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

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

Stone IPA

Thursday, 24 September 2015 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Stone Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 6.9%
Style: American IPA
Other Notes: 77 IBUs. Hops – Magnum, Chinook and Centennial.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) To say that this gem of an IPA is “hoppy” would be putting it modestly, and modesty is definitely not one of our strong suits. So we used a totally immodest amount of hops to create big hop aromas, big hop flavors and loads of hop bitterness in this delicious brew. First the aroma delights, then the flavor moves one to rejoice aloud. In fact, it makes us feel downright poetic. We hope it moves you too!

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.64
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle with a bottled date of 21th July 2015 and an enjoy by date of 19th October 2015. Poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass.
Appearance: It poured a clear golden copper colour with a one finger white head that had good retention and leaves nice spotty lacing.
Aroma: Fainter than I expected but starts with tropical mango and pineapple before turning to pine, grass and citrus lemon zest.
Taste: There was none of the tropicalness from the smell, but strong lemon zest, hop bitterness, floral and grassiness.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with medium to high carbonation.
Overall: This was only just ok for me. It wasn’t bad and I would drink it again but for example I prefer Stone’s Go To IPA.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgian Pale Ale, Omnipollo, Sweden

Omnipollo Leon

Saturday, 19 September 2015 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Omnipollo
Country: Sweden
ABV: 6.5%
Style: Belgian Pale Ale
Other Notes: Brewed by Omnipollo at De Proef Brouwerij (Belgium)

Brewer Description: (from website) Tired of talking my friends into pit stops at beer bars before heading “out” – in fear of having to drink bland lager all night – I set out to craft an ale that would act as companion throughout the evening. Leon is assertively hopped and fermented dry using champagne yeast. The yeast and the hops in combination with a simple malt bill provides the beer with a quality of being rich in taste yet refreshing.

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

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of 25th June 2016 and poured into a Duvel tulip glass.
Appearance: It poured a golden copper colour with very light haziness. Aggressive pour left a huge three finger yellowish head that had very good retention leaving some spotty lacing.
Aroma: Mainly citrus lemon accompanied by apple, pine and some pepperness.
Taste: Apple juice and lemon zest with hints of grapefruit, orange and pepper.
Mouthfeel: Dry, medium to light bodied with high carbonation.
Overall: This was a decent Belgian pale ale and although not the best from Omnipollo, I can’t wait to try more of their stuff.

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

Stone Delicious IPA

Friday, 18 September 2015 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Stone Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 7.7%
Style: American IPA
Other Notes: Hops: Lemondrop and El Dorado.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) From the beginning, Stone has been obsessed with the mission of providing people access to bold, high-quality craft beer. After all, great beer is for everyone and anyone with the good taste to recognize it, not just a niche group like us uber beer geeks. So, when we developed this pleasantly bitter, deliciously citrusy hop-driven IPA, we took it as an opportunity to go a step further and do something we’d spent over a year researching and perfecting: create a beer that makes it possible for nearly everyone to experience our aggressive, no-holds-barred approach to craft brewing. It’s a flavourful, cutting-edge, modern-day IPA for everyone. Lemondrop and El Dorado hops provide plenty of fruity citrus character and a burst of hop zing that sings on the palate. We’re proud to present it to those who, so far, have only heard the legends.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.73
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle with a bottled date of 18th July 2015 and an enjoy by date of 16th October 2015. Poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass.
Appearance: It poured a clear deep golden copper colour with a slightly less than two finger white head with good retention that leaves lots of lacing.
Aroma: Strong tropical beginning with passion fruit, pineapple and apricot followed by hints of grapefruit, lemon zest and pine.
Taste: Considering the strong tropical aromas, I do not get any of the tropical fruits in the flavours. Instead, there’s lots of citrus lemon, lemon zest, hoppy pine and a lasting peppery aftertaste. There was also hints of bready and caramel malts.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with medium carbonation.
Overall: I loved the aroma of this beer. It’s strong tropicalness was just stunning. However, none of that tropical was in the taste and that kind of brought it back down to earth for me as the bitter citrus lemony and peppery taste was just ok.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, England, English Extra Special Bitter, Hawkshead Brewery

Hawkshead Cumbrian 5 Hop

Thursday, 10 September 2015 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Hawkshead Brewery
Country: England
ABV: 5%
Style: English Extra Special Bitter

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This is a well hopped golden ale which marries traditional English with modern American hops – five varieties in all, including Golding, Citra and Amarillo. The full biscuity taste of English Maris Otter barley combines with orange marmalade citrus, floral, spicy and herbal hop flavours to produced a complex modern beer.

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 May 2016 and poured into a pint glass.
Appearance: The beer poured a hazy golden orangey colour with a thin weak white head that leaves some stringy lacing.
Aroma: Fruity aromas, starts with melon, pineapple, tangerine and orange with hints of caramel.
Taste: A little on the weak side when you consider the amount of fruit in the aroma. Biscuity caramel malt with some citrus mandarin and grapefruit. There are hints of mango, grass and pine with a long bitter finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with low to medium carbonation.
Overall: This was quite good especially the aroma but was hoping that there was more of a punch in the taste considering the nice aromas.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Farmhouse Saison, Stillwater Artisanal Ales, USA

Stillwater Stateside Saison

Tuesday, 1 September 2015 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Stillwater Artisanal Ales
Country: USA
ABV: 6.8%
Style: Belgian Saison
Other Notes: Brewed at Two Roads Brewing Company, CT, USA.

Brewer Description: (from website) Pays homage to old world tradition while celebrating new world innovation. Naturally brewed with the finest European malts & fresh aromatic hops from the United States & New Zealand. It’s then fermented using a classic farmhouse ale yeast and bottle conditioned to enhance stability. The outcome is a beer of unique design and exquisite taste, showcasing some of the best attributes of modern-day craft brewing.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.52
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.5

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle that has a bottling date code of 364:14 aka 30th December 2014 and was poured into a Duvel tulip glass.
Appearance: It poured a slightly hazy orange tinted golden colour with a one finger white head that dissipated quickly.
Aroma: Bready malts, quite yeasty, hint of coriander, honey and then some fruity banana, pineapple, apple and lemon to end.
Taste: Starts sweeter than expected but ends with a lasting bitterness. Honey and bubblegum upfront, followed by mild or even weak apple juice, and hints of banana, spicy pepper and lemon zest.
Mouthfeel: Dry, medium bodied with medium carbonation.
Overall: I prefer my saison’s sour whereas this one is hoppy. Having said that, it’s still very refreshing and easy to drink.

words of another dreamy traveller