Samuel Adams – Whitewater IPA *

 Beer Reviews  No Responses »
Jan 272012
 

As much as I may try to ensure that a solid variety of styles are in my house a good punch of hops is something that very often is what my palate wants.  So when it comes to grabbing a six-pack and IPA very often finds a way home with me.  The two of these I drank were in the Brewer’s Choice Variety 12-pack with a few other good ones, but I look forward to when it will be available on its own sometime in the coming months.

A solid addition to their beer family . . .

Brewery: Boston Beer Company (Boston, MA)

Name: Whitewater IPA

Style: American IPA (though probably a Specialty Beer)

ABV: 5.80% (on bottle)

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge before serving in a pint glass.

Aroma: A nice hoppy aroma with citrus and pine and a slight, mildly fruity sweetness.  Full, but not overwhelming. – 9/12

Appearance: Golden honey-like color with a slight orange hue.  Two finger frothy/creamy white head that holds very well and leaves nice lacing on the glass.  Some haziness but pretty clear with rising bubbles visible. – 3/3

Flavor: A really nice citrusy hop flavor up front with a moderate hit of piney bitterness after that.  Well balanced with a touch of fruity sweetness in there as well.  Seems to have a touch of spiciness.  Finishes a bit dry dry, but with a nice lingering bitterness and some citrus flavor. – 15.5/20

Mouthfeel: Medium to light in body with a moderate level of carbonation.  Pretty smooth with a nice creaminess that adds a little to the body. – 4.5/5

Overall Impressions: I like the bit of creaminess in the body and it is a nice addition to what is otherwise a solid IPA.  The bitterness and citrus profile is quite nice.  Goes down very easily and could definitely drink more than a few.  A solid beer and tasty IPA that I will probably grab a six-pack of when it comes out. – 8/10

Overall: A- (40/50)

6754866055 6fc14dcaf6 Samuel Adams Whitewater IPA *

Samuel Adams - Whitewater IPA

 Posted by Lucas at 11:11 am  Tagged with: , , ,

Stone Brewing Co. – Cali-Belgique IPA *

 Beer Reviews  No Responses »
Dec 302011
 

After pulling a bottle from the pile a few days ago, it seems that the week will be a Stone beer week and that is the way I will close the year of beer reviews.  Still today writing this I think that I had this beer on draft at some point, but I cannot find any notes on it to prove that I did.  Also I have never noticed the other version of this bottle that has the beer named “Cali-België IPA” as my bottle said it was a 50/50 split of the two types of bottle hitting the market.  I am sure that the product in the two different bottles tastes the same though.

Closing out the year . . .

Brewery: Stone Brewing Co. (Escondido, CA)

Name: Cali-Belgique IPA

Style: Specialty Beer (as a Belgian-style IPA)

ABV: 6.90% (on bottle)

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge before being served in an oversized wine glass.

Aroma: An even balance of fruity and floral in the hop profile with an underlying sweetness that is a bit honey-like.  Soft overall in that there are no hard/harsh edges to the aroma.  – 8.5/12

Appearance: Brilliant golden orange in color.  One finger off-white head that is frothy and holds for just a bit before leaving nice lacing on the glass.  Quite bright and clear with lots of tiny rising bubbles visible. – 3/3

Flavor: A light sweetness at first with a hint of floral character that is quickly followed by a pretty sharp bitterness.  Maybe a bit of spiciness in there as well.  Finishes a bit dry with the bitterness lingering for a little while. – 11/20

Mouthfeel: Medium body with a moderate to high level of carbonation.  Somewhat smooth but finishing with some astringency and also the carbonation adding some bite. – 3.5/5

Overall Impressions: The aroma is more pleasant that the flavor (almost as if aroma belongs to another beer).  The bitterness dominates though it does balance out some and become more smooth as it warms.  I tried to get more out of the flavor for a description, but after two sips the bitterness overwhelmed my palate.  Not as good as I was hoping it would be and I don’t feel a great need to have it again. – 6.5/10

Overall: B- (32.5/50)

6601100173 21e9818912 Stone Brewing Co. Cali Belgique IPA *

Stone Brewing Co. - Cali-Belgique IPA

 Posted by Lucas at 12:00 pm  Tagged with: , , ,

Surly Brewing Company – Wet *

 Beer Reviews  No Responses »
Dec 232011
 

From a land far, far away from me is another really solid beer.  It is probably safe for me to now include Surly in my list of breweries that I can rely on to not have any big misses.  While that is nice, it does not help me much since I do not have any sort of regular access to their beers.  At least I get to reminisce about this one over the Christmas weekend.

Feeling a bit surly today . . .

Brewery: Surly Brewing Company (Brooklyn Center, MN)

Name: Wet

Style: American India Pale Ale

ABV: 7.50% (on brewery website)

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge before being served in a pint glass.

Aroma: A fruity, citrusy hop aroma that is full without being overwhelming.  It also has a good, slightly sweet maltiness underneath that balances the whole out quite nicely.  – 9.5/12

Appearance: A slightly pale golden amber color.  One plus finger off-white head that is thick, creamy, has great retention, and leaves very nice lacing on the glass.  Clear with rising bubbles visible. – 3/3

Flavor: A nice hit of citrusy hop flavor up front that transitions into a sharp, piney bitterness after that (quite a nice combo).  The malt character is slight by comparison, but is enough to keep it from being way out of balance.  The finish is nicely dry with the bitterness and some of the hop flavor lingering for a bit. – 16.5/20

Mouthfeel: Medium to light in body with a moderate level of carbonation.  Smooth drinking, but does finish with some astringency (that seems to work). – 4/5

Overall Impressions: I really just wanted to drink this one directly from the can, but I would have missed out on the very nice aroma.  I can barely imagine how vibrant this beer must be when served  super fresh at the brewery or nearby.  Certainly hop dominant, but does balance out some as it warms.  A very nice beer that I want more of.  Could have argues for an even higher grade on this one.  – 8.5/10

Overall: A- (41.5/50)

6539256433 401693860d Surly Brewing Company Wet *

Surly Brewing Company - Wet

 Posted by Lucas at 11:00 am  Tagged with: , ,
 Older Entries

Last chance to find what you are looking for!

99 Bottles Ale Amber Ale American Belgian Bell's Brewery Black Ale Blueprint Brewing B Notes Breweries Brewing Brooklyn Brewery Cigar City Brewing Dogfish Head Craft Brewery Dubbel Flying Dog Brewery Food Fruit Beer Great Divide Brewing Co. Imperial IPA Ithaca Beer Company Lager Lagunitas Brewing Co. Oskar Blues Brewery Pale Ale Porter Random Thoughts Redlight Redlight Russian Imperial Stout Rye Beer S-H-V Saison Samuel Adams Seattle Shmaltz Brewing Co. Sierra Nevada Southern Tier Brewing Co. Specialty Beer Stone Brewing Co. Stout Strong Ale Terrapin Beer Co. The Bruery Travel
© 2010 A Night With The Hops "He was a wise man who invented beer." - Plato Suffusion theme by Sayontan Sinha