Category Archives: 4 – Good (buy)

4 - Good (buy), American Pale Ale, Beer Reviews, Omnipollo, Sweden

Omnipollo Mazarin

Saturday, 12 September 2015 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Omnipollo
Country: Sweden
ABV: 5.6%
Style: American Pale Ale
Other Notes: Brewed by Omnipollo at De Proef Brouwerij (Belgium)

Brewer Description: (from website) Mazarin is my take on a “thinker’s beer”. Rather than being big and undecipherably complex I wanted to create something that would calm a hop yearning nerve without fuddling the brain too much. In other words, a lavishly hopped ale of judicious ABV – an Extra Special Pale Ale if you will.

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

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of 9th April 2016 and poured into a pint glass.
Appearance: The beer poured a hazy golden orange colour with a two finger white head that has good retention and leaves a thin foamy layer with nice stringy lacing.
Aroma: Very nice aromas of citrus grapefruit, mandarin and orange followed by tropical pineapple, passion fruit and mango. It finishes with a hint of floral pine.
Taste: There’s a very light caramel malt in the background but strong citrus grapefruit, orange and pineapple. There are also hints of mango and honey while finishing with a grassy pine light bitterness. As it warms, the caramel malts and pine finish were more pronounced.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied with medium carbonation.
Overall: Wow, this reminded me of Fatamorgana for a while there. Not quite as good in the end, but initial impressions were great. The aromas coming off this beer were stunningly nice and fruity. I would have preferred more tropical flavours considering the aromas, but overall this was still very good.

4 - Good (buy), American IPA, Australia, Beer Reviews, Murray’s Craft Brewing Company

Murray’s Fred IPA

Friday, 11 September 2015 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Murray’s Craft Brewing Company
Country: Australia
ABV: 5.6%
Style: American IPA

Brewer Description: (from bottle) At first glance, you might think only his mum could love him. But once you try FRED IPA, we reckon you’ll fall under his spell. FRED is aggressively late hopped with a house blend of hops from the US Pacific Northwest. A beautiful hopped up brew to be enjoyed with smoky and spicy southern US style Mexican food.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.13
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of 13th March 2016 poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass.
Appearance: The beer poured a hazy golden orange colour with a foamy two to three finger off white head that has great retention and leaves nice stringy lacing.
Aroma: Strong tropical fruit aromas mainly mango, pineapple and passion fruit. There are also hints of citrus orange and maybe grapefruit ending with pine.
Taste: Very much like the aroma. The tropical pineapple and passion fruit is there but with flavours, the pine and citrus grapefruit really come through. The malt is sweet and there is only a slight bitterness at the end.
Mouthfeel: Dry, medium to light bodied with light to medium carbonation.
Overall: I have to say, this one has surprised me. It is very easy to drink and I really enjoy the tropicalness of it.

4 - Good (buy), American Double IPA, Beer Reviews, Clown Shoes Beer, USA

Clown Shoes Galactica

Wednesday, 9 September 2015 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Clown Shoes Beer
Country: USA
ABV: 8%
Style: American Double IPA
Other Notes: Brewed and bottled by Mercury Brewing Co., Ipswich, MA.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Galactica, a hop staff wielding heroine patrols in karate kick mode through the heavens. Her mission: cosmic combat to promote good beer. Dry hopped with galaxy hops, a clean malt backbone enhances the dank and luscious IPA flavors.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.96
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass. Strangely no bottled on date considering all my other Clown Shoes beer show it on the neck.
Appearance: The beer poured a hazy dark orangey amber colour with a slightly more than one finger off-white head that leaves stringy lacing.
Aroma: Tropical fruits dominate especially peach and apricot with hints of mango, some citrus grapefruit and light caramel malts.
Taste: A backbone of nice light caramel malts, followed by floral and citrus hops, mainly grapefruit and pine but there’s also tropical hints with peach, apricot and mango. Finishes with a nice lasting bitterness.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, full bodied with light carbonation.
Overall: This was nice, as it wasn’t overly caramel-ly. A nicely balanced Double IPA.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Jack’s Abby Brewing, Lager - IPL (India Pale), USA

Jack’s Abby Hoponius Union

Tuesday, 8 September 2015 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Jack’s Abby Brewing
Country: USA
ABV: 6.7%
Style: American IPL
Other Notes: 65 IBUs.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Hoponius Union harmoniously combines lager yeast fermentation and West Coast IPA hops. Our India style Pale Lager is like a traditional IPA but with a twist – it’s fermented cold and aged for extended periods. A blend of classic American hops creates a huge tropical fruit and citrusy hop aroma. A dry finish accentuates the pleasant bitterness and hop profile. Hoponius Union uses locally sourced ingredients.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.16
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle with a manufacturing date of 1st December 2014 and poured into a pint glass (although I’d consider using an IPA glass for this next time).
Appearance: The beer poured a slightly hazy golden orange colour with a less than one finger white head that leaves some spotty lacing.
Aroma: Mainly citrus zest hops followed by some tropical mango and light pepperiness.
Taste: Light caramel malt flavours followed by some nice bitter citrus and grassy hops… orange and piney finish.
Mouthfeel: Crisp and dry, light to medium bodied with medium carbonation.
Overall: I am impressed. The world needs more lagers like this. It is far and away the best lager I’ve tried, and a very good example of what can and should be done with lagers.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Witbier, Clown Shoes Beer, USA

Clown Shoes Clementine

Wednesday, 2 September 2015 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Clown Shoes Beer
Country: USA
ABV: 6%
Style: Belgian Witbier
Other Notes: Brewed and bottled by Mercury Brewing Co., Ipswich, MA.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Clementine is a beer conceived in a dream, in the middle of a blistering beatdown of a day. We used clementine essence, sweet orange peel, coriander and summit hops to smack that mean day upside the head with a refreshing clown shoe.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.76
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.7

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle with a bottled on date of 2nd January 2015 and poured into a pint glass.
Appearance: The beer poured a hazy orangey amber colour with a just over one finger white head that dissipated quite quickly leaving a very thin foamy layer.
Aroma: Strong citrus and sweet orange in the smell with hints of coriander and grass.
Taste: Definitely very orangey with citrus orange, orange peel and mandarin shining through. Hints of coriander and pine then a slight spicy but peppery finish.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with high carbonation.
Overall: A good witbier that I would probably buy again. Admittedly I was iffy when I smelt the strong orange aromas, as I did not enjoy the other really orangey witbier that I’ve tried. But this was much better and restored my confidence somewhat on orange flavoured beers.

words of another dreamy traveller