Category Archives: USA

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), American Pale Ale, Beer Reviews, Oskar Blues Brewery, USA

Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale

Tuesday, 26 April 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Oskar Blues Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 6.5%
Style: American Pale Ale
Other Notes: 65 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from website) This voluminously hopped mutha… delivers a hoppy nose and assertive-but-balanced flavours of pale malts and citrusy floral hops from start to finish.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.4
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.3

Intro: A 12 fl oz can with a canned on date of 20th November 2015 and poured into a Mikkeller pint glass.
Appearance: It poured a clear copper colour with a less than two finger slightly off white head that dissipated slowly to a nice puffy layer and left nice stringy lacing.
Aroma: A lot of pine and wood with a hint of citrus orange peel zest.
Taste: Orange citrus with a bitter piney hop in the background and honey caramel malts.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with medium carbonation.
Overall: This was a decent pale ale and easily drinkable.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), American Strong Ale, Beer Reviews, Rogue Ales, USA

Rogue XS Dead Guy Ale

Thursday, 21 April 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Rogue Ales
Country: USA
ABV: 9%
Style: American Strong Ale
Other Notes: 60 IBUs. Malts – 2-Row, C15, Munich, Rogue Farms Dare and Risk. Hops – Rogue Farms Revolution and Independent.

Brewer Description: Deep amber copper color. Buttery peanut brittle, orange blossom tea aromas follow through to a rich chewy and fruity full body with nice notes of caramel drizzled dried apricot and roasted grains and spice. Finishes with a long, tangy grilled grapefruit and chocolate fade.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.25
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.2

Intro: A 750ml ceramic and wingtop bottle with no bottled on or best by date. Poured into a Mikkeller pint glass.
Appearance: It poured a cloudy dark amber colour with a one finger off white head that dissipated fairly quickly but left some spotty lacing.
Aroma: Apple juice (very juicy), caramel, biscuit malt, grape and a hint of orange.
Taste: Caramel malt sweetness, apple juice, tea, grape, raisins and dark berries.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with light carbonation.
Overall: This was ok. Not bad, but just ok. A little bit too caramel-ly sweet for my taste buds.

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

18th Street Lake Street Express

Wednesday, 20 April 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: 18th Street Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 4.5%
Style: American Pale Ale

Brewer Description: (from can) All aboard the Lake Street Express! Floral and fruity hops smack your tongue like a runaway train in our crazed session pale ale. Fare’s paid, next stop: Satisfaction.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.09
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 12 fl oz can with unfortunately no best by or canned on date. Poured into a Mikkeller pint glass.
Appearance: It poured a cloudy golden straw colour with a two finger white head that had good retention and left nice stick lacing.
Aroma: On the light side, but there’s tropical fruit mango and pineapple followed by some grapefruit zest and biscuit malt.
Taste: Light mango flavours followed by some nice grapefruit zest bitterness and a hint of orange.
Mouthfeel: Dry, light bodied with medium prickly carbonation.
Overall: Great fruit flavours and very easy to drink. Would have preferred a stronger aroma, but still a good sessionable beer.

4 - Good (buy), American IPA, Beer Reviews, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, USA

Sierra Nevada Beer Camp (2016): Tropical IPA

Wednesday, 13 April 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 6.7%
Style: American IPA
Other Notes: Beer Camp is the perfect way for us to experiment with new flavor directions in beer. Each spring, we feature our favorite collaboration from camp. This year’s selection blends intensely aromatic hop varietals to create an IPA filled with fruit aromas of mango and papaya.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This new equatorial IPA features intense hop varietals bursting with aromas reminiscent of island fruit, including notes of mango, papaya and bitter orange, for a tropical take on the IPA.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.77
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle with a packaged on date of 13th January 2016 and poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass.
Appearance: It poured a clear copper orange colour with a tall fluffy three finger+ off white head with good retention and lots of sticky lacing.
Aroma: Orange candy sweetness with citrus lemon, lime and pine with maybe a hint of pineapple and bready malts.
Taste: Starts sweet-ish pineapple, before turning bitter orange peel, mandarin, lemon and grapefruit pith. I suppose there is a hint of mango there in the aftertaste, but its really lingering far in the background.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with medium carbonation.
Overall: This was pretty good. The lasting lingering bitterness is nice. However if I’m thinking Tropical IPA, this is completely not what I would think of. Yes there was pineapple and some mango here and there but they were mostly in the background. It’s an IPA for sure, but I don’t think it’s a Tropical IPA. Having said that, I’d give this another go.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Strong Pale Ale, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, USA

Sierra Nevada Ovila Abbey Golden – Pomegranate

Monday, 11 April 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 8.5%
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale
Other Notes: Specialty Ovila series brewed in collaboration with the monks of the Abbey of New Clairvaux in Vina, CA.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Pomegranates have been treasured since ancient times and used as symbols of fruitfulness and prosperity. In the modern era, they are prized for their unique sweet-tart flavor and intense red color, which acts as a perfect counterpoint for the spicy Belgian-style golden ale. This collaboration beer features pomegranates grown at the Abbey of New Clairvaux.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.86
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A 12.7 fl oz corked and caged bottle packaged on 9th September 2015 and poured into a Duvel tulip glass.
Appearance: It poured a hazy but bright copper colour with a one finger slightly off white head that dissipated fairly quickly but left nice lacing.
Aroma: Belgian yeast, banana, honey and fruity cherry tartness.
Taste: Sweet Belgian yeastiness, ripe banana and apple followed by some fruit tartness and only light pomegranate. Hint of pepper on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with light to medium carbonation.
Overall: This was the fourth of the Ovila series that I’ve tried and the best one so far. I think it would have been even better if I could taste more pomegranates though.

words of another dreamy traveller