Revolution Brewing Company – Straight Jacket

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Beer, Beer Review, Chicago, Craft Beer, Revolution Brewing Company

I’ve had this beer hanging around for a couple of months now but could never quite find the right to time drink it.  No time like the present.

Beer Name: Straight Jacket

Brewery: Revolution Brewing Company (Chicago, IL)

Style: Barley Wine

ABV: 12.2%

Description: Another entry in the brewery’s Deep Wood series of barrel aged goodness, the description on their website promises waves of dark stone fruits, bourbon, molasses, toasted coconut, and vanilla.  If memory serves me correctly the bomber cost $18, same as the previous one.

Appearance: Coppery brown body with a quick to fade tan head that formed with the pour.

Smell: Caramel and toffee sweetness mixed with rich dark malt.

Taste: Sweet upfront, with lots of brown sugar, caramel, toffee, and dark fruit.  A hot kick of alcohol comes on towards the end, with lingering bourbon notes in the aftertaste.  Upon sitting for a few minutes the sweetness and heat both intensified and blended into each other, while more subtle notes of barrel influence came out on the finish.

Mouthfeel: Silky smooth and slightly slick medium-plus body.  Carbonation level was low.

Hype: Primarily of the personal variety.  I really liked the last beer I had from this series and picked this up hoping for a similar experience.

Overall: Deliciously sweet and bourbony, this was exactly what I was hoping for.  Despite the heat and high ABV, this one left me feeling very mellow and relaxed upon finishing it which was pretty nice as well.  I’ll be keeping an eye for more from this series for sure.

Pipeworks Brewing Company – Ninja vs. Unicorn

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Beer, Beer Review, Chicago, Craft Beer, Pipeworks Brewing Company

I’m just going to come right out and say it.  I was feeling indecisive in the store and bought this based on the name and artwork alone.  I think I’d heard of it in passing at some point, but it was the branding that got me.  Come to think of it, this is the second time in recent months that a Chicago brewery has lured me in this way.

Beer Name: Ninja vs. Unicorn

Brewery: Pipeworks Brewing Company (Chicago, IL)

Style: DIPA

ABV: 8.0%

Description: There wasn’t much on the official site about this release, though a few other sources have this listed an unfiltered DIPA brewed with over 5 pounds of hops per barrel.  I don’t remember exactly, but I paid somewhere in the neighborhood of $12-13 for a 4-pack of 16 oz. cans.

Appearance: Cloudy, dark straw yellow body with a thin layer of white foam on top.

Smell: Sweet, mostly tropical, fruits with a touch of resinous pine sap in the background.

Taste: Keeping in line with the smell there was a lot of fruity sweetness upfront, mainly pineapple, tangerine, and mango.  It finished with a dry, crackery malt base joining forces with mix of earthy and piney hop bitterness.  The initial sweetness lingered on through to the finish as well, culminating in a slightly hot aftertaste that lessened in intensity as the beer went on.

Mouthfeel: Fluffy, medium-plus body with pretty much the typical moderate carbonation you would expect for the style.

Hype: I was excited for this one.  Pipeworks in upping their distribution in my area so I was curious to try them out.  I also really wanted this beer to live up to the awesomeness on the label.

Overall: Definitely a quality DIPA.  I wish the finish was just a bit more tame, otherwise this would have been a smash hit for me.  Still a great beer though.  If I ever need a ninja or unicorn themed brew (which all things considered is actually pretty likely for me) I’ll be picking this up again.

Uinta Brewing- Birthday Suit 23

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Beer, Beer Review, Craft Beer, Salt Lake City, Uinta Brewing

Although my wife does not drink beer, she will occasionally pick a few bottles for me.  Sometimes it’s for a gift, sometimes just to give me a nice surprise, and other times because, well, we don’t have time for me to get distracted in the beer section trying to decide on what to buy.  I’ll let you the reader decide which category this fell into.

Beer Name: Birthday Suit 23

Brewery: Uinta Brewing (Salt Lake City, UT)

Style: Sour Ale

ABV: 6.5%

Description: Brewed to commemorate the brewery’s 23rd anniversary, the bomber was dated 3/7/2016 and cost $12.49.  We got this at a random liquor store in New Hampshire a couple of months ago, so I guess this guy spent some time on the shelf.  Not particularly worried considering the style.  I couldn’t find much about this online, but the description on the bottle says the beer bares a lambic malt base and Belgian yeast character.  Raspberries intermingle adding sweet fruit aroma and au-naturale earthiness to this frisky, tart birthday ale.  

Appearance: Body was a nice golden amber color that had a slight pink tint when the light caught it just right.  Forming with the pour was a fizzy off-white head of light foam.

Smell: Sweet, tart raspberries intermingled with a hint of wild yeast.

Taste: Again, tart raspberry begins upfront and lingers right on through to the finish.  Along the way it was joined by a moderate amount of brett.  The finish was dry, with a slightly acidic, sweet aftertaste.  Not particularly notable at first, a hay-like funk slowly descends over the beer as it settles into the glass, most prominent towards the middle and finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium, syrupy body with lots of lively carbonation.

Hype: Expectations were elevated when I learned this was an anniversary brew.  I figure anyone that’s been in the game for 23 years is going to know what they’re doing and put out something good to mark the occasion.

Overall: One of the benefits of my having my wife pick out the beer is that, while she knows generally what I like, things that catch her eye are often things that I might walk right by.  She happens tfrom the raspberries and how the brett funk gradually fell over this, tucking in the fruitiness like a nice (hay) blanket.  I would recommend checking out this, or any of the subsequent anniversary releases, if you’re into this style.

Brewery Visit: Tap Brewing Company in Haverhill, MA

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Beer, Beer Review, Brewery Visit, Craft Beer, Haverhill, Massachusetts, New England, Tap Brewing Company

Last weekend the family took a trip up to Haverhill, MA for an event at Winnekenni Castle.  On the way home we were in the mood for a snack and stopped off at the Tap Brewing Company’s restaurant/pub.

The pub is located in downtown Haverhill, an area with the look and feel of an old industrial center on the verge of blossoming into an up-and-coming neighborhood.  The facility itself is deceptively large, especially when entered from Washington Street where at first glance it seems to comprise entirely of a few small tables out front and a bar room immediately inside.  There is, however, plenty of additional seating out back on a large patio overlooking the Merrimack River and in another dining room downstairs where the brewing facilities are also located.

Upon taking our seats outside, I got to work deciding upon a flight.  There were about a dozen beers pouring that day in a variety of styles.  After mentally culling the list down to roughly half that number, I used the beer names to make my final choices.  First up was Invisible Creatures, a 4.7% pale ale.  It poured a cloudy yellow body and struck a nice balance between light bready malts and grapefruit bitterness.  Very mild and summery tasting.  Beer number two was called Skydog.  Listed as a 5.25% American dark lager, it had brownish, cola colored body and combined subtle sweetness with mild roasted malts.  Up next was another pale ale, this one named Home Run.  A bit bigger than the previous one at 5.6%, this was also my favorite of the two.  Pouring a nice amber color, it showcased that caramel malt/piney hop flavor profile I love so much.  Closing out the flight was Intergalactic Acid, a 3.0% Berliner weisse that was the star of the day.  Smelling vaguely sweet and floral, it packed a hugely satisfying fruity, tart, and slightly funky taste.

Based on this initial sampling I would have happily done another flight had we not been traveling with a baby.  Since we were, this is where I ended my day.  Definitely check this place out if you find yourself in the area.  In my sampling the beers ranged from good to great and we all really enjoyed sitting outside.

Blatant Brewery- Blatant IPA

Tags

Beer, Beer Review, Blatant Brewery, Craft Beer, Massachusetts, New England

Time again for another work beer.  It is perhaps somewhat telling that three people in the office, completely independent of each other, remarked at how closely the beer cans resembled our Polar seltzer.

Beer Name: Blatant IPA

Brewery: Blatant Brewery (Bondsville, MA)

Style: IP

ABV: 6.5%

Description: Probably not a great sign that it was really hard to find out anything at all about either the beer or the brewery.  Their Twitter feed seems dormant and the website I can find listed for them is no longer in existence.  Nestled in between some pretty big boasts, the Untappd description for this beer tell us that it’s brewed in the West Coast style and “(f)ull of hops and a subtle cereal grain backbone.”

Appearance: Started out with a mostly see-through straw yellow body underneath a persistent white head of foam.  At the very end of the pour a bit of sediment from the can made the body cloudy to the point it could almost not be seen through.

Smell: Sticky sweet yet somewhat reserved, hints of caramel malt and resinous pine bitterness.

Taste: A very brief moment of sweetness upfront quickly followed by a huge spike of lemon and grapefruit bitterness.  Grassy hops slowly emerged from this initial rush and mixed with light, crackery malts and peppery yeast for a finish that lingered for a bit after finishing the sip.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with just a touch above moderate carbonation.

Hype: None, I don’t think I had heard of or noticed this brewery until I found these cans in the refrigerator at work.

Overall: This was a miss.  Beyond the astringently harsh bitterness, this beer just tasted a bit messy.  The peppery yeast finish seemed out-of-place and I was caught off-guard by the malt profile that did not match what I had expected from the smell.  Given the abundance of good to outstanding IPAs available in my area, even when limiting myself to only locally brewed options, I can safely say I will not be revisiting this beer.  Unfortunately there was no date on the can to let me know if this was “old” or not so I can only judge by what I got out of the can.  Not a great first impression.

Idle Hands Craft Ales – Brunhilda

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Beer, Beer Review, Craft Beer, Idle Hands Craft Ales, Malden, Massachusetts, New England

My second (and final) brew from my recent trip to Idle Hands.  I’ve been enjoying some more traditional German styles lately, something which inspired me to select this over one or two other beers that had also caught my eye.

Beer Name: Brunilda

Brewery: Idle Hands Craft Ales (Malden, MA)

Style: Munich Dunkel Lager

ABV: 5.5%

Description: Brewed as a beer of many flavors, the official notes from the brewery list bread, nuts, chocolate, and fruit among the tastes to be encountered.  Served on draft, my 0.5 Liter stein came at a cost $7.50.

Appearance: Dark brown body topped off by a foamy light tan head.

Smell: Subtle blend of sweet and ever so slightly roasted malts.

Taste: It started out similar to the smell with a subtle, bready mix of sweet and roasted malt.  Dark chocolate and nuts came through more towards the middle and end of the beer, especially as it sat for a few moments and I got further down into the glass.  As advertised, some fruit did eventually come at as well.  By the time I finished the pour, the initial malt combo was joined by a blend of bittersweet chocolate and a hint of dark fruit on the end.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation.

Hype: As stated above, I had my reasons for wanting to try this, but I can’t say that there was any particular hype surrounding this release.

Overall: I liked this a lot and thought it was very flavorful and super easy to drink.  An excellent drinking beer to chill out with and leisurely enjoy.  I loved that it was served in a large stein, something about that format really enhanced the experience for me.  I don’t think a sample would do this one justice, especially given how much the flavors developed over time.  My advice if you want to try this out: Go big and then take the time to enjoy it!

Idle Hands Craft Ales – Kill Your Idles: Pluot

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Beer, Beer Review, Brewery Visit, Craft Beer, Idle Hands Craft Ales, Malden, Massachusetts, New England

I somehow ended up with a bit of free time last weekend and took advantage of it by making a quick stop at Idle Hands, my friendly neighborhood brewery.  Of all the offerings available that day this was probably the one I was the most excited about going in.

Beer Name: Kill Your Idles: Pluot

Brewery: Idle Hands Craft Ales (Malden, MA)

Style: Fruited Sour

ABV: 5.0%

Description: Per the brewers, the Kill Your Idles series is a line of fruited sours brewed with lactose for balance.  This particular installment featured pluots, everyone’s favorite plum/apricot hybrid.  Available on tap, my 13 oz. pour came in a snifter glass and cost $7.00.

Appearance: Pinkish/amber body with a foamy off-white head.

Smell: Sweet mix of tart fruits and berries.

Taste: Slightly sweet plum and apricot notes began right at the start and continued on throughout the rest of the beer.  Along the way it picked up a mildly sour, tart funkiness to accompany the initial sweetness which give the beer an added layer of flavor.  The finish was primarily tart fruits with just a hint of lactose and wild yeast.

Mouthfeel: Light and bubbly upfront with thicker, syrupy ending.

Hype: I really enjoyed the Red Berry installment of this series a few months back so ordering this was an easy choice.  The brewery staff again seemed pretty happy about this one, and I certainly can understand why.

Overall: I liked this a lot.  Great light, fruity flavors made this very refreshing on a warm spring day.  Definitely going to keep an eye on this series and try to make it to the brewery for the next installment.  I haven’t had enough of this lineup yet to say for sure, but it seems like these brews might end up rivaling Night Shift’s family of weisse beers in the category of locally brewed sours.

Lawson’s Finest Liquids – Super Session #2

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Beer, Beer Review, Connecticut, Craft Beer, Lawson's Finest Liquids, New England, Vermont

I had been eager to get my hands on some Lawson’s since they started showing up at local bottle shops earlier in the year.  Even though it tends to move quickly, I’ve had a few opportunities to pick some up over the last couple of months that I was just never quite able to take advantage of  The funny thing then about this six-pack is that I almost walked right by it without noticing.

 

Beer Name: Super Session #2

Brewery: Lawson’s Finest Liquids (Warren, VT / Stratford, CT)

Style: Session IPA

ABV: 4.8%

Description: Per the description on the can, this version of the session IPA was brewed with “copious” amounts of amarillo hops and features a “full” malt flavor.  The Vermont-based brewers made this batch at the Two Roads Brewing Company’s facility in Connecticut and canned it on 04/06/2017 (I prepared this when they were about a month old).  The six-pack of 12 oz. cans cost me $13 at my go-to spot downtown, which I was pretty happy with considering I was expecting these to carry more of a premium price tag.

Appearance: Poured a nice golden-yellow with bubbly white foam up top and visible carbonation running up the glass.  The body was cloudy but still able to be seen through.

Smell: Sweet, zesty citrus with pine in background.

Taste: Piney with citrus sweetness upfront.  From there it turned to dry, crackery malts, bitter grapefruit, and lemon zest.  Very clean and crisp with a nice balance between hops and malts.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a sticky, dry feeling to it.  Moderate carbonation.

Hype: Definitely elevated.  While this may not be particularly limited release, Lawson’s is still one of those popular Vermont breweries people tend to get excited about.

Overall: An excellent session beer that lived up to its reputation.  Drinking this made we want to be outside on a warm spring/summer day, which is probably about as high an indication of success as you can get for the style.  I’ll definitely be picking this up again when I see it, especially as we’re getting into the warmer months.

Central Waters Brewing Company – Bourbon Barrel Scotch Ale (2016)

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Beer, Beer Review, Central Waters Brewing Company, Craft Beer, Craft Beer Cellar, Wisconsin

This beer was actually the last bottle standing from the haul my wife got me for Christmas.  I kept meaning to drink it, but a steady flow of stouts and new IPAs kept jumping ahead of it in line.  With those finished off, it was finally time for this beer to get its chance.

Beer Name: Bourbon Barrel Scotch Ale

Brewery: Central Waters Brewing Company (Amherst, WI)

Style: Scotch Ale

ABV: 11.0%

Description: Another entry in Central Waters’ Brewer’s Reserve Series, they have this listed as a rich, malty brew made to showcase their barreling process.  Not sure how frequently this is released, but my bottle was a holdover from the 2016 batch.

Appearance: Dark caramel brown body.  There was a thin tan head that formed with the pour and quickly faded away.

Smell: Slightly sweet with a rush of bourbon on the end.

Taste: Sweet and malty upfront with dark fruits and maybe a bit of caramel.  Big bourbon finish with smooth oak notes and slightly sweet kick of bourbon that lingers after the sip.  Smooth, malty, sweet bourbon goodness.

Mouthfeel: Medium thickness with a minimal touch of carbonation around the edges.  Creamy and smooth.

Hype: There were a lot of personal expectations going into this one.  I really enjoyed my last beer from this brewery and scotch ales are a style that always intrigues me.  This beer had the added pressure of being a recommended purchase as well.

Overall: Wow!  This may very well be the scotch ale I’ve been searching for.  It was pretty much spot on for what I wanted from the style: smooth malts, nice sweetness, and no smoke or roast.  The bourbon barrel influence was a pretty big plus as well.  Excellent beer, I’ll be back for more of this whenever I find it next.

On a side note, the beer store that gave my wife the recommendations did an outstanding job last holiday season.   I found four out of the five beers she picked up to be in the range of very good to excellent, so I wanted to give a hearty cheers to the Craft Beer Cellar in Belmont, MA.  We used to live a few blocks away from this store and I recall being particularly excited when it opened up a few years ago.  Although we’ve since moved out of the area, service like this is why we go back when we’re in the neighborhood.

Brewery Ommegang – Gnomegeddon Blonde Ale

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Beer, Beer Review, Brewery Ommegang, Craft Beer, New York

This beer came to me via my wife, who surprised me with it after work one day because she’s just that awesome.

Beer Name: Gnomegeddon Blonde Ale

Brewery: Brewery Ommegang (Cooperstown, NY)

Style: Blonde Ale

ABV: 9.5%

Description: I couldn’t find anything on the official brewery website, but a careful reading of the label revealed this to be a blonde ale that underwent secondary fermentation with Brett yeast and got a few months extra conditioning in the bottle before hitting shelves.

Appearance: Poured a dark golden-yellow/almost amber body.  There was fluffy head of slight off-white foam that formed with the pour and lazily bubbled away.

Smell: Sweet upfront, with some linger herbal/floral spices in the back.

Taste: Sweet malts and bubblegum sweetness to start.  From there the beer took on a subtle barnyard funk in the background as banana esters, herbs, and a light peppery yeast came on for the finish.  Very mellow and smooth drinking.

Mouthfeel: Medium-plus bodied and creamy to start.  Ended in a flurry of tiny bubbles.

Hype: Always happy to drink a beer from this brewery.  I don’t seek them out as often as I probably should.

Overall: I really like this, though it did creep up on me a bit.  I started drinking without paying much attention to the label and was well into my second glass before realizing it was 9.5%.  This was a tasty, quality that brew that made for some great drinking on a warm spring evening.