2 - Maybe (likely wouldn't buy, might drink), American Double IPA, Beer Reviews, Deschutes Brewery, USA

Deschutes Sagefight Imperial IPA

Wednesday, 30 November 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Deschutes Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 8%
Style: American Double IPA
Other Notes: 75 IBUs. Malts – Pale, Crystal and Munich. Hops – Millennium, Bravo, Amarillo and Centennial. Other – Sage and Juniper Berries

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Citrusy hops go head to head with resinous sage and juniper berries in a flavour battle royale.

My rating: 2
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.03
My ratebeer.com rating: 2.9

Intro: A 355ml bottle with a best before date of 20th January 2017, poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass.
Appearance: It poured a clear copper amber colour with a two finger foamy off white head that had good retention and left nice lacing.
Aroma: Strong herbal sage, pine, orange zest and blueberries with a touch of juniper berry.
Taste: Bitter, medicinal, sage and pine upfront with a juniper, wood and herbal finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: I like cooking with sage and juniper berries, but it just doesn’t seem to work for me in the few beers I’ve had including this one.

4 - Good (buy), American Pale Ale, Beer Reviews, Deschutes Brewery, USA

Deschutes Hop Trip

Wednesday, 30 November 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Deschutes Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 6.1%
Style: American Pale Ale
Other Notes: 38 IBUs. Malts – Pale, Extra Special, Cara-Munich, Carapils and Munich. Hops – Bravo, Centennial and Fresh Crystal

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Hints of bright citrus and juicy grapefruit. The intense aroma of hops brewed mere hours after harvest.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.77
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A 355ml bottle with a best before date of 26th December 2016, poured into a Mikkeller pint glass.
Appearance: It poured a clear copper amber colour with a two finger fluffy and foamy off white head that had decent retention and left thick-ish lacing.
Aroma: Leafy, grassy, pine with sweet pear, a hint of citrus and a light floral element.
Taste: Sweet and malty. Pine, grass and pear with hints of grapefruit, caramel and tea.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with moderate to light carbonation.
Overall: It’s quite nice. Not getting as much of the citrus that others seem to be getting (I will try another bottle), but the sweet-ish pear, pine, tea combo works quite nicely for me.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), American Double IPA, Beer Reviews, Stone Brewing Co., USA

Stone 20th Anniversary Citracado IPA

Tuesday, 29 November 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Stone Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 9%
Style: American Double IPA
Other Notes: 80 IBUs. Hops – Nugget, El Dorado, Centennial and Citra

Brewer Description: (from bottle) For 20 years our passion for brewing and our obsession with hops have challenged traditional styles and expectations for beer. So it’s only fitting we commemorate this momentous occasion by crafting a liquid ode to bold brewing that satisfies your hop thirst and pays homage to our flagship San Diego brewery, located on Citracado Parkway (which itself pays homage to the citrus and avocado agricultural history of the region).

“Citracado” also teases the two key ingredients of this beer. “Citra” refers both to the juicy gem of a hop and its citrusy (and tropical) aromas and flavors. “Cado” inspired us to utilize wonderful, native avocado flower honey. Combine the two and the result pours like silk abounds with enough hops to match our excitement for reaching this 20-year milestone. We thank you sincerely for the years of support and pledge that we will, as always, strive to live up to the reasons for your loyalty!

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.86
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A 22 oz bomber, bottled on 28th August 2016, poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass.
Appearance: It poured a clear copper amber colour with a huge four finger off white head that had excellent retention and left great lacing.
Aroma: Dank pine, caramel malt with citrusy mandarin, grapefruit and orange zest. Some tropical mango and peaches appear as it warms.
Taste: Citrus grapefruit bitterness, orange zest, lemon and pine with some light malt caramel and breadiness in the background.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to low carbonation.
Overall: It’s not bad, but I tried Stone’s 5th and 10th Anniversary IPAs over the past week and enjoyed them both slightly more than this 20th Anniversary Citracado IPA.

4 - Good (buy), American Double IPA, Beer Reviews, Stone Brewing Co., USA

Stone 20th Anniversary Encore Series: 10th Anniversary IPA

Monday, 28 November 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Stone Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 10%
Style: American Double IPA
Other Notes: 2006 label, 2016 re-release. Hops – Summit, Chinook, Crystal and Simcoe

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Every one of you who spread the word has built up this brewery to what it is today. We can give no credit to a radio ad, to a TV ad or to a billboard – and I’m glad. MIKE PALMER // Team Stone since December 1998.

None of this would be possible if it weren’t for two visionaries. Greg Koch and Steve Wagner. Thanks for having the guts to go out and take a major risk and performing the near impossible. DAVE DYER // Team Stone since July 1998.

I came to the brewery almost seven years ago in response to a help wanted ad that read “if you like accounting and beer, send us your resume.” That’s for me, I thought. What the job really is, is much more than just accounting and much, much more than just beer. CONNIE GREEN // Team Stone since December 1999.

Stone is just not the company I work for, it is something I truly believe in. The culture, vision, attitude, and bragging rights over my friends and family make this company a passion for me. I appreciate all the Stone fans for their support over the years. JAKE RATZKE // Team Stone since January 2000.

My love to my family at home and to my Stone brothers and sisters and, of course, most of all to all the great Stone fans out there who make it all worth it. Cheers! MIKE LOPEZ // Team Stone since March 2000.

“Does Stone make a light beer?” NO! And stop asking, you wussies! KAREN WESTFALL // Team Stone since March 2000.

With the Stone 10th Anniversary IPA our love affair with the hop continues. My compliments and thanks to everyone who’s been a part of our history. We have an incredible Team here at Stone, and we’ve really enjoyed sharing our beers. GREG KOCH // Team Stone since October 1995.

Perhaps the most amazing thing is that after ten years there’s still so much I’d like to do with beer – more recipes to brew, experiments to try, other beers to sample and enjoy – that the next ten years won’t be nearly enough. STEVE WAGNER // Team Stone since October 1995.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.92
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 22 oz bomber, bottled on 25th August 2016, to be enjoyed by 23rd November 2016 (drank on the 27th, so I’m four days late). Poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass.
Appearance: It poured a clear copper amber colour with a big three finger slightly off white colour with great retention and nice lacing.
Aroma: Tropical pineapple with touches of mango followed by citrusy grapefruit and mandarin, pine and a hint of caramel.
Taste: Caramel biscuit malt with a blast of tropical stone fruits, bitter citrusy mandarin and its zest with notes of pine and citrus pith.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation and boozy on the finish.
Overall: This was nice, with my only minor complaint being that I’m not too fond of a boozy feel on IPAs or Double IPAs in this case. Other than that, I found it enjoyable.

4 - Good (buy), American IPA, Beer Reviews, Stone Brewing Co., USA

Stone 20th Anniversary Encore Series: 5th Anniversary IPA

Saturday, 26 November 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Stone Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 8.5%
Style: American Double IPA
Other Notes: 2001 label, 2016 re-release

Brewer Description: (from bottle) It’s late July as I write this. Weather’s been great. Good San Diego weather – nice and hot, but not too hot. The days are like a warm burrito accented by the salsa fresca of the afternoon’s cool ocean breezes. Perfect beer-drinking weather (admittedly, I think ALL weather is perfect beer-drinking weather). August is knocking on the door. September and our 5th Anniversary Open House are just around the corner, and the phrase “going green” is beginning to take on a life of its own. Seems like I’ve been asking Steve and Lee for weeks for some hints on what they are doing with the Anniversary IPA this year and I haven’t been getting anywhere. It’s tough to rope in a brewer sometimes. So, just now I went out in the brewery looking for one of them and, lo and behold, I managed to corner them both. “OK, you guys,” I said, planting my feet firmly, “nobody’s going anywhere until you tell me what the hell we’re doing with the 5th Anniversary IPA so I can write up the label.” After a long pause and some shifty glances side to side looking for an out, they realized the only way they were going to get away from me was to give up some information. “We plan on doing a lot more dry hopping this year,” said Steve. I had kinda figured that, so no way I was going to let them off that easy. “Actually, we’re going to hop it more all around, just especially in the dry hopping,” volunteered Lee. Jokingly, Steve piped in: “Hmmm, maybe we could just pack a fermenter with hops and then fill the remaining space with fermenting beer. Heck, why not just switch the amount of malt we use with hops…that way we could add a little malt in at the end and say that we’re ‘dry-malting’ it.” Now, that’s a thought…. So, how would we describe this year’s Stone 5th Anniversary IPA in comparison to years 1-4? In a word, “more.” Enjoy it because there won’t be any more Anniversary IPAs after this one…

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.95
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 22 oz bomber, bottled on 25th August 2016, to be enjoyed by 23rd November 2016 (drank on the 26th, so I’m three days late). Poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass.
Appearance: It poured a clear copper amber colour with a big three finger white head with pretty good retention and nice lacing.
Aroma: Citrus zest mostly mandarin and lemon, grapefruit, pine, biscuity malt and flowery.
Taste: Biscuity malt, light caramel sweetness, mandarin, orange zest bitterness, a hint of tropical mango and peach, with a light floral and herbal element.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: I was not impressed with my first sip, BUT actually, this got a lot better the more I drank it. Its not too sweet and not too bitter in my opinion, which seems to be a rare thing with Double IPAs these days. I enjoyed it, especially the more I had.

words of another dreamy traveller

Monthly Archives: November 2016