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Tuesday May 8, 2012
Port City Brewing Co. - Monumental IPA Review
Brewery: Port City Brewing Co.
The Facts:
Location: Alexandria, Virginia
Established: 2011
Tidbits: Their mission is to be a reliable and innovative regional brewer of top quality beers that are delicious and well balanced, made from the finest ingredients available, and which celebrate their raw materials.
Availability: Year Round
Type: India Pale Ale
ABV: 6.3%
Observations & Opinion:
Sight: Virtually transparent copper in tone with yellows and reds piercing through perfectly. The head developes slowly but builds to about a half-inch tall of a bright-white color. There is some light lacing, in halo fashion, leaving a minor film on the surface.
Aroma: The nose is there from 2 feet away. Fresh hop bleeds through intensely with touches of spice and grass dominating. Some malt sweetness shows as well, but is overwhelmed by the hop.
Taste: Malt cradles floral abundance well. Light sweets of crystal malts hold the tongue on the ready for the tremendous bitter bite from the hop forthcoming. Flower, grass and earthy spices punch so well.
Overall: The most impressive and nearly offensive part of this beer was how fresh the hop came through. I swear when I tweeeted that I was drinking this brew, I stated it was clean and "soapy". After having the 6'er, this has grown on me to really become an enjoyable flavor profile. The mouthfeel is light to medium with a sweet hoppy pinch on the backend.
Similar Brew(s): Evolution Craft Brewing - Lot #3 IPA or Flying Dog Brewing Co. - Snakedog IPA
Score: 8.3/10
 
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Friday April 6, 2012
New Belgium Brewing Co. - Cocoa Mole Ale Review
Brewery: New Belgium Brewing Co.
The Facts:
Location: Fort Collins, Colorado
Established: 1991
Tidbits: There are 3 types or hot peppers used in the creation of the brew...ancho, guajillo and chipotle. Recently the brewery announced that it will open a second brewery on the east coast of the US in Asheville, NC.
Availability: Limited
Type: Dark Ale with Cocoa and Spices
ABV: 9.0%
Observations & Opinion:
Sight: The brew pours a completely deep-dark chocolate brown with light notes of red creeping from within, in just the right light. The small bubbly antique-white head filled the snifter rather completly, than died off quickly. Traces of carbonation create a halo and light wisps on the surface.
Aroma: Wow, the nose gets half warm cinnabon, and half Rolo candies. These scents intermingle perfectly, letting one overwhelm for a bit and then the other follows. There is much going on in the inhale, but there is still room for some floral essence to interact also, creating a freshness that is superb.
Taste: Again, wow...thinking of drinking beer doesn't usually bring images of what I stated in the aroma description. This brew does in fact bring the inhaled element to life on the tongue. The strength of the cocoa dominates at the beginning, but leaves some room for the caramel sweetness to break through as well as a pleasant level of cinnamon...not to intrusive or lacking at all. Now for the chili spice, the more that is drank the more the light to mild heat expresses itself. Again not an overbearing flavor that should scare anyone away.
Overall: I have been searching for this brew for a couple of months since I heard of it being added to the great "Lips Of Faith" series. I also got a decent personal review from a local New Belgium rep at a beer fest recently, so it intrigued me even more. The mouthfeel is lighter to medium and leaves the tongue quickly. Aftertaste, while the heat comes late in the flavor profile, there isn't much that remains after swallowed. I will definitely not suggest this for a casual beer drinker, the craft beer heads will either appreciate the complexity, and originality, or just plainly love it.
Similar Brew(s): N/A
Score: 8.8/10
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Friday, March 23, 2012
Great Divide Brewing Co. - Nomad Pilsner Review
Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Co.
The Facts:
Location: Denver, Colorado
Established: 1994
Tidbits: Brian Dunn set up shop in an abandoned dairy-processing plant at the edge of downtown Denver in 1994. Great Divide was ranked 8th in Ratebeer.com’s 2010 “The Best Brewers in the World” and was ranked 7th in Beer Advocate’s 2009 “All-Time Top Breweries on Planet Earth.
Availability: Limited release from January to March
Type: Pilsner
ABV: 5.4%
Observations & Opinion:
Sight: This brew pours a gorgeous clear golden-yellow, with bubbles, bubbling to the surface frantically. The head stands a good inch tall and is bright as bright can be white, fluffy with great lacing as it dissolves into the nothing.
Aroma: Tremendous grain nose smacks you in the face from the get-go. Some sweetness also comes through, with overwhelming freshness that dominates.
Taste: Creamy, buttery and biscuity are the initial elements of the taste profile. Crisp grains lead to a refreshing tingle on the tongue, This is definitely not a dull brew, as most pilsners tend to lean. The Saaz hops are great and plentiful on the back of the tongue, bringing forth grassy/floral/fresh elements.
Overall: This beer was a grab during a quick mixed 6 pack pick up the other day. Not disappointed in it, and not head over heels for it either. More flavor than a lot of pilsners I've had from the main big three American Brewers, but It doesn't come anywhere near the great Pilsners I've had while living in Germany or the many that you can grab from import, here in the states. Not saying it isn't a good beer at all. I enjoyed the creamy, biscuity malt body that presented the hop well. The mouthfeel is medium, with a slightly sour tongue biting bitter near the finish. Overall, can't complain about another solid brew from Great Divide.
Similar Brew(s):
Score: 8.6/10
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Sunday, March 4, 2012
Sprecher Brewing Co. - Black Bavarian Lager Style Review
Brewery: Sprecher Brewing Co.
The Facts:
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Established: 1985
Tidbits: The brew was named one of the 2012 Top 24 Best Beers In America. Randal Sprecher founded the brewery in 1985 after being a Brewing Supervisor with Pabst Brewing.
Availability: Year round
Type: Black Lager
ABV: 6.0%
Observations & Opinion:
Sight: From the name came the simple but descriptive word, Black, well that's it in a nutshell. The only variance in that color is in the pour from the bottle and the head that forms on the surface of the brew. Both of those are brown, dark toasted caramel when poured and a brown sugar tint in the bubbles which form the lid on the elixer.
Aroma: Roasted, nearly charred malts eminate from the mouth of the glass. Subtle coffee and toffee notes fill the immediate area near. There can be a mellow floral essence of hop on a deeper inhale. It comes across fresh through the nose.
Taste: Smoked, almost a char notes come through perfectly in an amalgamation of coffee and chocolate malt flavors. A creaminess evelopes the tongue on all areas and stays until you rub it off with your teeth. Mild but still noticeable hop presence can be found in the form of some bitter and drying. Overall very enjoyable on the palate.
Overall: I Have been looking forward to this brew since I found out that Sprecher was coming to the Maryland market after attending a beer trade show at Bond Distributing. Since then I found out Black Bavarian was a well appreciated beer throughout the community, which made me crave it even more. I have to say that after actually sitting down with brew and writing this review I am in complete agreance with the others. Mouthfeel is medium with a creamy texture that hangs on the tongue for a while. The aftertaste is a mellow dryness that fades quickly. Now craving more offerings from Sprecher.
Similar Brew(s): Uinta Brewing Organic Baba Black Lager or Full Sail Session Black Lager
Score: 9.0/10
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