Second Beer: Bridgeport’s: Hop
Czar: Imperial IPA. Hop Czar is a hoppier, higher alcohol version of
Bridgeport’s IPA. The malt is a slightly darker roast and the color is a deeper
amber honey color than the orange gold of the original. There is a nice malty
caramel flavor surrounded by an earthy peppery piney hoppiness. It has a nice
level of bitterness that as the sip pulls back turns mildly sour then turns to
a straight bitter in the aftertaste. Good, solid, tasty IPA.7.5% ABV. 87 IBU.
Oct. 2: Tonight’s Beer: Ninkasi’s: Nuptiale Cream Ale (Pub):
NW Pale. Citrus and smooth. And more citrus. Very smooth finish (8/1/2012) OK,
now I have a bottle (22 oz.). Ninkasi generally does not release this beer and
instead uses it for wedding orders. The bottle I got was part of a special
4-pack that used this one as a lure. I fell for it. I do enjoy their special
releases and wish I had greater access to them. But, what you gonna do? So,
anyway, this is a wonderful light golden honey color (the bottle refers to it
as “straw”) with a limited head. It is
very smooth and citrusy with very little hoppiness. Definitely a great summer
beer. Light, refreshing, yet with enough flavor to keep you sipping. (5.7%).
Oct. 4: Tonight’s Beer: Stone’s: Saison du Buff (Stone 2012
Collaborations): Brewed in collaboration with Dogfish Head and Victory.
This is a session beer brewed with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. No,
seriously. And with all due respect to Simon and Garfunkel. This is a pale gold
colored brew with a light fizzy head that dissipates rapidly. It’s a lace foam – very airy and insubstantial.
The aroma is sweet and mildly floral, hinting at the herb garden with which
this was brewed. It has a crisp, citrus flavor surrounded by a yeasty taste. It
is almost like a less sweet version of an apple cider. But with a mildly bitter
finish. Though even that is tempered by what I believe is the rosemary. The
unusual flavor and character are compelling. With additional sips, as the beer
warms slightly, the sage comes through more distinctly in the aftertaste. 7.7%
ABV.
Second Beer: Dogfish Head’s: Aprihop. As much as I love
Pyramid’s Apricot Wheat, this is in many ways a better beer. Very subtle
apricot in comparison to Pyramid, and more of a hoppy presence. But very bright
and citrusy as well. (Summer 2011). Since this is a seasonal release and I had
enjoyed it so much last year, I was eager to try it again. The first bottle I
didn’t write about, but it seemed less apricot than the prior year. Still very
good, but less of the fruit influence. It’s been a couple of months since and I
am sitting down once again to try another. The color is a medium amber and the
scent from the frothy head is very deeply apricot. And the flavor has a more
distinct apricot taste. The apricot flavor seems to come out with age and
that’s a good thing. It is still much more subtle than Pyramid, but still very
tasty and refreshing. The malts also are much more complex and present than in
Pyramid’s. And, since it is based off an IPA, there also is a strong hop
presence to balance the fruit. The hops add a layer of bitterness that
accentuates the fruit. 7% ABV
Oct. 5: Tonight’s Beer: Drake’s: Drakonic Imperial Stout.
Despite the strength of the beer, there is very little hint of an alcohol
flavor, unlike the Tipsy Witch, even though there is only a difference of
1.25%. This one comes in somewhere in the top 3 favorites of mine for the day.
8.75%. 40IBU. (6/14/2012) Well that description is from the sample I had at the
brewery. Now, I have a whole bottle to savor! The pour sets up a deep black
beer with a thick deep tan head. The flavor of the foam is a deep roasted smoky
espresso with a hint of licorice. The taste is deep and rich. There is a
astringent sour reminiscent of a dry red wine that gives the beer an additional
layer of complexity. The espresso bitter lingers in the aftertaste. Wonderful,
tasty, sipping beer. Great for a cold winter night.
Oct. 10: Tonight’s Beer: Drake’s: Denoginizer. Just a kick
ass beer. Slightly darker than the 1500 with a very inviting caramel sweetness
plus a piney, almost savory hoppiness.
And, at 9.75%, it lives up to its name. 90 IBU (6/14/2012). Now I have a
bottle of the Denoginizer. Excellent golden honey color with a hint of an
orange hue. Creamy head and piney scent with a hint of citrus. The flavor is
sweet and lightly toasted caramel. It’s much like the tap version. (10/10/12)
Oct. 11: Tonight’s Beer: Fort George Brewing’s: Sunrise
Oatmeal Pale: Cloudy and honey colored. Earthy piney with a nice deep bitter
and a hint of sweet. 5.5%(8/13/2012) This is one of the few beers that Fort
George cans. All their beers are canned. The design on the side is wonderfully
cheery – bright orange and yellow – very friendly. This version is less cloudy than the tap version. The aroma
is sweet and slightly piney. I do love the smoothness and character that oats
add and I like the trend toward Oatmeal Pale Ales. This one isn’t as distinct
as the version done by Burnside Brewing, but it is very tasty. There is a
confluence of the piney, citrusy , earthy flavor that combines to give almost
an orange flavor. The aftertaste is pleasantly mildly bitter.
Oct. 13: Tonight’s Beer: Dogfish Head’s: India Brown Ale:
The label describes the beer as a “brown ale brewed with caramelized sugar and
hopped liberally and often.” How could anyone resist? I’d been eyeing this one
for a while, but when the local Whole Foods had a 20% off all beer sale, it was
time. The pour sets up a deep brown beer with limited head. The aroma is
enticingly sweet and almost smoky with a hint of coffee. The first sip is
wonderfully inviting and complex. There is the sweet promised by the label and
the scent, but it is tempered by a toasty malty flavor and enough hops to keep
the sweetness from being overwhelming. There is almost a toasted marshmallow
hint in there as well. It is somewhat reminiscent of Kona’s Koko Brown, but
less sweet and more hoppy. Very good fall time beer. 7.2% ABV.
Oct. 14: Tonight’s Beer: Stone’s: Levitation: This is one of
the beers commonly available in 6-packs from Stone. I tend to gravitate to the
22 oz. specialty beers, so going with their standards is a bit of a departure,
but a welcome one. The beer is a rich light brown color and it has a thick
fizzy, sweet smelling head. The foam is invitingly sweet with little hint of
hop, so different than the typical Stone approach. While the malt has a strong
presence, the hops do announce their contribution with some authority. There is
a quick bitter on the tongue, but little of it in the aftertaste. It is hard to
categorize. I’d put it somewhere between an Amber and a Brown. The malts are
not quite burnt caramel enough to be a brown, but they are close, and the beer
isn’t light enough in color and does not have enough of the orange red hue to
make it an amber. There is more hoppiness than in most Ambers. And at 4.4% ABV,
it is a friendly, and drinkable, but it also has a very rich flavor for such a
low alcohol beer. Very crafty Stone!
Oct. 15: Tonight’s Beer: New Belgium’s: Peach Porch Lounger:
(Part of Lips of Faith Series): Golden color with hint of orange hue. it has a
nice foamy head, and a citrus and sour peach aroma. The flavor isn't distinctly
peach, it is somewhat like a mild version of an apricot beer. There is a more
distinct peach flavor in the aftertaste. It starts very fizzy and is somewhat
like a dry cider or perhaps a white wine. More cider. In some ways the fruity
flavor is overwhelmed by the high alcohol content. At 9.4% you notice its ABV.
Made with the Brettanomyces yeast to accentuate the sour flavor. It's also
bottle conditioned to provide a hint of yeasty flavor and a bit of cloudiness.
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