Filed under: Dogfish Head, IPA (shaker, tulip) | Tags: attractive, brilliant, enjoyable, hoppy, nice, overwhelming, pale, tasty
dogfish head 60 minute ipa
Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA (originally posted 6/1/2008)
ABV: 6%
Volume: 12 oz.
Glass: Okocim .5 L curved glass
Purchased at: Hopewell Valley Wines
Consumed on: 02/08/08
first impression: Nice though fleeting head. Scent overwhelming with hops in the best way. Quite pale and varied in color, and very clear. Just a bit bubbly and active in the glass. Hoppy bite is nice and heady. Fairly smooth, esp. compared to 90 Minute, and other hoppy brews, but still very nice. Good malty overtones. A very enjoyable brew, if a bit smooth for my tastes.
Visuals — Color, depth, belgian lace, legs: Color is rich and varied. Body is deep and malleable with movement. Lace is nice, if a bit light and airy.
Olfactory — Aroma: Hops are most present, thought the scent is a bit wheaty.
Taste — Hoppiness, bite, maltiness, flavor: Bite is nice but overtaken with sweetness and a bit of cloy, which intrudes. Still, very nice overall.
Tactile — weight, mouthfeel: Weight is good for a lighter brew. Stands tall as an IPA, almost as though it were a stout. Bites throughout tasting – a bit airy and carbonated, but not too much so.
second impression: A very nice brew, quite hoppy, a bit bitter, and tasty throughout. Color and weight are average, but flavor is enjoyable and attractive. Tends to be pricey for value.
Filed under: IPA (shaker, tulip), Sierra Nevada | Tags: amazing, beautiful, bitter, brilliant, citrus, clear, crisp, delicious, dry, golden, grapefruit, high quality, hoppy, hops, long finish, nice, orange, pine, resin, well balanced
Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA
First tasted on 2/21/2009
video added 3/25/2009
Style; glass: IPA; tulip
12 fl oz x 7.2% ABV = 86.4 / 60 = 1.44 beers * 150 C = 216 calories (est.)
Purchased at: Canal’s Lawrenceville, NJ for $1.12
Aroma: hops, citrus, stinging, and pine needles. Invigorating.
Visuals: beautiful brand safe packaging, summer sunset, brilliant golden orange clarity, thinning white yellowish head, exquisite lace.
Taste: starts sweet and bitter simultaneously, middle is dark with some roasted notes and lots of citrus, which lingers as grapefruit, resin, and tar.
Palate: peppery, stinging, and tart, middles dull to a warming and a throb in the back of the mouth, the finish is dark, warming, and delicious.
Overall: This is a spectacular, delicious, and superlative achievement. At this price, intensity, and quality, I have found my go-to daily bread. Sierra Nevada, you’ve absolutely done it. You are so hired.
http://www.sierranevada.com/beers/torpedo.html
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Filed under: Pilsener (flute or footed pilsener), Sly Fox | Tags: beautiful, brilliant, clear, crisp, dry, golden, long finish, nice, wheat
Sly Fox Pikeland Pilsner
Style; glass: Pilsner; pilsner
12 fl oz x 4.9% ABV = 58.8 / 60 = .98 beers * 150 C = 147 calories (est.)
Purchased at: Canal’s Lawrenceville, NJ for $7.99
A crisp, dry and increasingly bitter brew. Very well done version of the style, with a lot of character and depth, surprising for such a light refreshing brew.
Filed under: Imperial/Double IPA (snifter, tulip), Rock Art | Tags: amateur, bitter, bronze, chemical, citrus, cloudy, dark barley, dark copper, good, hoppy, interesting packaging, light, long bitter finish, medium quality, nice, no head, no lace, simple, smoother texture, strong, well crafted
RateBeer Rating, Style and Glass: 68, DIPA, Tulip, snifter
ABV, Volume & Calories: 8 % in 22 fl oz. estimated at 400 C
Purchased at: Canal’s Lawrenceville, NJ for $2.99
Aroma: nice, simple, citrus, light. 8 out of 10.
Visuals: interesting packaging, amateur, simple, dark copper, cloudy, bronze, no head, no lace. 4 out of 5.
Taste: dark barley, bitter, hoppy, good, strong, well crafted, chemical. 9 out of 10.
Palate: medium quality, smoother texture, long bitter finish. 4 out of 5.
Overall: Slightly different IPA flavor. I will be looking for this again, because of the relative value for price. Somewhat well crafted, especially for the cost. 17 out of 20.
Filed under: Sampler Sessions | Tags: beautiful, bitter, brilliant, cherry, citrus, clear, deep, delicious, dry, golden, hoppy, nice, sweet, well balanced
Hi, all,
One of my favorite things in the world is a flight. A multi round sampler that allows you to taste a series of brews on tap, while only imbibing about a pint altogether (e.g. 4 * 4 fl oz), at a little past the price of a pint. One of my favorite places for this sort of pleasure is the Hulmeville Inn in Hulmeville, PA, home of Jeff Louella, The Aleien Homebrew club, and a whole lot of great craft beer.
I’ve decided to add a category to BeerCritic that focuses on these Sampler Sessions, rather than doing individual posts for the brews, because I can’t showcase them in the same way as I can in my home studio, and taking notes for each of the brews can be a daunting task in public, since some people think it’s, well, weird. As a result, my reviews are often more concise, tight, and immediate, and photos, if I get them, are minimalist.
So, here is the first post in this brand new category, but certainly not the last. Future Sampler Session entries will reveal the glorious visit to Bella Vista at the grand re-opening in September of 2008, with over 100 samples, as well as past visits to Hulmeville and other sampling spots, such as Triumph, Canal’s Lawrenceville, and Firkin Tavern.
Russian River Blind Pig, DFH Red and White, Troeg's Mad Elf, Boulder's Mojo IPA
Russian River‘s Blind Pig IPA: gold body with a white head, very hoppy, flavors are sweet, washy, not bad, but surprisingly, not great, finishes very bitter, a bit chilly, which is killing flavor and aroma.
Dogfish Head Red & White: More gold than red, thin translucent head on a deep, golden hazy body, looks very nice. Taste is deep Belgian, fruity with a very warm finish. Truly great and with an amazing finish. You can really taste the wine. Sticky, sweet and warm. A must have.
Troeg’s Mad Elf: deep red body, rich finish, no head on a ruby body, delicious and beautiful. Mostly malt with a bit of carbonation.
Boulder’s Mojo IPA. An amber body with a tiny white head, dissipates to nil. Good hops at the end, and lots of sweetness up front. Raspberry notes, orange juice, some sourness. Very enjoyable.
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Filed under: Belgian Strong Ale (trappist, tulip, tumbler), Brooklyn | Tags: amazing, banana, beautiful, citrus, deep, delicious, dry, fruit, hazy, long finish, nice, ruby, sour, sweet, well balanced
brooklyn local 2 belgian strong ale
Style; glass:Belgian Strong; trappist
25.4 fl oz x 9% ABV = 228.6 / 60 = 3.81 beers * 150 C = 571.5 calories (est.)
Purchased at: Canal’s Lawrenceville, NJ for $ (have to check)
Aroma: cloves, banana, peach, fruit. A wonderful version of the style, aroma fills the room.
Visuals: Meticulous packaging, beautiful and royal, thinner translucent head, hazy ruby body, gossamer lacing.
Taste: Begins bubbly, sweet, and washy, middles to a fruity candy, finishes dark with some bitterness. Delicious.
Palate: Heavily carbonated, very fresh, middle dulls and flavors emerge, finish is long lasting, sweetness, roastiness converging.
Overall: As most of my purchases from Garrett O., this is a quality brew, worth the price, with exquisite care, packaging, and attention to detail. Superb.
Filed under: Altbier, Kolsch (kolsch, altbier), Otter Creek Wolaver | Tags: beautiful, caramel, coffee, delicious, hay, nice, roasted, well balanced, wheat
Otter Creek Copper Ale
Style; glass: Alt Kolsch; tumbler
12 fl oz x 5.4% ABV = 64.8 / 60 = 1.08 beers * 150 C = 162 calories (est.)
Purchased at: Canal’s Lawrenceville, NJ for $1.20
Aroma: Hay, corn, faint.
Visuals: typical packaging, beautiful, bright copper body, brilliant, staying white head, sticky lace.
Taste: Some depth, spicy, hoppy, malty. Caramel, roasted malts, some coffee. Tasty!
Palate: start is spongey, middle is drying, and finish is acetic, bitter, and enjoyable.
Overall: perhaps the best of the sampler. It was sold to me by the beer manager at Canal’s who suggested that this was their flagship. I think they should focus on this malty, slightly bitter, delicious session brew.
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Filed under: Imperial Stout (snifter), North Coast | Tags: alcohol, beautiful, black, caramel, chocolate, dark, hoppy, nice, roasted, stout, strong, thick
ABV: 9%
Calories: estimated at 200 C
Volume: 12 fl oz
Glass: 4 oz stem goblet
Purchased at: circle liquors, pennington
Price per fl oz: $3 / 12 fl oz = $0.25 per fl oz
Consumed at: Home
sensory first impression: Rich, deep, chocolaty, and nutty. Alcohol comes through, but still drinkable. Impressive darkness, tan head, and aroma. Hoppy finish and malty front end are wonderfully balanced. A great example of the style.
Aroma/Olfactory: 10 out of 10
Malt flavor is: dark caramel, maple syrupy, dark chocolate, bold coffee, almonds, cashews, almost burnt
Hop flavor is: resinous, florid, oregano
Yeast flavor is: rye, floury, feta cheese, dirt, dry
Other flavors include: alcohol, ginger, garlic, licorice, raisin, oak
Visuals/Appearance: 5 out of 5
Color is: black, without highlights except for a light blue tinge
Liquid is: absolutely dark
Head and lace are: nice, brown with sticky lacing
Taste/Flavor: 10 out of 10
Maltiness or Sweetness level is: medium
Hoppiness or Bitterness level is: medium to heavy
Sour level is: light
Palate/Tactile: 5 out of 5
Body or Mouthfeel is: full
Texture is: oily, creamy, sticky, papery
Carbonation is: soft, flat
Finish is: astringent, bitter, long
Overall experience: A great taste and visual experience. Murky and mysterious, but tastes deep and wonderful. 18 out of 20. I liked the flavor, color, and aroma. I did not like the high price, but I can’t say it wasn’t worth it.
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Filed under: Barleywine Style Ale (snifter), Sierra Nevada | Tags: alcohol, beautiful, bitter, brilliant, caramel, cherry, citrus, crisp, delicious, dry, grapefruit, hoppy, long finish, nice, orange, pine, resin, strong, sweet
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot BWSA 2009
Style; glass: BWSA; snifter
12 fl oz x 9.6% ABV = 115.2 / 60 = 1.92 beers * 150 C = 288 calories (est.)
Purchased at: Super Saver Pennington, NJ for $1.99
Aroma: Tea, cherries, alcohol, oak, hay, smoke, agitation brings out the hops
Visuals: well designed packaging, inviting, funny, and brand-strong, A deep pool of tea, orange to red, brilliant and clear, thin gray head, very nice lacing.
Taste: Overtly sweet and malty, some roasty flavors, high gravity, caramel, sharp crisp hoppy bitterness.
Palate: Starts heavy with sweetness, syrupy, quickly moves to tea and caramel, followed by slow descent to bitterness and hoppy overload.
Overall: Delicious and amazing. I have to grab it when I first see it each season. Great stuff. An absolute go-to fave. Value is amazing for the craft involved. Despite the macro overtones of what Sierra Nevada is doing, on their scale, you have to give them credit for delivering on flavor and quality on their brews — they do macro right.
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