576. Evil Twin Femme Fatale Brett IPA

This beer is my homework for tomorrow night’s Rockit Cup Brett Trois IPA extravaganza. And by extravaganza, I mean Brian Gallow and I will compare our respective versions. I’d like to hope that there will be a surprise third or even fourth person, but I’m not holding my breath. Any-whoo, this is our first beer from Evil Twin, and I will note that their website is certainly a step up on Mikkeller’s website, which is still disappointing more than a full month later. Ah, the novelty of discussing your beer on your website. So crazy! Still, Evil Twin does get demerits for the poor copy-editing work on the bottle (see below). But I am forgetting the point, which is Brettanomyces and IPAs, and not my many and varied disappointments. So on to the beer!

Femme Fatale pours a lightly hazy golden straw with a thin white creamy head. When first out of the bottle, the nose features pine from the hops, but as the beer opened, the musty earthiness of the Brettanomyces started taking over. The citrus hop aromas make it through the earthiness—there is lemon and orange, along with some floral aromatics. Flavors start with a soft grainy sweetness, followed by orange and pine resin. The middle is dry, with cracker from the malt, musty earth, and hop bitterness that turns towards pine in the finish. The carbonation is bright and sharp, accentuating the thin, dry body. There is lingering spicy pine bitterness along with some mineral flavors, as well as the earthy gaminess that I connect to Brettanomyces, B. bruxellensis specifically. An interesting beer, one that improved the farther we got into the bottle; the yeast sediment added a creamy consistency that helped round the beer on the palate, cleaning the finish and giving it a pleasant lemon-y brightness. I like this beer, but I liked the brighter, more vibrant hop flavors in both the Rockit Cup versions I tried in conjunction with this beer. Still, it will be interesting to compare how the two Rockit beers age in comparison to this beer: how will the Brettanomyces flavors shift and develop in the bottle? Time will certainly provide us an answer. Hopefully I will like that answer.

From the bottle: “To take up the challenge and make a 100% true Brett beer can very easily become a fatal attraction for the Brewmaster. Ones [sic] you get acquainted with Bretts [sic] irresistible, seductive, alluring and very charming nature, it will ensnare you and drive you to the point of obsession to create the desirable tangy, funky, tart flavors in ya mouth.”

Ahem. Copy-editing, yo. Oh, and it does note on the bottle that this beer was “produced and bottled for Evil Twin Brewing at Westbrook Brewing Co., Mount Pleasant, SC.”

ABV: 6.0%

(10/10/2013)

554. Yazoo Hop Project Ale

This beer tastes like victory. I won this six-pack from my friend Bill after we bet on the 2010 Oregon/Tennessee game, which the Ducks won 48-13 in Knoxville. Yes, it has taken a while to pay off this bet. The other interesting caveat of the bet: we determined that pitting Oregon beer against Tennessee beer offered an unfair advantage to Bill, so if I lost he agreed to let me pay him with Ohio beer—both of us agreed that was a more evenly balanced bet. Plus, getting a six-pack of Black Butte Porter would be rough in either Dayton or Knoxville. This is not our first time trying Yazoo beers, although this six-pack is certainly fresher than the last ones we tried. Thus, as we surmised, our drinking experience was much more enjoyable this time around. Oh, and Yazoo Brewing Company is in Nashville, TN. This is also our first beer from Tennessee, which somehow I find shocking.

Hop Project IPA pours a dull luxurious copper with a thick mousse-y white head that laces the glass. In the nose we found caramel, spicy hoppiness—there was mostly spice, but behind that there was a bit of pine—and a bit of bright creaminess. I initially suspected Centennial—the nose has that slight sour tang of Centennial—but there is little to no citrus in the body, and instead comes across more like Chinook or Columbus. Flavors follow the nose quite closely, although there is a good amount of hop bitterness throughout the profile of the beer. Thus, it started out with soft bread dough on the malt side and lighter hop bitterness in the front that gave way to a spicy more aggressive bitterness in the middle, which carried on into the finish. The middle was also malty, with a rounded malt character consisting of caramel and candy with a touch of creaminess. There is a slight shift towards pine in the finish, and an enjoyable lingering bitterness. Carbonation is medium and helps build a rounded, creamier mouthfeel. The body might be a bit sticky, specifically the middle, but the bitter finish is nice, even if it is a tad sharp. We had a pint of this in Knoxville before picking up our winning six-pack, and it is even better on tap than out of the bottle. There is one downside I feel compelled to mention: I love the idea of being able to look up the specific hop blend for the different batches, but as you can see from the above picture, the bottled-on date isn’t as legible as it needs to be to be able to determine the date it was bottled (although, ahem, there might be a problem with this as well—see below). Such a nefarious foil to an otherwise masterful plan! And that was the best one in the six-pack.

From the six-pack holder: “In the spirit of experimentation, every batch of out Hop Project IPA is brewed with a different blend of spicy, citrusy hops. It’s a hophead’s dream, a super hoppy beer that never gets boring! To see what hops we used in this batch, check the bottled-on date and visit our blog, www.yazoobrew.blogspot.com.”

I couldn’t find the hop listings for different batches on either their website or their blog, but since the bottled on date was also illegible, this merely makes it the perfect storm of obfuscation. I guess it is an awesome idea only until someone tries to look up any of the information. Sorry for the snark, but I was disappointed. I sent them an e-mail regarding this, but I have yet to hear back.

ABV: 5.7%
IBU: 75 - ??? (and yes, it seriously says that on the website)

(1/20/2012)

552. Red Brick Hoplanta IPA

Our first beer from Red Brick Brewing Company in Atlanta, GA. We grabbed this and a couple of other IPAs to get our drink on down here in Florida. We’d tell you more, but you’ve already heard about the others. Plus, it’s called vacation for a reason.

Described on the label as “hoppier than a bullfrog with a stubbed toe,” Hoplanta pours a clear copper with a fair amount of orange and a profuse off-white head that hangs around while offering a fair amount of lacing. The nose is bread, caramel, and a touch of butter on the malt-side, with small amounts of bitterness and a touch of pine on the hop-side. Flavors start with creamy caramel and toast that segues into hop bitterness in the middle; there is more bread crust heading into the finish and some lingering, clean bitterness along with a slight grassiness. The citrus described on the website appears to be incognito, although there might be hints of the pine remaining in the aftertaste—not so much in the body, though. The body is medium and chewy, with a creamy, well-rounded carbonation that sits well on the tongue. A decent beer—we could make an evening of it if this was the best offered, but there is a lot better out there. It could be that this six-pack is a bit past its prime, but even with a punchier hop presence in the flavor and aroma, this beer still tastes like a career AAA player. Love the label, and we do wish it was better, but the beer is only average. Still, out rowing around on a rowboat, it does hit the spot.

From the Red Brick website: “An American IPA. Citrusy, piney, hop aromas and flavor. Full bodied.”

ABV: 6.7%
IBU: 50
Malts: 2-row, Vienna, and Caramel
Hops: Bravo and Cascade

(12/28/2012)

546. Avery IPA

It’s been a while since Avery came to town—all the way back to Black Tot. But since all beer roads lead to Dayton—and, more specifically, our fridge—there is always that inevitable return, and once again beer from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s favorite brewery finds itself holding court on our kitchen table. Besides Black Tot, we’ve also supped upon Seventeen Dry-Hopped Black Lager, Anniversary Ale Ten (2003), Brabant Barrel-Aged Wild Ale, Ellie’s Brown Ale, 16th Anniversary Ale and duganA IPA.

Avery IPA pours a clear dull gold with a profuse eggshell head that leaves plenty of lacing behind on the glass. The nose is biscuit, bread, and caramel malt coupled with a burst of spritzy floral pine hop aroma. There is also a slight creaminess lurking underneath the hop aroma. Flavors don’t stray too far from that: we’ve got bread and pine in the front that shifts to sweet caramel and pine in the middle, along with a fair amount of hop bitterness as the beer travels across the tongue. The finish is also pine, coupled with a touch of biscuit and some resin hop tackiness on the roof of the mouth. The finish is dry, but not quite clean—the big hop bitterness is nice in the body, but is slightly muddy in the finish as some of the balancing flavors disappear. Nonetheless, Avery is a solid and enjoyable IPA, albeit a couple of generations removed from contemporary American IPAs—it is more Harpoon IPA than Brew Kettle White Rajah IPA. We’d personally like a bit less caramel, but the bitterness levels are right where they need to be—bracing and crisp.

From the bottle: “Our IPA demands to be poured into your favorite glass to truly appreciate the citrusy, floral bouquet and the rich malty, yet dry finish. Brewed by hop heads, for hop heads.”

From the Avery website: “In the 1700s one crafty brewer discovered that a healthy dose of hops and an increased alcohol content preserved his ales during the long voyage to India (as depicted in our label) to quench the thirst of British troops. Today, we tip our hat to that historic innovation by brewing Colorado’s hoppiest pale ale. Avery IPA demands to be poured into your favorite glass to truly appreciate the citrusy, floral bouquet and the rich, malty finish.”

ABV: 6.5%

IBU: 69
Hops: Columbus, Chinook, Cascade, and Centennial
Malt: 2-row, Munich 10L°, and Caramel 120L°

(12/5/2012)

545. Flat 12 Bierwerks Half-Cycle IPA

“If this is half of a double IPA, then they picked the right half.”

Flat 12 Bierwerks is one of the newer breweries in Indianapolis, IN—they’ve been open for almost a year now. We were in town for a cyclo-cross race for Elli, and afterwards decided some beer was in order. Not like that is a shock for anyone. The brewery is located in a slightly industrial area of town—well, at least according to our less-than-perfect understanding of the area, and the description on the website. It is also right across the street from Smoking Goose, although they were closed today. That would have made an awesome event even even more awesome.

Half-Cycle IPA is served in a 16 oz. clear plastic cup. Yes, plastic. While certainly a downside, if plastic is the only way I get to drink this beer, then I’m certainly willing to live with a plastic cup. Color-wise, the beer is a very orange copper with a minimal white head. Besides the clearly present bitterness, aromas are restrained and indistinct: the dominant non-bitter character of the nose was the orange. Just orange, too—none of the other citrus fruits, just orange. There is a touch of light candy sweetness if you really looked for it, and some dank and resin hop aroma, but not much else. As the beer warms, the bitterness drowns out the other aromas. Flavor is centered on hop bitterness as well. There is some bread dough and bread crust in the front, along with the orange from the nose, but hop bitterness quickly swoops in and rolls the rest of the way through into the finish. The initial clean tang of hop bitterness in the middle gives way to resin in the finish; there is a touch of orange that returns in the finish as well, and some lingering mineral bite on the back of the tongue. As with the nose, as the beer warms, the hop bitterness covers over the softer flavors, like the bread dough malt character in the front of the beer. The body is medium and lightly chewy—it is, as Elli noted, just well-rounded enough to hold the bitterness without really getting in the way, giving the beer body and backbone but not really intruding otherwise. The bright carbonation combined with the bitterness contributes to lightening the body on the palate as well. This is not a classic American IPA: there is far more hop bitterness than flavor and aroma, although via the hop volume flavor and aroma does bleed through. The closest equivalent we can think of is Smuttynose IPA, which also focuses on bitterness over flavor and aroma. As well, the lower ABV allows for big hop bitterness without a huge sticky body, certainly a plus when compared to the increasingly monstrous creations that are the current trend in American IPAs. Which is just another way of saying that this is a damn good beer—both of us were impressed not only with this beer, but all the other ones we tried before choosing this one. We also bought a growler to take home, and I’m already looking forward to our next trip to Indianapolis in two weeks so that I can savor a pint of their Black IPA/Cascadian Dark Ale—the sample I had was a delicate balance of roasted malt and hop bitterness.

From the Flat 12 website: “The Half Cycle is so named due to its marriage of single and double IPA characteristics. In baseball parlance, a single and double is half of “the cycle”, and this IPA is a heavy hitter. It’s a single IPA, hopped like a double, with an over-the-top hop character that’s a bit spicy, citrusy, piney, you make the call. Light in color, but not on flavor, Half Cycle is dry hopped with a pound of high alpha American hops in every barrel.”

ABV: 6.0%

IBU: 104.1

We also hit Brugge Brasserie for some dinner; I had the Pooka along with a steak and a mess of French fries. So so delicious.

(12/2/2012)

538. Oskar Blues Deviant Dale’s IPA

Oskar Blues is now being distributed in Ohio, which means I get to try beers like this, and add it to the list of previous Oskar Blues beers that have been smuggled into the state like illegal contraband. Or like ill-gotten booty. Or like beer geek magic. I’ll let all of you choose your favorite simile out of those three, or, if you’re feeling really adventurous, you can even construct your own in the comments. Or in other, more precise words, I’ll just have more fun talking to myself here. Any-who, this is our fourth beer from Oskar Blues—it has been a while—following in the footsteps of “infinitely recyclable” cans like Ten Fidy, Mama’s Little Yella Pils and Dale’s Pale Ale. This one, however, is a tall boy. Which means those 16 ounces of 8.0% beer are going to make me suffer just that much more tomorrow morning.

Deviant Dale’s pours a brilliant and crystal clear amber with a fair amount of orange—it’s a touch darker than copper, but not quite tan or brown—and a meal-y yellow head that offers decent retention. The nose is located squarely at the crossroads of pine and resin; while there is a touch of creamy malt, caramel, and corn hidden behind the hops (it reminds me of the smell of warm caramel corn), this is primarily a hop-forward beer. As it warms, some alcohol starts to emerge in the nose, which, in conjunction with the hops, gives the beer a slight hint of lacquer or acetone. The body and flavor is nicely restrained for an 8.0% ABV beer; there is some chewiness, but nothing sticky or cloying, and the carbonation and alcohol tang thin and lighten the beer on the tongue. The carbonic bite in the second third strips some of the body away, leading into the final hop bite and bitterness of the finish. Not surprisingly, flavors favor hops; there is a spicy caramel bite in the front, followed by pine and resin that accompanies the rising levels of bitterness in the middle. The cleansing carbonation bite allows pine, resin, and a green evergreen blast of hop flavor to balance the bitterness as the beer heads into the finish, which lingers pleasantly on the palate along with a touch of alcohol warmth (the alcohol does get hotter as the beer warms). I also get a hint of lingering bread crust along with the bitterness. A good beer, albeit a bit unnecessarily hefty in size—it’s not quite a DIPA in terms of body, but the hop pay-off is too low for a top-tier IPA. The alcohol gets in the way a bit here as well; again, this seems part of the tension: the elevated ABV doesn’t marry perfectly with the cleaner malt profile, while the hop flavor and aroma is impeded by the size of the beer. So basically, it is a study in contrasts. And again, this is a good beer, it just doesn’t seem to fit well anywhere. Unless—and I know this will sound terrible, although I mean it in the best possible light—your target audience is the classic middle-of-the-road American beer geek who thinks bigger is better but doesn’t know enough about hops or style to understand the potential limitations that come with calling this an IPA. See? That sounds terrible. And I do like this beer. But I also stand by my comments. Because let’s be honest: my description is an apt one for a sizable portion of the craft beer audience right now. And just because it sucks doesn’t mean it’s not true.

From the Oskar Blues website: “Deviant Dale’s IPA (8% ABV, 85 IBUs) was born at the crossroads, in a juke joint, as if Dale’s Pale Ale sold its soul to balance Deviant’s foreboding aromas of citrus, grapefruit rind and piney resins with a copper ball-of-fire color and inscrutable finish. The 2011 GABF Silver Medal Winner (American IPA Category) is the Devil incarnate with untold amounts of malt and hedonistic Columbus dry-hopping. Oskar Blues’ southern spirit caught a northbound blues bus to ColoRADo to deliver the boundary bustin’ brewery’s first 16 oz. tallboy can.”

ABV: 8.0%
IBU: 85
Canned: 10/05/2012

(11/7/2012)

526. Anchorage Galaxy White IPA w/ Brett

I tried a bottle of this in San Francisco in May, and was quite impressed with the mix of funk and hops, so when I saw it in Dayton, I was happy to grab another bottle. Anchorage Brewing Company is a newer brewery, and Gabe Fletcher is focusing on barrel fermantation along with brettanomyces and other souring cultures. Which sounds pretty much right up my alley.

Galaxy White IPA pours a soft, cloudy, and very pale straw with a white mousse-y head that is, to say the least, long-lasting. As in it never goes away. The nose is equal parts delightful and beguiling. I’d probably still be smelling it if I didn’t want to get down to the drinking: there’s barnyard with musty earth, straw, pepper spiciness, and a delicate perfuminess that is either the yeast or the coriander, followed by a touch of horse blanket. The hoppiness comes out as the brettanomyces airs out (or, more likely, as I get more used to it) as does citrus and fruit zest. In other words, the brett has really started to make its presence felt in this beer—the bottle I had in San Francisco in May was good, but not nearly so funky. And I do like the funk. Flavors start with cracker and biscuit malt flavors, as well as a touch of candy. The hint of funk in the front blossoms into barnyard in the middle, along with bitterness, spiciness, and a touch of bright citrus. The finish is dry earth and straw accompanied by lingering brett flavors and a mineral tang mixed with pith and citrus rind. Carbonation is spritzy bright and dry; it is slightly brut-like via the barnyard in the brett, and the dry, dry mouthfeel comes across as almost dusty as it runs over the tongue. This is an excellent and delightful beer; it is probably more of a wild ale than an IPA at this point, but I do appreciate and certainly enjoy the experimentation: much like some of the funked beers I’ve made, once the bugs have a chance to get a foothold, the hop character starts disappearing as the funky cracker lactic bite grows, although it is currently still present in this beer. I might need to buy another bottle to pitch in the basement to see how it continues to develop. And by might I mean will.

From the bottle: “Ale brewed with Galaxy hops, coriander, kumquats, and peppercorns. Fermented and aged in French oak foudres with a wit yeast. Dry hopped with Galaxy hops. Bottle conditioned with brettanomyces and wine yeast. Drink fresh or age to bring out the funk.”

ABV: 7%

IBU: 50
Batch #2 April 2012

(7/28/2012)

522. Fremont Homefront IPA

Our third beer from Fremont Brewing, following Bourbon Abominable 2011 (love that name) and Harvest Ale. I picked this up in Seattle during my recent visit with my dad, and brought it home because I figured Elli would like it. And I was right.

Homefront IPA pours a hazy butterscotch with a thick, rocky eggshell head. The nose is a delicious blend of spice, pine, and resin hop aromas mixed with floral and perfume yeast esters, with an emphasis on the evergreen. Flavors follow suit, with pine and a touch of caramel in the front, followed by bitterness and dryness in the middle coupled with more evergreen and pine hop flavor. There is a slight chalk and mineral bite in the turn to the finish, then the pine returns, along with a tannic bite on the tongue from the oak that lingers with the bitterness. The oak bite also dries out the beer on the palate, as does the bright carbonation, although it simultaneously makes the beer clean & fresh on the palate. The malt character strikes me as more British than American; while the flavor is more caramel than crystal, the malt contributes more of a chewy mouthfeel than any clear, distinct flavor in the beer—it serves mainly as a backdrop for the hop flavor. Homefront also strikes me as not as definitively a Northwest IPA as others I’ve tried, although I’d be hard pressed to pin down the intangibles that have led me to this claim. Nonetheless, a well-balanced and easy drinking beer—it is simple, upfront, clean, and fresh. Homefront IPA is both approachable and refreshing. Nice work, Fremont.

From the bottle: “Homefront IPA is a special beer created with Chris and Phil Ray of COTU Brewing to honor our veterans as they return home from their tour of duty. Homefront is aged on oak bats donated by Louisville Slugger and is released nationwide in collaboration with 21st Amendment, Perennial Artisan, St. Arnold, Cigar City and Sly Fox Brewing. This beer is our way to say thank you to our service members for their sacrifice. Operation Homefront (OH) provides emergency financial assistance to the families of our service members and wounded warriors. All proceeds from the sale of this beer will be donated to OH.”

ABV: 6.2%
Malt:  2-row, Crystal 60 & Aromatic
Hops: Cascade & Chinook

(7/4/2012)

519. Deschutes Hop Henge Experimental IPA

 More Deschutes. After all, if I am in the Pacific Northwest, shouldn’t I indulge the local scene? Besides being from Deshutes, Hop Henge is part of the Bond Street Series, which is just another way of loving lupulins. As previously inferred, we’ve sippy-sipped Chainbreaker White IPA, Conflux No. 2 White IPA, The Abyss, Black Butte Porter XXI, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Black Butte Porter, Hop Trip, Inversion, and Red Chair IPA. Do that.

Hop Henge pours a rich, deep caramel with a thick creamy eggshell head. There is even some lacing. Let’s be honest—it looks British. The nose is more eccentric: it starts with chewy caramel malt and a creamy butterscotch before the hops kick in. Then you get the hop bitterness and aroma: pine and resin with touches of earth and vanilla. The delicate aromas of citrus, must, orange, and pear flirt at the edges, but are a bit lost in the caramel. See? More British. Flavors follow the nose, with a spicy caramel at the start before the hop assault takes over. Then it is a herbal pine and evergreen blast. The bitterness picks up in the middle, and continues on into the finish, with pine resin and creamy butterscotch duking it out towards the end. The bitterness in the finish is just short of sharp, while the lingering bitterness carries a hint of mintiness on the roof and back of the mouth. There is some alcohol warmth in the by finish as well, but it is gentle, not harsh. As well, there is a touch of grassiness and hop astringency in the medium to heavy body. In keeping with the British beer references, I am tempted to call this a British IPA on steriods—the beer is more balanced between the malt and hops than many American IPAs, and lessening the malt body would reciprocally improve the hop punch. I know this is a Northwest IPA, but even by those standards it is very British. The Deschutes characteristics shine through—clean, balanced, malty, and delicious—but a reduced malt profile in conjunction with the same hop profile would yield an IPA that better fit the “experimental” label of the Hop Henge profile. Nonetheless, a good beer: this is a beer with a British malt character and an American hop profile that sacrifices nothing. While the final product may itself be a bit unbalanced, aren’t most cultural collisons equally hectic and chaotic? After all, this is what makes Deschutes so refreshing. Damn the naysayers and full speed ahead!

From the bottle: “Stonehenge is a mystery. Hop Henge is a discovery. Out monument to hops—Hop Henge is brought to life by the uncompromising creativity of our brewers.

With an immense hop flavor and bitter finish, this experimental IPA will stand the test of time.”

From Deschutes: “Hop Henge Experimental IPA is our annual exercise in IBU escalation. An outrageous amount of Centennial and Cascade hops are added to each barrel, with a heavy dry-hop presence as well. It is dense and muscular, with a blend of crystal, pale and carastan malts creating an overall biscuity characteristic. It’s all hop, no apologies.”

ABV: 8.96%

IBU: 95

Malt: Pale, Munich

Hops: Millennium, Northern Brewer, Cascade, Centennial, Zeus, Simcoe, Brewers Gold, Citra

Best By: 6/28/2012  

(6/14/2012)

518. Deschutes Chainbreaker White IPA

“The trail to tasty is never safe and gentle.”

from the bottle

Another bike-themed beer, which is, of course, awesome. We love bike-themed beer: see here and here for proof of our lofty claims. And regardless of what Jake Harper tells us, this strikes us more as a revision of the Conflux No. 2 than something brand spanking new, which is really a fantastic thing, because it means there is more of that delicious Deschutes White IPA to be had. But I digress. Our previous run-ins with Deschutes include Conflux No. 2 White IPA, The Abyss, Black Butte Porter XXI, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Black Butte Porter, Hop Trip, Inversion, and Red Chair IPA.  

Chainbreaker pours a soft yellow & hazy straw with a delicate white head that offers good staying power and decent lacing. The nose is perfume-y, with citrus lemon and grapefruit competing with a slight earthy hop  bitterness, coriander, and a touch of tropical fruit. Flavors open with earthy bitterness mixed with citrus and herbal spiciness; there is a soft, slightly gummy malt character that loudly declares “I’ve got a wheat malt backbone,” but is rounded by a light candy malt sweetness. The middle brings in a slight graininess and huskiness, along with a delicate citrus bitterness, shifting to the clean gentle bitterness in the finish that is is slightly spicy and herbal from the coriander. The body is light, bright, & spritzy with a fresh and punchy character that is simultaneously delicate and restrained. The gentle, celan malt character plays well with the hop, spice, and yeast character of the beer. Much like the

Conflux No. 2, this is a delicious beer, but there are subtle differences. While the Belgian character is still present, this is closer to an IPA than Conflux, which struck me as more saison-like in the delicate nuance. This beer is still delicate, but the sage is gone, replaced with citrus and an increased coriander/herbal spice character that suits the beer well. As well, the hop character is more complete across the beer—more flavor and aroma, and a more nuanced bitterness playing across the beer. The ABV is also appropriately toned down from the 7.3% of Conflux to make this a wee bit easier on the stump-jumpin’ mountain bike racing crowd. Not like they couldn’t handle it, but it is drinkable enough that they’ll want more than one or two.

From the Deschutes website: “Deschutes is taking you into the next beer frontier. Brewed with wheat and pilsner malt; this IPA displays beautiful citrus aromas from Cascade and Citra hops that meld with the esters of Belgian yeast. Think thirst quenching hopped-up wit beer with enough IBUs to warrant the IPA name.”

ABV: 5.6%
IBU: 55
Malt: Pilsner, Wheat, Unmalted Wheat
Hops: Bravo, Citra, Centennial, Cascade
Other: Sweet Orange, Coriander

(6/13/2012)

515. Two Brothers Pillar of Salt White Rye Ale

It’s been a while since we’ve sampled the wares of Two Brothers. Which, I will note, is a tragedy—it’s been far too long since we had a good glass of lakewater. However, it appears that it is time to start paying attention, at least in the short run, as the label describes Pillar of Salt as “Retro Release 4 of 15,” and that Two Brothers is “Celebrating 15 years with 15 beers.” And if all those retro releases have names even close to being as solid as this one, you can count us in for the remaining eleven. We’ll add this to the previous list that includes Atom Smasher, Hop Juice, Long Haul Session Ale, Resistance IPA, Domaine DuPage, Bitter End, Heavier-Handed, Moaten, and Cane & Ebel.

Pillar of Salt pours a clear straw with an abundant and persistent white head that laces the glass profusely. The nose is spicy citrus—spicy from the rye and citrus from the hops—that is delicate, perfume-y, and slightly grainy, while flavors open with a touch of caramel and spiciness before heading into citrus and bitterness in the middle. The spiciness picks back up in the final third, and there is a fair amount of bitterness in the finish that lingers on the palate. I also detect a touch of herbal hop flavor to complement the spice, bitter, and resin flavors that round the beer at the end. The carbonation is bright and lightly spritzy; it matches well with the beer, even though the description of flavors may not seem to back thus up. The medium mouthfeel is slightly creamy with a slight tackiness on the tongue. The lighter malt bill does allow the rye flavors to overwhelm the beer a bit too much—it is not as clean and crisp as we might like it to be; even with the brighter carbonation and hop bitterness in the finish, it is a bit muddy across the profile. Nonetheless, Pillar of Salt is an interesting beer, and certainly a different take on traditional rye beers. Congratulations, Two Brothers, on the 15 year anniversary, and here’s to many, many more.

From the bottle: “This one off beer was produced in 2007 as the antithesis of Cane & Ebel. We produced an Imperial Cane & Ebel batch a couple of months earlier and thought we should finish the trifecta with a light colored version. Pillar of Salt is a White version of our Red Rye ale that uses no coloring malts and different hops. The resulting beer is still boldly hoppy, but with a strong citrusy dry hop.”

ABV: 6.8%
IBU: 68

P.S. When I first saw the name of this beer, I thought “Hot damn! Two Brothers brewed a gose!” But then I got closer and read the fine print on the label, and was disappointed. Maybe some day. And if you need a diagram to get the joke, you can go talk to this guy.

(5/30/2012)

512. Sixpoint Bengali Tiger IPA

Sixpoint cans are now available in Dayton. It’s like a little slice of heaven for those of us in the hinterlands. Yes, I speak pejoratively about Dayton. And no, I don’t feel bad about it—if Dayton can’t take some legitimate criticism, then shit is worse than I imagined. Because let’s be honest: Sixpoint brings it. Between Bengali Tiger and Sweet Action, Sixpoint is all up front. There ain’t no lay-away, there ain’t no “can I pay you next Tuesday,” there ain’t no phone soliciting for a free cruise. And there certainly ain’t no half-steppin’. No image or aura to boast about but not follow through on. Straight proper product. For your smooth sippin’ pleasure. It’s like the Wu Tang Clan in cold liquid form. Sixpoint even slips in the smooth literary reference on the can: “What immortal hand or eye / Could frame thy fearful symmetry?” Sure, William Blake is a bit of a ponce, but damn, poetry on cans? That’s something I can get behind. What with the “Beer is Culture” reference on the can, me thinks Sixpoint is taking the high road in the low brow beer culture wars. And for that, I raise my glass to Sixpoint. Sure, we’ve drank Sixpoint before, but not in town and not on any damn night we felt like. And let me tell you, it feels good. Our previous scions of illustrious worth include Righteous Rye, Sweet Action (which could possibly be the best beer name ever), and Signal. And now a little of the Bengali Tiger. Colonial English references never tasted so good.

Bengali Tiger IPA pours a hazy orange copper with a lustrous white head that holds on like the foam of whisked egg whites. The nose is a mix of hops and malt: on the hop side there is citrus and resin, with orange jam and marmalade aroma coming out the strongest, while on the malt side, there is both graininess and huskiness doused with a touch of caramel. There is a touch of hop grassiness that sneaks in on the side, but nothing distracting. Flavors start with orange hop bitterness and husky bread dough—the hop flavor reinforces the jammy orange resin of the nose as well as the dry grainy bread malt character. There is some evergreen hop flavors that dances along the edges that eases the transition into the bitterness of the middle, which bites clean with a touch of hop spiciness as it continues on into the finish. I get a touch of biscuit in the final bit of flavor before the beer gives way to the lingering pine and resin bitterness. The body is medium with a slightly sharp carbonation; the mouthfeel is doughy but bright, and it lightens on the palate via both the carbonation and the hop bitterness. I’m left with a slight evergreen bitterness and freshness in my mouth after the beer is gone. Which, whether my description conveys it or not, is delightful. Because let’s be honest—this is precisely the taste everyone wishes was left in their mouth after they used mouthwash, not that medicinal mint and burning that is supposed to signify “fresh breath.” Which is only another way of saying that if I could start my day with Bengali Tiger IPA, I would. Damn, I love you Sixpoint.

From the Sixpoint website: “The Sixpoint homebrewed IPA interpretation. Blaze orange in color, with an abundance of citrus hop bitterness, and a full pine and grapefruit bouquet in the aroma.”

ABV: 6.4%

IBU: 62

(4/30/2012)

510. Crow Peak 11th Hour IPA

Today was about making the miles. We pulled out of Missoula, MT early, and rolled for victory. Or, as victory is spelled in these parts, South Dakota. 669 miles later, we hit Spearfish, SD, home to Crow Peak Brewing. Time for a pint and some grub. And, I would like to add, the fireplace shaped like a growler was a nice—and unexpected—touch. Since it was snowing lightly, we let Buddy take a nap in the car. He does so love the snow.

We both went for the 11th Hour IPA, mostly because anything less than that would have been anti-climatic after all those miles. Yes, we needed big and bold and hoppy. The beers came in an Imperial Pint, which started everything on a good note. 11th Hour IPA was crystal clear copper in the glass; the head was thin and white, but had decent staying power. Aromas were mainly pine and resin with a touch of caramel lingering in the background, although there were also citrus hop aromas in the nose. Flavors started with bread crust and pine hop flavor; the malt was sweet but not quite caramel, and flavors shifted toward biscuit in the front as the beer warmed. In the middle, there was caramel and a gentle bitterness, along with herbal and citrus hop flavors. The finish was more aggressive and assertive—the bitterness picked up, and there was a fair share of pine & evergreen hop flavor that lingered in the palate. As well, the bright and cleansing carbonation bit more in the finish; the beer was soft on the palate in the front, and sharper in the final third via carbonation and hop punch. The dry finish left the initial caramel behind. All in all, 11th Hour IPA was a decent beer—nothing spectacular, but still solid. Certainly not the pleasant surprise we found in Flathead Lake Centennial IPA.

After the 11th Hour IPA, we tried the Spearbeer, which was some sort of bitter or ESB, although neither of us were really sure, and we were too worn out to ask anyone and risk conversation—our stranger dyslexia had started to kick in after too many hours in the car. The malt character was a mix of nutty and biscuit, and there was a light lingering bitterness to the beer. We did also have a pizza, which, not to put a mean edge on it, was probably the worst pizza I have ever had in my life. Honestly, I could have MacGyvered a better pizza with Wonder Bread, ketchup, Easy Cheese, and beef jerky. Seriously. That’s how terrible it was. Oh, and after we had our beer and really, really, really bad pizza, we rolled another 320 miles to Mitchell, SD, for a daily total of 989. Not too shabby. Tomorrow: Wisconsin.

From the Crow Peak website: “Hop aroma and flavor dominate this IPA. However, the malt character of this deep amber colored ale nicely balances the hop component thus avoiding a harsh bitterness. Pure hoppiness!”

ABV: 6.5%

IBU: 70

(1/12/2012)