Pale Ale Archives – A Night With The Hops

Swamp Head Stump Knocker & Great Divide Hoss

Aug 212010

If you ever think that you might be at the same event or bar that I am, just look for a guy who is writing notes on a folded sheet of paper (that he pulled from his pocket) in between taking drinks from his glass. Of course if you happen to catch me taking a photo of the glass before taking a drink or holding it up to the light that would also give me away. I take notes far more often than I take pictures, but the combination is becoming very much a habit of mine with every beer that I drink for the first time. I don’t see me letting up on that anytime soon.

Now on to the first of two for today . . .

Brewery: Swamp Head Brewery (Gainesville, FL)

Name: Stump Knocker

Style: American Pale Ale

ABV: 5.60%

Location: Redlight Redlight – Teege at the bar

Tasting Notes:

Coppery amber in color with solid white head that holds well.
Grapefruity hops in the aroma with a bit of toasty, caramelly malt in back.
Flavor very similar to aroma, though a bit lighter. Nice grapefruit hop flavor coming after some malty sweetness.
Medium body and smooth on the palate.
Just enough lingering bitterness at the finish.
Easy drinking with nice overall balance.

4911390876 f6f7a1c6c5 Swamp Head Stump Knocker & Great Divide Hoss

Swamp Head Brewery - Stump Knocker

And now the second . . .

Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Co. (Denver, CO)

Name: Hoss (Rye Lager)

Style: Octoberfest/Märzen (perhaps Specialty Beer because of rye)

ABV: 6.20%

Location: Redlight Redlight – Teege at the bar

Tasting Notes:

Kind of a reddish orange color with a thick, cream color head that holds well and leaves a very nice trail.
Lightly sweet malty aroma overall with some notes of spice underneath.
Pretty clean flavor with some darker caramel maltiness up front and a bit of spiciness in back
Really smooth with a good level of carbonation.
Nice lager with good malt character that drinks very easily.

4910788065 e25e7de82f Swamp Head Stump Knocker & Great Divide Hoss

Great Divide Brewing Co. - Hoss (Rye Lager)

Cheers!

Anchor Brewing Co. - Liberty Ale

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Aug 062010

Anytime that I read over the notes for reviews done a while back indicating that I would not really want to drink the beer again I immediately want to try the beer again. I am not sure what that says about how my mind works. Actually it sounds strange when I read that since I have evaluated many beers that I really enjoyed and have not been back to try them again either. I tend to get caught up in trying something new all of the time and pass up opportunities to go back to old favorites. That might be a bad habit.

Going back to beers that I did not like much is something I should really plan on doing. It is only fair to try something twice before deciding that I don’t care for it. Then again, it is a tough thing to spend your money on a beer that you think you already do not like. What a dilemma!

Now for the Friday evaluation . . .

Brewery: Anchor Brewing Co. (San Francisco, CA)

Name: Liberty Ale

Style: American Pale Ale

ABV: 6.00%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pint glass. Gift from the Carlins.

Aroma: Smooth, floral hop nose (that is not even a slight bit harsh) with faint underlying malt notes that are slightly sweet.

Appearance: Light coppery color. Slight, off-white head with good retention and a solid trail on glass. Very clear with many tiny rising bubbles visible (champagne-like appearance).

Flavor: Sharp hoppy bitterness with a very light toasted malty flavor in back. Pretty good amount of dryness at finish that lingers quite a while.

Mouthfeel: Medium to light body with a fairly high level of carbonation. Creamy on the palate.

Overall Impressions: Seems to have more complexity in flavor than I am picking out and has much more hop dominant flavor than the aroma implies. I would not drink more than a few back to back and though I was glad to try, I don’t feel the need to have again.

Grade: C+

Anchor Brewing Co. - Liberty Ale

The Brooklyn Brewery - Pennant Ale ‘55

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Jul 272010

There are two thoughts I have for this review that are only partially related to the actual beer featured in the post for today. The first is that I think that I am very, very close to exhausting the stretch of reviews for which the photos were lost in space. I could be wrong, but I hope not.

The second is that I was not thrilled with my notes when reading over this review before typing it up. Though I am not even sure why I was not happy with it, but I think my methods need some tweaking and I should have my future intentions in writing later this week. Let’s say Thursday for sure.

So for the review without photos for the week I bring you . . .

Brewery: The Brooklyn Brewery (Brooklyn, NY and Utica, NY)

Name: Pennant Ale ‘55

Style: English Pale Ale (ESB)

ABV: 5.00%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pint glass. $1.69 for a 12oz bottle.

Aroma: Some toasted, bready aroma with a slight fruit nose in back.

Appearance: Medium copper color. Slight/low light tan color head without much retention and no real trail. Quite clear with many, many visible rising bubbles.

Flavor: Mild, slightly nutty malt flavor with a medium to low hoppy bitterness. Pretty dry at the finish (that lingers slightly).

Mouthfeel: Medium to light body with moderate to high carbonation that does lend some sharpness. Somewhat creamy on the palate.

Overall Impressions: Easy enough to drink, but not too much going on in the way of flavor. Not bad, but tough to grade that high when compared to some of their other beers.

Grade: C+ (to B-)

You should be able to find where the Brooklyn Brewery beers are pretty easily. Then look for the silver and blue striped label with a baseball in the center of it and you will have it in your hand.

Ithaca Beer Co. - White Gold

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Jul 032010

Today I am continuing with the series of beer reviews that I officially (sort of) announced yesterday. Having a theme to fall back on certain helps to make the decision of what to post very easy.

I cannot remember for sure, but I think that these few beers gifted to me by Cousin Daniel are the only beers that I made an attempt to seriously evaluate outside my home. Usually when I am away I try to enjoy myself and not worry too much about specifically documenting the beers that I drink. A few notes on a napkin or a scrap of paper are usually as far as I go. Even the notes on these are shorter than normal.

So for today there is . . .

Brewery: Ithaca Beer Co. (Ithaca, NY)

Name: White Gold

Style: (American?) Pale Wheat Ale

ABV: 8.0%

Tasting Notes: Stored in a cooler (not cold) and served in (my Ithaca Beer Co.) pint glass. Bottle marked with batch E!012. Served on family lobster night in Maine!

Aroma: Lightly grainy aroma with a fruity nose in back and (maybe) a bit of spice.

Appearance: Pale, apple cider-like in color. Short, white head that quickly dissipates. Cloudy with tiny, champagne-like bubbles.

Flavor: Apple-like fruitiness and light sweetness in what is a pretty mild overall flavor. No noticeable hop flavors and a very slight dryness at the finish that does not linger.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with a medium amount of carbonation. Quite smooth and somewhat creamy.

Overall Impressions: It foamed and foamed out of the bottle (similar to Old Habit) and that may have flattened it some and likely affected the flavor (take final grade for what it is worth as a result). Somewhat champagne like to me, at least more so than beer-like. Certainly OK, but no need to have again immediately with so many other good Ithaca beers to choose from.

Grade: B- (to C+)

Ithaca Beer Co. - White Gold

Then in a different location.

Better light for reading

The Brooklyn Brewery - Summer Ale

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Jun 292010

Though I don’t have the picture for the bottle that I evaluated at home, I do have some pictures of the sample that I had recently as part of a flight of summer seasonals. What is interesting (at least to me) is that I did this review long before having this beer in that flight and the notes are slightly different for each.

Now in this case the notes are not all that different, but the descriptions of the aroma and the flavor of the hops are not exactly the same. The slight aroma difference does not surprise me since I was sitting at a restaurant for that flight with many other aromas in the air. I also think that having the other beers at the same time in that flight influenced my perceptions of the flavors and aromas of the Brooklyn Summer Ale.

Maybe there is a way that I can better experiment with how environment affects the perception of a beer’s attributes?

Now on we go . . .

Brewery: The Brooklyn Brewery (Brooklyn, NY via Utica, NY)

Name: Summer Ale

Style: English Pale Ale (Extra Special/Strong Bitter)

ABV: 5.0%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pint glass. $8.99 for a six pack.

Aroma: Medium, fruity hop aroma with some subtle grainy maltiness underneath. Light and clean overall aroma.

Appearance: Light coppery color (maybe with some gold tint). Three finger (or so), off-white head having moderate retention and leaving a light trail. Very clear though with few (to no) visible bubbles rising.

Flavor: Light bitterness and some hoppy fruitiness with some subtle bread-like malt flavors underneath. Slight dryness at finish (without cloying). Relatively mild and clean flavor overall.

Mouthfeel: Medium to light body with a low amount of carbonation (somewhat flat). Slight creaminess on the palate.

Overall Impressions: Very drinkable (as in easy to drink multiple) and definitely a nice beer for warm weather. Good beer, but not much in the way of flavor.

Grade: B

Oskar Blues Brewery - Dale's Pale Ale

Beer Reviews No Responses »

May 182010

Sometimes things happen that seem too coincidental. Earlier today Gregg asked me (something like) what was unexpected or has surprised me in the world of beer since I started this whole evaluation and blogging and brewing thing. It was a good question that I have never had posed to me before (and one that I will continue to think about). Along with the answer of being turned on to new styles over that time and falling in love with big beers with complex flavors, I also mentioned how the quality of canned beer has surprised me. So, guess what I found as the next beer review tabbed in my binder to go up on the site?

I usually mark a number of beers to be posted on the site all at once and cross them off as I go. Maybe that question and this coincidence was to remind me about a few from Oskar Blues in case my clips fell off?

Brewery: Oskar Blues Brewery (Lyons, CO)

Name: Dale’s Pale Ale

Style: American Pale Ale

ABV: 6.5%

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

Aroma: Moderate, slightly citrusy aroma with a hint of bready/toasty malt character.

Appearance: Amber color with a touch of gold/orange. Two finger cream color head that has good retention and leaves a slight trail. Clear with rising bubbles visible.

Flavor: Medium hoppy flavor with slight fruitiness and a bit of toasted malt. Hop dominant overall with some dryness at the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with a medium amount of carbonation. Smooth and somewhat creamy with a finish that is not at all cloying.

Overall Impressions: Easy drinking and somewhat refreshing as it is not too hoppy. Excellent canned beer or I should say a very good beer that happens to come in a can. I would actually drink this one straight from the can.

Grade: B+ (or better)

No picture as it was lost with so many others, but just keep your eyes open for the red and blue on the can.

Kona Brewing Co. - Fire Rock Pale Ale

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Apr 092010

Today I will continue with what I have started to refer to (at least in my own head) as the “I lost the photos” beer review series. At this point I have moved past the initial frustration to a certain level of acceptance, though there will likely be frequent relapses into mild irritation at minimum. Maybe I will just start including random pictures at the bottom of these reviews for my own amusement? Preferably photos that have nothing at all to do with the beer evaluated that day.

Since I went to Europe on Tuesday, why not go all the way out to Hawaii today? I know that if was to actually have the opportunity to travel to these places I would quickly forget about my long lost pictures.

Brewery: Kona Brewing Co. (Kailua Kona, Hawaii)

Name: Fire Rock Pale Ale

Style: American Pale Ale

ABV: 5.9%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge (for only a few hours) and served in a pint glass. $8.49 for a 6-pack.

Aroma: Even fruity/floral hop nose (though not too strong) with some malty sweetness.

Appearance: Medium to light copper color. Two finger (plus), off-white head that dissipates fairly quickly with a fine trail. Very clear with some visible bubbles.

Flavor: Slight hop bitterness with a little note of roasted maltiness. Some hoppy bite at the finish that lingers for a short time. Pretty well balanced overall, though malt seems slightly dominant.

Mouthfeel: Medium to light body with a moderate amount of carbonation (that lends some bite on tongue). Very slight creaminess.

Overall Impressions: It would have helped some to be a bit colder or more chilled (my mistake). I have enjoyed it more so on draft (likely somewhat due to the temperature being off in this case). Good, easy drinking, and enjoyable overall.

Grade: B

My Second Tweetup Winner

99 Bottles, Beer Reviews No Responses »

Apr 032010

Before looking back to the second of the monthly Tweetups held at Celebration Town Tavern on Wednesday (3/31), I must make mention of something that The Wife and I did earlier in the week. We took advantage of an opportunity to tour the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida and learn even more of the specifics of what they do on a daily basis. Please take a moment to check out The Wife’s post recapping that visit and discussing hunger in America.

There is not an obvious way (at least for me) to make a segue from that into my typical discussion of all things beer, so I will just jump back to it.

4482257474 f665ee3951 My Second Tweetup Winner

Perfect weather for the outdoor bar area

Every time we leave ourselves extra time to arrive somewhere, traffic treats us well. Once again we had clear sailing and were able to arrive early enough to see the final portion of the set up that evening being done by @icejunkies, @beer99club, and a few members of @thebrewcrewteam. As usual, if you want to know their actual names you will have to come to the next Tweetup!

Once again, part of the event was a free tasting flight of beers to be voted on for addition to the draft list (and to replace Orange Blossom Pilsner) If you remember, the four beers to be voted on were:

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (Chico, CA)
Abita Andygator (Abita Springs, LA)
Dogfish Head Aprihop (Milton, DE)
Avery White Rascal (Boulder, CO)

4482257810 7f55a1910a My Second Tweetup Winner

Some light reading about the contenders

After sampling, my ranking of those selections was:

1. Dogfish Head Aprihop

2. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

2a. Abita Andygator

3. Avery White Rascal

Now I must explain my decisions, or at least my thought process. The White Rascal was clearly my last place finisher and seemingly for many others that evening (see picture below). I really love my Avery beers, but White Rascal has always been at the bottom of their brews for me. I do enjoy the subtle sweetness and notes of spice, but on that evening being up against three other really flavorful beers also hurt its chances.

4482259178 a1cf906344 My Second Tweetup Winner

Thinking that they did not vote for White Rascal

I really had a tough time breaking the tie between the Abita and Sierra Nevada offerings. In one hand I had the smooth, sweet Andygator that goes down very easily for a beer that has 8 percent ABV. Then in the other hand I had the well-balanced Pale Ale that has great notes of citrus and floral hops, but with enough malty sweetness to even the whole out. Why choose when neither was the winner for me on that evening? A rematch down the line may force me to pick one over the other.

4482257864 b19afc95b2 My Second Tweetup Winner

Looks so nice in the natural light

So that leaves the Aprihop as the winner for me. After having my first taste of this recently in Baltimore, I was looking forward to trying it again in this format. It is becoming pretty clear to me that I love me some IPAs, so I probably should have known this is where I would end up with my vote. Adding fruit to the style is not exactly a common thing to do, but then again not much of what Dogfish does is common to brewing. The apricots add a nice character to the aroma and their sweetness does mellow some of the bitterness of the hops, but it certainly does not come across as a fruit beer. When my non-IPA drinking wife finished an entire pint of it a few weeks ago in Baltimore I knew that it was something special. All of that makes it my winner for the month.

4481609665 12e4b617d4 My Second Tweetup Winner

Saving the best for last

When the votes are officially tallied and the decisions is made as to what will be added to the draft list at CTT I will be sure to pass that along.

So stay tuned!

Redhook Ale Brewery - Copperhook

Beer Reviews 1 Response »

Mar 302010

My current last place finisher for craft beer seasonals is spring, though I have said recently that I will make an effort to reevaluate that position this year. So I need to get this beer evaluation off the books to help clear the way for a fresh look at the offerings going forward. I probably should get going on that since the summer seasonals will be here before I know it.

Maybe I should also pay attention to what makes a spring beer a spring beer, a summer a summer, and so on? The lines have started to blur quite a bit since the seasonals seem to be released earlier and earlier every year. I mean I had the new Sam Adams spring seasonal (Noble Pils) two months ago (mid January)! That does not even count as spring here in Florida, but I understand the desire for a brewery to get its seasonal offering out ahead of the competition.

Thank you for bearing with me through my ramblings. Now on to . . .

Brewery: Redhook Ale Brewery (Woodinville, WA & Portsmouth, NH)

Name: Copperhook (Spring Ale)

Style: American Pale Ale

ABV: 5.8% (on brewery site)

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pilsner glass. $7.99 per 6-pack

Aroma: An earthy nose with some caramel-like malty notes.

Appearance: Light copper color. Three finger, thick, off-white head that slowly dissipates with some trail. Crystal clear with rising bubbles visible.

Flavor: Medium malt flavor with some metallic-like notes. Somewhat dry finish, though not lingering at all.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with a good amount of carbonation. Crisp and smooth with some slight astringency.

Overall Impressions: Refreshing and very easy drinking, but certainly not Redhook’s best. My criticism would be that the flavor is pretty weak and lacking overall.

Grade: B-

Redhook Ale Brewery - Copperhook

Blueprint Brewing - CGI

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Mar 212010

Sure, I know that I said on Monday that “Random Thought Sunday” would return to its regularly scheduled day today, but I have to finish the four consecutive beer reviews that was started on Thursday. So I guess that means tomorrow will likely be only the second ever “Random Thought Monday,” but that is a pretty good way to start a week.

So, this will be the final installment of the week in my efforts to get some home brew evaluations off the books. These reviews have been a good way for me to determine which of the recipes I want to try again and what I probably want to adjust the next time through. I may just evaluate a few of them again after some more time in the bottle before making any final judgments on future brewing.

For the last time (this week) I will mention that the Blueprint Brewing marketing department (consisting of only The Wife and myself) selected the names for these four beers. Since the pay for marketing involves beer, I think I have other volunteers lined up for future naming responsibilities.

This final brew was the experimental half of and the brother to the Over The Pond that was reviewed yesterday. This is where I decided that my methods of fruit infusion needed a few adjustments and that was a good lesson to learn going forward. The Wife gave it a C+ and I will certainly take that from a person who generally does not favor IPAs.

Brewery: Blueprint Brewing (Winter Park, FL)

Name: CGI

Style: English IPA / Fruit Beer

ABV: 3.6% (+/-)

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

Aroma: Toasty/bready maltiness (maybe a bit of yeast) with some slight sweetness and a hint of hop aroma in back.

Appearance: Deep amber color (with copper tones when held to light). One finger cream color head that is frothy with good retention and some trail. Fairly clear, though with a good amount of haze and a few visible bubbles rising.

Flavor: Light malty character that is somewhat toasty and a very slight bitterness (middle to end). Some sweetness in the middle and something at the finish that I cannot pinpoint (ginger maybe?). Pretty clean finish with no lingering harshness.

Mouthfeel: Medium (to light) body and (towards) high carbonation that lends a slight bite. Smooth and pretty crisp with some faint creaminess.

Overall Impressions: The base beer is pretty good and very drinkable, but not a ton of flavor overall. Would use more cranberry and ginger next time (and in secondary) to impart more of those flavors. Though it started as an English IPA, I might consider it an English Pale Ale/Standard Bitter.

Grade: B- ish

Blueprint Brewing - CGI

Blueprint Brewing - Over The Pond

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Mar 202010

In response to the success of the run of pumpkin beer reviews last week, I am continuing on with my efforts to get some home brew evaluations off the books. These reviews are a good way for me to determine which recipes I want to try again and if so, what I might want to adjust the next time through. At least a few of the brews have benefited from some additional time in the bottle and I am looking forward to sampling them after even more time.

Once again I will mention that the Blueprint Brewing marketing department (consisting of only The Wife and myself) selected the names for these four beers. The only pay for the marketing team is the beer.

This next brew was the control half of my next attempt to split a five-gallon recipe in two for experimentation purposes. It turned out pretty well, but combined with the results of the other half made me realize that I needed to adjust my methods of recipe tampering a bit. All part of the learning process! Sorry, no grade from The Wife on this one.

Brewery: Blueprint Brewing (Winter Park, FL)

Name: Over The Pond

Style: English IPA

ABV: 3.77% (+/-)

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

Aroma: Light overall aroma with a hint of yeasty/bready character and some very low minerally notes.

Appearance: Medium amber color. Two finger (plus) cream color head that is thick and frothy with good retention and trail. Pretty clear with some (chill) haze and rising bubbles visible.

Flavor: Very little overall flavor. Low toasty/bready malt flavor with a very slight hop flavor and bitterness toward the finish. Clean finish with no harshness or lingering.

Mouthfeel: Light (to medium) body with medium carbonation. Smooth and pretty crisp.

Overall Impressions: Extremely drinkable though the lack of distinct character(s)/flavors lowers the grade for me a bit. Not what I expected exactly, but I think it could be really nice the next time brewed (worth another shot). Though it started as an English IPA, I might consider it an English Pale Ale/Standard Bitter.

Grade: C+

Blueprint Brewing - Over The Pond

Now a little closer.

Blueprint Brewing - Rated PG

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Mar 192010

For those of you who missed yesterday’s post (and because I enjoy reusing material when I can), I will say again that since the whole four consecutive days of beer evaluations thing worked pretty well last week, I am giving it another try with some of my home brews. Posting these reviews is somewhat overdue since they were brewed so long ago, but I still have quite a few bottles of these and am still enjoying them. It seems to me that at least a few of the brews have benefited from the additional time spent in the bottle.

Again I should mention that the Blueprint Brewing marketing department (consisting of only The Wife and myself) selected the names for these four beers.

This next beer is the brother of the 4AM that was reviewed yesterday. It was my first attempt at infusing some fruit into a beer (unless you count the pumpkin ale) and it turned out OK. However it seems that I like this beer a lot less that everyone I have given samples to, including The Wife, who gave a grade in the B range. Maybe I am harder on my own creations?

Brewery: Blueprint Brewing (Winter Park, FL)

Name: Rated PG

Style: American IPA / Fruit Beer

ABV: 5.25% (+/-)

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

Aroma: Pretty yeasty nose combined with light fruit notes, similar to fruit juice that has been left to harden or ferment a bit. Faint underlying hop aromas.

Appearance: Medium brown with some yellow tones (interesting color). Two finger (plus) cream color head that is dense and frothy with good retention and good trail. Fairly clear with some haze and many rising bubbles visible.

Flavor: Fairly good malty base that is somewhat toasty/biscuity. The grapey fruit character comes through in the middle (with a cider-like quality) with some hop bitterness coming through towards the end. Those characteristics combine at the finish with a slight dryness that makes for a bit of an unpleasant flavor and some harshness.

Mouthfeel: Medium to light body with moderate to high carbonation that leaves some bite. Smooth with very slight warmth at finish.

Overall Impressions: Drinkable and alcoholic, so no failing grade for this one! Decent first shot at using fruit in this way, but probably not the best fruits (pineapple and grape) to use with this style. Slightly better as it warms a bit, but the finish hurts my overall opinion of the beer. Though it started as an American IPA, I might consider it an American Pale Ale.

Grade: C-

Blueprint Brewing - Rated PG

Blueprint Brewing - 4AM

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Mar 182010

The whole four consecutive days of beer evaluations thing worked pretty well last week, so I am going to give it another run with some of my home brews. Posting these reviews is probably long overdue since they were brewed so long ago, but I still have many bottles of them and am still enjoying them. It seems to me that at least a few of them have benefited from the additional time spent in the bottle.

The names for the beers were selected (very quickly) by the Blueprint Brewing marketing department, which consists only of The Wife and myself.

These four were not at all done in a flight like the pumpkin beers were, but were drank in consecutive days since there are a few brother/sister beers that originated from the same recipe. For the first one I will start with a beer that The Wife liked enough to give it a grade of B.

Brewery: Blueprint Brewing (Winter Park, FL)

Name: 4AM

Style: American IPA

ABV: 4.00% (+/-)

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

Aroma: Light fruity, somewhat floral hop character with a low, even malty aroma underneath.

Appearance: Light amber to copper in color. Slight cream color head with decent retention and not much trail. Fairly clear with slight haze and slowly rising bubbles visible.

Flavor: Some consistent toasty/bready malt character in back. Slight hoppiness (fruity/citrusy) from middle through finish. Hint of bitterness toward finish. Clean finish with no real dryness.

Mouthfeel: Light body with moderate carbonation. Smooth and slightly crisp.

Overall Impressions: Not bad . . . though it started as an American IPA, I would probably call it an American Pale Ale. Very easy drinking without any harshness. With some work it could be very good the next time.

Grade: B-

Blueprint Brewing - 4AM

Great Divide Brewing Co. - Fresh Hop

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Feb 192010

As mentioned on Tuesday, we are on to the second Pale Ale for the week in this month of Great Divide beer reviews. Today we have the American Pale Ale of the pair. Since I enjoy borrowing previously written content (and it makes as much sense with this post), I will say again that it is probably time for me to do a series explaining and defining the different beer styles for both my education and yours, but for today I will just say that the English Pale Ales tend to be more balanced and “drinkable” than their hoppier American cousins. Now on to the beer review . . .

Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Co. (Denver, CO)

Name: Fresh Hop

Style: American Pale Ale

ABV: 6.1%

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

Aroma: Full, citrusy hop aroma with a low malty sweetness. The hops dominate the really nice overall aroma.

Appearance: Light amber color with some golden character. Two finger (plus), off-white head that is frothy with good retention and a laced trail. Clear with consistently rising bubbles visible.

Flavor: Medium (toward high) citrusy hop flavor up front with a bit of grassy profile underneath that. Very slight toasted maltiness in back. Balances to hops with good amount of bitterness toward end (moderate/not too much). Some dryness at the finish with some lingering bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Medium(ish) body with moderate carbonation (really just right). Smooth with no harshness.

Overall Impressions: I think my palate leans toward the DPA (of the two) . . . Fresh Hop is as good as DPA, but very different. Really enjoy the hops character(s), though I have to be in the mood for it because they are really prominent. The hoppiness grew on me as the glass emptied and it definitely lands on the “buy again someday” list. Do not drink too cold.

Grade: B

Great Divide Brweing Co. - Fresh Hop

Great Divide Brewing Co. - Denver Pale Ale

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Feb 162010

It seems that it is going to be a Pale Ale kind of week with the Great Divide beer reviews. Today we have the English Pale Ale of the pair. Don’t worry though, the American Pale Ale with be represented on Friday. It is probably time for me to do a series explaining and defining the different beer styles for both my education and yours, but for today I will just say that the English Pale Ales tend to be more balanced and “drinkable” than their hoppier American cousins. Now on to the beer review . . .

Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Co. (Denver, CO)

Name: Denver Pale Ale

Style: English Pale Ale

ABV: 5.4%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pint glass. $1.99 for 12oz.

Aroma: Moderate hop aroma with a low fruity profile and a medium, somewhat sweet (caramel-like) malt aroma. The two are almost of equal strength.

Appearance: Golden in color with a bit of copper/orange to it. One finger, cream color head that is frothy with good retention and trail. Clear with some rising bubbles and small particulates visible.

Flavor: Good maltiness up front (bit of nutty profile?) with medium bitterness (more middle through end). Moderate dryness at the finish without lingering. Pretty well balanced.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with medium (to low) carbonation. Has creaminess that gives the impression of a more full body.

Overall Impressions: The bitterness builds on the palate and becomes more prominent as the glass empties. The hop flavors and aromas are just enough without being at all overpowering. Really very drinkable . . . the characteristics work well together making it better as I drink.

Grade: B to B+

Great Divide Brewing Co. - Denver Pale Ale

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Swamp Head Stump Knocker & Great Divide Hoss

Anchor Brewing Co. - Liberty Ale

The Brooklyn Brewery - Pennant Ale ‘55

Ithaca Beer Co. - White Gold

The Brooklyn Brewery - Summer Ale

Oskar Blues Brewery - Dale's Pale Ale

Kona Brewing Co. - Fire Rock Pale Ale

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Redhook Ale Brewery - Copperhook

Blueprint Brewing - CGI

Blueprint Brewing - Over The Pond

Blueprint Brewing - Rated PG

Blueprint Brewing - 4AM

Great Divide Brewing Co. - Fresh Hop

Great Divide Brewing Co. - Denver Pale Ale

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