October 12th, 2008 beckel
This lovely little bottle was found while browsing the shelves of The Four Firkins. Brewed by Brewery De Regenboog (Rainbow in Dutch) in Assebroek-Brugge, Beligum. From the very small amount of information I can find about this brewery it appears it was started in 1995 by Johan Brandt who had a great passion for brewing and started making beer once a week with a capacity on only one barrel. As of 1999 he was brewing twice a week producing 1.5 barrels, as of 2006 according to B. United International Inc. (De Regenboog’s importer) he was trying to find an upgraded facility where he could produce 6 barrels at a time. It wouldn’t surprise me if he has had success as beer advocate/rate beer have many beers attributed to De Regenboog and I was able to get this all the way over in Minnesota. ‘t Smisje Plus is their Imperial IPA and I am excited to try this small batch brew, on to the fun part. Holy carbonation, upon opening this beer and watching the first drops hit the side of the glass, this beer creates a massively carbonated head the beginning of which fades very rapidly the rest settling more slowly, forcing me to pause many times during my pour to not over flow my glass with white foam. As the head settles you can see the delicious hazy orange color of this beer completely opaque and unfiltered, almost looking a bit like peach or apricot juice. This brew has a very nice aroma, smelling a bit more sweet than I expected with very nice malt aromas and some apricot like fruity aromas you may be used to detecting in Belgian Ales. Some alcohol is present in the nose but very little bitterness. Wow, this beer has flavor. Here are the bitter hop flavors I was looking for, rather intense initially but as you let this beer flow onto your palate your taste buds will do a 180 over to sweet smooth slightly floral almost fruit like flavors. Bitter flavors definitely linger in the after taste but even though this beer is 10% ABV the complex balance of this beer makes it rather unnoticeable to me. This beer makes me think about how much I appreciate the differences between beers made in varying parts of the world. The Belgian yeast and malts create a wonderful contrast between the bitter hop flavors in this beer producing a lovely drinking experience. The mouthfeel of this beer is meduim, with out a particularly heavy body making this a drinkable but intense ale. This is very obviously a Belgian influenced Imperial IPA so if you enjoy a good Belgian Ale and don’t mind a few bitter flavors you will likely dig this beer. Not the perfect beer for a hop head but still a worth beer for any lover of artisan beer, you will certainly enjoy its unique attempt at the style particularly if you are used to the American counterparts. Give it a shot and ride your bike.
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August 3rd, 2008 beckel
I don’t know a whole lot about New Holland Brewing from Holland, Michigan having only tried their mad hatter IPA in the past. I have glanced at their existential ale’s lovely bottle on the shelves numerous times and read many reviews of it so it is finally getting its chance. Part of New Holland’s High Gravity Series and made with 200 pounds of malted barley and 37 ounces of hops per barrel this is sure to be a full flavored brew. Smells strongly of malted barley and hops, sweet roasted malt is most notable topped off with robust slight citrus hop aromas. This beer cascades beautifully as it pours and creates almost an inch of long lasting solid head. Color is of a roasted slightly red deep copper but transparent. This is an interesting imperial IPA, initial flavors are largely of bitterness but the malt slowly creeps up on your palate and creates a more mellow sweet caramel flavor while still emphasizing the bitter hops. Though bitter this beer does not taste strongly of alcohol even at 10.5% ABV. A decent beer and definitely worth the money but more caramelized and bitter than I prefer. If you love hoppy beers for the bitterness and like a roasted malty beer this is a good quality choice. Give it a shot and ride your bike.
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August 1st, 2008 beckel
I have been following The Session since it started in March 2007 thanks to Stan at Appellation Beer and Jay at Brookston Beer Bulletin. The Session consists of a monthly topic chosen by a different beer blogger each month and written about by all who would like to participate. This months topic comes from Ray at The Barley Blog and is “Happy Anniversary”, the thought is to talk about a limited release beer or a beer you would drink only on a special occasion. I have previously wanted to participate in the session but have always let the date pass with out noticing, but this months topic was perfect for me so I was sure to remember. For this session I have not chosen a limited edition beer, but a beer that has eluded my purchase for some time now because of its price. I have been tempted on an untold number of occasions to purchase Rogue’s Imperial IPA but have always been discouraged by its price tag, so even though there are more extravagant and more limited beers to choose I decided this was the perfect beer to choose for this occasion. So onto the beer. This beer comes in a black ceramic resealable flip top 750ml bottle and is quite attractive. Rogue Brewery from Newport, Oregon makes some fine ales, hopefully this one is no exception. Part of the XS, or Xsperience series of big beers by rogue this is sure to excite. The initial pour from this bottle is difficult to do smoothly but the head created was still not too massive. Head went up a good inch and change and was fluffy but solid with lots of little bubbles of carbonation that faded rather rapidly. The aroma of this beer is very nice, you can immediately tell it is a quality IPA. Bitter hop aromas are present but dulled by a lovely sweet malt scent with orange, apricot and other citrus hints. Color is a delightful hazy orange hue that is barely penetrated by light. This beer has an interesting flavor, some hop flavor at first but smoothed out by a heavy slightly caramelized malt flavor dominated by further bitter hop flavors in the end with a bit of the 9.5% ABV notable but not overpowering, though you will start feeling it after a glass or so. Much citrus is present in this beer, I notice predominately orange, but the bitter after taste quells many flavors in this beer. Considering the medium body of this beer it is surprisingly refreshing and drinkable. I am glad I finally spent the money on this beer because it is very well balanced and manages some very interesting flavors, but it is a bit more bitter in the after taste than I tend to prefer, even in an Imperial IPA. I am excited to someday try more of Rogue’s XS series as I have faith they will all be quite flavorful and impressive and would be curious to see how they age. If you are a fan of hoppy beers with a bit more bitter of a back palates and don’t mind breaking the bank this beer is for you, or sample it if you can while in Oregon. Give it a shot and ride your bike.
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July 27th, 2008 beckel
This imperial IPA from Breckenridge Brewery out of Denver, Colorado is part of their small batch 471 series of specialty beers and has tempted me for some time. Pours with plenty of head that cascades nicely and lasts for some time, off white in color. Appearance is of dark apricot and very hazy, not transparent at all. Aroma is full of hops, bitter and somewhat citrus, slight malt scent is present. This beer boasts a mighty hop profile slight citrus and heavy bitterness are predominate but there is a nice balance of malt sweetness. The 9.2% ABV is only notable in the amount of bitterness presented in this beer bit not overpowering because of the sweetness present in the aftertaste. Mouthfeel is medium. Overall this is a damn flavorful and well crafted Imperial IPA and will likely be enjoyed by those who appreciate a strong hoppy, but balanced beer. Give it a shot and ride your bike.
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July 13th, 2008 beckel
Boulevard Brewing is an interesting and rather large, craft brewery out of Kansas City, Missouri. They make some decent beers so when I saw a few of their big bottles, called the smokestack series, I thought I should give one a try. The Double-Wide IPA pours a very nice roasted red color with a good amount of somewhat tan head that is rather light in body. Aroma is a decent mix of malt and hops, somewhat bitter and a tad bit of fermented fruit. Mouthfeel is pretty light and the flavor is very intense. Bitter hop flavors are all over, almost a little much. The malt flavor adds a hint of sweetness but is not able to balance the bitter. This beer is classified as an IPA, but with 8.5% ABV one may be inclined to categorize it as a imperial IPA. Over all this is a decent Imperial IPA, but i feel it has much more potential if they could manage to balance it a bit better. If your looking for a strong bitter beer that should be available around most of the Midwest this is a reasonable choice. Give it a shot and ride your bike.
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June 30th, 2008 beckel
Boulder Brewing Company out of Boulder, Colorado makes some interesting beers. So a few weeks ago when I saw they came out with a Double IPA Mojo Risin via Beer Tap TV I figured I had to give it a shot. As the 6th release of Boulder’s Looking Glass Series of sepciality beers Mojo Risin seems sure to not disappoint. This beer smells a lot like Boulder’s regular IPA Mojo with a decent amount of citrus but seemingly more malt undertones. Head is a bit tan and fluffy and certainly plentiful. Color is very orange and transparent. Tastes of citrus and Amarillo hops but rather flat with the malt flavors in the end. Alcohol is certianly present but gives almost a sweet taste with a bit of sour in the end. By doubling the Amarillo Hops and Malt they put in their Mojo IPA Boulder’s Double IPA clocks in at 10% ABV. Mouthfeel is smooth and light but a bit sticky. Over all a pretty darn decent beer. The regular Mojo IPA was always a little simple for me, and Boulder did an awesome job stepping up to the plate with their Double IPA. Full flavor and alcohol and more of a malt profile than the original India Pale Ale. This beer is still has a bit more citrus flavor than I would normally go for, but it balanced out incredibly well. If you want a strong hoppy beer that isn’t particularly bitter this one will do the trick. Give it a shot and ride your bike.
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June 30th, 2008 beckel
Here is another lovely beer from Great Divide Brewing out of Denver, Colorado. This beer pours a hazy dark orange color. Head is dense, white and quite plentiful. Smells slightly of orange and other simple citrus, many hops and a bit of alcohol gently dulled by malt. This beer has great flavor, quite hoppy and a tad bitter in the end. Some alcohol is present in the flavor, which is understandable considering its 9.1% ABV but is not overpowering in anyway. Storming in at 85 IBU this beer certainly has a big hop profile but is smoothed out very nicely by malt flavor. This beer is best colder and amazingly well balanced. Mouthfeel is smooth and quite light. Anyone who likes hoppy bold beers should give this beer a try, it is a bit intense but not overpowering…unless you drink too many. Try it out and ride your bike.
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June 17th, 2008 beckel
I was turned on to Southern Tier on my birthday when I had a goblet of Hoppe their Imperial EPA which was quite flavorful and complex. So when I saw a number of their bottles at The Four Firkins I had to try some more of their beers. This Imperial IPA pours a slightly hazy but filtered looking light orange color. The smell is quite complex, very hop filled with slight orange marmalade scent in the end. This beer produces a surprisingly little amount of head with a light tan color. Packing in a mega 11% ABV and an insane 153 IBU the scent of this beer is amazingly smooth. Tastes strongly of hops of a number of varieties with a little bite towards the end that is then smoothed out by the malt flavor. A very well balanced beer and surprisingly unbitter, an impressive feat considering the ABV and hop profile. The mouthfeel is relatively smooth but a bit stickier than expected. If your looking for a strong beer this is not a bad choice, though it is very intense and perhaps even more hoppy and alcoholic than I care for, which is surprising but I would definitely drink it again. I look forward to trying some more of their beers. Give it a shot and ride your bike.
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