Tag Archives: ipa

AleSmith Double Red IPA

Brewery: AleSmith Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 8.5%
Style: American Imperial Red Ale
Other Notes: Limited Edition, Seasonal

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Previously known as Winter YuleSmith, this warming, hoppy ale used to be available exclusively during the holiday season. But the popularity of this red-hued India Pale Ale grew to the point where sharing a limited run of the beer with our fans seemed insufficient. Our answer was to convert this crimson IPA into a seasonal offering to be enjoyed from fall through the winter months. Caramel malt sweetness combines with citrusy highlights to bring forth a dry, highly drinkable beer that’s simultaneously hearty and thirst-quenching. The holidays are too brief to contain this much flavor.

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

Intro: A 12 fl. oz. bottle, bottled on 19th September 2017. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A clear dark amber copper colour with a big two finger light beige head that had great retention and left nice lacing.
Aroma: Caramel malts, grapefruit zest, citrus rind and pine.
Taste: Similar to the aroma with sweet caramel malts, grapefruit flesh, zest and rind, grass and pine. Finish was nice with moderate bitterness.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Solid tasting Red IPA with good balance of malt and hops.

Popihn New England IPA

Brewery: Brasserie Popihn
Country: France
ABV: 6.7%
Style: American IPA

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Amarillo / Centennial / Rakau / Simcoe / Waimea.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.07
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of 6th January 2018 (did not know I left this in the fridge for so long). Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A murky dark straw yellow colour with a big three finger white head that had good retention but left minimal lacing.
Aroma: Fruity grapefruit rind, citrus zest, pineapple, pine and grass with hints of tropical mango and papaya late on.
Taste: Sweet pineapple balanced with citrusy grapefruit zest and rind, pine and grass. Light bitterness on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Crisp, medium bodied with moderate to high carbonation.
Overall: Nice, refreshing and easy to drink.

Young Master Fake Juice

Brewery: Young Master Brewery
Country: Hong Kong
ABV: 6.5%
Style: American IPA
Other Notes: 30 IBUs. Juicy, hazy, hoppy.

Brewer Description: (from website) It’s really not fruit juice, but we won’t blame you for thinking so. Fake Juice. Real Beer. NE IPA. Loaded with Citra and Mosaic, Fake Juice is a NE IPA without any fruit addition. This is a hoppy, juicy, hazy IPA filled with note of grapefruit, guava and mango. Combination of soft bitterness and fluffy body makes this beer as sessionable as a glass of juice, if not more.

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

Intro: A 946ml crowler, filled on 21st December 2017. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A hazy dark orange colour with a just over one finger white head that had good retention and left some lacing.
Aroma: Mango, orange rind and a touch of lemon.
Taste: Like the aroma, there’s tropical and citrus fruitiness, mainly mango, citrus rind, grapefruit and a touch of pineapple.
Mouthfeel: Light bodied with moderate to low carbonation.
Overall: Nice, juicy and easy to drink.

Garage Project Hippity Dippity

Brewery: Garage Project
Country: New Zealand
ABV: 7.4%
Style: American IPA
Other Notes: Brett IPA

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Some friends come with a little extra. Hippity Dippity hoppy IPA, fermented with a very special strain of Brettanomyces captured and cultured by a like-minded friend and generously shared with us. Its unique mango and tropical fruit forward flavour marries perfectly with Amarillo, Citra and Galaxy hops to create an IPA with a startling fruit cocktail punch. Here’s to friends with benefits.

My rating: 2
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.3
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.1

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a best before date of 4th March 2018. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden straw yellow colour with a big three finger white head that had good retention and left nice lacing.
Aroma: Tropical mango, barnyard, leather and brett.
Taste: Lightly bitter and lightly sour, mango, brett, citrus peel, apricot and a touch of pepper spice.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate to low carbonation.
Overall: I think the brett was a bit overpowering with not enough sour, bitter or tropical fruit in the taste.

Finback x Barrier Currency

Brewery: Finback Brewery x Barrier Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 6.6%
Style: Rye Beer
Other Notes: Hops – Denali, Apollo, Ekuanot and 007

Brewer Description: (from can) Rye IPA dry hopped with Denali, Apollo, Ekuanot and 007. Brewed with our buddies Barrier Brewing.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.67
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 1 pint can with no canned on or best before date printed on it. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.
Appearance: A hazy bright golden orange colour with a two finger white head that had decent retention while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Orange, grapefruit, pomelo flesh and pineapple with a hint of mango.
Taste: Pineapple, lemon zest, pine, herbal tea and lightly spicy.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: This was pretty good, but heavier than expected.