Tag Archives: usa

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Founders Brewing Company, IPA - Black, USA

Founders Dark Penance

Friday, 6 May 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Founders Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 8.9%
Style: American Black IPA
Other Notes: 100 IBUs. Malts – Crystal and Midnight Wheat. Hops – Chinook and Centennial.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) A heavy malt foundation includes Crystal malt for sweetness and just enough Midnight Wheat malt to push the color to black. The bitterness is huge, but balanced by malt sweetness. The hop flavors and aromas range from citrus to floral to pine thanks to a delicious blend of hand-selected Chinook and Centennial hops.

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

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle bottled on 14th September 2015 and poured into an oversized wine glass.
Appearance: It poured a deep dark dark brown colour with a one finger tan head that dissipated fairly quickly to a thin layer but left nice spotty lacing.
Aroma: Sweet roasty malt with some light pine and citrus orange in the background.
Taste: Light roasty coffee and chocolate with nice spikes of pine and citrus bitterness which lingers on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: A nice Black IPA that balances the sweetness, roast and bitterness.

2 - Maybe (likely wouldn't buy, might drink), American IPA, Beer Reviews, Deschutes Brewery, USA

Deschutes Pinedrops IPA

Friday, 6 May 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Deschutes Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 6.5%
Style: American IPA
Other Notes: 70 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Hints of pine and spruce. Clean malt and a crisp finish.

My rating: 2
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.15
My ratebeer.com rating: 3

Intro: A 12 fl oz bottle with a best by date of 14th July 2016 and poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass.
Appearance: It poured a clear golden colour with a slightly less than three finger white head with decent retention and left nice lacing.
Aroma: Strong piney aromas with some light lemon peel and grass in the background.
Taste: Like the aroma, I get strong pine and lemon peel. Finish is lightly peppery with a lasting toasty bitterness.
Mouthfeel: Crisp, medium bodied with light carbonation.
Overall: This is a decent IPA with nice crispness, but its not my first choice IPA style.

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

Surly Abrasive Ale

Thursday, 5 May 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Surly Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 9%
Style: American Double IPA
Other Notes: Malts – 2-Row and Golden Naked Oats. Hops – Warrior and Citra.

Brewer Description: (from can) Sure we’re abrasive. We were abrasive long before we were Surly. If you visit the brewery you can still see remnants of the industrial manufacturing factory Omar’s parents ran for 35 years within those same 4 walls. Bandsaw blades, grinding wheels, and sanding discs came long before ales and lagers. But let’s be honest, this is a lot more fun. Pale in color, this over-hopped, under-brewed Double IPA has almost twice the amount of hops & malt crammed in the can.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.09
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 16 fl oz can canned on 3rd December 2015 and poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass.
Appearance: It poured a slightly hazy golden orange colour with a slightly less than three finger off white head that had good retention and left nice lacing.
Aroma: Strong mix of tropical and citrus fruit with mango, pineapple, orange, grapefruit and pine.
Taste: Lightly sweet, candied orange, pineapple, orange zest, grapefruit pith and pine. There’s some interesting caramel and light spiciness mixed in on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: This was a very nice DIPA with a good tropical and citrus punch and just a touch of sweetness which is nice. I would love to be able to try a fresher can.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Pale Ale, The Bruery x Maine Beer Company, USA

The Bruery x Maine Fourthmeal

Thursday, 5 May 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: The Bruery x Maine Beer Company
Country: USA
ABV: 6.9%
Style: Belgian Pale Ale
Other Notes: Collaboration Series. Hoppy Belgian-style ale.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) The Bruery and Maine Beer Company got together and cooked up something special for you: fourthmeal. It isn’t brunch; it isn’t “linner.” It’s a hoppy Belgian-style ale that brings aspects of both breweries to the table: fruity, Belgian yeast esters, a crisp, bready backbone, citrus and piney hop characteristics, and a dry, hop-forward finish. There’s no one shouting “come n’ git it” when it’s time to dine – just mouth-watering, dry-hopped aromatics, signalling that it’s time for fourthmeal. This beer is best enjoyed fresh.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.06
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 750ml bottle from batch #280, bottled on 9th December 2015 and poured into an oversized wine glass.
Appearance: It poured a hazy golden orange colour with a one finger slightly off white head with decent retention and very nice lacing.
Aroma: Mandarin orange, pine, candied malt, grass and light grapefruit pith.
Taste: Light citrusy candy orange, bready malt, pound cake, light bitter herby pine and grass with a light peppery finish.
Mouthfeel: Crisp, dry, medium bodied with medium prickly carbonation.
Overall: This was nice. Medium bodied but very light crisp easy drinking. Wish I could have tried this earlier for a fresher point of view.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), American Pale Ale, Beer Reviews, Oskar Blues Brewery, USA

Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale

Tuesday, 26 April 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Oskar Blues Brewery
Country: USA
ABV: 6.5%
Style: American Pale Ale
Other Notes: 65 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from website) This voluminously hopped mutha… delivers a hoppy nose and assertive-but-balanced flavours of pale malts and citrusy floral hops from start to finish.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.4
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.3

Intro: A 12 fl oz can with a canned on date of 20th November 2015 and poured into a Mikkeller pint glass.
Appearance: It poured a clear copper colour with a less than two finger slightly off white head that dissipated slowly to a nice puffy layer and left nice stringy lacing.
Aroma: A lot of pine and wood with a hint of citrus orange peel zest.
Taste: Orange citrus with a bitter piney hop in the background and honey caramel malts.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with medium carbonation.
Overall: This was a decent pale ale and easily drinkable.

words of another dreamy traveller