Category Archives: 3 – Indifferent (might buy, probably drink)

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.

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.

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

BrewDog Arcade Nation

Monday, 28 March 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: BrewDog
Country: Scotland
ABV: 5.2%
Style: American Black IPA
Other Notes: Hops – Simcoe, Amarillo and Citra.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) West Coast America ups sticks and heads out east. Pac-mania is back and this time it’s gone over to the dark side. A pistol black hop bomb packs the roasted malty punch of a stout and the hop laden incendiary hit of an IPA. Roasty, coffee and chocolate notes duke it out with citrus, mango and pine. Insatiably flavoursome, insanely drinkable, immensely satisfying. This light bodied hero punches like something twice its size. A Donkey Kong let loose on Rainbow Island. This all-out American hybrid should run for President. Stack up the quarters. Vote Arcade Nation – Game over.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.49
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.3

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of 7th January 2017 and poured into an oversized wine glass.
Appearance: It poured a dark dark brown colour with a less than one finger tanned head that had poor retention but left some spotty lacing.
Aroma: Fruit strong, citrus, grapefruit, pineapple and pine. In the background there is roasty malts and a hint of coffee.
Taste: Bitter grapefruit pith and its not very juicy. There is some roastiness in the background, but its not really there.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with light carbonation.
Overall: Seemed to be closer to an IPA instead of a Black IPA. Would have preferred to have more roastiness as this had very little. This was just ok.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, English Golden Ale, Garage Project, New Zealand

Garage Project Hāpi Daze

Saturday, 26 March 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Garage Project
Country: New Zealand
ABV: 4.6%
Style: English Golden Ale
Other Notes: Hops – Motueka, Wai-iti, Riwaka and Nelson Sauvin.

Brewer Description: (from can) Hāpi the Maori word for hop, inspires this truly Pacific pale ale. Brewed with New Zealand barley and the best of the Kiwi hop harvest, Motueka, Wai-iti, Riwaka and Nelson Sauvin. Assertively hoppy – exceptionally drinkable.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.87
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A 330ml can with a best before date of 30th October 2016 and poured into a Duvel tulip glass.
Appearance: It poured a clear dark golden slightly copper colour with a two finger off white head that doesn’t stick around much but left nice stringy lacing.
Aroma: Strong tropical fruits of mango, pineapple, kiwi, guava, papaya and honeydew melon.
Taste: Bitter start with some stone fruit mango followed by a light bready grainy malt.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with medium carbonation.
Overall: A nice refreshing light beer with interesting tropical notes. However unfortunately the taste doesn’t follow the impressive aroma as I prefer less malt character and I think a higher carbonation will go well with the lightness.

words of another dreamy traveller