3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), American IPA, Beer Reviews, England, The Wild Beer Co.

Wild Beer Madness IPA

Friday, 8 April 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: The Wild Beer Co.
Country: England
ABV: 6.8%
Style: American IPA
Other Notes: Hops + Hops + Hops

Brewer Description: (from bottle) When Brett arrived from California he couldn’t believe there weren’t any of his beloved “West Coast IPA’s” readily available in the UK. This beer is his version of the style that sparked the craft beer revolution in the US. Open the bottle to a tropical punchbowl of aromas, as this beer is all about the hops. There are masses and masses of late hops and dry hops to maximise the beautiful flavours and aromas so you can experience wave after wave of tropical and citrus fruits. Navigate the rural lanes of Somerset where the orchards and pastures of the green and pleasant land are at their finest and you will find our unusual brewery in the midst of Cider and Cheddar country. Our friends at Westcombe Dairy make one of the finest Cheddar’s in the world and Madness balances its intensity and marries with its flavours.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.33
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.4

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of 25th May 2016 and poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass.
Appearance: It poured a lightly cloudy golden orange colour with a one finger off white head that dissipated fairly quickly but left nice lacing.
Aroma: Citrusy candy orange and mandarin with hints of mango and pineapple.
Taste: Similar to the aromas. It starts with sweet candy orange and mandarin with some light pineapple. This was followed by strong grapefruit bitterness and grapefruit pith plus light caramel.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with mid to high carbonation.
Overall: This beer was ok. The main thing was that I did not enjoy the sweet beginning. The bitter finish was nice especially since it lasts. But I just got to get around the beginning first.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, German Doppelbock, Germany, Paulaner Brauerei GmbH & Co. KG

Paulaner Salvator

Thursday, 7 April 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Paulaner Brauerei GmbH & Co. KG
Country: Germany
ABV: 7.9%
Style: German Doppelbock

Brewer Description: (from website) Our brewing history begins with this beer. And the history of strong beer in Bavaria – it was the Paulaner monks, who invented this bottom-fermenting double bock. We have been brewing the Salvator for over 375 years – always according to the original recipe, which was continuously refined over the years: The head is the colour of caramel and the beer is chestnut brown, combined with a seductive flavour of chocolate to give a pleasing intensity on the palate. Hereto comes the finest Munich malt, rounded off by a light note of hops in the background. Often imitated but never duplicated: The father of all double bock beers, of which the names always end in “-ator”!

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.55
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.5

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of May 2016 and poured into a Riedel weizen glass.
Appearance: It poured a deep red amber colour with a just under two finger light tanned head that dissipated quickly leaving sparse spotty lacing.
Aroma: Sweet honey, caramel, overripe banana, plum and fig.
Taste: Taste was also very sweet, probably over sweet for my palate. Lots of toffee, butterscotch, caramel, grape, plum and prunes.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with low to medium carbonation.
Overall: If it was less sweet, this would have been really good. As it is, its not so sweet that I don’t want to drink it again, yet at the same time, I can’t finish a whole bottle myself due to its sweetness. Around half a bottle and I’m done. Or I just drink it really slowly. Because of this, I currently prefer both Ayinger Celebrator and Weihenstephaner Korbinian over Salvator.

5 - Excellent (must buy), American IPA, Beer Reviews, Garage Project, New Zealand

Garage Project Death From Above

Wednesday, 6 April 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Garage Project
Country: New Zealand
ABV: 7.5%
Style: American IPA
Other Notes: Brewed with mango, Vietnamese mint and chili. Hops – Centennial, Amarillo and Citra.

Brewer Description: (from can) An Indochine Pale Ale inspired by the heat and freshness of South East Asian flavours and the high citrus intensity of American hops. Death From Above combines mango, Vietnamese mint, lime and chili with Centennial, Amarillo and Citra hops. This is a beer of balance rather than conflict with bitter-sweet heat and citrus character.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.45
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 330ml can with a best before date of 19th August 2016 and poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass.
Appearance: It poured a clear copper amber colour with just over a one finger off white head that dissipates slowly but leaves nice lacing.
Aroma: Tropical fruit strong with mango, pineapples and peach floating about with some light citrus and chili.
Taste: Very interesting. Not at all what I expected but in a good way. Grapefruit bitterness and caramel start strongly before slowly being lightly muted by a refreshing cooling mint coating, some tropical mango and ever so light chili spice.
Mouthfeel: Mid to light bodied with light to medium carbonation.
Overall: An excellent brew. Very balanced between the hop bitterness, cooling mint and light spiciness. The carbonation was on the low side to what I prefer, but the cooling mint helps to rectify this. I loved this… must buy again in my book.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), American IPA, Beer Reviews, BrewDog, Scotland

BrewDog Elvis Juice

Tuesday, 5 April 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: BrewDog
Country: Scotland
ABV: 6.5%
Style: American IPA
Other Notes: Grapefruit infused IPA.

Brewer Description: (from can) Break out the rhinestone suit, gas up the Cadillac, and take this fruit farm for a test drive down Sunset Strip. Packing more fruit than the State of California, our citrus caped crusader will obliterate your senses. A zest zenith on the nose. Fruity foreplay gives way to an all out sensory assault. A truckload of grapefruit, orange and peach collide in an inter-state pile up. A fruity, hoppy cocktail of flavour builds to a crescendo and a bitter finale leaves you screaming for more. Elvis has left the building. Pay homage to the bejewelled Beelzebub of fruity IPAs. A hopped up power ballad for the twenty first century. The King is back and he’s juiced up and ready to roll. Elvis Juice, the absolute King in a world of wannabes.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.84
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A 330ml can with a best before date of 2nd March 2017, poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass.
Appearance: It poured a perfectly clear copper colour with a two finger off white head that dissipated slowly and left nice stringy lacing.
Aroma: Wonderful strong candy mandarin, orange and grapefruit aromas.
Taste: Some intense hard candy blood orange sweetness! Following the candy sweetness, there was some light grapefruit and bready malt but it was not particularly hoppy for an IPA.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with medium carbonation.
Overall: I loved the aroma which reminded me of those fruit hard candies. It tasted interesting, more sweet than expected and I prefer my IPAs to have more hoppy bitterness and less malt. Overall, it was not bad.

4 - Good (buy), American IPA, Beer Reviews, Evil Twin Brewing x 7venth Sun Brewery, USA

Evil Twin x 7venth Sun Citra Sunshine Slacker

Friday, 1 April 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Evil Twin Brewing x 7venth Sun Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 4.5%
Style: American IPA
Other Notes: Brewed at Two Roads Brewing Company.

Brewer Description: (from can) Despite his bitterness, lack of power and insuperable aversion to any kind of extravagant labor – he kind of has a charming charisma, and perhaps he is even loveable. Somehow we find him unbelievably irresistible and stimulating because he is one of the few that masters the ability to effortlessly impress with his sharp intelligence and make it look so damn easy.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.07
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 1 pint can with a Julian bottled on date of 23915, meaning it was canned on 27th August 2015. It was poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass.
Appearance: It poured a clear golden straw colour with a two finger white head with good retention that leaves sticky lacing.
Aroma: Strong tropical fruit aromas with ripe mango, guava, peach and apricot. Light citrus lemon in the background.
Taste: Flavours are not very strong. I get some mango and grapefruit, maybe some lemon. On the finish, the bready malt comes out. Its only lightly bitter.
Mouthfeel: Crisp, light bodied with medium carbonation.
Overall: A nice light juicy beer that is very drinkable. It could do with a bit more bitterness as an IPA, but still good.

words of another dreamy traveller

Monthly Archives: April 2016