Category Archives: 4 – Good (buy)

4 - Good (buy), American Pale Ale, Beer Reviews, Bellwoods Brewery, Canada

Bellwoods Jutsu

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Brewery: Bellwoods Brewery
Country: Canada
ABV: 5.6%
Style: American Pale Ale

Brewer Description: (from website) In life, Jutsu is all about stealthy ninja techniques (well actually, techniques, skills, methods, tricks, or spells according to Wikipedia) but in beer it’s a fantastically balanced pale ale. Easy drinking with low bitterness. Brewed with an expressive Vermont ale yeast and weighing in at a cool 5.6%, it is quite easily the answer to a) your prayers, and b) the question, “What should I have to drink right now?”.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.46
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 500ml bottle with no bottled on or best before date, pouring into a Holy Mountain tulip glass.
Appearance: A hazy straw yellow colour, with a one finger white head that dissipates fairly quickly, but leaves some nice lacing.
Aroma: Tropical mango, pineapple, citrus grapefruit and melon.
Taste: Similar to the aroma but less tropical and more citrus. Only lightly bitter.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: An excellent surprise. A very enjoyable, juicy, easy to drink and refreshing hazy Pale Ale.

4 - Good (buy), American Double IPA, Beer Reviews, Bottle Logic Brewing x The Answer Brewpub, USA

Bottle Logic x The Answer 100 Hand Slap

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Brewery: Bottle Logic Brewing x The Answer Brewpub
Country: USA
ABV: 8.5%
Style: American Double IPA
Other Notes: Hazy New England style IPA

Brewer Description: (from can release description) An ode to the button mashing madness of classic arcade games, 100 Hand Slap is a flurry of a New England Style IPA packed with soft, tropical, Juicyfruit citrus character. A milky yellow on the SRM scale and light mouthfeel, this “fluffy” Galaxy and Citra-hopped beer drinks too easily for its steamroller 8.5% ABV. 100 Hand Slap was brewed in collaboration with Virginia’s heralded brewpub The Answer, and is the first release in our canned “Covalent Bond” collaboration series!

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

Intro: On tap at Bottle Logic Brewing, Anaheim. A 14 oz pour into a Bottle Logic goblet glass.
Appearance: A hazy golden straw colour, with a one finger white head, decent retention, and good lacing.
Aroma: Apricot, peach, pineapple with hints of citrus and floral elements.
Taste: Exactly like the aroma. Juicy yet bitter, apricot, peach, mango and citrus rind.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Nice, tasty and easy to drink.

4 - Good (buy), American Double IPA, Beer Reviews, Bottle Logic Brewing, USA

Bottle Logic Start: Konami Code

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Brewery: Bottle Logic Brewing
Country: USA
ABV: 9%
Style: American Double IPA
Other Notes: Juicy N.E. IPA – Pt.5 of our Konami Code

Brewer Description: (from can release description) This DOUBLE IPA makes a bold move with an outrageously over-the-top blend of Mosaic, El Dorado, and Galaxy hops for a citrus driven, freshly juiced flavor. You’ll find familiar background layers of dank, pithy citrus featuring new character notes of exotic tropical fruit with peach and piney brightness. START is full-bodied and fruity with a resinous finish — get ready for the boss level!

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

Intro: On tap at Bottle Logic Brewing, Anaheim. A 14 oz pour into a Bottle Logic goblet glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden copper orange colour with a one finger white head that had decent retention and left nice lacing.
Aroma: Pineapple, peach, pine and orange rind.
Taste: Lightly bitter with fruity peach and citrus rind.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Nice and refreshing, especially for a hot day.

4 - Good (buy), American Double IPA, Beer Reviews, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., USA

Firestone Walker Leo v. Ursus Adversus

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Brewery: Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 8.2%
Style: American Double IPA
Other Notes: Unfiltered Double India Pale Ale. 55 IBUs. Malts – Pilsner Malt, Wheat Malt, Flaked Oats and Dextrose Sugar. Hops – (Kettle) Citra, Mandarina, Simcoe and Cascade, (Dry Hops) Ekuanot, Mandarina, Azacca and Citra

Brewer Description: (from website) Prodigiously hopped yet nimbly brewed with pilsner malts, Adversus ultimately achieves the improbable: a big, bold IPA made for summertime sipping. A hard-charging blend of Pacific Northwest hops leads the way, loading the nose with notes of stone fruit, pineapple, mango and earthy pine resin. Meanwhile, the use of traditional pilsner malts adds levity and dryness to the palate, allowing for a refreshing texture through the finish. The result is a double IPA that is high on hop aromas, balanced in bitterness and perfect for the long, warm days of summer.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.14
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: On tap at Firestone Walker The Propagator, Venice. A 12 oz pour into a Firestone Walker Leo v. Ursus craft master one glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden orange colour with a one finger white head, decent retention and nice lacing.
Aroma: Mango, peach and nectarines with hints of honey and vanilla.
Taste: Similar to the aroma with mango, peach and nectarines, plus some citrus orange peel, biscuit malt and light bitterness.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Nice and easy to drink.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Stout - Russian Imperial, USA

Firestone Walker Parabola

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Brewery: Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 14.5%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Other Notes: 69 IBUs. Malts – Crisp Maris Otter Pale, Munich, Cara-hell, Carafa, Dark & Light Crystal, Chocolate, Oats and Roasted Barley. Hops – (Bittering) Zeus and (Late Kettle) Hallertau

Brewer Description: (from 2017 vintage box) The 2017 Parabola comes with a twist, as you may have noticed that this label bears the mark of “Kansas City, Missouri” in addition to our hometown of Paso Robles, California. Indeed, this iteration was brewed, barrel-aged and bottled by our friends at Boulevard Brewing under my close supervision. The recipe, ingredients, barrel selection and duration of aging were all the same as previous vintages of Parabola, but perhaps this vintage’s unique provenance will somehow reveal itself in the glass to you. So what is the story behind this one-time collaboration? Last year, we unexpectedly exceeded our brewing capacity in Paso Robles, and so rather than deny you a Parabola in 2017, we turned to our trusted friends for help while we worked on expanding our own brewhouse. As anticipated, they did Parabola proud. May you enjoy this rare occasion!

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.3
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: On tap at Firestone Walker The Propagator, Venice. A 6 oz pour into a Firestone Walker tulip glass.
Appearance: It was a black to dark dark brown in colour with a one finger creamy tanned head that had good retention and left nice lacing.
Aroma: Sweet bourbon barrels, nutty chocolate, vanilla, banana cake, pretty much like dessert.
Taste: Like the aroma, there was bitter dark chocolate, cherry, vanilla, banana, nutty, sweet bourbon, oak and booze.
Mouthfeel: Full bodied with low carbonation.
Overall: A little bit too boozy and on the sweet side, but this doesn’t put me off, and it was still very nice. Great for late night sipping.