Centennial IPA - Founder's Brewery

Vitals:

Name: Centennial IPA

Style: American IPA

IBU: 65

ABV: 7.2%

Gravity: ??

Purchased at: Trixie's Liquor

Descriptions:

Appearance: Pours a deep amber/ruby cool, one finger of off-white head. This brew boasts a nice retention, beautiful lacing, and a sparse cap. There is a decent amount of carbonation as well. The beer seems clear-to-mildly-translucent.

Smell: Grapefruit and citrus aromas are immediately evident along with lots of piney resins. The malt is there but totally gets overpowered by the other aromas (which I'm fine with, for an IPA). The nose on this beer is a hop head's dream...seriously tremendous smell.

Taste: Boasts a lingering piney hop flavor and bitterness. There are grapefruit and pineapple flavors that mingle nicely with the citrus hops and toasted caramel malts. The malt taste is very muted by the hops but has enough presence to hold the beer together nicely. I wouldn't exactly call this beer balanced, but it's balanced enough.

Mouthfeel: Adequate carbonation with a pretty full-bodied mouthfeel. This is a very thick and creamy IPA and generally seems to be a heavy, filling beer.

Overall Grade: B+

Comments: Very good IPA, but honestly I would go with one that isn't quite as heavy. Bell's Two-Hearted comes to mind as a good one (and Ranger IPA from New Belgium) that are great tastes and aren't quite as heavy. This is worth a try for sure if you're into IPAs...I just wouldn't recommend putting back more than one or two, because you'll be full (and possibly feeling good with the 7.2% ABV!). Get out there and try this one out if you're a hop head!

Cheers,

Hurls

Ranger - New Belgium

Vitals:

Name: Ranger

Style: American IPA

IBU: 70

ABV: 6.5%

Gravity: 14.6 Plato

Purchased at: Trixie's Liquor

Descriptions:

Appearance: Pours a bright burnt orange, which somehow makes me think it'll be more hoppy than malty. About a half-finger of off-white head, surprisingly poor retention and cap, but good lacing. There is not much visible carbonation and the beer has a translucent quality to it.

Smell: This beer smells AMAZING! There is a HUGE crisp citrus hop aroma, not too much malt to accompany it. There are some piney notes as well - I am literally salivating for this one...

Taste: The taste is a nice little roller coaster...going from SHARP citrus hops to sweet malt, back to hops again (citrus AND piney this time) to the finish. Very nice drinking experience. The taste is mostly hoppy, but you get some grapefruit in there...it's complex enough, but not overly so. This beer just tastes damn good...a very clean, crisp drink that leaves a long aftertaste. Hides the ABV quite well.

Mouthfeel: Slightly to the heavier side of medium bodied and not too much carbonation. The mouthfeel fits the beer well...it's juicy/creamy but doesn't dry you out...coats your mouth and gives you that oily feel.

Overall Grade: A-

Comments: This is a VERY good IPA...I would definitely drink it again and almost pit it against Bells Two-Hearted, which is saying a lot. At 6.5% ABV and 14.6 Plato it is much too high ABV and too heavy to drink too many of them, but hop heads will love this offering from New Belgium. They seemingly make almost entirely solid beers.

Cheers,

Hurls

Torpedo - Sierra Nevada

Vitals:

Name: Torpedo

Style: American IPA

IBU: 65

ABV: 7.2%

Gravity: 17.3 degrees Plato

Purchased at: Harris Teeter (Herndon, VA)

Descriptions:

Appearance: Pours a pretty, clear amber color with close-to-bone-white head (half finger). Minimal carbonation from the look of it, but solid lacing. The retention is quite poor with a moderate cap. Nothing particularly special here.

Smell: This beer smells very sweet with citrus hops and malt right there for you. You get some piney hops too, but the smell (in general) seems muted. Don't get me wrong, this beer smells pretty darn good, but it's just very faint and not totally impressive.

Taste: This is VERY hop-forward. You get a tiny bit of grapefruit up front, but it's mostly sweet caramel and molasses malt at the outset to counter some of the hops. Citrus and floral hops hit early and linger with piney hops as well. This beer is mouth-puckeringly bitter, with the malts barely coming through toward the end. Having said that, it hides its ABV reasonably well.

Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium bodied beer...a little heavy for an IPA but with adequate carbonation. It really coats your mouth and dries you out quite a bit; definitely makes your mouth pucker quite a bit.

Overall Grade: B+

Comments: So I would've typically graded this as a B, and the only reason I bumped it up to a B+ is that it's pretty much a macro that you can get almost anywhere. It's a solid beer with a pretty good taste...maybe a bit more bitter than most IPAs out there, but for a macro it is solid. So, in sum, based solely on the beer it'd be a B, but the fact that it's a macro (and thus available in most locations) it gets bumped to a B+.

Cheers,

Hurls

Stone IPA - Stone Brewery

So, after a HUGE delay, I am back to posting (hopefully on a regular basis). I basically was trying to finish up getting work done in the summer, then I upgraded to Mac Lion OS, which is somehow incompatible with my camera, so I put it off and put it off and finally uploaded some pics.

So, the story behind this one is my best buddy, Pat Fichtner, told me about how I needed to try this incredible IPA from Stone Brewery. The only problem...Pat lives in California and, if you haven't looked at a map recently, California is sort of out of the way from Wisconsin. Luckily for me, I was heading to California for my buddy Reid's wedding so, true to form, Reid and I pick up some brew to enjoy while we chatted and caught up late into the night (errrr...make that morning). You can't get much better than that...catching up with one of your best friends over some quality micro-brews! Enjoy and cheers!

Vitals:

Name: Stone IPA

Style: American IPA

IBU: 77

ABV: 6.9%

Gravity: ??

Purchased at: Ralph's (grocery store near Los Angeles, CA)

Descriptions:

Appearance: Pours a brilliant translucent orange with about a finger of off-white (slightly orange, actually) foamy head. OK retention, sparse lacing, but a nice cap up top. Moderate carbonation from the look of it and lots of stuff hanging in suspension in the beer.

Smell: Grapefruit, orange, peach, and citrus hops mostly. You can sense the malt poking its way through, though, so you can expect a decent malt backing. You get piney hops as well - not going to lie...this smells fantastic!

Taste: The grapefruit comes through with a nice juiciness up front with the malt sweetness. There is more of a spice when the hops kick in, as opposed to what normally seems like a hop "bite." It's a nice feel but I can't place that taste completely. There is INTENSE bitterness with this beer. You get hit with citrus hops first, but it tastes pinier as you go through the taste experience. This hides the ABV incredibly well and leaves you with a mouth-coating, lingering bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Juicy, yet crisp; not overly astringent and just the right amount of the hop oil quality to coat your mouth. This is somewhat light for an IPA; pretty drinkable but will put you on your butt if you have more than a few. 

Overall Grade: A

Comments: One of the very best IPAs that I've ever had; if you can find it, buy it hopheads! You won't regret this one.

Cheers,

Hurls

White Hawk Select IPA - Mendocino Brewing Company

Vitals:

Name: White Hawk Select IPA

Style: American IPA

IBU: ??

ABV: 7.0%

Gravity: ??

Purchased at: Trixie's Liquor

Descriptions:

Appearance: You get a deep amber color on the pour, almost light-brownish. Carbonation is barely detectable to the eye, but this beer is hazy hazy hazy! You get a half finger of head that is slightly off-white with a weak cap, low retention, but pretty solid lacing, actually.

Smell: HEAVY pine and citrus hop notes mix with a faint hint of toasted malts here, leading me to expect something much much less than a super balanced beer. This beer smells quite good, but it's nothing unique or special, ya know?

Taste: This beer is extremely sweet initially, providing a surprising balance (given the smell). Unlike many IPAs, which have an aggressive, sharp, bitter bite, the hop flavor and bitterness builds in strength and then rolls off into the aftertaste. Brilliant tasting experience. The taste itself is comprised mostly of piney/grassy hops, a little citrus up front (grapefruit, anyone?), and the malt sweetness that kicks it all off. This beer actually hides its 7.0% ABV better than most.

Mouthfeel: Medium body and not as astringent as most IPAs are. You really get no carbonation in this beer, which always makes me feel like the beer is stale or something, even though I know it's not. Overall this is a pretty smooth drink, but nothing really stands out in this section.

Overall Grade: B-

Comments: This is a solid American IPA with a great drinking experience. There are a lot of beers I'd choose over this one, but by the same token I'd choose this over a lot of others. The issue is that the taste isn't quite up to par with the actual experience of the taste. By saying that I mean that I enjoy how the hop profile and bitterness is cumulative rather than just an errant spike in the experience...makes for a smoother drink and would probably be less offensive to those who are not quite as big on hops. If someone hands you one of these, don't turn it down, but if you're paying for something you can most likely do a bit better if you know what you like and what to look for.

Cheers,

Hurls

Bitter Woman IPA - Tyranena Brewing Company

Vitals:

Name: Bitter Woman IPA

Style: American IPA

IBU: ??

ABV: 5.75%

Gravity: ??

Purchased at: Trixie's Liquor

Descriptions:

Appearance: Pours a deep orange with about a finger of off-white head. Looks to be moderately carbonated. Excellent lacing makes up for a bit of a lack of retention. Patchy cap on the beer after the head dissipates. 

Smell: Not much to speak of here, which is surprising for an IPA. I get some biscuit malt and earthy hops, but that's about it. The malt wins over the hop smell though, also surprising. Not sure I like that...check that, I dislike it. Not impressed so far.

Taste: I will start by saying that this beer is well-balanced and the malts blend right into the hoppiness. It's a smooth transition whereas a lot of IPAs have a noticeable "bite." Orange up front and some sweet malts. The hops are earthy, maybe piney, and some citrus. There are some other citrus flavors but I'm not completely sure what they are (I think lemon). The beer is aptly named, but doesn't leave you with overwhelming bitterness. The taste is not fantastic by any means, but I completely appreciate how the elements flow together so well.

Mouthfeel: Medium body, with somewhat noticeable carbonation. It has a nice level of resin-y feel to it, but not too much. Prickles your tongue a bit. Nothing spectacular here except the moderate level of resin.

Overall Grade: B-

Comments: So, there are a few things worth noting here. 1.) This beer is a victim of its style - it just simply isn't as good as a lot of other IPAs out there. 2.) I strongly considered giving this beer a C+, but the taste experience (not the flavor, mind you) pushed it to a B-. 3.) This tastes like a really hopped up amber more than an IPA. I've had so many good IPAs up here I can't justify a higher grade for this one.

Cheers,

Hurls

Kiss the Lips IPA - Lake Louie Brewing Company

First Lake Louie beer I've had the pleasure of reviewing. 2nd to last remaining beer from the BYO 6-pack from Old Fashioned!

Vitals:

Name: Kiss the Lips

Style: American IPA

IBU: ??

ABV: ??

Gravity: ??

Purchased at: The Old Fashioned (BYO 6-Pack)

As a quick note - I am completely weirded out when a beer doesn't even tell you its ABV, whether online, on the beer bottle, etc. Extremely odd and quite weaksauce, if I might say so myself. Lake Louie Fail.

Descriptions:

Appearance: This beer is very pretty looking when you pour it out into a glass - a lazy hazy orange coloring, with minimal bone-white head (decent retention of what is actually there). The lacing is some of the best I've ever seen...sticks around quite a while and isn't spotty or overly resin-ey. LOTS of carbonation bubbles hugging the glass has me very excited about this beer!

Smell: Piney hops come through on the smell neither too strong nor too weak, just right. Smells quite a bit more yeasty than most IPAs I've had. Lastly, a very good malt smell and a bit of grapefruit come through to give a nice sweet aroma.

Taste: This beer is overpoweringly biting and astringent from the get go, which greatly detracts from the actual taste. The piney hops are somewhat bitter, but mainly sour to be honest. You end up with a lingering malt flavor on your palate, and a bit of tart yeasty taste. Definitely not a huge winner here.

Mouthfeel: The body is extremely light for an IPA, lighter than most I've had. There is a lot of carbonation, as predicted from the appearance, which is not a bad thing here. The main points on the mouthfeel would have to be the astringent and oily qualities of the beer. I love the oily feel, but astringent makes me feel like I'm drinking red wine - NOT what I'm looking for in a delicious brew.

Overall Grade: C

Comments: This beer is a bit boring to me and, on the spectrum of hops - malts the beer is WAY geared towards the malt side. This creates an imbalance that doesn't sit well with a hop-head like me - I'd much prefer to err on the side of hops over malts. However, if you're into a malty beer and don't want a big slap in the face from some hops then give this one a try. It's definitely not for me, and is a bit deceitful with its IPA classification due to the malt concentration.

Cheers,

Hurls

Lilja's Hop Nest Monster - Pangaea Brewing Company

I love the name of this beer - hoping that the taste will be the same. I've never in my life heard of Pangaea Brewing Company, but it must be a Wisconsin brew since I got it from the Old Fashioned BYO 6-pack

Vitals:

Name: Lilja's Hop Nest Monster

Style: American IPA

IBU: 77

ABV: 7.0%

Gravity: 17 deg. Plato

Purchased at: The Old Fashioned (BYO 6-Pack)

Descriptions:

Appearance: The beer pours a dirty straw color, lighter than I would expect from an IPA. The head on this beer is bone-white and reminds me on a meringue topping on a pie. This may be the most unfiltered beer I've ever seen or else it might be infected (yeast problem...insert jokes here)

Smell: Slightly floral smell with mostly grassy hops and toasted malts; maybe a bit grainy. The smell was not what I expected, much less strong than a normal IPA.

Taste: WOW! Full on frontal assault with the grassy hops, this beer certainly lives up to its name in that respect. The bitterness lingers for a long time, though I must say there's not much actual hop flavor, just the bitterness, which is a detractor since you get no complexity. The beer isn't very balanced at all, which is surprising given the grainy malt smell. Lemon and flowers come through a bit as the beer builds to the hop bitterness; you only get a small taste of the toasted malts (thus the imbalance).

Mouthfeel: This beer is medium bodied, but extremely oily and astringent. The beer really dries your mouth out AS you're drinking it, while most astringent beers I've had do that after you finish your sip. I really wonder if this beer is filtered AT ALL - there is a TON of debris that is suspended in the beer.

Overall Grade: B-

Comments: I LOVE LOVE LOVE hops, but this beer just had no balance and wasn't doing it for me. I would drink this every once in a while to see if there's any degree of consistency to this beer, especially to see if the debris thing remains a problem. There are definitely better IPAs out there, go and find one!

Cheers,

Hurls