Category Archives: 4 – Good (buy)

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.

4 - Good (buy), American IPA, Beer Reviews, Evil Twin Brewing x 7venth Sun Brewery, USA

Evil Twin x 7venth Sun Citra Sunshine Slacker

Friday, 1 April 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Evil Twin Brewing x 7venth Sun Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 4.5%
Style: American IPA
Other Notes: Brewed at Two Roads Brewing Company.

Brewer Description: (from can) Despite his bitterness, lack of power and insuperable aversion to any kind of extravagant labor – he kind of has a charming charisma, and perhaps he is even loveable. Somehow we find him unbelievably irresistible and stimulating because he is one of the few that masters the ability to effortlessly impress with his sharp intelligence and make it look so damn easy.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.07
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 1 pint can with a Julian bottled on date of 23915, meaning it was canned on 27th August 2015. It was poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass.
Appearance: It poured a clear golden straw colour with a two finger white head with good retention that leaves sticky lacing.
Aroma: Strong tropical fruit aromas with ripe mango, guava, peach and apricot. Light citrus lemon in the background.
Taste: Flavours are not very strong. I get some mango and grapefruit, maybe some lemon. On the finish, the bready malt comes out. Its only lightly bitter.
Mouthfeel: Crisp, light bodied with medium carbonation.
Overall: A nice light juicy beer that is very drinkable. It could do with a bit more bitterness as an IPA, but still good.

4 - Good (buy), Alpine Beer Company, American Double IPA, Beer Reviews, USA

Alpine Pure Hoppiness

Tuesday, 29 March 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Alpine Beer Company
Country: USA
ABV: 8%
Style: American Double IPA

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This mega-hopped, West Coast-Style India Pale Ale will take you to hop heaven! We’ve used hops in the boil, more hops in the giant hopback, and added to that, an incredible amount of dry-hopping for that cutting edge “hop bite.” Onve you’ve tasted this unique beer, all others pale in comparison. Drink better beer so… drink Alpine Ale or go to bed!

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

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle with a best by date of 10th May 2016, poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass.
Appearance: It poured a slightly hazy orange colour with puffy three finger off white head that had good retention and left lots of nice sticky lacing.
Aroma: Citrusy mandarin orange, slightly candied, piney hops and some light tropical fruit. The finish is a very nice strong floral.
Taste: Starts lightly sweet with mango and orange. The finish is a strong lasting grapefruit pith bitterness with some light caramel.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with medium carbonation.
Overall: A very nice bitter DIPA. Great balance between the malts and hops.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Brown Ale - Imperial, Prairie Artisan Ales, USA

Prairie Okie

Thursday, 24 March 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Prairie Artisan Ales
Country: USA
ABV: 12%
Style: Brown Ale – Imperial
Other Notes: 50 IBUs. Brewed and bottled by Krebs Brewing Co., Krebs, Oklahoma.

Brewer Description: (from website) Okie is an imperial brown ale aged in whiskey barrels. Notes of toffee and brown sugar are infused with sweet notes of bourbon, vanilla, oak and molasses.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.45
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle with a Julian bottled on date of 15215, meaning it was bottled on 1st June 2015. It was poured into a Moonzen teku glass.
Appearance: It poured a cloudy dark reddish brown colour with a less than one finger tanned head that dissipated quickly and left some sparse lacing.
Aroma: Rich bourbon, oak, caramel, toffee, vanilla and roasted malt.
Taste: Much like the aroma, sweet toffee, caramel and vanilla with a hit of bourbon and oak. There was also a hint of dark fruits, plum, raisin and fig on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Mid to full bodied but leaning more towards full with low carbonation.
Overall: A very nice brown ale as the bourbon, oak and sweet notes of toffee and caramel went well together. The 12% is not felt at all and goes down easy. Brown ale is not a style that has a great name, but this brew definitely redeems it.

4 - Good (buy), American Double IPA, Beer Reviews, Bell’s Brewery Inc., USA

Bell’s Hopslam Ale

Wednesday, 23 March 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Bell’s Brewery Inc.
Country: USA
ABV: 10%
Style: American Double IPA
Other Notes: Ale brewed with honey.

Brewer Description: (from website) Starting with six different hop varietals added to the brew kettle & culminating with a massive dry-hop addition of Simcoe hops, Bell’s Hopslam Ale possesses the most complex hopping schedule in the Bell’s repertoire. Selected specifically because of their aromatic qualities, these Pacific Northwest varieties contribute a pungent blend of grapefruit, stone fruit, and floral notes. A generous malt bill and a solid dollop of honey provide just enough body to keep the balance in check, resulting in a remarkably drinkable rendition of the Double India Pale Ale style.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.98
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 12 fl oz can with a canned on date of 15th January 2016 (at least as best as I can tell since the dating machine misprinted onto the lip of the bottom of the can). Poured into a Duvel tulip glass.
Appearance: It poured a hazy copper orange colour with an one finger off white head that sticks around for a bit and leaves nice spotty lacing.
Aroma: Crisp candied orange and caramel with some light tropical pineapple, apricot and pine.
Taste: Its quite a sweet DIPA but that should have been expected with ale brewed with honey. I get a quick hit of bitterness to start before it turns sweet with caramel, honey, pineapple and orange. The finish is bitter again with grapefruit mixed in with some honey.
Mouthfeel: Mid to full bodied with light carbonation.
Overall: This was nice, but maybe my expectations were too high and it was perhaps just a bit too sweet for me. Having said that, the 10% is completely hidden and it goes down easy.

words of another dreamy traveller