Japanese Green Tea IPA - Collaboration between Baird, Stone, and Ishii

I'm starting to wonder if it's fair to review beers that are a few months old. I'm not talking about beers that are meant to be aged for years, but beers like IPAs and weissbiers that are meant to be consumed fresh. Working at a brewery has given me the ability to experience firsthand just how different a day old IPA is from a 2 week old. It makes me wonder if reviewing an IPA that's almost three months old is giving those who read it a true representation of what the beer will taste like if they were to try it. I suppose so long as I let you all know it's approaching the three month age, then it should be ok. I think I'm at the point where I should just stop buying them so old, let alone reviewing them. Snobbery aside, who can resist buying a green tea IPA from Stone and friends???

Japanese Green Tea IPA - Collaboration between Baird, Stone, and Ishii

BG Poured from a 22 fl oz (650ml) bottle into a stemmed tulip, 10.1% ABV, Bottled 01/09/15

A Golden honey in color with a finger of pure white, mouse-like head. It slowly dissipates, leaving behind some nice lace. This beer is very cloudy, and I’m sure there must be a good amount of wheat in here. 

A Grapefruit, citrus and floral hops, lightly sweet malt in the background that becomes more bready as I swirl. A touch of green grass, pineapple. The nose is on the lighter side.

T Woah, there are two completely different levels of flavor happening throughout the entire palate. The top level is a citrusy hop bitterness that firmly grabs the tongue and doesn’t let go until well after I’ve swallowed. The lower level is more dynamic, gently introducing softer citrus flavors of pineapple and mandarin with the roundness of green tea before more assertive hop flavor joins the ranks of the top level. There’s certainly a good level of yeast-derived spiciness that gives the hops some oomph. Biscuit malt holds down the fort, and subtly stands out underneath the citrus-fest. There’s some sweetness mid-palate, but the finish is dry. This has Stone’s fingerprints all over it.

M Creamy, yet biting. It dries out the mouth just a touch, and gives the tart impression of grapefruit. Medium-high carbonation. Medium-full body.

A Bitter citrus hops for daaaays. There’s also a strange impression of bitter dark chocolate I’m feeling on the aftertaste. It’s basically a chocolate orange. I might be imagining it, or simply craving it. Food pairing, anyone?

C I feel like this is more of a double IPA with subtle hints of green tea and nearly overwhelming amounts of citrus than it is a green tea IPA. That being said, I’m not drinking this beer anywhere near its prime time for consumption, as it’s 11.5 weeks old. It’s amazing how just a few days can change the flavors of the beer, especially the subtle ones. Months down the line, it comes off as an extremely strong citrus bomb of a DIPA. My nose and mouth are doing the equivalent of when I squint my eyes so I can see things far away. I think the subtleties are just too far gone here. But for what it is, I think it’s pretty tasty! What I hope for and what I perceive is all part of the tasting game, and why I sometimes like to not have any idea what I’m drinking. 

FP Fried calamari with chipotle aioli and a squeeze of lemon. Asian greens salad with baby spinach, carrots, grated ginger, mandarins, and a sesame vinaigrette. Dark chocolate covered ritz crackers.

Epic Elder Brett Saison-Brett Golden Ale

'Tis the season for Brett!... or something. The Brett I'm referring to isn't a person, but a strain of wild yeast that normally lives on the skins of fruit. Its full name, Brettanomyces, is Greek for "British fungus". Who knew such a wretched-sounding thing could make beer taste so good?

Also, it's not really Brett season. It just so happens that I've had access to such brews as of late. Wild yeast FTW!

Epic Elder Brett Saison-Brett Golden Ale

BG Poured from a 22 fl oz (650ml) bottle into a stemmed tulip, 9.1% ABV, Release #7, Brewed 11/02/14, Bottled 11/24/14

A Golden yellow in color with little to no foam. It’s brilliantly clear. 

A Oh, yeah! There’s that mouth watering Brettanomyces again! Tart green apples, golden honey, bread crust, peary, lemon zest, hint of sweet stone fruit.

T This is much more gentle than what I was bracing myself for. But it’s nice! I wasn’t zapped in the face by a sour lightning bolt. This is slightly tart, not sour. Tart apples and pears wash over the palate and make way for buttery chardonnay and crusty honey wheat bread. There’s a touch of spiciness, and a little grainy. The finish has a steady umami quality, and also reminds me of Sauvignon Blanc.

M Slightly waxy, moderately high carbonation, medium-light body

A Strong diacetyl and green apples

C This tastes closer to an effervescent white wine more than any beer I’ve ever had. Seriously, is EPIC playing a trick on all of us? Is this wine instead of beer? I would love to see what people think of this in a blind tasting. It’s really enjoyable and light. 

FP Bruschetta. Broccoli and brie stuffed chicken on a bed of polenta with a red wine ju and kalamata olives. Shortbread cookies.

Cuvée des Jacobins Flanders Red Ale

Nothing makes my mouth water quite like a sour beer. It's usually the first whiff that sends my eyes to the back of my skull and the glands under my tongue gushing. The same thing that makes others squirm and scoff brings me true delight in the form of turning my head inside out. Hah!

Cuvée des Jacobins

BG Poured from a 11.2 fl oz (331ml) bottle into a stemmed tulip, 5.5% ABV, 06/14 - I don’t know if that date refers to bottling or importation. It probably isn't a best by date. 

A Ruby in color with dark hues of maroon. A half finger of creamy white foam springs up as I pour, but it quickly dissipates to a thin ring clinging to the side of the glass. 

A Dark cherries, smarties candy, red lifesavers, plenty of sour Brett, honeyed bread crust, Macintosh apples

T Oh my god… it’s so sour I feel like sneezing! This is bliss! My mouth is watering so much that my eyes are watering, too. This is a sour cherry bomb! There’s a savory, bready malt character on the front, and then you’re suddenly being walloped in the kisser with a boatload of sour cherries. This is a full head experience. My mouth puckers hard, and I ache behind my eyes like a brain freeze. It takes some concentration, but beyond the eye-squinting sourness lies a woodsy, herbal, nutty character. 

M There’s a mouth coating, warming cherry cough syrup-like action mid-palate, but then it’s rudely stripped off by the sourness. My mouth is left quivering from the hard pucker. My brain hurts. I’m in love.

A Fighting through the sour apple toward some semblance of balance in my head. I think this is a form of masochism. 

C Mouthfeel takes the cake on this one. The sourness is so commanding that I have a hard time picking out the different flavors under it. My vocabulary is also very limited when it comes to sour thrashers like this. There’s a bunch of stuff going on here I just don’t know how to describe. But what I do know is that I like it! I also know this is but the tip of the sour iceberg. I need to get on my sour game!

FP Margherita pizza with the freshest possible ingredients. Apple glazed pork tenderloin with deep fried rosemary potato wedges. The richest chocolate cake you can find.

Epic Straight Up Saison

I've been on a bit of a saison kick lately. I can't get enough of those Belgian yeasty characters of citrus, spicy phenols, and bubblegum. It's intensely refreshing, and feels like the perfect celebration beer for having such lovely 70 degree weather at the end of March. This summer will likely make Utah pay for the early warmth and very mild winter we had, but for now, I'm loving the weather.

Epic Straight Up Saison

BG Poured from a 22 fl oz (650ml) bottle into a stemmed tulip, 7.6% ABV, Release #21. They don’t have info up on their site for Release #21 yet, so I’m guessing it was bottled very recently. I purchased it on 3/21/15. It annoys me that you have to go online to figure out the bottling date. That being said, they do have lots of other cool info online for each release (Specific malt and hops used, when and where it was brewed and packaged). It's pretty cool, and I don't know any other brewery that does that.

A Golden yellow in color with a finger of white suds on top. The foam quickly fades into a thin film. The beer is quite hazy, and glows like sunshine even in low light. There’s a splotch here and there of lacing.

A Strong belgian yeast character of bubblegum and spicy phenols, fresh orange and pineapple juice with spritz of lime, tartness that makes my mouth water, a hint of barnyard

T Again - fresh citrus juices, gently tart, spicy, green grass, dried mango, a hint of banana, some clove. It’s just loads of sweet citrus and spice.

M The body is much lighter than I anticipated, but still slightly creamy. Moderate carbonation, refreshingly dry finish.

A Yeast derived green grassy bitterness - it’s pretty bold and long lasting. Quite nice!

C This isn’t a bad saison at all! It’s fairly sweet mid-palate, but finishes dry with a grassy quality that goes on for days. I’d be downright thrilled to have this on a hot day! Given, at 7.6% ABV it’s more of a post-lawn mowing beer than a pre or mid, but it’s refreshing all the same!

FP Bitter greens salad with carrots, radishes, a hard boiled egg, and a ginger citrus vinaigrette. Cilantro shrimp tacos with fresh pico de gallo and lime. Pizzelle cookies dusted with powdered sugar.

I'm very much looking forward to drinking the Saison Dupont from my last haul. I've never had it before, and it's considered the benchmark for all saisons. Woo!

Founder's Breakfast Stout, Mystery 12 Pack Update, and East Coast Haul

I finally got through the mystery 12 pack! Took me long enough, right? It's hard when my fridge looks like this. 

Anyway, these are my thoughts on the last three!

River Horse Hop Hazard brings a hefty helping of earthy/piney hops to the table, with a solid crystal malt backbone. The fact that it’s unfiltered gives it a lightly creamy mouthfeel, which pairs nicely with the full flavored body. I’d drink it again!

Stone IPA has a unique hop character of equal parts pine and citrus. I feel like this is probably one of those beers you could easily pick out in a blind tasting. Bread crust maltiness lays a sound foundation, while a long bitter finish leaves you ready for the next taste. This is well balanced, and well deserving of your attention!

I saved what I thought would be best for last. Founder's Breakfast Stout has been on my wish list for quite sometime, and the one I was most excited about from the 12 pack. I decided to do full notes on this one!

Founders Breakfast Stout (Double Chocolate Coffee Oatmeal Stout)

BG Poured from a 12 fl oz (355ml) bottle into a tulip glass, 8.3% ABV, 60 IBU, Bottled 10/26/14, Served at the appropriate temperature of 60°F

A Dark as onyx with a tint of deep mahogany. A modest half-finger of gingerbread colored foam caps the brew. It may be small, but it remains for several minutes while hardly diminishing. 

A This smells incredibly similar to Samuel Smith’s Chocolate Stout, but with heavy coffee notes. Sticky toffee, rich coffee with cream and sugar, crushed cacao nibs, lactose, both dark and milk chocolate, candied nuts, wood smoke, nutmeg, a touch of cinnamon. I’m not leaving myself many adjectives for the taste... There’s just a symphony of sweet, dark flavors in here!

T Yes!!! This is everything from the aroma and more. All the flavors are in such balance that I can pick out each one, but not so much that I can’t distinguish them from one another. A spoonful of oatmeal greets the tongue and is immediately washed down with equally sweet and bitter coffee. Toffee is the resulting flavor, with bits of nuts sprinkled throughout. Dark honey coats the tongue before bitter chocolate and smoke wash down the finish not unlike an Irish carbomb. 

M Creamy oatmeal, moderately low carbonation. Alcohol/smoke warms the back of my throat. After getting halfway through the glass, my stomach actually feels the same warmth.

A Chocolate and coffee bitterness resound with the lightest hint of caramelized banana 

C If you are any sort of dark beer fan, this needs to be in at least the top five of your beer bucket list. If you’re not a dark beer fan, then it should be in the top eight. Seriously, stop pussyfooting around and get your hands on this beer (so it’s in your possession, and so you warm it up after taking it out of the fridge). 

FP Chocolate peanut butter brownies with walnuts, fresh from the oven with a scoop of Half Baked on top. Deep fried oreos - maybe dip them in? Nothing - just drink it for breakfast.

Utah has more than a few fantastic breweries churning out some delicious brews, but it's always nice to break out of the bubble and try something out of state. I'm happy to have more where that came from...

Here's my haul from PA/NJ! I've been looking forward to some of these for a long time. And there are a few thrown in there that looked too interesting to pass up. In addition to these, I have Cuvée Des Jacobins, Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro, and a few of Weyerbacher's barrel aged stuff. I'll try to do full notes on most of these, so check back soon!

Mystery 12 Pack and East Coast Trip Update

Though snowstorm and sickness ridden, I had a lovely week and a half trip to PA/NJ! Let me fill you in on the Philly Craft Beer Festival I attended last Saturday. Note first that it was outdoors. In February. In the dead of  East Coast winter. Even though it was the second warmest day of my stay, it was chilly enough to shake the alcoholic warmth right off my bones. I have certainly become weak to this weather in my years of absence. I thought they would have those tall propane heaters scattered about, but my only luck at finding warmth was in the middle of the tent among a crowd of pretzel necklace wearing people. 

Oh, you wanted to hear about the beer? Right! There were two styles, with the exception of cider and the occasional rye, to choose from: Stout or IPA. No joke. It was kind of cool to compare different interpretations of the same style for the first hour, but after my 7th stout, my palate and I were ready for a break. I sat down at a table inside a tent for a moment and nibbled at some granola bar samples. The sides of the tent were flapping in the wind, wisps riding up the back of my shirt, and I considered my departure. I decided to take a trip to the porta potty park first, and a glance at the mob waiting for a piss made the mile walk to the light rail more appealing. As I walked out the exit, a festival volunteer said, "Leaving already? Are you crazy?" That's when I knew my blood had grown thin in the past two unseasonably warm Utah winters. I pursed my lips and sloshed my way back to the train stop.

It wasn't a bad festival by any means! There was a great attendance of breweries and cideries, and the lines weren't terribly long. Better yet, they didn't have that stupid token system. Remind me again how those make sense? Pay to get into the festival, and then pay more for the beer in the BEER festival? Yeah. Philly did it right.

The most memorable brew I had there was Terrapin Liquid Bliss Peanut Butter Chocolate Porter. I imagine they must have spent years trying to get it just right. This one had me at the aroma. I've never had a beer with an impressive aroma that didn't also follow through on the taste, and Liquid Bliss is no exception. Everything was on point, and I'm saddened to know it might be some time before I can enjoy a bottle to myself. Get on it, Utah!

But I need not pout. I have a few brews left from that Mystery 12 Pack that require attention...

21st Amendment Back in Black IPA

BG Poured from a 12 oz (355ml) can into a Spiegelau style (kind of) glass, 6.8 ABV, 65 IBU, Enjoy By 04/02/15

A Chestnut in color with three fingers of pillowy, long-lasting mocha foam. If this glass was opaque and I was only looking at this brew from the top, I might swear it was coffee. The lacing looks nice enough to be one of my great grandma’s doilies. 

A Roasted malt, citrus hops, pineapple, tangerines, hints of light roast coffee, a touch of dark chocolate

T Smooth chocolate melts into graham cracker and crisp toffee.  A delightful burst of coffee flowers right before a gentle hop bitterness finish. Everything is wrapped in a blanket of mild citrusy hop from impact to aftertaste. This is art in a glass, my friends. More of the hop character shines through as I drink (piney/herby). It seems to build like the heat of a chili pepper - deceivingly mild at first, but gains potency exponentially as time goes on. Have no fear, it doesn’t build THAT much. ;)

M Creamy and guinness-like, full bodied, medium-low carbonation

A Bitter dark chocolate, dank NW hop bitterness

C 21st Amendment isn’t messing around here! I like to think of this as a well balanced, less extreme version of Lagunitas Night Time Ale. Not to discredit Lagunitas, but my personal taste leans toward subtle notes. On first sip, I hardly get any hop flavor or bitterness. But 10 minutes later, and I’m tonsils deep in both. The bitter characters of hops and malt - pine and coffee, herb and dark chocolate - resonate off one another to create a meaningful beer. I see this as a perfect night cap to a long day of an early season hiking/camping trip. Mmmm….zzzz

FP Iron skillet pepperoni pizza with red pepper flakes, beef stroganoff with homemade pasta, s’mores over a campfire with peter pan peanut butter and a flask of bourbon

Are you ready to go camping now?

Mystery 12 Pack Update

Hail from the far away (or perhaps much closer than usual) winter wonderland known as Phillipsburg, NJ! Brought to you today by the color white, and the number 7 (inches).

I've been chipping away at the mystery 12 pack I picked up the other day, and this is what I've found.

I had the Summit Winter Ale the other night. It was surprisingly good! I've never heard of Summit before, but this winter ale had a great nutty complexity with notes of chocolate and pine cone hops. I'm not feeling the Christmas spirit anymore, but this beer is pulling me back! Well done, Summit!

Smuttynose also did a great job with their Vunderbar! Pilsner. It's very light straw in color, with a hefty helping of noble hop bitterness and aroma. The bready Pilsner malt plays along quite nicely with the floral hop notes. I must say, das ist vunderbar!

Weyerbacher Last Chance IPA is all about two things: a bold piney, grapefruit, citrus hop character, and donating a portion of the proceeds to local animal rescue organizations. The sharp bitterness on this one is bound to hook a few hop heads. These guys help quench the thirst of their customers while simultaneously helping animals in need. What a swell brewery!

Today I've had the delight of drinking Chimay Premeire (Red) on tap, and now I'm drinking the Chimay Doree (Gold). It's an ale brewed with spices, and its availability here in the states is a bit confusing for me. This is a beer I previously thought was only available at the Trappist brewery, but it seems they've decided to share this Belgian "single" with a select few distributors. Nonetheless, I'm happy to have stumbled upon a bottle, as it's quite quaffable! This baby is far less filling and flavorful than its stronger siblings, and rings in at 4.8% ABV. Coriander and champagne-like carbonation zips on the tongue, making it the perfect session Chimay. Yummy!

As for the remaining 4, I'll have to take them home to Utah, and hope the journey doesn't affect them too much.

Tomorrow, I hop on a bus back to Philadelphia where I'll spend the next few days doing plenty of beer research. And on Saturday I'll be attending the Philly Craft Beer Festival! I'll let you know how it goes! =)

Weyerbacher Tarte Nouveau

The other day while I was working at the beer store, someone brought in this tiny, adorable little half growler. I had never seen one before. It was cute, practical, and I had to have one. Drinking a whole 64 ounces (half gallon) of beer in one night requires effort, but a 32 ouncer? That I can do. But I've never seen one for sale in Utah. Lucky for me, I'm in NJ and PA is a short 8 minute drive. I took a stroll by my old hometown brewery Weyerbacher today, and what did they have? That's right - child sized 32 oz growlers. I grabbed one of those along with a few bottles to take home, and scurried off with my treasures. 

Here's how she tastes...

Weyerbacher Tarte Nouveau Kettle-Soured Beer

BG Poured from an adorable 32oz (¼ gallon) growler into a stemmed tulip glass, 3.9% ABV, fresh from draft, consumed 8 hours after the growler was sealed

A Golden in color with a slight haze. No head, but a tiny ring of fuzz clings to the edges of the glass. The growler seal may not have been very tight. 

A Ripe peaches, tart, wheat, concord grape juice, lactic acid, lightly sweet, peach rings

T Tart, lemons, mild sour patch kids. It has a very light fruitiness (apples, peaches, pears, coconut), but no one fruit in particular, and it’s very subtle. There’s a wheat graininess on the finish.

M Tart without being puckering or mouth drying, no astringency, almost a little slick, very smooth. Low carbonation, but that’s due to a poorly sealed growler. I had it on tap earlier, and the effervescence was quite nice!

A Very light wheat, a little bit of lemon

C If I was day drinking in the summer, this would be my go to. It’s incredibly light and refreshing. It’s a shame the carbonation didn't hold up over the past 8 hours. This makes me want to grab a lawn chair, an umbrella, and a good book, and go sit outside in the sun sh--oh yeah… it’s 12 degrees in NJ. I look forward to Utah’s unusually warmer winter weather! I’ll have to look for a kettle sour like this one over there, too. 

FP Grilled lemon ginger tilapia with asparagus and clarified butter. Tortilla chips with homemade pico de gallo and guacamole. Sugar cookies with lemon icing.

To anyone who might consider buying - or regularly buys - growler fills, beware! It's in your best interest to check that seal as soon as it's in your hands. Give it a good twist and make sure that baby is tight! And if you go for regular fills, you might even consider a better container than the traditional glass jugs with a twist cap. They're much better than walking it home in a pale like the old days, but they're far from great. Be kind to your beer, and your beer will be kind to you!

And for those of you who read my last post, I've got an update on that mystery 12 pack I bought. I mentioned that there were one or two in there I thought might taste like doggie doo doo, and my thoughts were true. The Saucony Sessions Ale tasted like grapefruit juice and orange juice poured into an unfiltered wheat ale with a distasteful amount of citrusy hops. Nothing was in balance, and I dumped the rest of the can. I was kind of surprised by that one, because I thought it would at least be drinkable. The other beer I tried (right after the Saucony failure) was the St. John Brewery Tropical Mango. It was predictably sweet, fruity, and gross. I dumped that one too. I have high hopes for the rest of the pack, though! I'll keep you all updated.