Sixpoint 3BEANS Tasting

While there are other posts still in the works, this seemed an opportune moment to get down some midsummer tasting notes.  Looking for a special beverage to share with my father, Abt. Absalom, to mark the U.S. Day of Independence, I came across 3BEANS in a local bottle shop.  Having learned of this beer some time ago via one of the coolest beer promos I've seen, I was already primed to like it; my father and I both enjoy dark beers, further making it a good choice.  Its small serving size (delivered in such a cute little can) also meant that its 10% ABV wouldn't destroy us on a day that would include the consumption of several other fermented concoctions.  Though a stout, especially a big one like this, is not the first thing I seek out on a hot summer day, it went down easily relaxing in an air-conditioned homestead.

Speaking of posts in the works, coming soon will be the unveiling of the Abbot's impressive brewery works.

Sixpoint Brewery

3BEANS

 Date: 4 July 2013

Venue: Turned Timber Abbey (my parents' house)

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Appearance - Deep, dark brown, not quite black.  Nice red-brown highlights at the edges of the glass.

Smell - Restrained coffee, a little chocolate.

Taste - Similarly restrained coffee, some alcohol.  A bit of cocoa in the finish.  The coffee is the "signature" flavour without taking over the drinking experience; well done!

Mouthfeel - Smooth and a bit creamy, but doesn't overstay its welcome; finishes dry and clean.

Overall - Very nice; one of the best coffee beers I've had, bearing in mind that I don't like to be clubbed over the head with coffee when it's a component.  The alcohol is present but isn't hot or overbearing despite its ABV.  This won't become an everyday beer, but it's well made, intriguing, and great for special occasions.

- Br. Absalom

PNW tastings, part 2

This, unexpectedly, is the wrap-up of this tasting series. I'd originally planned to break it into three installments, but hey, things happen. After part 1, using the picture box (which keeps falling apart) for photos went by the wayside. And I'll admit that the final two bottles we brought back from our trip were consumed with friends this past weekend. Here's the rundown on those: the bottled version of Green Flash's Imperial IPA lived up to my recollections from having it on draft some time ago, and Russian River's Supplication is, well, a hell of a fruity sour beer that I'll seek out again as soon as possible. Hope you enjoy the remaining five reviews.

Gigantic Brewing Company/3 Floyds

Axes of Evil

Date: 12 April 2013

Venue: My house

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Appearance - Brilliant yellow-gold; massive foamy head that hangs out for most of the drink.

Smell - Super bright citrus; not huge, but slightly soapy.

Taste - Starts orange, followed by sharp pine resin. Orange and lemon sits on the back of the tongue. A little peach, pineapple, and soapiness in the finish.

Mouthfeel - Surprisingly light body and well carbonated; it works out well.

Overall - Fresh, big-ass DIPA; the alcohol doesn't take long to take effect, but it's not noticeable in the taste. Almost too light in the body, but lots of fruitiness, which I much prefer to a pure bitter bomb. Not having looked into this beer much, my guess is the soapiness is from one or more Citra additions, which can give that impression. I wouldn't turn down another of these, though. Excellent collaboration, folks.

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Double Mountain Brewery

Hop Lava Northwest IPA

Date: 13 April 2013

Venue: My house

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Appearance - Deep orange, a little hazy.  Rocky foam head.

Smell - Some tropical fruit (pineapple), citrus, a bit of malt.

Taste - Dominant grapefruit rind bitterness early with a long tail.  Some orange and malt in the middle.

Mouthfeel - Light body with prickly carbonation makes this very easy drinking.

Overall - Bitterness is the dominant feature in this beer, but it's still pretty enjoyable.  One per sitting is enough for me, though, especially in the 500 ml bottle.

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Russian River Brewing Company
Pliny the Elder

Date: 14 April 2013

Venue: My house

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Appearance - Clear, deep burnished orange.  Sticky, orange-yellow tinged head leaves a bit of lacing down the glass.  Exquisite.

Smell - Pours out orange rind and pine; dank.

Taste - Solid wall of dank that resolves to long, evenly fading tail of firm bitterness.  A little malt, dominated by resin and a bit of grapefruit.  It actually numbs the tongue a bit; really packs a wallop!  More luxurious malt presence upon warming a little; firm bitterness at the end.

Mouthfeel - Not heavy at all; firm carbonation contributes to its tongue-numbing quality and gets it moving over the palate.

Overall - The classic double IPA for a reason.  This is a magnificent beer.  The hops are utterly dominant, but despite the slight numbing quality, it doesn't punish with bitterness.  It's worth getting back to California just for more of this.

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Eel River Brewing

Triple Exultation Certified Organic Old Ale

Date: 17 April 2013

Venue: My house

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Appearance - Clear, red-brown hue with orange-red highlights.  Fluffy red-orange tinged head.

Smell - Malt, malt, and more malt.  A little alcohol.

Taste - A little bread, but a ton of straight-up malt.  It's dry enough, though, to avoid being cloyingly sweet.  It's really not sweet at all, just malty.  This is balanced with a clean, firm bitterness that doesn't overpower; it does linger at the very back of the tongue for quite a while, but it only makes itself known when swallowing.

Mouthfeel - Only medium, not really as heavy as the style can run.  Carbonation may be a bit high.

Overall - I'm very happy with this beer.  I tend to avoid old ales because I liken them to barleywines, which are usually heavier than I want to drink regularly.  Triple Exultation reminds me that there's a difference between them; this is much more attenuated than most barleywines I've had, which is very welcome.  A great beer for a cool spring evening.

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Joseph James Brewing Co.

Red Fox Russian Imperial Stout

Date: 26 April 2013

Venue: My house

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Appearance - Deep, dark black with red and brown undertones.  Thick, luscious mocha head that drops back, leaving a marshmallow-like layer.

Smell - Candied fruit, dark chocolate, a little herbal hop.

Taste - Excellent balance of sweet malt and hop bitterness; moderate roast follows, with alcohol in the middle.

Mouthfeel - Nice and thick, smooth carbonation.

Overall - Pretty tasty.  The bitterness and alcohol can get sharp and heavy on the back of the tongue as it warms, however.

- Br. Absalom

PNW tastings, part 1

A few weeks ago Mrs. Absalom and I spent a week on the road as part of a music tour that took us through the Pacific Northwest, about which I plan to regale you in some detail in the near future.  In the course of this tour, we managed to procure a number of beverages for later sampling.  Having never excelled at really considering all the aspects of the drink in my glass, and having long looked forward to partaking of these fine libations, I set myself the goal of taking proper tasting notes and photos of all of them.

Having come down with a raging illness shortly after returning from the tour, I held off on delving into these beers for a couple weeks.  Now back up to speed, here is the first installment of these tasting notes.

Ninkasi Brewing Company
Tricerahops DIPA

Date: 4 April 2013

Venue: My house

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Appearance - Clear yellow-orange, head drops back buy leaves sticky lacing.

Smell -  Not as present as I'd suspect; candy, light floral, orange.  After it warmed a bit, some malt sweetness came out.  Mrs. Absalom described it as "a small young evergreen bush."

Taste - Resounding pine, followed by clean malt.  A long, lingering, welcome bitterness that hangs out anchored to the back of the tongue.  The bitterness is right in line with the West Coast style.  Crisp, not bloated.  The malt fills out as it warms.

Mouthfeel - It's a big beer, no doubt about it, but the body isn't overly heavy; it's not a Berliner weisse, but falls nicely into a medium-light category.  Medium carbonation isn't overdone, as it doesn't have to do a lot of work to lighten the body.

Overall - This is a lean and mean West Coast DIPA; it's dry and packs a bitter punch.  More like this, please.

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Heretic Brewing Company
Gramarye Rye Pale Ale

Date: 5 April 2013

Venue: My house

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Appearance - Deep, clear red-gold.  A little head that leaves some lacing.

Smell - A bit of malt, some citrus.

Taste - Prominent cracker, biscuit.  Some rough-around-the-edges malt character, presumably from the rye.  Firm, lasting bitterness.  Lingers for just a couple of seconds before vanishing.

Mouthfeel - Medium body; easy, medium carbonation.

Overall - Very pleasant, malty pale ale, though I don't get a ton of particularly rye character from it, more just an enjoyable roughness to the malt.  That, of course, may just be my inexperience showing through, but the character of this beer is a bit different from what I've experienced from rye before.

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Heretic Brewing Company
Shallow Grave Porter

Date: 6 April 2013

Venue:  My house (seeing a pattern...)

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Appearance - Deep, dark brown-black with very slight brown highlights when held to the light.  The thick head of small to medium bubbles hangs around for quite a while, developing into bigger, uneven bubbles.

Smell - Cocoa, sweet malt, alcohol.

Taste - Restrained roast, nice cocoa character, smooth alcohol, balanced hop bitterness.  A little alcohol and hops in the short finish.  The booze comes out even more as it warms, along with a sweet caramel character.

Mouthfeel - Heavier body, though not to Baltic porter levels.  Low-medium carbonation.

Overall - A decent robust porter, though the booze character is too prominent for my tastes.  The alcohol isn't burning, just forward.  I wouldn't turn away another.

- Br. Absalom

Knowing Goodness

“A taste for better stuff is cultivated only through experience.”

     -Barbara Kingsolver

“The baguettes don’t take long to bake in the hot stone oven. After about fifteen minutes we take them out and cut them open. The smell is enough to make you give up on cooking a gourmet meal and just eat bread instead.”

     -Camille Kingsolver

These two quotes are much more related than seems at first glance. Okay, maybe first glance is enough. It’s pretty obvious.

I’ve long been perplexed those willing to eat supermarket tomatoes in the winter. I suppose I’ve been one of those people myself at times, but that was less about ignorance and more about desperation, and a futile attempt in denial to have what I wanted when I wanted it. Perhaps it was also a sort of personal food Rumspringa. (I’ve mentioned my upbringing before, our kitchen at times more closely resembling that of an Amish household than its typical American counterpart.) I have a vivid memory of being in the Jewel-Osco (grocery chain in Chicago) on Ashland and Wellington in the winter of 2003-2004 with the ill-fated intention of buying tomatoes. (This probably happened more than once.) I wanted that magical July-August experience. A pesto pasta punctuated by bright, warm bursts of acidic-sweet cherry tomato sublimity. I knew in my heart of hearts that it was an empty pursuit, but like I said, I was in denial. I know I bought romas, brandywines, or whatever the hell variety supermarkets refer to as “vine-ripened tomatoes,” (as though there should be any other kind). “Insipid imports...anemic wedges that taste like slightly sour water with a mealy texture.” That’s actually a rather nice way of putting it. And if these insipid imports are all you know of as “tomatoes,” I can see why your feelings about tomatoes in general would be rather lukewarm at best, or even negative.

One of 2012's prized gems

But if you’ve ever had a fresh garden tomato, if you’ve walked up to a tall, gangly cherry tomato vine stretching its limbs like a yawning cat, unabashedly sunning itself in your backyard, and picked one of those warm, red jewels hanging from its crowned blossoms, popped it into your mouth, bit down with your front teeth, and received an explosion of flavor (and texture) that you forgot or never knew was possible, I don’t know how you would ever trust one of those insipid imports again.

I’ve spent a good portion of my adult life realizing just how bad a lot of the food we eat is, and wondering why so many people are okay with eating it. And I think it’s because they haven’t had enough experiences such as those described above. If a taste for better stuff is cultivated only through experience, does a good experience guarantee a taste for better stuff? I think we know that it doesn’t. The words “only” and “cultivated” in that statement are powerful words, accounting for the people who are mysteriously unaffected by such experiences, as well as for those who don’t have the experiences frequently enough, allowing appreciation and love for quality to grow. What’s the missing link? Surely there is some reason that someone experiences a truly superior tomato, India Pale Ale, or slice of artisanal cheese, but for whatever reason registers no more of a reaction than the “meh” that is normally elicited by the impostor immigrant counterparts.

Homegrown Yugoslavian heirloom variety - 2012

Was it a good enough experience? Walking into a good bakery and eating freshly baked bread is one thing, but when you were in the kitchen when it was in dough form, smelled it baking, cut into it and saw the steam rise from the crack like a volcanic fissure, and bit down on what was the freshest baked bread that any human has ever tasted, is that enough to make the difference? To never want to eat another slice of the double-wrapped, fisher-price resembling, aisle 3 stand-by again? I would think so, but then again, I know of people who have uttered a facial “meh” at such experiences, leaving me to wonder, how could you be so blinded to the truth that just jumped up and smacked you right in the face?

Admittedly, I don’t know many people who have denied such a tastebud affirming experience. Most of the dinner guests at my parent’s house in my youth frequently gasped at the sight of our vegetable garden, uttering laments of you’re so lucky and to eat like this every day...

I’ll just have to go on being like one of those charmingly obnoxious Pink Floyd fans, who upon discovering that you don’t really like Pink Floyd, confidently declare that you just haven’t heard the right album yet. It’s the only way I can reconcile the fact that for you and tomatoes, “‘kinda reddish’ is qualification enough.”

-Br. Thelonious

*Quotes taken from Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

Some of our 2012 deck garden's production

Russian River Consecration Tasting

Stopping back through Chicago at the end of our summer travels, Mrs. Absalom and I were once again gracefully accepted under the roof of Br. & Mrs. Thelonious.  In celebration, Br. Thelonious and I shared a bottle I discovered in Philadelphia, Russian River's Consecration, their strong sour ale aged with currants in cabernet barrels.  This not being something one can find in the Midwest (or most other places) and being such a marvelous, complex sour, it was a rare treat, and very satisfying to share with a fellow member of the Order.

Date: 30 July 2012

Venue: Damen Abbey (Br. Thelonious's)

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Appearance: Clear cherry amber; head burns off quickly.

Smell: Berry, lots of warm mellow wood, a little tartness.  This is the first beer to which I can actually attribute a measure of "barnyard" aroma; it's only slight, and in no way objectionable.

Taste: Sourness right from the start.  Tart cherry continues to intensify through the entire draught, deep oak & red wine in the middle to the end.  Despite being 10%, the alcohol does not show itself here.  The tart to tannic transition is seamless; very well integrated.

Mouthfeel: Prickly carbonation lifts the winey finish, keeping it from hanging on too long.

Overall: An incredible, complex beer that really shows the cab barrel character.  A shame the distribution for this is so limited; just about has me ready to road trip out to California for more right now.

- Br. Absalom

Square One Taurus IPA tasting

Mrs. Absalom and I are just about halfway through the middle of a cross-country road trip that has already taken us through one-fifth of the Union, with more to come.  Some quick tasting notes from the road are in order, however, from the brewpub of Square One Brewery and Distillery in St. Louis, which we visited on Br. Abelard's suggestion.  The food was well prepared and tasty, and their American pale ale slipped down my throat faster than I could believe.  Intrigued by the current offering in their single-hop IPA series, featuring a varietal about which I've never heard--unsurprising given its incredible scarcity--I took a few notes as I went.

Date - 27 June 2012

Venue - Square One brewpub

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Appearance - Glowing orange, a little murky, wispy head that drops after a minute.

Smell - Very light; initially I couldn't smell it over the plate of wings that had just arrived!  A little malt, lightly herbal.

Taste - Even maltiness and almost light orange on the front, followed by a solid herbal bitterness with a little lingering spice.  It wraps up quickly, without a long aftertaste.  The bitterness is balanced very well; it doesn't taste anywhere near the purported 85+ IBUs.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied, light carbonation; very fitting.

Overall - A solid, satisfying beer, though certainly not what's always expected as an IPA.  Wish I got more from this unique hop, which was very delicate and had a hard time getting across.  While good, I'd have probably preferred another of the APA to another of this.  Either way, I'd love to get back to this excellent, inviting brewpub sooner rather than later.

-Br. Absalom

New Glarus Unplugged Enigma 2010 tasting

It's been a treat to revisit these New Glarus beers; due to their WI-only availability, we haven't had  any of these since we first tried them on our honeymoon.  This final beer, Enigma, was a bit different from my recollection, but in no way a letdown.

Date - 20 May 2012

Venue - My house

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Appearance - Deep gold/amber, thin film of off-white head, brilliant red highlights.

Smell - Cherry with some acidity that brightens the sensation, some vanilla, prominent oak.

Taste - Lots of oak and vanilla with an even tanginess; balanced acidity leads to a rounded berry flavour.  Clean tannic finish.

Mouthfeel - Medium-low carbonation with a medium body; disappears easily.

Overall - Dan Carey knows how to get cherry to come across loud and clear, even when it's not the main event.  This one is very easy to drink, with a round, fruity, oak flavour.  It's not as sour as I recall, but the sourness that is present acts more to balance the beer than to strip enamel.  Will definitely keep my eyes out for this one in Wisconsin, whenever we end up back there.

- Br. Absalom

New Glarus Unplugged Old English Porter tasting

Finished up a long, somewhat excruciating brewday a little while ago.  Back to tasting notes!  Here's the second in the series of two-year-old New Glarus limited releases opened last weekend; this time it's the Old English Porter.

Date - 19 May 2012

Venue - My house

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Appearance - Clear, tawny brown body with orange highlights.  The thin tan head drops quickly but leaves some lacing down most of the glass.

Smell - Oak is prominent, followed by faint vanilla.  Acidity starts out faint, but comes out more as it warms.

Taste -Moderate acidity (not too citric and biting) washes over the palate; oak emerges after that along with vanilla undertones.  Roast is distant, far from prevalent.  Finishes clean.

Mouthfeel - Low-medium carbonation complementing a light body.  Very brown porter-ish of it.

Overall - This isn't a crazy big imperial/Baltic porter, but the acidity makes this low-gravity beer a sipper on par with something much more alcoholic.  It's an interesting take on the historical "vatted" porter style that makes me want to try more aged/soured small beers.

- Br. Absalom

New Glarus Unplugged Cherry Stout 2010 tasting

 
Following recent discussions within the Order regarding our personal storehouses, I thought it was just about time to pull something from the "cellar".  Three selections from New Glarus's Unplugged Series have been lurking in those shadows (quite literally) for the last two years; it seemed only right to let them see the light of day this weekend.

The first to be sampled was the Cherry Stout; my recollection from the summer of 2010 was that there wasn't a lot of "stout" to this beer.  My recollection did not lie.

Date - 19 May 2012

Venue - My house

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Appearance - Dark brown, nearly black on first glance; held to the light, however, it's shot through with clear ruby highlights.  The small light tan head falls back quickly.

Smell - Sweet cherry front and center, jumping right out of the glass.  Really that's the overriding aroma; maybe a little barrel quality hiding behind it, but the cherry really dominates.

Taste - Tons of cherry here from start to finish; notes of oak, bourbon, and vanilla at the end.  Very full and sweet without being cloying.  Complete and utter lack of stout roastiness.

Mouthfeel - Solid, sparkly carbonation.  Especially given the sweetness of the cherry here, it could very well come across as soda-like with much more; keeping it under that threshold reminds you you're still drinking beer.

Overall - Up front, I'll admit I have a ridiculous sweet tooth.  In no way does this come across as a stout, but I love the hell out of it.  The huge cherry aroma and flavour are great, but the complexity of the oak qualities really enhance this beer; it's getting the wheels spinning in my head for what to brew come fall.  DeAunn's summation was "Yumtastic!!!"; I have to agree.

- Br. Absalom

Squatter's Fifth Element 2012 tasting

This is from Squatter's Reserve Series; it took Gold at the 2011 GABF in the Lambic/Sour category.  It definitely falls under the "funky saison" heading.  I picked up the bottle from the downtown SLC brewpub earlier this week.

Date - 29 March 2012

Venue - My house

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Appearance - Yellow-gold with lots of small bubbles that cling to the sides of the goblet.  The big pillowy foam hangs around for several minutes, but doesn't leave as much lacing as I thought it might.

Aroma - Tart lemon, spicy, a little barnyard, a touch of soapiness.  Very intense in its lightness.

Taste - Immediate funk, oak, and mellow citrus.  The sour/tart sensation has a light touch, but lingers in the aftertaste.  No alcohol burn detected.

Mouthfeel - Just a bit heavier than truly light, with effervescent carbonation; very lifting and spritzy.

Overall - This is way too refreshing for an 8% beer!  It's light, characterful, and drinks much easier than its ABV suggests; while it goes down easily, though, its effect isn't slow in arriving.  The funk and sourness are main players, but aren't overdone.  Definitely worth repeated sampling!

- Br. Absalom

Uinta Organic Wyld tasting

We invited over a few friends last night to have a tasting of my blueberry stout that just carbed up.  Among the other beers had also had on hand was a mixed pack from local Uinta Brewing Company's Organic line.  Included in it was their extra pale ale, Wyld, which I really enjoyed when we visited Uinta's taproom in the fall.  While a lot of the local beers haven't done a lot for us, it's nice to come across something really nice like this.

Date - 18 February 2012

Venue - My house
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Appearance - Clear, golden, with just a little head developing.

Aroma - Lots of stone fruit (apricot, peach); bread is also prominent.

Taste - Fresh, clean malt with a moderate assertive bitterness.  Breadiness in the nose is very prominent in the aftertaste.  It leaves quickly and cleanly, though a light bitterness lingers.

Mouthfeel - Light and easygoing; moderate carbonation.

Overall - This is a really great session beer; it's almost too drinkable.  Light and refreshing, with a lot of flavour.  I really like the bready quality, though it might get old after a few pints.

- Br. Absalom

Squatter’s Barrel of Russians tasting

DeAunn and I had an early dinner at SLC brewpub Squatter’s the other night, and brought home this specimen for further research.  A Russian imperial stout brewed with licorice root, aged in rye whiskey barrels from the local High West Distillery, and clocking in at 10.5% ABV, it’s right up our collective alley, particularly this time of year.

Date - 13 February 2012

Venue - My house

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Appearance - Inky black with a deep brown head of small to medium bubbles that dropped back to a ring after several minutes.

Aroma - Perfumey, muted oak, hints of molasses and chocolate.

Taste - This one immediately goes to the back of the tongue with definite alcohol and licorice.  Notes of dark chocolate, subdued oak, and low roast; a little acrid.  More chocolate and a balanced sweetness as it warms.

Mouthfeel - Rich and creamy on the front of the tongue; full bodied.

Overall - A big, tasty beer for ski season (should the snow ever arrive in force); dark and acrid in the right ways.  Considering picking up another bottle or two to lay down for a year.

- Br. Absalom

Epic/Crooked Stave Elder Brett tasting

I learned of this new collaboration between SLC’s Epic & Colorado’s Brettanomyces-focused Crooked Stave earlier this week via the Utah Beer blog.  It’s fairly big saison that was then aged with four strains of Brett in white wine barrels that previously held Epic’s Belgian golden strong ale fermented with peaches, Brainless on Peaches.  Snagged a bottle of this yesterday, and after allowing it time to settle and chill at home, enjoyed it last night.  It certainly made an interesting accompaniment to watching The Two Towers.

Date - 27 January 2012

Venue - My house

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Poured gold with a substantial head that collapsed after a couple minutes.  White wine and green apple in the nose; the taste brought more white wine, phenolics from the  yeast, light tartness, and maybe a little fruit.  The mouthfeel was pretty light, with medium carbonation; it didn’t sit heavy in the mouth, and definitely didn’t come across as nearly 9%.  Overall, it was interesting, but didn’t deliver the funk I was expecting.  That may simply mean I need more experience with various strains of Brett, but for me, this beer was dominated by the wine that was originally in the barrels.  Given that there’s been a full run of another strong beer through those barrels prior to this, that wine character really seems to be going the distance.  I’ll be curious to learn if the Brett is still active in the bottles; if so, I’ll probably pick up a couple more bottles to age and see if any more barnyard/musty/funk character develops.

- Br. Absalom

Dad's Rye IPA tasting & recipe

My dad got into homebrewing shortly after I did.  We’ve brewed many stovetop extract batches together on my visits home (we did an American brown a couple weeks ago), and I’ve put together a number of recipes for him.  This is one of those; it’s pretty straightforward, based around the new rye malt syrup that Northern Brewer released last year. It's modeled a bit on NB's Denny's Wry Smile kit, the hops in particular, subbing some of the specialty grains my dad had in stock.

Date - 8 January 2012

Venue - My parents' house (WI)

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The beer’s a deep red-brown with a full head on the pour; it drops to a thick film after a few minutes, but doesn’t leave a lot of lacing on the glass.  The aroma has a lot of fruit (apricot, maybe?) and floral notes.  The taste up front is of dark fruit and malt, followed by a strong bitterness that fades back quickly but lingers for a few moments.  There’s a little more fruit in the middle as it warms.  It’s medium bodied, the rye lying heavy on the tongue before slickly sliding off; the carbonation is moderate, not prickly but certainly not flat.  It’s turned out to be a very tasty beer, with a lively fruitiness without being overly sweet, balanced by solid IPA bitterness.

Dad’s Rye IPA (extract)
Batch size: 4 gallons
Projected OG: 1.052
Projected SRM: 9.2
Projected IBU: 38
Boil time: 60 minutes

Grains/Fermentables
94.1% - 6 lb Rye malt syrup
3.9% - 4 oz Biscuit
2.0% - 2 oz C 120

Hops
.5 oz Columbus (14%) (60 min)
.5 oz Mt. Hood (5.5%) (20 min)
.5 oz Mt. Hood (0 min)
.5 oz Columbus (Dry hop 7 days)

Yeast
1 pkg WY1450 Denny’s Favorite 50

- Br. Absalom

Green Flash Imperial IPA tasting

 

 Date - 2 January 2012

Venue - Local Option
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In Chicago for New Year’s Eve, Br. Thelonious and I stopped in at the Local Option in Lincoln Park before DeAunn and I headed out of town for Wisconsin last night.  He had the Nøgne Batch #500 Imperial IPA; hopefully he’ll post his thoughts on it.  The Green Flash Imperial IPA I had, pictured above, was everything I love about super-charged West Coast hoppy beers.  It was beautifully clear with nice lacing, it smelled like a freshly opened bag of whole-leaf hops with lots of pine and floral notes.  The taste matched the aroma: huge hop flavour with bitterness that doesn’t totally overwhelm, but lingers on the back of the tongue.  Unlike a lot of overly hefty IIPAs, this one finishes without a lot of sweetness.  This is absolutely the freshest smelling and tasting imperial IPA I’ve ever had, and will very much look forward to my next opportunity to have a glass.

- Br. Absalom