Stone Brewing Company – Vengeful Spirit IPA

Tags

Beer, Beer Review, California, Craft Beer, Fall, Halloween, Stone Brewing Company, Virginia

Finally starting to make some real headway in my search for Halloween-themed brews.  This one came to me via my wife who has been helping me in my quest.

Beer Name: Vengeful Spirit IPA

Brewery: Stone Brewing Company (Escondido, CA/Richmond, VA)

Style: IPA

ABV: 7.3%

Description: A “tropically inspired” unfiltered IPA brewed with pineapple and Mandarin orange.  You can get the full spiel and some specs here on the brewery website.  My six-pack had a canned on date of 9/14/2017, and a recommend best by date of 1/12/2018.  Something tells me these won’t make it that long.

Appearance: It had a cloudy, golden-yellow body with a fluffy white head.

Smell: Juicy pineapple and tropical sweetness followed by sweet bitterness.

Taste: Loads of tropical fruit upfront, with pineapple and Mandarin orange clearly in the forefront.  About mid-sip a layer of earthy, grassy hop bitterness sets in, taking the beer to a bitter, somewhat raw finish mixing the aforementioned hops in with bitter orange and tangerine.

Mouthfeel: Par for the course, medium bodied with a fairly moderate amount of carbonation.

Hype: Not so much in the hype department.  Plenty of this one to go around.

Overall: A solid brew, I liked this a lot more than the tangerine IPAs that inspired it.  I did still find the finish a bit harsh, but that is starting to seem like the way I feel about fruited IPAs in general these days.

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Great Divide Brewing Company – Yeti

Tags

Beer, Beer Review, Colorado, Craft Beer, Fall, Great Divide Brewing Company, Halloween, Stout

Perhaps a bit of a stretch to include on my list of Halloween inspired beers, but I’m arguing it at least fits in with the other paranormal stuff I’ve been posting lately.  For some reason, finding a steady supply of brews that tie into this theme isn’t so easy.  Step it up brewers!

Beer Name: Yeti

Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Company (Denver, CO)

Style: Imperial Stout

ABV: 9.5%

Description: A well hopped imperial stout described by it creators as “an onslaught of the senses.” This is my first time drinking this in its canned format.

Appearance: Black body with a thick layer of tan foam on top.

Smell: Dark malt mixed with some really deep roasted coffee notes.

Taste: Started with a big hit of moderately roasted coffee upfront that remained fairly steady throughout the rest of the beer.  Dark malts in the background brought out some sweetness fairly early on and bring with them some dark chocolate notes as well.  The finish blended these malts with a rich, bitter roastiness and just a touch of heat at the very end.  I’d probably call it more bitter than roast, but both tastes are definitely there.

Mouthfeel: Thick, smooth body with a less than moderate level of carbonation.

Hype: I would call this well-regarded but not particularly hyped.

Overall: An old favorite that I haven’t had in quite a while.  Looking back, this combination of dark malt and bitterness used to be my go to flavor profile, so it was interesting to see how my tastes have changed over the years.  I still liked this a pretty good amount, but not quite as much as my old Untappd notes suggested that I used to.  Solid brew that shouldn’t be passed by.

 

New Holland Brewing – Baltic Anomaly

Tags

Beer, Beer Review, Craft Beer, Fall, Michigan, New Holland Brewery, October

This beer came to me at just the right time.  Not only did it arguably fit into my ongoing October/Halloween theme, but it also paired perfectly with my upcoming book review.

Beer Name: Baltic Anomaly

Brewery: New Holland Brewing (Holland, MI)

Style: Baltic Porter

ABV: 8.5%

Description: Named after an incident referred to as the “Baltic Anomaly” in which a Swedish team of salvage operators (specializing in “antique high-end alcoholic beverages and historic artefacts” no less!) claimed to have sonar images of an alien spacecraft at the bottom of the Baltic Sea.  Almost universally debunked as a hoax/marketing ploy, the photos did make a run through various tabloid publications back in 2012.  As for the actual beer itself, it is a Baltic porter brewed with honey.  More information and specs can be found on the brewery’s website.  My bottle was dated 08/07/2017.

Appearance: It poured a dark, black body that was topped by a with thin light beige head.

Smell: A sweet combination of malt and honey.

Taste: Light roasted coffee and dark malt up-front.  Towards the middle a creamy sweetness combined with a distinct bit of honey came out from underneath the roast.  The finish brought back the roastiness to the forefront where it was joined by a minor amount of heat.  Upon being left to sit in the glass, all the sweetness, roast, and heat combined for a pretty nice ending.

Mouthfeel: Every so slightly less than medium bodied with a light level of carbonation most apparent of the finish.

Hype: Perhaps slightly elevated?  I found out after picking up the bottle that this is part of the brewery’s limited release series so that’s got to count for something.  I also had some personal hopes that this would keep my pretty random string of beers going on a positive note.

Overall: I thought this was pretty good.  It had a slight bit more roast than I usually prefer, but the way it ended up blending in with the heat and sweetness made me pretty OK with that.  The one thing I would have liked to see from this bee was a slightly thicker mouthfeel, but all in all this a good one.

Ballast Point Brewing Company – Dead Ringer

Tags

Ballast Point Brewing Company, Beer, Beer Review, California, Craft Beer, Fall, October

The October celebration continues on with another Marzen.  This one featured a skeleton on the label as an effect now that we’re one day closer to Halloween.  Speaking of, this reminds me that I need to get the decorations out!
Beer Name: Dead Ringer

Brewery: Ballast Point Brewing Company (San Diego, CA)

Style: Marzen

ABV: 6.0%

Description: The brewery’s take on an Oktoberfest lager, this one takes its inspiration from the older examples of the style which leaned more towards caramel and toffee flavors.  You can read more about that and get some of the specs here on the company website.

Appearance: Translucent dark copper body that took on a slight reddish tint when the light caught it just right.  A thin off white head formed with the pour.

Smell: Sweet malt with hints of bread crust and a little bit of yeast at the very end.

Taste: Subdued sweet caramel malt at the start gradually blended in an equally mild bready finish.  Subtle, yet very smooth and well-balanced.

Mouthfeel: Medium, creamy body with a healthy amount of carbonation on the first sip. The carbonation quickly went down to more moderate levels thereafter, but, at least initially, this was more bubbly than expected.

Hype: None that I’m aware of.  Ballast Point doesn’t usually get a ton of attention in these parts.

Overall: I liked this quite a lot, especially once the carbonation level settled down a bit after the initial sip.  Not the most intensely flavorful of brews, it was nonetheless tasty and highly drinkable.  It didn’t do a lot to grab your attention at first, but it was quietly a really nice brew to have around.  Would definitely get this again.

Idle Hands Craft Ales – Four Seam

Tags

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

Another baseball brew courtesy of my neighbors at Idle Hands.  I drank a couple of these last night while watching the Yankees win a rather dramatic ALDS Game 3.  I’ll probably have a couple more tonight hoping they can repeat the magic in Game 4.

Beer Name: Four Seam

Brewery: Idle Hands Craft Ales (Malden, MA)

Style: IPA

ABV: 6.6%

Description: The brewery’s first year-round IPA offering, you can read a bit more about it here on their website.  If memory serves me correctly, the four-pack of 16 oz. cans cost $14.

Appearance: It had a cloudy, pale/straw yellow body topped by a fluffy white head.

Smell: Pretty healthy amount of tropical fruits coming out of the can and glass.

Taste: Moderate tropical fruitiness upfront, followed by grapefruit as the beer approached the finish.  It ended with a complimentary amount of bitterness, as the grapefruit gave way a grassy, almost spicy hop presence.  There was a nice light malt base present throughout that gave the beer an excellent balance and blend of flavors.

Mouthfeel: Fluffy, medium body with a moderate amount of carbonation.

Hype: This brewery doesn’t really trade in hype, but that’s not to say this beer hasn’t received some excellent reviews from the locals.

Overall: I really enjoyed this.  Easy drinking and flavorful, it’s an excellent beverage in any situation, but especially nice to watch a game with.

Idle Hands Craft Ales – Change Up #9

Tags

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

I may have mentioned this before, but one of the things I really like about Idle Hands is that the folks there seem to be pretty big baseball fans.  That they root for the wrong team doesn’t really bother me so much, especially since they keep on providing a steady supply of delicious baseball themed brews.  I enjoyed this particular one last night while cheering the Yankees to victory in the AL Wildcard game!

Beer Name: Change Up #9

Brewery: Idle Hands Craft Ales (Malden, MA)

Style: Double IPA

ABV: 8.3%

Description: The latest entry in the brewery’s rotating series of IPAs, this one featured Mosaic and Simcoe hops.  One of the brewers talks about it in a bit more detail in this clip from Facebook.

Appearance: Poured a hazy, straw yellow body with a thin white foam just barely spanning the top.

Smell: Faint sweetness, tropical overall with melon taking the lead.

Taste: Juicy, with lots of melon sweetness upfront.  There was maybe some tangerine and orange in there as well with hints of a light malt base.  The beer closed with a pretty subdued layer of bitterness, mainly grassy and tropical in nature.  On the whole, this was very well-balanced with neither the juicy aspects nor the bitterness really standing out over the other.  

Mouthfeel: Soft, juice-like body with slightly less than moderate carbonation.

Hype: These brews seem to be catching on in the area, though I can’t say that they any particular hype around them.  Personally, I’ve had some pretty good experiences with this series and was happy to have a beer named appropriately for the occasion in which I planning on drinking it.

Overall: Very solid double IPA and a nice change of pace from the extremes in taste that this style often goes to.  I continue to be a fan of these series and will keep an eye on the brewery as well for a chance to grab some more playoff brews.

Firestone Walker Brewing Company – Helldorado

Tags

Beer, Beer Review, California, Craft Beer, Firestone Walker Brewing Company

Something about this beer really called to me when I saw it my go to bottle shop by work.  Maybe it was the style, maybe it was the nifty little box, but regardless I brought one home with me.

Beer Name: Helldorado

Brewery: Firestone Walker Brewing Company (Paso Robles, CA)

Style: Barleywine

ABV: 12.8%

Description: Briefly, this was a barrel aged blonde barleywine.  For more of the specs and story behind this you can get the details here on the brewery website.  The price of $10 for the one 12 oz bottle was right around my personal limit for the format but in line with what similar offerings go for in my area.

Appearance: It had an amber colored body through which I could just barely make out my fingers on the other side of the glass.  A thin, fizzy white head formed with the pour and dissipated very quickly thereafter.

Smell: Sweet toffee and honey, with warm oak barrel notes lurking in the back.

Taste: Sweet upfront, with notes of caramel, toffee, brown sugar, and again a bit of honey. The back-end was warm and moderately boozy.  It closed with a fading sweet heat and rising oak barrel notes.  As the beer settled in, the sweetness gradually faded in favor of the heat and barrel influence.

Mouthfeel: The body was slightly and right around medium.  Despite the bubbly head, the overall carbonation level was rather low.

Hype: I’ve come to expect some great things from these boxes Firestone offerings.  

Overall: I’m a bit torn.  On the one hand I did think was a good brew, but on the other it didn’t quite live up to my expectations.  Hard to put my finger on it exactly, but I think with perhaps a slightly thicker body and better blend of sweetness and barrel this would have rated a touch higher for me.

Stone Brewing Company – Fruitallica

Tags

Beavertown Brewery, Beer, Beer Review, California, Collaboration, Craft Beer, Garage Project, New Zealand, Stone Brewing Company, United Kingdom

This next brew comes courtesy of my wife.  We had a brie cheese tasting planned for the night and she wanted to get me something to compliment the meal.

Beer Name: Fruitallica

Brewery: Stone Brewing Company (Escondido, CA/Richmond, VA), Beavertown Brewery (London, UK), and Garage Project (Wellington, NZ)

Style: Double IPA

ABV: 8.0%

Description: A worldwide collaboration effort, this double IPA was brewed with kiwi, yuzu, and habanero.  You can read the full metal description on Stone’s website.

Appearance: A bright, hazy hybrid of yellow, orange, and amber topped off by a thin white head that formed with the pour.

Smell: Light fruits and some piney bitterness.

Taste: Light and fruity upfront, featuring kiwi and assorted tropicals.  Perhaps even yuzu, but I can’t honestly claim to know what that tastes like.  The back-end brought on a nicely balanced amount of heat from the habanero that rolled into a piney, resinous bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Pretty standard for the style.  Medium, slightly creamy feel with a moderate amount of carbonation.

Hype: Elevated personally, though I suppose most grizzled beer veterans don’t get overly excited about these anymore.  Stone will probably always have a special place in my heart though.

Overall: I enjoyed this, but wouldn’t quite consider something I’d drink every day.  It did, however, go quite well with the brie I so in that sense the beer delivered exactly what I wanted.  Nice blend of sweet fruit and spice without going too far into extremes.

Equilibrium Brewery – Fractal Mosaic

Tags

Beer, Beer Review, Craft Beer, Equilibrium Brewery, IPA, New York

In the last few months or so Equilibrium has become something of a hotspot for my friends in northern New Jersey.  Luckily for me, that means I got to come home with a few cans after we met up over the long weekend.

Beer Name: Fractal Mosaic

Brewery: Equilibrium Brewery (Middletown, NY)

Style: IPA

ABV: 6.8%

Description: To summarize the website, this was the first installment in what has become a series of small batch brews created with pale malt and a single, rotating variety of hop.  As you probably guessed, the hop used for this one was Mosaic.

Appearance: Came out of the can with a bright, cloudy pale yellow body and a thin white head of foam.

Smell: Sweet and juicy upfront with hoppy resin creeping in on the back-end.

Taste: Very similar to the smell.  Light tropical fruit and berries made for a juicy sweetness upfront.  The finish was mildly dank and resinous hops, skirting a fine line between pine and earthy bitterness.  Earthy hops and berries lingered in the aftertaste, along with perhaps just a little bit of the pale malt.  The overall taste was smooth, balanced, and distinctly flavorful without leaning too heavily on either the juice or hop aspects.

Mouthfeel: Soft, fluffy roughly medium body with a slightly less than moderate level of carbonation.  Very smooth and easy drinking throughout, there was a subtle creaminess here as well.

Hype: I get the impression there is starting to be some excitement about this brewery.  Personally, I was pretty eager to try this.  My last beer from this place was absolutely fantastic and the stamp of approval my friend has given them was reason enough to be excited.

Overall: Really tasty and a very relaxing and chill drinking experience.  The beer’s somewhat mellow profile in combination with its smooth mouthfeel made this super easy to drink.  I went through my can pretty quickly and could have easily reached for another if there was one available.  Looking forward to trying out the rest of my goodies.

Idle Hands Craft Ales and Ardent Craft Ales – Commonwealth Man

Tags

Ardent Craft Ales, Beer, Beer Review, Craft Beer, Idle Hands Craft Ales, Malden, Massachusetts, New England, Richmond, Virginia

This past weekend I set out on an adventure that just so happened to take me past the Idles Hands taproom.  It also just so happened to be way too nice a day not to investigate their new outdoor patio seating.

Beer Name: Commonwealth Man

Brewery: Idle Hands Craft Ales (Malden, MA) and Ardent Craft Ales (Richmond, VA)

Style: Pilsner

ABV: 4.9%

Description: Unknown to me at the time, this pilsner was brewed in collaboration with Ardent Craft Ales.  Some more details and specs can be found here on the Idle Hands website.  A hefty Stein came at a price of $7.50.

Appearance: Clear pale/light yellow body underneath about a finger and a half of light, fluffy white foam.

Smell: Faint sweetness and light malts.

Taste: Slightly sweet upfront with a subtle citrus and tropical fruit medley.  Around mid sip a light, crackery malt base started to poke through and was joined on the finish by a mild grassy bitterness.  Very light overall and super drinkable, the opening sweetness and crisp, clean ending blended together quite nicely.

Mouthfeel: On the lighter side of medium bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation.

Hype: Not so much.  This brewery doesn’t really seem to buy into the hype machine and pilsners aren’t exactly a style people go crazy lining up for.

Overall: In all honesty, I didn’t order this brew expecting to be blown away.  I was really just looking for something low in ABV that sounded refreshing and picked this off the list.  Couldn’t have been happier that I did!  This beer impressed right from the start.  Not only did it deliver exactly what I was looking for, but it also pleasantly surprised me with the mild sweetness and bitterness.  Perhaps not your traditional pilsner (indeed they list it as American Post-Modern Pilsner), it was nonetheless an enjoyable take on the style.  Do yourself a favor a grab a pint of this while you can.