Category Archives: 4 – Good (buy)

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, England, IPA - New England / Hazy, Verdant Brewing Co.

Verdant Neal Gets Things Done

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Brewery: Verdant Brewing Co.
Country: England
ABV: 6.5%
Style: New England / Hazy IPA
Other Notes: Hops – Simcoe, Citra, Mosaic and Nelson Sauvin

Brewer Description: (from Verdant webshop) Off the canning line, into the fridges, and drinking like a dream, Neal’s back getting things done. Sit back, relax and enjoy this flavour-packed ride of Simcoe, Citra, Mosaic & Nelson Sauvin – a magic trip awaits.

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

Intro: A 440ml can, canned on 30th September 2020, with a best before date of 30th March 2021. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A hazy straw blond colour with a nice two finger white head that had good retention and left nice lacing.
Aroma: Grass, dank, melon, tropical, mango, pineapple, citrus, mandarin, orange rind.
Taste: Light to moderate sweetness, fruity, mango, melon, pineapple, moderately bitter, orange, citrus rind and pith.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Nice and juicy with a good balance between sweet and bitter.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Burley Oak Brewing Company, IPA - New England / Hazy, USA

Burley Oak Citralaxy

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Brewery: Burley Oak Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 7.5%
Style: New England / Hazy IPA
Other Notes: Hops – Citra and Galaxy

Brewer Description: (from can) India Pale Ale with that lupulin powder.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.05
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 1 pint can, canned on 23rd September 2020. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A hazy orange colour with a one finger white head that had good retention and left lots of nice lacing.
Aroma: Tropical and citrus fruits, mango, orange and grapefruit, dank, grassy, with citrus rind and zesty notes.
Taste: Dank, grassy, juicy, mango, orange, with citrus pith and rind bitterness.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Nice and enjoyable. Good aroma and easy to drink.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Cascade Brewing, USA, Wild Ale

Cascade Sang Noir

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Brewery: Cascade Brewing
Country: USA
ABV: 9.9%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Northwest sour ale. Ale aged in bourbon and wine barrels with cherries. 2015 project

Brewer Description: (from bottle) House of Sour. Sang Noir is a blend of select red ales aged in bourbon and wine barrels with Bing cherries for up to two years.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.39
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, 2015 project. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A cloudy dark maroon colour with a one finger tanned head that dissipated quickly and left only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Cherry, mixed berries, acetone, oak, wood, with slight balsamic notes.
Taste: Sour, tart, cherry, caramel, oak, wood, mixed berries, grape-y vinous, with very light notes of bourbon.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: Not getting much bourbon, but there was an enjoyable complexity about this beer with a good blend of fruit and wood. At 9.9% abv, the alcohol was well hidden. This was definitely one of the better Cascade beers I’ve tried.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Casey Brewing & Blending, USA, Wild Ale

Casey Funky Blender Raspberry + Cherry

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Brewery: Casey Brewing & Blending
Country: USA
ABV: 6.5%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: Heritage / 4 Cherry blend

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Ale aged in oak barrels with raspberries + cherries.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.33
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 750ml corked and caged bottle, Heritage raspberries and 4 cherry blend, bottled in 5th May 2020. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A very nice slightly hazy ruby red colour with a two finger pinkish head that dissipated fairly quickly but eventually settled to a thin replenishing cap, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Sweet candy like raspberry and cherry, oak, with a hint of funk and acetone.
Taste: Sour, tart, raspberry, cherry, oak, acidic, with slight notes of lemon and funk.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Loved the look and the aroma. Flavours were good, but perhaps slightly too acidic towards the finish, but still, it was enjoyable.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Olde Hickory Brewery, Stout - Imperial, USA

Olde Hickory The Event Horizon

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Brewery: Olde Hickory Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 8.5%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Ale brewed with honey & aged in bourbon barrels

Brewer Description: (from bottle) The Event Horizon is the point of no return. Once you have entered the realm of this supermassive imperial stout you are there for good. The cosmically heavy body sucks you in. It’s unfathomably deep and black, tasting of rich coffee and chocolate. The faint twinkle of honey is the last sensation you experience before the taste of bourbon washes over you with notes of cracked nuts and vanilla bean. Prepare to have your tongue spaghettified.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.14
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 22 fl. oz. bomber, bottled on 28th September 2016. Poured into a snifter.
Appearance: Black in colour with minimal brown head, with some spotty lacing.
Aroma: Bourbon, dark fruit, raisin, prunes, light roast, chocolate, and vanilla.
Taste: Similar to the aroma, it’s bourbon forward, prunes, raisin, followed by a roasty finish that includes chocolate, cocoa powder, vanilla, and bitterish coffee.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, smooth, medium bodied, with soft carbonation.
Overall: Body is lighter than I prefer, but then the ABV is also pretty low for a BA Imperial Stout. All that is just a minor hiccup in what is still a great and enjoyable Imperial Stout with big bold flavours.