Category Archives: USA

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), American IPA, Beer Reviews, Boston Beer Company, USA

Samuel Adams Rebel IPA

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Brewery: Boston Beer Company
Country: USA
ABV: 6.5%
Style: American IPA

Brewer Description: Didn’t try too hard to find, but the official description for the Rebel IPA was already replaced by the newer 2017 version, of which this was not.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.47
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.3

Intro: A 355ml bottle with a notched best before date of March 2018. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A nice and clear dark orange copper colour with an almost two finger white head with good retention while leaving lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Sweet caramel and biscuit malt with hints of grapefruit and pine.
Taste: Very malty caramel and biscuit, with light pine and grapefruit and some lasting bitterness on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation and a dry-ish finish.
Overall: Not bad, but too malty an IPA for my liking. Apparently the new version of the Rebel IPA they made in 2017 is more tropical fruity and I feel that may be more my thing.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), American IPA, Beer Reviews, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, USA

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp (2017): Golden IPA

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Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 6.5%
Style: American IPA
Other Notes: Spring seasonal. A new beer every year

Brewer Description: (from bottle) At Beer Camp, no beer style is off limits, so we jumped at the idea of doing a Golden IPA using wheat malt for a light, dry body and bold American and experimental hops for intense citrus flavor. The perfect spring seasonal, we invite you to enjoy this year’s Beer Camp encore.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.79
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle with a packaged on date of 10th February 2017. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden straw yellow colour with a two finger white head that had good retention and left nice lacing.
Aroma: Bready, wheaty and pineapple with hints of sweet citrusy mandarin.
Taste: Candied pineapple, sweet candy lemon, lots of floralness with some light bitterness on the end.
Mouthfeel: Crisp, dry-ish, medium to light bodied with moderate to high carbonation.
Overall: Easy to drink but a bit too much floral characters for me to fully enjoy.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Against The Grain Brewery, Beer Reviews, Stout - Milk / Sweet, USA

Against The Grain 35K

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Brewery: Against The Grain Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 7%
Style: Milk / Sweet Stout
Other Notes: 25.5 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from can) Wiggity Woooo! We’re putting in a swimming pool! And if there’s enough left over, we’re gonna fly you all down here to help us dedicate it. This is not your typical ‘Jelly of the Month Club’ milk stout. This stout is silky, smooth, and sweet. And it’s worth the $35K, but you can only have a little ‘cause the rest is ours!

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.61
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.5

Intro: A 1 pint can with no clear canned on or best before date. Poured into a Spiegelau Stout glass.
Appearance: Pours a very dark brown, near black colour with a three finger mocha coloured head after an aggressive pour, that dissipated fairly quickly while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Roasted malts, molasses, coffee and chocolate with a light smokiness.
Taste: Sweet milk coffee that was on the watery side, with a hint of caramel, chocolate, vanilla and maybe smoke.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with low carbonation.
Overall: It’s easy to drink as it’s quite light, but it was also on the watery side. Some stronger coffee or even smokiness would have improved this Stout.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Fruit Beer, New Belgium Brewing x Brouwerij De Koninck, USA

New Belgium x De Koninck Lips of Faith – Flowering Citrus Ale

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Brewery: New Belgium Brewing x Brouwerij De Koninck
Country: USA
ABV: 7.4%
Style: Fruit Beer
Other Notes: Ale brewed with hibiscus, rose and citrus fruit

Brewer Description: (from bottle) No need to jet to Antwerp when you can open up a bouquet of Flowering Citrus Ale. Thanks to our friends at De Koninck Brewery, we brewed up a summery ale bursting with key lime and whole lemons that mingle with the fragrance of hibiscus, rose petals and strawberry-tinged Mistral hops. Open up and let Belgian summer bloom.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.79
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle with an enjoy by date of 25th June 2017. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden colour with a two finger white head that had decent retention and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Bready malt, honey, citrusy lemon with hints of flowers.
Taste: Tangy and sweet citrusy orange and lemon, bready malt with a light herbal and flowery flavour.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: This was refreshing and very easy to drink. I’m surprised its 7.4% ABV as it felt like something easily under 5%. Great for a hot summers day.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Against The Grain Brewery, American IPA, Beer Reviews, USA

Against The Grain Pile of Face

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Brewery: Against The Grain Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 6.5%
Style: American IPA
Other Notes: 65 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from can) Rummaged Delight! In a world where all the skulls are being used up, we are left with nothing but piles of face. But fear not, that’s where the story is truly told! Pile of Face is the institution of American IPA, with all the character and drink-ability you would expect as we celebrate American indulgence!

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.7
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 1 pint can with a best before date of xx January 2018 (xx appears to be 19, but its not so clear…). Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A clear copper orange colour with a two finger soapy white lacing that had good retention and left sticky lacing.
Aroma: Citrusy grapefruit, lemon and orange rind coupled with pine, light biscuit malt and fruit tea.
Taste: Sweet-ish biscuit malt, bitter grapefruit, orange rind, pine and light tea.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: A decent drinkable IPA.