Tag Archives: usa

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, IPA - New England / Hazy, The Alchemist, USA

The Alchemist Focal Banger

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Brewery: The Alchemist
Country: USA
ABV: 7%
Style: New England / Hazy IPA
Other Notes: Drink from the can! Drink from the can! Drink from the can!

Brewer Description: (from can) Focal Banger is an American India Pale Ale. We have a real love for IPAs here at The Alchemist, and we strive to offer you the best hop experience that we possibly can. This beer is brewed using Citra and Mosaic hops and our favorite British malts. Truly, an abundance of hoppy goodness… Freshness and control have always been my main concern when it comes to our beer. We are committed to providing you with an unfiltered and unpasteurized hop experience. Why do I recommend that you drink it from the can? Quite simply, to ensure a delightful hop experience. The act of pouring it in a glass smells nice, but it releases the essential hop aromas that we have worked so hard to retain. If you MUST pour it into a glass, you may find that some of the hop resins have settled to the bottom – leave them in the can when pouring. This beer is perishable and at its best when it is young, fresh and hazy. Keep it cold, but not ice cold. Drink this beer today, you could be dead tomorrow….

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.29
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 1 pint can, with no clear canned on or best before date (although my source says mid-March). Poured around half into a Lost Abbey teku glass and drank the other half from the can.
Appearance: A hazy golden orange colour with a two finger white head that had good retention and left some sticky lacing.
Aroma: Mango, pineapple, pine, grapefruit peel, mandarin zest, fruit tea.
Taste: Light bitterness, grapefruit zest, citrus peel, mango, pineapple, melon, grass, pine, and a light but lasting bitter finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Nice, refreshing and enjoyable to drink.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Council Brewing Co., USA, Wild Ale

Council Broken Wand Boysenberry

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Brewery: Council Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 6.7%
Style: American Wild Ale
Other Notes: American Dark Sour Ale oak foeder aged with boysenberries. Brewery closed in December 2018

Brewer Description: (from bottle) The giant, wind up Owl, guardian of the Magic Factory and conjurer of darkness and truth, comes bearing the Broken Wand, which has turned this ominous beer into darkness. This foeder aged sour beer with scrumptious boysenberries is the result of carefully selected microbes from our Deadlock barrel program that worked their magic in this beer. This dark concoction has intense flavors and aromas of, dark berries, chocolate, vanilla, and soft oak tannins.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.31
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 375ml bottle with no clear bottled on or best before date. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A hazy dark dark purple red colour with a two finger pink head that had decent retention, and eventually settling to a nice replenishing thin layer, while leaving some nice lacing.
Aroma: Mixed berries, jammy, blueberry, blackberry, oak.
Taste: Sour, tart, blueberry, blackberry, lightly vinous, oak, and vanilla.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: I actually don’t know what boysenberry tastes like, but I’m getting a nice mix of blueberry and blackberry. The barrel aging also imparts some nice oak and vanilla notes.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Council Brewing Co., Farmhouse Saison, USA

Council Béatitude Three Berry Tart Saison

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Brewery: Council Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 4.5%
Style: Belgian Saison
Other Notes: Raspberry, blueberry and blackberry ale. Brewery closed in December 2018

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Béatitude is the French word for bliss which is what we float away on whenever we enjoy this specially brewed beer. This Tart Saison is brewed in the Belgian tradition of tart farmhouse ales. The magic happens when our house culture of Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus and Saison yeast throw an out-of-this world party in our fermenters. Aged on raspberries, blueberries and blackberries, this yields a beer with a lacto forward nose, an intensely tart berry flavor, a doughy complexity, and takes the word “refreshing” to a whole new level.

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

Intro: A 750ml bottle with no clear bottled on or best before date. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A very cloudy deep purple reddish colour with a big two finger light pink head that dissipated quickly and left only sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Tart, mixed berries, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, grape and a touch bubblegum.
Taste: Sour, tart, mixed berries, raspberry, blackberry, blackcurrant, blueberry and lemon juice.
Mouthfeel: Lively, acidic, light to medium bodied, with moderate to high carbonation.
Overall: Nice mixed berries aroma and flavour makes for good easy drinking.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Council Brewing Co., Farmhouse Saison, USA

Council Béatitude Passion Fruit Tart Saison

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Brewery: Council Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 4.5%
Style: Belgian Saison
Other Notes: Ale with passion fruit added. Brewery closed in December 2018

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Béatitude is the French word for bliss which is what we float away on whenever we enjoy this specially brewed beer. Although this Tart Saison is brewed in the historical Wallonian tradition of other low gravity, tart farmhouse ales, the magic happens when our house blend of Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus and Saison yeast throw an out-of-this world party in our fermenters. Aged on passion fruit and bottled with precision and care – this yields a beer with a lacto forward nose, an intensely tart passion fruit flavor, a doughy complexity from our no-boil process, and takes the word “refreshing” to a whole new level.

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.7
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.5

Intro: A 750ml bottle, bottled on (I think) 1st April 2016. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy golden straw yellow colour with a two finger white head that dissipated quickly and left sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Tart, sour, passion fruit, a touch of guava and light funk.
Taste: Sour, tart, passion fruit, lemon juice and vinegar.
Mouthfeel: Acidic, light to medium bodied with high carbonation.
Overall: This was nice in small amounts. Aroma was nice with lots of tropical fruit. Taste had a bit too much vinegar and lemon juice for me, which overpowered the passion fruit, and created acidity that made it hard to finish a whole bottle.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Council Brewing Co., Farmhouse Saison, USA

Council Béatitude Black Currant Tart Saison

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Brewery: Council Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 4.5%
Style: Belgian Saison
Other Notes: Ale brewed with black currants. Brewery closed in December 2018

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Béatitude is the French word for bliss which is what we float away on whenever we enjoy this specially brewed beer. This Tart Saison is brewed in the Belgian tradition of tart farmhouse ales. The magic happens when our house culture of Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus and Saison yeast throw an out-of-this world party in our fermenters. Aged on black currants, this yields a beer with a lacto forward nose, an intensely tart black currant flavor, a doughy complexity, and takes the word “refreshing” to a whole new level.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.46
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 750ml bottle, bottled on 26th March 2016. Poured into a 3 Fonteinen stemmed glass.
Appearance: A lightly hazy reddish purple colour with a two finger very light pink head that dissipated quickly and left only sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Black currant, bubblegum, mixed berries jello.
Taste: Sour, tart, black currant, light sweetness, mixed berries jello.
Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Great, wonderful, easy drinking black currant flavours. Well balanced between fruity, sour and sweet. Maybe one of my favourites of the Béatitude series.