Category Archives: Style

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

Toppling Goliath Fire, Skulls & Money

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Brewery: Toppling Goliath Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 7.2%
Style: New England / Hazy IPA
Other Notes: 50 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from can) Inspired by a trip to the west coast, designed to capture the wild spirit of adventure and brewed to be enjoyed with friends. This rich IPA is for those with wanderlust in their hearts and fire in their eyes. Join our Citra, Mosaic, Galaxy & Nelson hops on a journey to the bottom of your glass.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.44
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: A 1 pint can, canned on 3rd January 2019 and with a best by date of 3rd May 2019. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A hazy golden orange colour with a two finger white head that had great retention and left nice sticky lacing.
Aroma: Citrus rind, grapefruit peel, pineapple, mango, peach, orange and a dash of onion.
Taste: Light to moderate bitterness, grapefruit, citrus zest, light sweetness, mango, peach, apricot and a touch of dank pine.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Very nice and balanced NEIPA with a touch of West Coast in it. Just really great and easy to drink.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), American IPA, Beer Reviews, Toppling Goliath Brewing Company, USA

Toppling Goliath Pompeii

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Brewery: Toppling Goliath Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 6.2%
Style: American IPA
Other Notes: 50 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from can) This India Pale Ale is brewed with the same attention to detail as the beautiful mosaics that graced the walls of prominent buildings in the city of Pompeii. It features mango and pineapple hop flavors with a medium-bodied feel to tantalize the senses.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.93
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.8

Intro: A 1 pint can, canned on 28th December 2018 with a best by date of 27th April 2019. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A hazy golden orange colour with a nice two finger white head that had pretty good retention and left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Citrus pith, orange zest, grapefruit, onion with hints of mango.
Taste: Bitter, grapefruit pith, citrus zest, grass with a sweeter finish of orange juice, pineapple and mango.
Mouthfeel: Medium to light bodied with moderate to high carbonation.
Overall: Nice easy drinking IPA that is solid.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), American Imperial Red Ale, Beer Reviews, Founders Brewing Company, USA

Founders Dankwood

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Brewery: Founders Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 12.2%
Style: American Imperial Red Ale
Other Notes: Barrel Aged Series. 2018 release. Imperial Red India Pale Ale aged in bourbon barrels

Brewer Description: (from bottle) What do you get when a big, bold Imperial Red IPA meets an oak bourbon barrel? A palate stunner that’ll send your senses spinning or, as we like to call it, Dankwood. Rich caramel notes emerge from the depths of the IPA. Highlighting strong malt character while the bourbon barrel-aging develops the complexity. A dank, sticky and slightly sweet sipper, Dankwood is the perfect alchemy of wood and hops.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.38
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.2

Intro: A 12 fl. oz. bottle, bottled on 10th April 2018. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: An amber orange brown colour with a two finger beige head that had good retention and left lots of nice sticky lacing.
Aroma: Sweet malts, caramel, orange peel, lemon juice, bourbon, oak.
Taste: Moderate sweetness, caramel, toffee, butterscotch, bourbon, oak, lime, citrus peel, with a lightly bitter finish.
Mouthfeel: A little boozy, full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Definitely a sipper, but I think not really my style as sweet and boozy doesn’t work too well on my palate.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Founders Brewing Company, Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy, USA

Founders Dirty Bastard

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Brewery: Founders Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 8.5%
Style: Scottish Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy
Other Notes: 50 IBUs. Scotch Style Ale

Brewer Description: (from bottle) So good it’s almost wrong. Dark ruby in color and brewed with seven varieties of imported malts. Complex in finish, with hints of smoke and peat. Paired with a malty richness and a right hook of hop power to give it the bad attitude that a beer named Dirty Bastard has to live up to. Ain’t for the wee lads.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.51
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 12 fl. oz. bottle, bottled on 4th October 2018. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: A clear amber copper orange colour with a one finger tanned head that dissipated fairly quickly but left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Fruity, sweet artificial cherry, cotton candy, plum, prunes, light roast, chocolate and caramel.
Taste: Roasted malts, lightly sweet, caramel, burnt sugar, smoke, light peat with a light lasting bitter finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to soft carbonation.
Overall: Wow, this was much better than expected and I enjoyed this even more than Backwoods Bastard, especially the aroma which impressed me.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Founders Brewing Company, Stout - Imperial, USA

Founders KBS (Kentucky Breakfast Stout)

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Brewery: Founders Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 12.3%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Barrel Aged Series. 2018 release. Ale brewed with chocolate and coffee aged in oak bourbon barrels

Brewer Description: (from bottle) What we’ve got here is an Imperial Stout brewed with a massive amount of coffee and chocolates, then cave-aged in oak bourbon barrels for an entire year to make sure wonderful bourbon undertones come through in the finish. Makes your taste buds squeal with delight.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.58
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 12 fl. oz. bottle, bottled on 13th March 2018. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Dark brown to black in colour with a half finger mocha brown head that dissipated fairly quickly, but left some nice lacing.
Aroma: Roasty, coffee, chocolate, bourbon, oak and a light caramel.
Taste: Roasted malts, lots of rich dark chocolate, coffee, bourbon, oak, vanilla, light bitter finish.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, smooth, full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Aroma wasn’t as rich as the taste, but the taste was outstanding with the strong rich and smooth chocolate flavours. The coffee, bourbon and oak balanced it out very nicely, and it was just a great sipper for a cool winter (or air conditioned) night.