Category Archives: USA

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Jack’s Abby Brewing, Lager - IPL (India Pale), USA

Jack’s Abby Hopstitution XPL #3 Calyptra

Friday, 17 June 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Jack’s Abby Brewing
Country: USA
ABV: 5.5%
Style: American IPL
Other Notes: Hops – Calypso and Citra

Brewer Description: (from bottle) The hardest part about making new and exciting hoppy beers is sourcing the hops you need. Most hops are bought under contracts which are signed two or three years in advance. We occasionally get opportunities to acquire small quantities of specialty hops that are enough for one batch of beer, but no more. “Hopstitution” allows us to feature hops that we would otherwise not be able to make use of.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.2
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 16.9 fl oz. bottle with no bottled on or best by date, poured into a Moonzen teku glass.
Appearance: It poured a cloudy golden colour with a slightly less than two finger white head that had good retention and left nice lacing.
Aroma: Citrus orange, mandarin and a bit of peel with hints of mango.
Taste: Juicy with orange, melon and mango dominating. There are also some light herbal and floral notes, a hint of lemon zest and is lightly bitter.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied and highly carbonated.
Overall: Another great lager from Jack’s Abby. Much like Hoponius Union, it is light tasty and easy to drink.

18th Street Brewery, 4 - Good (buy), American Pale Ale, Beer Reviews, USA

18th Street Deal With The Devil

Wednesday, 15 June 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: 18th Street Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 8.5%
Style: American Pale Ale
Other Notes: Unfiltered, sediment may occur

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Brewed as a salute to our brothers at Spiteful Brewing, Deal With The Devil is packed with Citra hops. It is a juicy pale ale that’s low in bitterness and huge in tropical flavors.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.21
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 22 fl oz bomber with no best by or bottled on date. Poured into a Duvel tulip glass.
Appearance: It poured a hazy deep amber orange colour with a one finger cream coloured head with decent retention and nice spotty lacing.
Aroma: Strong citrus notes with orange and grapefruit rind combined with lots of pine and caramel sweetness.
Taste: Orange, approaching candy orange, with a good amount of grapefruit zest, pine and caramel sweetness.
Mouthfeel: Just over medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: For some reason, I had it in my head that this was going to be like pseudoSue or Zombie Dust, but this was completely different and not in a bad way. Deal With The Devil was still a great pale ale with a good balance between citrus fruit and malt.

2 - Maybe (likely wouldn't buy, might drink), American Double IPA, Ballast Point Brewing Company, Beer Reviews, USA

Ballast Point Watermelon Dorado

Monday, 13 June 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Ballast Point Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 10%
Style: American Double IPA
Other Notes: 90 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from website) Our Watermelon Dorado Double IPA is not one to back down from big flavors. Mash, kettle, and dry hopping blend to create a huge hop profile that is balanced with a blast of watermelon. The result is a refreshing brew that is all summer and no seeds.

My rating: 2
My beeradvocate.com rating: 2.89
My ratebeer.com rating: 2.8

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle with a Julian bottled on date of 16053, meaning it was bottled on 22nd February 2016. Poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass.
Appearance: It poured a clear golden orange colour with a huge four finger off white head with good retention and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Strong watermelon with a hint of orange peel and sweet biscuit caramel malt.
Taste: A little weird like the flavours don’t mix together. There’s candied watermelon, cucumber (which I guess could be mistaken for the watermelon skin and white parts), some bitter grapefruit and fruit jello like sweetness. And none of it really came together unfortunately.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: I don’t know. I think this beer may be in the you either like it or don’t like it category. There isn’t really a middle ground. And in my case, it just wasn’t for me. It actually smells nice, but the tastes were just muddled and did not fit together for me.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Farmhouse Saison, Goose Island Beer Co., USA

Goose Island Sofie

Monday, 13 June 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Goose Island Beer Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 6.5%
Style: Belgian Saison
Other Notes: 20 IBUs. Malts – 2 Row, Pilsen and Wheat. Hops – Amarillo

Brewer Description: (from bottle) 80% Belgian style ale blended with 20% Belgian style ale aged in wine barrels with orange peel.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.41
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle bottled on 16th December 2015 and poured into a Cantillon ballon glass.
Appearance: It poured a slightly cloudy champagne golden colour with a one finger white head that dissipated fairly quickly but left some sparse lacing.
Aroma: Strong orange peel, juicy orange, lemon and white grape. Light funkiness with a hint of mango.
Taste: Juicy mix of orange and lemon with a hint of mango. Light tartness, some peppery spice notes and a hint of bread on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with moderate to high spritzy carbonation.
Overall: A great solid saison with nice juicy citrus notes. Very refreshing on a hot day.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Green Flash Brewing Co., Porter - Baltic, USA

Green Flash Cosmic Ristretto

Saturday, 11 June 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Green Flash Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 8.2%
Style: Baltic Porter
Other Notes: 45 IBUs. Brewed with espresso

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Intergalactic infusion. Live long and drink Cosmic Ristretto. This highly revered brew will go down in history as one of the first graduates of our Genius Lab program into our front line. Marvel at its rich black appearance with bruleed edges and mocha-colored beer foam. Savor its smooth, espresso flavor and breathe in its chocolate, coffee, and sweet malt aromas. Don’t fight its gravitational pull. This bold, complex, java-centric Baltic Porter with espresso is irresistible. Houston, we have a problem, my glass is empty.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.06
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 22 fl oz bottle with a best by date of 10th August 2016 and poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: It poured a clear dark brown colour with a reddish hue and a one finger beige head that dissipated fairly quickly to a thin ring of lacing.
Aroma: Dark fruits especially grape, bubblegum and roasty espresso with a hint of chocolate and vanilla.
Taste: Lots of coffee and espresso with a light char. Hint of dark fruit sweetness, mostly grape, plum and prunes as well as a hint of bittersweet chocolate and vanilla.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: A solid Baltic Porter with nice coffee and espresso notes.

words of another dreamy traveller