting this review today. On the other hand, the picture looks pretty, that’s probably the best picture I’ve posted to accompany these reviews. Completely untouched by the way. Anyway, let me get to my review of Beer To Drink Music To Quick Review: A surprisingly easy to drink Tripel, I could drink these all day, though at 9% I probably shouldn’t. There’s an interesting citrus note that goes along with this beer that’s really nice. All in all, I give it a 4 out of 5 Mugs. Full Review: Name: Beer To Drink Music To Style: Belgian Tripel ABV: 9.0% IBU: 30 Appearance: A lovely reddish amber with a (not pictured) tan fluffy head that disappeared super quickly. Very clear looking beer, no haze at all. Aroma: Lots of cherry, lots of characteristic Belgian aromas, those slightly musty, earthy aromas. Some sweet citrus pokes through, overall a very appetizing nose. Taste: One thing that perplexes me about Belgian styles, they all manage to taste very similar, and yet completely different. That Belgian backbone is here aplenty, and it is very nice. Sweet orange is the next flavor up and it meshes very well with those Belgian flavors, there’s also an oaky vanilla type flavor going on. A nutty toffee note comes to life, now this is something unexpected and very tasty, the flavor of this beer is very complex, and I like that. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, a slightly higher than normal viscosity causes this beer to have the feeling of coating your mouth ever so slightly with each sip. There’s a sharpness to it but it fades very quickly. Overall: I’m a big fan of Dogfish Head’s beers, and this one is no exception. The way the flavors all meld together make this a truly unique beer. I gotta say, the alcohol is sneaky with this one, that 9% sneaks up on you faster than you might think. Overall I really hope this beer becomes a regular sort of thing, this was released for Record Store Day but I would love to see it become a regular, or even a semi-regular. Well, that’s it for this weeks edition, my apologies for posting it a day late, I was distracted for most of the day yesterday, but better late than never right? Also, I might keep the Tuesday post times, I start teaching lab next week, and Mondays are going to be super busy, so plan on Tuesday reviews for the next few weeks at least. But until next time, Cheers!

[lupulusislove-blog]

And today we are all witness to the end of a saga, Beer Camp Across America. It’s been fun doing more frequent beer reviews, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to going back to my normal schedule soon. Ya know, I had some lengthy introduction thought up awhile ago, but now I can’t remember what it was. Oh well, y’all aren’t here for my long rambling introductions, you’re here for my rambling on about beer. So without further ado, let’s take a look at Sweet Sunny South Table Beer: Quick Review: Very light, with a very unique flavor profile. The tea is honestly the star of this beer, I’ve seen it used in a few different styles, but never before in what is essentially a bière de table. The slightly bitter tea works well with the light Belgian style. All in all, this one gets a 4.25/5 Mugs from me. Full Review: Name: Sweet Sunny South Table Beer Style: Bière de Table ABV: 4.9% IBU: 22 Appearance: Very bubbly in my freshly cleaned UVM Collins glass. Is it weird to serve/drink beer in a Collins glass? Probably. Do I care? Nah. Anyway back to the beer, the body is a lovely golden orange, like one of those hard to describe colors you see as the sun sets. There’s no real head to speak of though it has a slight pink twinge in what is there. Aroma: If I were doing this blind I could tell you that this one was a Belgian, it’s got that very pronounced Belgian profile to it right on the nose, there’s also a very tropical citrus note, and a slightly bitter aspect to the nose. Taste: Every time I drink a beer that has tea in it, the first thought that crosses my mind is “Why does this work so well?”, the second thought is “Why don’t more breweries do this?”. The tea flavor is very nice, it’s light but just ever so bitter with a nice earthy flavor. There are a lot of tropical fruits going on in here, definitely get the guava, also some peach flavor, and some other citrus flavors that I can’t quite discern between. The grits add a very interesting maltiness to the beer, not like malts in the traditional sense, but it adds almost a mealy flavor? It’s hard to describe, it’s by no means bad, just kinda weird. The flavors of this beer work really well together, and together make something that is unlike any other beer I’ve had. Mouthfeel: Mild-bodied, the viscosity is very low, this goes down super easy in terms of feel. No apparent dryness nor any lingering sharpness, very refreshing though. Overall: The breweries that collaborated on this project made something that I can in all honesty say is unlike anything I’ve ever had before. And now that (once I get all of these entered into Untappd, I’ve been lazy lately), I’ve had over 300 beers (also yes, I know that comparatively speaking 300 isn’t that huge, but for just under 2 years it’s not too bad) that is not an easy feat. Speaking of the collaborators, let me list those out here: Austin Beerworks (TX), Bayou Teche Brewing (LA), Creature Comforts Brewing Co. (GA), Funky Buddha Brewery (FL), Wicked Weed Brewing (NC), and Sierra Nevada (CA). Seriously though, this beer is super delicious and if you are lucky enough to spot this on tap anywhere, do not hesitate to give it a try. Well, that wraps up my Beer Camp Across America saga, hopefully I’ll be able to do the same thing next year, if I come across any other big collaboration projects like this I’ll definitely do them again, all of you who read these reviews seem to like them, so I’ll be on the lookout. Anyway, that does it for the oddball schedule, my next review will be going up next Monday, and until then I hope you have a great rest of the week, Cheers!

[lupulusislove-blog]

So, I should probably tell you guys why Beer Camp Across America took a bit of a break. Thursday night one of my best friends in the world and I were talking, and one thing led to another and the next thing I knew, I had tickets to fly down to Florida for the weekend. Unfortunately I didn’t think about drinking the remaining two beers that night before flying (plus even if I had thought about it I don’t like to drink the night before a flight, because of reasons). Anyway I didn’t get back ‘til super late last night so a review yesterday wasn’t happening, so that’s why my Beer Camp Across America reviews took an unexpected 3 day hiatus. As an aside, the Ft. Walton area of Florida is really awesome, and there’s this low key bar, KC’s, has 60 beers on tap, not including various bottles, and the bartenders are awesome, if you’re ever in the area I suggest checking them out. Anyway, that’s enough blabbering about that, time to get back into BCAA with Pat-Rye-Ot Revolutionary Pale Ale Quick Review: This beer has a very dynamic flavor and a wonderfully light body that makes this one go down very easily. This is the second rye beer in the 12-pack and I’ve got to say, I’m becoming a fan of the rye character, that slight spice it adds is really nice. This one gets 4/5 Mugs from me. Full Review: Name: Pat-Rye-Ot Style: Pale Ale ABV: 5.6% IBU: 55 Appearance: A slightly hazy golden body with a very fluffy cream colored head that sticks around for quite some time. Aroma: Lots of apple, with some piney and citrusy hops. There’s a good amount of the rye character present in the nose as well. Taste: Very bread like, good amount of spice from the rye, with the apple adding a very welcome sweet flavor. Bitterness from the hops really come through but there’s a nice sharp tart flavor at the end that lightens it up. There’s also an herbaceous earthy flavor that I can’t quite nail down but is very good. The apples along with a sweet flavor make this beer go down easy, without them this beer would be much heavier in terms of flavor. This beer comes from 5 of the original colonies (sorta) and the use of rye and apples are an homage to the type of beer they brewed 200+ years ago, and are still a good combination today. Mouthfeel: Light bodied but by no means thin. The hops and apples leave a nice sharp note on the tongue, like eating a good cheddar. Overall: This is a solid brew from several great breweries. I mentioned above that this beer was created by collaborators from the original colonies (well, except for Sierra Nevada), they are as follows: Devil’s Backbone (VA), Dogfish Head (DE), Lawson’s Finest Liquids (VT) [This one is why I say sorta, Lawson’s does have a brewery in CT, also at the time VT was part of NY, so it gets a pass.], Stoudt’s Brewing Co. (PA), Trillium Brewing Co. (MA), and Sierra Nevada (CA). These breweries are an all-star team put together by Sam Calagione from Dogfish Head and together they made a revolutionarily good beer. Well, that wraps it up for today, I will be finishing my BCAA reviews tomorrow with the Southern Table Beer, and then after that reviews will go back to their normal schedule of being posted on Monday afternoons. Once again, I’m sorry for the unannounced break in the middle, but when you’re offered an all expense trip to Florida, you don’t say no. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this review and until next time (tomorrow), Cheers!

[lupulusislove-blog]

Wow, Day 4 of Beer Camp Across America is already upon us! This week has flown by, I think that’s partially to do with my getting a good buzz during the middle of each day so far this week. The things I do for what probably amounts to maybe one or two views. Anyway, for those who haven’t caught on yet, I’m going through the giant collaboration Beer Camp Across America and reviewing all of them this week. If you’re interested in seeing the past day’s reviews or the giant announcement post, click on my name and just scroll through, there’s also a plethora of other posts there as well. Anyway, that’s enough rambling, let’s get to the bit you all care about, my review of Family Values! Quick Review: This is a sneaky Imperial beer, it goes down smooth but it definitely hits you quick. Chocolate is definitely the main flavor here, but the nuances of the other ingredients shine in their own right and make this an absolute treat. This one gets a 4.5/5 Mugs from me. Full Review: Name: Family Values Style: Imperial Brown Ale ABV: 8.5% Appearance: Brown may be in the name but this beer is more black than brown, only when I hold it up to the light do I see any hint of brown. Along with the dark body comes a nice light tan head that fades away into the abyss quickly. Aroma: Like chocolate syrup, there’s a lot of sweetness on the nose, a bit of nuttiness and a lot of roasted character. Taste: This is a very flavorful and complex brew. Chocolate is by and far the main player but the Indiana honey that hid itself from the nose shows up and is also a dynamo in terms of flavor. There’s a solid bitter roasted note that is reminiscent of coffee at play, along with an almond-like nuttiness. There’s also a smooth syrup feel to this beer that really makes this beer something special in regards to taste. The way the flavors all mingle and interact with one another is wonderful, while yesterday’s Moxee-Moron (if you only go back and look at one review, I recommend that one) is still my favorite from this 12-pack, Family Values is a close second. A bit of a surprise is that for being 8.5% I’m not getting much of anything in terms of alcohol heat, this is a very pleasant surprise. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, less viscous than I expected out of it but by no means is that a bad thing. Don’t get me wrong I do enjoy beers that are almost syrup levels of viscous, but a heavy hitting brew that’s thin is a welcome change of pace. The finish is ever so slightly dry. Overall: This is a fantastic beverage. I’m really hoping we see some of these BCAA beers become available by themselves. The flavors of this beer are phenomenal and the lack of an alcohol heat allows it to go down deceptively smooth. Trust me, two of these back-to-back sitting down is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. Honestly I can’t think of any more things to say about this beer that I didn’t cover either above in the various sections or in the quick review. This beer is just solid. Well, that’s it for today, I know this one went up a little earlier than the others, consider it a makeup for the late post a couple days ago. Tomorrow I’ll be taking a look at Pat-Rye-Ot, and I’m very much looking forward to that. Oh, one thing I should mention, today’s beer was the first of the 12-pack to have six breweries each from a different state collaborate on it. Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, and California are all represented in this beer, and represented well. Anyway, be on the lookout for Pat-Rye-Ot’s review tomorrow, and until then, I hope you all have a great day. Cheers!

[lupulusislove-blog]

Day 3 of Beer Camp Across America is upon us! For those who haven’t picked up on what I’m doing, I encourage you to go here: http://lupulusislove.tumblr.com/post/145120093036/here-we-have-one-of-the-largest-collaboration For those of you who missed Day 2 you can find that here: http://lupulusislove.tumblr.com/post/145227023506/hello-and-welcome-to-day-2-of-beer-camp-across And now that that’s done, let me get back to your abnormally scheduled introduction. Today’s beer is Beer Camp Across America’s representative for the Pacific Northwest & The Rockies, and is a style of beer that I can honestly say I’ve never seen before nor would I have ever thought to ever see it. As a side note, so far this is my favorite of the Beer Camp Across America offerings. Alright, without further ado let’s dive into Moxee-Moron! Quick Review: I can honestly say I didn’t know what I was expecting out of this beer, but having now had two of them I now understand how a “Imperial Session IPA” can be a thing. Lots of bright hops with a complex flavor, the hop bite is strong and the bitterness is definitely indicative of an Imperial IPA, but it goes down super smooth like a Session IPA. This one gets a 5/5 Mugs, it is ridiculously good. Full Review: Name: Moxee-Moron Style: Imperial Session IPA ABV: 7.5% IBU: 70 Appearance: A lovely golden amber color, no haze, with a fluffy white head that dissipates slowly and leaves evidence of itself upon the interior of the glass. Aroma: I’ve used the phrase “cornucopia of hops” before in a previous review and I’m gonna reuse it here, because it is incredibly appropriate. Lots of pine, and bright citrus, but beneath that lays some dank, sticky hops. Even some earthiness comes out in the nose. Gotta say, I’m getting a lot of the Imperial notes, but so far nothing about this beer says Session to me. Taste: I understand the session IPA bit now. By an Imperial Session IPA, my guess is that they mean an Imperial IPA that drinks like a Session IPA. Because while this thing is super flavorful, more on that in just a moment, it goes down so easily I could drink these all day, sadly I only have two of them. Now, on to the flavors, oh where to begin, let’s start with the sharp citrus notes reminiscent of lemons, limes, and oranges. By far that is the dominant flavor, but then joining in is a less tart and more sweet fruit flavors, almost like raspberry. Then there’s just that wonderful dank hop taste, I can’t think of a better way of describing it, but those who have ever “partook” will know what I’m talking about. Now I’m not saying anything like that is in this beer, I know that’s not the case for several reasons, but that’s what the flavor reminds me of. There is a bit of earthy spice to it as well but really, this thing is a hop bomb that one could easily pound back which is a devilishly dangerous combination. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, about average viscosity, the finish is rather dry, and there is a noticeable hop bite on the tongue but it’s not very intense, just the right amount. Overall: I am really really hoping this beer becomes it’s own thing at some point, because I want more of this. The flavors, the ability to pound it, and the fact that it’s 7.5% make this a very fun beer that I cannot get enough of. If it wouldn’t set me back another $30 to get another 12-pack Beer Camp Across America I would do so in a heartbeat if for nothing else than this particular beer. Forget one of the best beers in the 12-pack, this is one of the best IPA’s I’ve ever had period. I know they released individual kegs of these beers (a local bar of mine has the Pat-Rye-Ot on tap) so if you don’t wanna drop the steep price tag for the 12-pack but are lucky enough to see Moxee-Moron on tap, do not hesitate because I promise you you will not regret it. Alright, that’s enough gushing about beer for today. Today officially marks the halfway point in my journey through the Beer Camp Across America, and I'm not even out of the Western U.S. yet. Moxee-Moron was the first from this project to feature breweries from more than two states, Washington, Oregon, Wyoming, and California all had some help in this brew. Tomorrow will be the review of “Family Values” which aside from being an amazing concert tour back in the day (props to whoever remembers who was on that tour) is an Imperial Brown Ale and has collaborators from six different states! Well, that’s all for today, I hope you enjoyed and I hope you’ll check out the remaining reviews in this series, but until next time, Cheers!

[lupulusislove-blog]

Hello and welcome to day 2 of Beer Camp Across America. For those who don’t know what I’m talking about and are confused why I’m posting on a tuesday, go here: http://lupulusislove.tumblr.com/post/145120093036/here-we-have-one-of-the-largest-collaboration For those who missed my regularly scheduled review which was also Day 1, go here: http://lupulusislove.tumblr.com/post/145174238946/hello-and-welcome-to-the-first-day-of-beer-camp Now, onto today’s entry. Today I’m going to be taking a look at the beer that officially represents the Southwestern region of the US. Now in all actuality all of the breweries who collaborated on this beer are from Southern California, so Southwest feels a tad disingenuous to me, but I’m not here to argue semantics about that sorta thing, I’m here to review beer, so without further ado here’s my review of Stout Of The Union: Quick Review: A very easy to drink stout with a complex flavor profile, sweet, roasty, bitter, a bit of fruit are all things that shine at any given moment in this Californian Stout. Overall I give this one a 3.75/5 Mugs. Full Review: Name: Stout Of The Union Robust Stout Style: Robust Stout ABV: 7.3% Appearance: A nice black color with a dark khaki head that lingers for awhile and laces the glass. Aroma: Very roasted character, lots of sweet chocolate, with a bit of vanilla that comes in on the tail end. There’s a bit of coffee aroma but it’s faint. Taste: Mildly bitter coffee is the dominant flavor, with sweet chocolate coming in second. Roasted malts are very apparent and there’s also some vanilla coming into play. As the beer warms a toffee like flavor comes into play. The flavor profile of this beer is dynamic which is always something I like. Along with some sweet toffee comes in what tastes almost like raisins. All of these flavors have their peaks and valleys of intensity creating an ever-changing dynamic. Honestly this beer reminds me of a really good root beer, which is not something I would normally expect out of a stout but I like it. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, not super thick like what you’d expect out of an Imperial Stout nor thin like some weaker porters, this is dead on in the middle of what I expect in terms of viscosity. There is no dry aftertaste nor is there any sharp lingering feeling, just a smooth sweet finish. Overall: A flavorfully complex stout that keeps one focused from sip to sip. Honestly this beer is just a very solid stout, which is definitely not what I think of when I think of beers from the Southwest/Southern California. But that’s what this is going for, to subvert your ideas and show off what these breweries are all capable of. Speaking of which, allow me to list the breweries that participated in this brew: Bagby Beer Company, Beachwood BBQ & Brewing, Port Brewing Co/The Lost Abbey, Sierra Nevada, Smog City Brewing, and Societe Brewing Company. Well, that’s it for day 2 of Beer Camp, I apologize that it went up a bit late today, was in lab for longer than anticipated today, tomorrow’s entry should go up at normal time of around 5:00 EST (EST? EDT? Whatever it is, y’all know what I’m talking about.) Anyway I hope you’ll tune in to tomorrow’s review and the following days reviews, and until next time, Cheers!

[lupulusislove-blog]

Hello and welcome to the first day of Beer Camp! For those that didn’t see the post I threw up yesterday I’m going to be working through the massive collaboration project Beer Camp Across America put together by Sierra Nevada. For a more thorough background on that, follow this link: http://lupulusislove.tumblr.com/post/145120093036/here-we-have-one-of-the-largest-collaboration Anyway, I’m moving from the West Coast to the East Coast and today I’m going to start off with the beer representing Northern California: (with Hawaii thrown in for good measure) West Latitude Session Rye Quick Review: This beer is super tasty, the spicy and earthy rye malts are complimented and balanced well by the floral and tangy hibiscus. At 5.5% it’s on a bit of the higher end for what I would consider a sessionable beer, but having drank two for this review I can say they go down very easily. I give this one a 4/5 Mugs. Full Review: Name: West Latitude Session Rye Style: Session Rye ABV: 5.5% Appearance: A dark mahogany body with a head that is slightly blueish in appearance. Like a faint cornflower blue, but for the most part it’s a fluffy white head that dissipates fairly quickly. Some light lacing is apparent. Aroma: Herbaceous, but light and floral. The rye really shines on the nose. Taste: Lots of earthy and spicy characteristics right off the bat. That fades into a slightly bitter bread flavor, followed by tangy and floral hibiscus. The hibiscus is a really interesting flavor that I haven’t seen often but works really well with the rye malts. The dry floral aspect compliments the robust earth/spice of the rye. The biscuit/bread flavor acts as an intermediate between these two contrasting flavors that really rounds out the profile. There’s a bit of dry citrus that shines through every now and again, but for the most part it’s just the rye and hibiscus which work really well together. What I find interesting is that despite being labeled a session beer the alcohol is fairly prevalent. Mouthfeel: Light-bodied, semi-thin, with a slightly sharp note that lingers on the tongue. The finish is mildly dry, leaving one wanting to get to the next sip quickly. Overall: This was a very enjoyable beer. I don’t often venture into the world of rye beers, but if this is any indication I need to really try more of them. The spicy and earthy herbaceous flavors were a nice change of pace and the floral and tangy hibiscus is something that is very non-traditional but very interesting. My first exploration into the Beer Camp Across America has been a great one and I look forward to the coming days where I’ll be reviewing beers representing So. Cal., the Pacific Northwest, the Midwest, the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic, and the Southeast. Well, that’s all I’ve got for today, tomorrow around this time look for the review of the Southern Cali representative “Stout of the Union”. Until tomorrow, cheers!

[lupulusislove-blog]

Here we have one of the largest collaboration projects that I personally have ever seen. 31 breweries across 6 different beers with Sierra Nevada contributing to all of them and the other 30 breweries divided into geographical areas of the United States. I cannot wait to review all of these beers and I plan on doing just that, not waiting that is, I’m going to do a review 6 days in a row starting tomorrow on Memorial Day and ending on Saturday, with each day bringing forth a different beer. I will be going in order from left to right as shown in the picture above. But first, let me give a brief introduction to these beers:

West Latitude Session Rye: This beer represents Northern California (with Hawaii thrown in for good measure) and is a collaboration between: Bear Republic Brewing Co., Faction Brewing, Mad River Brewing, Magnolia Brewing, Maui Brewing Co., and Sierra Nevada. “This session beer is light in body but looms large, like the long shadows of a westward setting sun.”

Stout of the Union Robust Stout: This beer represents the Southwestern region (If by the Southwest you exclusively mean California, this is really more of a Southern California beer) and is a collaboration between: Bagby Beer Company, Beachwood Brewing, The Lost Abbey, Sierra Nevada, Smog City Brewing Co., and Societe Brewing Company. “This stout hails from the land of sun, sand, and surf and proves that beach beer doesn’t have to be light colored and delicate.”

Moxee-Moron Imperial Session IPA: This beer represents the Pacific North West & Rockies (there’s a bit of a West Coast bias in this 12-pack, but so it goes) and is a collaboration between: Bale Breaker Brewing Company (WA), Barley Brown’s Beer (OR), Black Raven Brewing Co. (WA), Melvin Brewing (WY), Odell Brewing Co. (OR), and Sierra Nevada (CA). “Moxee-Moron features hops in the mash, the kettle, the Hop Torpedo, and the fermenter for ultra-complex hop aromas and flavors in an ironically named package.”

Family Values Imperial Brown Ale: This beer represents the Midwest region and is a collaboration between: Schell’s Brewing Co. (MN), Dark Horse Brewing Co. (MI), Half Acre (IL), Perennial Artisan Ales (MO), Sierra Nevada (CA), and Sun King Brewery (IN). “Family Values shows off the cooperation and kinship of Midwestern brewers. It features largely Midwestern grown ingredients: Minnesota wild rice, Indiana honey, Missouri oats, Michigan hops, and cocoa nibs from Indiana as well as Sierra Nevada’s estate-grown malt.”

Pat-Rye-Ot Revolutionary Pale Ale: This beer represents the Northeast and comes from breweries that are located in what were the 13 original colonies. (Well, technically, Lawson’s is from VT but they have a brewery in Connecticut, so they’re technically right.) This beer is a collaboration between: Devil’s Backbone Brewing Co. (VA), Dogfish Head (DE), Lawson’s Finest Liquids (VT), Sierra Nevada (CA), Stoudt’s Brewing Company (PA), Trillium Brewing Company (MA). “This pale ale features rye and apples alongside a hearty dose of bold American hops for a light-bodied and modern take on a recipe steeped in traditional flavors.”

Sweet Sunny South Table Beer: This beer represents the Southeast region and is a collaboration between: Austin Beerworks (TX), Bayou Teche Brewing (LA), Creature Comforts Brewing Co. (GA), Funky Buddha Brewery (FL), Sierra Nevada (CA), and Wicked Weed Brewing (NC). “With a golden grainy malt body and complex tangy finish from the fruit, tea, and herbs, Sweet Sunny South is perfect for sultry summer sipping.”

Whew, that was a lot to type out but I wanted to give a decent showcase of each beer as a preview for what is to come in the following days. I hope you’ll all be looking at my reviews in the following days, I know I’m looking forward to reviewing them. Well, that’s long enough for today, I hope you all have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend for those in the States, and if anyone else is from outside the US, hopefully Monday doesn’t suck. Cheers!

[lupulusislove-blog]

So, this review is going up slightly later than the past couple of weeks because I was debating on what I wanted to review. The best kind of problem to have. However with today being a downright scorcher as far as I’m concerned. It’s only 80F [26.7C for those of you who understand metric better] but to me, that’s approaching the boundary of too hot. I must say, for a hot spring day like today, I made a very solid choice. So without further ado let’s get to my review of Long Trail’s Cranberry Gose: Quick Review: Tart, light, crisp, and very refreshing. This beer is perfect for those warm days where you want to sit on the porch and just hang out for awhile. A beer made with sea salt may not jump to your mind as the first thing to drink on a hot day, but take it from me, it’s much more refreshing than you might think. The cranberries add a dimensionality to the tart flavor and also a smooth sweetness. This one gets a 4.25/5 mugs from me. Full Review: Name: Long Trail Cranberry Gose Style: Gose (pronounced Go-zuh) ABV: 5.2% IBU: 8 Appearance: So, I apologize for the photos in my reviews, I’m doing my best with my smartphone’s camera without editing and most of the time it does an alright job, but with this one it falls a bit short. The body is a deep peach rose color as opposed to the amber that it looks like in the photo. No real head forms despite a somewhat vigorous pour towards the end. Aroma: If you were given this and had never smelled a Gose before you would instantly know that this isn’t your average beer. The coriander and sea salt combine for a very sharp tart aroma, while the cranberry adds a sweet bright component. Taste: There is almost nothing better than the taste of a sharp, bright gose on a warm spring/summer day. Your standard gose profile of coriander and sea salt lead the charge. There is an amount of saltiness to it but it’s on the same level as say salted caramel, it’s mostly there to accentuate the other flavors at play. In this case the sea salt boosts the bright semi-sweet flavor of the cranberries to the forefront after the initial “shock”. The level of tart makes you pucker just a bit but it’s neither overbearing or weak in that regard. I actually expected this beer to be super tart, gose already being a tart style mixed with cranberries brought forth images of grimaces. But to my pleasant surprise it is very smooth with the tart component adding to the experience rather than taking away from it. Mouthfeel: This is a mild-bodied beer, relatively thin but not overly so, the finish is a touch dry, but it’s an enjoyable dryness. Overall: In my opinion, this would make a great introduction to the world of “Sour” beer for those who are on the fence. Now that’s not to say that if you don’t like this you won’t like other sour styles, Goses, Lambics, beers made with Brett, all of them are different but this Gose would serve as a great way of showing how sour can work in a beer. For those who already enjoy Goses this one would be fairly sessionable, especially on a hot day. The refreshing nature of this style on this type of day definitely plays a factor in my enjoyment, but even on a cold winter day this would be great. Best part, this beer is available year round. Well, that’s all I have to say about this particular entry, I hope you enjoyed my musings, next review will be going up next Monday, until then I hope you have a good week and until next time, Cheers!

[lupulusislove-blog]

Good afternoon everyone. I’ll be honest, I tried to come up with some witty tie-in to fill in this space before the review, as I am wont to do, but this time I’ve got nothing. So, what you get is a little bit of rambling, an explanation for said rambling (I’m an unimaginative person), and this sentence coming to a close. Now, let’s jump right in to my review of Hotbox Coffee Porter! Quick Review: A pretty solid brew. Flavors work well together, though I wish there was a little more complexity. I’m usually a fan of porters and this one is no exception. All in all I give this one a 3.75/5 Mugs. It’s not bad, it’s not amazing, it’s somewhere in the middle. Full Review: Name: Oskar Blues Hotbox Coffee Porter Style: Porter ABV: 6.5% Appearance: So, I decided to drink this one straight from the can, change things up a bit. From what I can see the beer is very dark, and from what I can tell if I were to have poured this beer a head would’ve formed and gone away quickly, with that head having being a chestnut color. Aroma: Simply put, coffee. Now, of course there is more to it than just that, but by and far coffee is the predominant scent. There is a touch of vanilla and a good amount of cocoa. Taste: So goes the nose, the tongue will follow. I just made that up (I’m pretty sure), but seriously, the predominant flavor is coffee, the cocoa doesn’t show up nearly as strongly as it did in the nose, but it’s present. Vanilla shines through a bit more though, so the discrepancies balance out. What is of note is the bitterness, or lack there of. Most coffee beers that I’ve had usually have anywhere between a mild to a large amount of bitterness attached, but this one is anything but bitter. In place of bitterness, a creamy sweetness arrives on the finish. One could go so far as to consider this a “dessert” beer. It’s sweet, it’s bold, but it’s not too heavy. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, the beer itself is a tad on the thin side, but the boldness of the flavors stay with you for awhile, making you take pause. The finish is very clean, and there’s no lingering dryness. Overall: A very solid porter. The flavors are fairly static but complimentary. The finish leaves you wanting to pick it back up immediately, but the bold flavors make you hesitate. This hesitation works well because it allows you to take a moment to really enjoy the flavor of this beer. This is some pretty solid stuff, and I would recommend anyone, fan of darker beer or not, to give this a try if they find it. Well, that sums up the coffee theme that I had going for awhile, not sure what I’m gonna do next, I’ve got a couple IPA’s down the line, might crack into those. In any regard, you’ll find the next review going up late-afternoon/early evening next Monday. Until then, I hope you all have a great week. Cheers!

[lupulusislove-blog]

So, it’s finals week where I’m at right now, which is just the most fun time in the world as any college student can tell you. Oh, did I say fun? I meant stressful. Anyway I’ve been studying for my final that is tomorrow quite a lot, and decided I needed to take a little break, but I wanted my break to be productive. That’s where you all come in. So I had a beer, relaxed a bit, and wrote all this up, so thank you for giving me an excuse to take a break, and I hope you all enjoy my review of Juxtaposition. Quick Review: The words light and roasty don’t often go together, unless you’re describing breakfast blend coffees, and yet those two words are the most apt for describing Juxtaposition. The flavors are mostly light and sweet, but the roasted bitter character rounds it all out. This beer brands itself a Blonde Stout, though the word stout may be a bit of a misnomer (for more details on that, read the full write-up.) I give this one a 3.75/5 Mugs. It’s a solid brew, but there are a couple of things that fell a bit flat. Full Review: Name: Burlington Beer Co. Juxtaposition Style: Blonde Stout ABV: 5.4% Appearance: Blonde sums it up pretty perfectly, a moderately hazy yellowish amber color. A head didn’t really form though when I was pouring it did foam up a bit and that was a nice white color. Aroma: This smells kinda like a vanilla cappuccino. It smells sweet, light, and with a healthy dose of roasted character. A sharp acid note presents itself in the form of lemon citrus. Taste: The first imparted flavor is that of the acidic lemon citrus, which is quickly followed up by the roasted and slightly bitter coffee. A sweet chocolate flavor that hid itself from the nose blooms next, along with a slightly nutty aspect that also went previously undetected. These flavors work really well as individuals, but what really makes this beer shine is how they cooperate together. The acidity cuts a bit of the roasted bitterness which in turn meshes well with the chocolate sweetness, which completes a triangle by helping to curb the acidity a bit. The nuttiness finds itself in the middle of all of this and adds just a bit of complexity. Overall the flavor profile is balanced very well. So, why didn’t I rate this higher? Well taste is only one factor. Mouthfeel: This is where this beer lost probably 1/2 a mug or so. Call me pedantic, but when something is labeled as a stout, even as a blonde stout, I anticipate something that has a relatively thick body. That is nowhere to be seen here, the mouthfeel is very thin and the body is very light. Now I am aware that a majority of a stouts body/mouthfeel come from the roasted malts, and that to make a blonde stout you have to forgo using too much (if any) roasted malt. But my counter to that is to give the beer a different style name, personally I believe this to be more of a Coffee Blonde, very similar to Sixpoint C.R.E.A.M. (which I reviewed a couple weeks back). Overall: I did really enjoy this beer, Burlington Beer Co. is definitely solidifying itself as one of my favorite VT breweries, but I was expecting something a bit different than what I got. Had the can said Coffee Blonde rather than Blonde Stout I probably would’ve ranked this higher, and while you could make an argument that it’s not fair to judge a beer by style, I would counter that with the fact that many times people buy a beer based on style alone. So when someone reads stout, and then is presented with something that doesn’t really have any stout characteristics (aside from the roasted coffee flavor) it’s a bit of a letdown. But all that aside, this beer is very good, and honestly the rating is more or less an arbitrary thing. Well, I hope you all enjoyed this week’s entry, next week will continue on the coffee theme, but then after that it’ll switch up a bit. Fair warning, towards the end of June I might be switching up what day I post these on. I’ll keep you all updated on that as it progresses. Anyway, until next time. Cheers!

[lupulusislove-blog]

I apologize for the crappy photo today, my phone’s camera is acting kinda funny lately, hopefully I’ll be able to figure it out and next week’s entry won’t look as bad. Also I really need to get some more diverse glassware, I more or less use the same glass for every review, occasionally I switch it up but not often. Anyway rambling about glassware and bad photo aside, it’s time for my review on Citrusinensis. Quick Review: This fruit enhanced pale ale is in a class of its own, blurring the lines between styles, the flavor profile is very good, with the sweet blood orange stealing the show. Overall I give this one 4/5 Mugs. Full Review: Lagunitas Citrusinensis Pale Ale Style: Pale Ale ABV: 7.9% Appearance: A turbid yet translucent orange body with a cream white head that lingers for quite some time. Aroma: Pine and resiny hops are the predominant notes, with the sweet blood orange making itself known in the background. Taste: Sometimes the initial taste is identical to what you get in the nose, this is not one of those times, in fact it’s the exact opposite. The sweet blood orange is by and far the dominant flavor in this beer, and it is a very lovely flavor, you see a lot of IPA’s brewed with grapefruit, or tangerine, or other various fruits across many breweries, but blood orange is not one that I have seen very often, and it’s a shame because it’s very very good. After the initial sweet blood orange is a very tart lemon like flavor coupled with lots of dank piney hops. While this beer may be a pale ale in name, I feel it falls more into what I’d consider an IPA. There is no released IBU value for this beer, so I can’t make more of a case for it than just what I’m tasting, but to me the profile is less pale ale and more IPA. Mouthfeel: Medium body with a sharp bite from the citrus that leaves the mouth slightly puckered. The finish isn’t dry at all. Overall: Another solid brew from Lagunitas, I have definitely come to expect a certain quality from certain breweries, and from Lagunitas I expect great beer and this beer is a testament to that. The sweet and sour citrus at play, along with a solid hop core really makes this beer something different. It’s not quite a pale ale, yet it’s not quite an IPA, (though I’d say it’s more IPA than Pale Ale), it’s just itself, which is nice. Well, that’s this Monday’s dose of the madness, in case you missed it I pushed out a surprise Sunday review on a discontinued beer from Brooklyn which I would encourage everyone to go check out. I hope you all have a good week and until next time, Cheers!

[lupulusislove-blog]

Surprise everyone! So, I stopped by my favorite watering hole after doing some research and they had some pretty awesome stuff on tap, one of which being a discontinued beer from Brooklyn that they themselves have been cellaring for two years now. According to the bartender (pictured, kinda) they have a couple more kegs sitting around, and I hope to be able to sample those too and see how it compares. But enough rambling, enjoy this spur of the moment Sunday Special! (Cool name huh? I’m thinking of making it a random recurring thing.) Brooklyn Monster (2014) Quick Review: Malty, sweet, tart, boozy, and just overall well balanced and super tasty. Barleywines are a style that I haven’t explored as much as I want, but I am looking forward to trying more of them. This one was super good and if you’re lucky enough to stumble upon a bar that still has this one on tap, don’t hesitate to get a pour and enjoy yourself. I give this one a 4.5/5 Mugs. Full Review: Style: English-Style Barleywine ABV: 10.1% Appearance: A lovely red amber hazy body with a thin slightly pink head that lingers but ultimately disappears without a trace. Aroma: Tart cherries and syrupy sweetness dominate the nose, a bit of oak creeps in as well. Taste: Holy mother of malts! This thing is heavy, super malty and super rich. This thing is definitely one that you sit down and enjoy over an extended period of time. There’s lots of tart cherry present, and the alcohol heat is definitely subdued (I’m guessing from the two years of aging in the bar’s cellar) but sneaks up quickly, two or three sips in and I’m already feeling the booze. The heat cuts through the thick sweetness from the malts and compliments the tartness from the cherries very well. Oak and vanilla sneak in on the after taste and really help to balance this thing very well. At this point I’m wondering why Brooklyn discontinued this particular brew. Mouthfeel: Full-bodied, no question about it, the heat from the booze lingers for awhile, maybe a bit too long, but it’s not too bad. The beer leaves the mouth feeling a tad dry overall. Overall: As I stated above in the quick review, barleywines are a softly traveled area in beer styles for me, I’m pretty sure I can count all of the different ones I’ve had on two hands. That being said I do really enjoy the style, and this one is no exception, the heavy malt, the syrupy booze, and the way the sweet, tart, and hot flavors all come together really works well. Well, that’s it for this surprise review, there will be a review tomorrow as well, I just wanted to do a little spur of the moment thing, will probably do this more often, and I would dare imagine that all of the Sunday Specials will be beers on tap from my local watering hole. Well, that’s enough rambling, if you enjoyed this review and want to see more of my stuff, hit that follow button. Anyway until tomorrow afternoon (ish) Cheers!

[lupulusislove-blog]

Hopefully this is the last late post for awhile. I really am sorry about how late in the day these things are going up, but with grad school occupying most of my time, and Monday being my busiest day, it is bound to happen. Today was extra busy because on top of everything I normally have to do, I had an exam. But thankfully my day has come to somewhat of a close, and I can share my latest libation review. So without further personal rambling, here is my review of Sixpoint C.R.E.A.M. Quick Review: Coffee blondes are becoming one of my favorite styles, there’s something so odd about the color being a nice light orange and yet the flavors being more of what you’d expect out of a porter/stout. But along with the light color it also brings some lighter flavors that further highlight the coffee. I give this one a 4/5 Mugs, really tasty, light and refreshing, and very well balanced. Full Review: Style: Coffee Blonde ABV: 7.2% Appearance: A light orange-amber color with a thin soft yellow head that dissipates very quickly. Aroma: Sweet coffee with a slight hint of bitterness, kinda smells like a cup of light roast coffee. Taste: The coffee makes itself known immediately, it’s mildly bitter but also cloyingly sweet. This is honestly my favorite part of Coffee Blondes, the dissonance between the color and the flavor causes the flavor to never grow old, it’s like a continuous mild shock, you know what it’s going to taste like, and yet you’re still surprised each time. The other part of coffee blondes I like is the flavors that they bring forth. Obviously coffee is a huge part of it, but the lighter color seems to bring forth lighter flavors that help to round everything out. With this I get that slightly bitter yet very sweet coffee, and alongside that I get something that tastes like berries, which is both sweet yet mildly acidic, which really completes the flavor profile. Mouthfeel: Light-bodied, but the sweetness leaves a rich almost dairy-like feel. The finish is subtly dry but overall very smooth. Overall: I really liked this particular Coffee Blonde. I love beers that taste like coffee to begin with, but ones there’s something about Coffee Blondes that’s different. I have yet to run into one that I don’t like, but of all the ones I’ve tried, this is definitely up there with one of my favorites. The flavor profile is really good and it has a very smooth finish. Well, that’s this week’s dose of the rambling madness. I hope you all have a good rest of the week, and I hope that next week my review will go up at an earlier time of the day. But, that’s a week from now. Until next time, Cheers!