Beers #152-171: Miscellaneous Summer Tastings

Some more ratings from June & July at various locations ...

#152/365: BrewDog Original Dogma:
From bottle, courtesy of dpjuart. Rye, green peppercorns, floral with pineapple, lemongrass, allspice, and sassafras. Deep coppery amber clear with foamy off-white lacing head. Starts and stays spicy with herbal notes. Smooth and sweet with lasting herbal and bitter finish. Fairly clean after.  Spice/Herb/Vegetable  72/100

#153/365: Evil Twin Yang:
First beer tried in my new Spiegelau IPA glass. Sweet caramel and toffee, mild Twizzlers and brown sugar. Aromatic floral-fruity hops and tea with candied oranges. Hazy orange amber, dark with amber creamy lacing head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Alcohol warming. Starts and stays sweet with brown sugar and candi sugar, alcohol, and neutral fruity character. Floral hoppy character with oranges and apricots. Sweet finish with alcoholic warming. Medium bitter after with sugary tang.  Imperial/Double IPA  84/100

#154/365: Heather Ales Grozet:
From bottle, courtesy of Frank. Light earthy sewage notes. Wheaty with an astringent tang. Hazy-cloudy pale amber with thin white dissipating head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts medium dry and dull with wheat and a flat hop bitterness. Light bitter berry flavor. Sulfury-sewage aroma permeates the flavor, too. Astringent bitter after.  Traditional Ale  32/100

#155/365: Just Beer Horseneck Golden IPA:
On tap at Benjamin’s. Mild floral hop aroma with some butterscotch and biscuit. Medium amber hazy with thin off-white lacing head. Medium body and carbonation. Starts dry with lots of hop flavor, light carbonic acidity and medium biscuit sweetness. Big finishing hop flavor with lasting medium bitter after.  India Pale Ale  64/100

#156/365: Blue Point Rastafa Rye Ale:
On tap at the Knick. Really nice floral hoppy aroma, sweet with caramel and some brown sugar. Spicy rye grain notes. Hazy medium amber with thin off-white head. Medium body with heavy carbonation and carbonic fizz. Starts medium sweet with biscuit and toffee, light spicy character and decent floral hop flavor. Light sweet finish and smooth after.  Specialty Grain  58/100

#157/365:  Nøgne Ø Imperial Stout: From bottle, 4 or 5 years old. Smoky roasted aroma with toffee, vanilla, and a bit of oak. Dark black opaque with no head. Medium heavy body with medium carbonation and alcohol warming. Starts sweet with chocolate, vanilla, oak, and toffee. Big rich malt profile with medium dry bitter roast and some hop bitterness components. Finish is sweet with alcohol notes, roasted bitterness and coffee. Smooth sweet after.  Imperial Stout  84/100

#158/365: Fat Head's #1:
On tap at Mad Mex, Cranberry. Pleasant floral-sweet malt notes with honey, jasmine, and yeast. Mild bubblegum esters. Medium amber clear with light haze, topped with thin white head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Starts and stays sweet with lots of floral and fruity character, yeast, and bubblegum. Smooth sweet finish with no bitterness.  Saison  72/100

#159/365: Dark Horse Artic Dekoorc Eert:
On tap at Mad Mex, Cranberry. Wonderful hoppy apricot aroma. Fruity and fresh with light resin and light sweetness. Medium golden amber clear with thin head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Mild sweet starts with tons of hop flavor. Apricot and resin, big bitterness throughout. Finish is apricot and mild sweet with big bitter. Medium bitter after.  India Pale Ale   72/100

#160/365: Hill Farmstead What Is Enlightenment?:
From growler, courtesy of Peter & Yolanda. Beautiful hop aroma - piney, apricot, pineapple - sweet and luscious. Pale golden haze with thin white lacing head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts medium sweet with tons of hop flavors. Mild bitterness but intense flavor. A delicious APA and a real treat to try.  American Pale Ale  92/100

#161/365: Otto's Arthur's Imperial Red:
On tap at the brewery. Malt roasty character, nice sweet notes. Mild fruity character, nutty with medium hop aroma. Floral. Dark ruby-amber clear with thin off-white lacing head. Medium body with cask carbonation. Starts malty with roasted grain and lots of fruity notes. Floral hops, bitter throughout. Finish is smooth and nutty with tons of great hop flavor.  Amber Ale  78/100

#162/365: Goose Island Night Stalker:
On tap at Zeno’s. Sweet with licorice and molasses. Chocolate, coffee, cream, and smoke. Alcohol vapors. Dark black opaque with thin than head. Medium-heavy watery body with medium carbonation. Chewy. Starts and stays cloyingly sweet with soy, molasses, licorice, chocolate, and syrup. Big sweet finish and after with cloying sweet soy notes.   Imperial Stout  76/100

#163/365: Elk Creek Great Blue Heron Pale Ale:
On tap at Zeno’s. Rye, malted grain, spicy hop nose. Medium amber clear with some haze, topped with thin white head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts with spicy rye notes, dry grain, and pale malt sweetness. big hoppy presence but not harsh or overpowering. Nice pale ale.  American Pale Ale  72/100

#164/365: Church Brew Coconut Stout:
On tap at Benjamin’s. Light roasted malt with a bit of acrid smoke, lactose sweetness and a hint of coconut and chocolate. Dark black opaque with creamy light tan lacing head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Starts medium dry with roasted and lightly burnt malt. Coconut flavor with some coffee and chocolate, and a bit of carbonic acidity. Finish is sweet with coconut and vanilla and mild nutty bitterness. A little watery.  Sweet Stout  64/100

#165/365: Ommegang Fleur de Houblon:
On tap at Zeno’s. Nice floral-fruity nose, like a traditional saison. Honey and bubblegum and spice. Mild hops. Light golden clear with some haze, topped with thin head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts medium sweet with dry hop flavor, bubblegum, and wheat. Fairly dry finish with smooth sweet after.  Belgian Ale  80/100

#166/365: Old Forge Celestial Blond Ale:
On tap at The Knick. Mild sweet wheat aroma with some coriander and orange. Honey. Golden amber clear with light haze and thin white lacing head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts sweet with bubblegum, coriander, and honey. Some yeast and fruity esters. Finish is dry with a little honey and mild hop bitterness. Nice but a little too sweet for my taste.  Belgian Ale  66/100

#167/365: Straub IPL:
On tap at The Knick. Rich malty lager aroma, like a heller Bock with lots of fresh grassy hops. There is a note of oxidation here, however not detrimental. Medium-dark amber clear with thin off-white lacing head. Medium-heavy watery body with medium carbonation. Starts medium sweet with rich malt notes and a bit hop bitterness - like a hoppy Bockbier, basically. Some oxidation notes. Big bitter finish and nutty sweetness, with lingering bitter notes.  Premium Lager  58/100

#168/365: Southern Tier 2X Stout:
On tap at The Knick. Mild rich malty nose with lactose, coffee, and chocolate. Pleasant, but not assertive. Mild oak and vanilla. Dark black opaque with beautiful light tan creamy lacing head. Medium body with smooth nitro carbonation. Starts sweet with lactose, chocolate, toasted and slightly bitter malt, and a hint of coffee and smoke. Smooth and sweet with pleasant nutty sweet finish and clean after.  Sweet Stout  80/100

#169/365: Marzoni's Hoppy Wheat:
On tap at the brewery. Nice fresh hop aroma. Citrus, pine, grass, and a bit of wheat tang. Medium amber hazy with thin white lacing head. Medium-light body with medium carbonation. Starts with mild wheat and pale malt sweetness. Huge hop flavor throughout with mild bitter finish and after. More like an APA than a wheat. Refreshing and delicious.  Wheat Ale  82/100

#170/365: New Holland Imperial Hatter:
On tap at Twisted Jimmy’s. Nice hoppy aroma. Spicy and piney with mild sweet caramel and toffee. Deep coppery amber clear with thin head. Medium-heavy body with medium carbonation. Starts somewhat sweet, sugar and caramel. Big hoppy flavor with smooth after and a bit of warming.  Imperial/Double IPA  76/100

#171/365: Lancaster Boss Hog:
On tap at Benjamin’s. Mild hoppy nose, not what I’d expect from IIPA. Deep amber clear with thin head. Medium bodied with medium-high carbonation. Very mild beer for IIPA. Malt sweetness with butterscotch, caramel, and light hop bitterness. Very little bitterness anywhere, with sweet smooth after.  Imperial/Double IPA  60/100

Beers #41-59: Tired Hands Tasting and Catching Up in My Backlog

It's day 66 of 2013 and I'm a little behind in my goal - 59 new beers to date.  This post will catch me up on my backlog of beer notes, including an awesome tasting of Tired Hands beers.

We were invited to a Chinese New Year's Party (Feb. 9) in town, and the husband of the host couple is a really good homebrewer and beer aficionado. In short, there's always something good to drink at the party.  This year was no exception, but for me there was only one new beer:

41/365: Samuel Adams Dark Depths:

Nice fresh and floral-grassy hops with light chocolate, coffee, and roasted bitterness. Dark brown-black with medium sized light tan lacing head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts medium malty and sweet with chocolate, toasted barley, and soy sauce. Big floral-piney bitter hops and lasting bitterness. Smooth nutty bitter finish and after.  Black IPA  78/100

 The next couple of beers were ones I had in the basement, one from a sampler pack brought to me by my father-in-law, and the other part of a '24 Beers of Xmas' mixed case I bought from a fellow homebrewer.

42/365: Rickard's Dark:

Dull dusty grain, a bit of oxidized caramel and no discernible hops. Coppery dark brown clear with creamy-foamy lacing tan head. Medium-light body with medium-light carbonation. Starts medium sweet with brown sugar, caramel, and light grain dust. Mild astringency with nutty bitter finish and some lingering sweetness. Chalky after.   Porter  48/100

43/365: Uinta Hop Notch IPA:

Very nice nose - spicy-floral hops, oily and resinous. Mild caramel and malt sweetness. Orange peels. Deep orange-amber clear with creamy off-white, huge lacing head. Medium body with medium-light carbonation. Starts fairly dry. Big hop flavor from start to finish. Bursts of resin, orange peel, and apricot. Light nutty caramel malt notes. Big bitter finish with lasting bitter after.  India Pale Ale (IPA)  80/100

 I visited Marzoni's Brick Oven & Brewing in Duncansville for lunch one Saturday in February, and in addition to a few old favorites, I tried Bill's new Red Ale brewed with El Dorado hops.

44/365: Marzoni's Red Ale (El Dorado):

Spicy hop nose, a bit pungent and resinous. Some toasted malt and light caramel. Deep coppery brown clear with thin off-white head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Starts lightly sweet with toasted grain, caramel, and brown sugar. Big herbal-spicy hop notes, light carbonic acidity. Big bitter finish, spicy and piney with lingering bitter after. Amber Ale  72/100

One of our homebrew club alumni, Jon Defibaugh, left Indiana a few years back to pursue a career in brewing.  He brewed his first beer with my equipment in my kitchen, and went crazy from there by cranking out terrific stuff at his house.  He moved to Philly, and started by working with Tom Baker at Earth Bread + Brewery.  Last year, he moved over to Ardmore and has been head brewer for Jean Broillet at Tired Hands. Well, towards the end of February, Jon came back to Indiana for a visit a brought a bunch of goodies - cheese, bread, and beer, beer, and beer.  A few of us got together and had an amazing evening.

45/365: Tired Hands HandFarm:

Great yeasty funky nose - Brett, light lactic notes. Awesome bouquet with a hint of lime zest. Light yellow-amber clear with light head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts and stays dry throughout, with citric-lactic acidity. Tons of Brett and yeasty bitterness. Big hop bitter finish with grapefruit. Great saison with a little bit of oak, too.  Saison  84/100

46/365: Tired Hands Guillemot Nebula:

Bourbon, red wine, fruity acidity, light funk, mild lime and peach, vanilla. A beautiful marriage of aromas. Dark brown-black clear with thin lacing head. Heavy body with medium carbonation. Starts tart with red wine, vanilla, oak, and bourbon. Wonderfully tart and complex but not cloying or overpowering - well rounded.  Saison  90/100

47/365: Tired Hands Guillemot Prunus:

Great nose with tons of cherry. Fruity, woody, and tart, with light funky notes, vanilla and oak. Coppery brown clear with thin tan lacing head. Medium body with medium carbonation. Starts tart with cherries, oak, vanilla, and citrus. Nice tart funk, with some chocolate and soy sauce. Light bitter chocolate finish with lasting, mildly astringent tart after.  Saison  86/100 

48/365: Tired Hands Singel Hop Saison, Amarillo:

Great hop aroma, fruity with onion and light pale malt sweetness. Pale golden yellow clear with thin white head. Medium-light body with medium carbonation. Starts medium dry, peppery with fresh hops. Grassy, herbal, clean. Medium acidity at the finish with great hop flavor. Light bitter after.  Saison  82/100

49/365: Tired Hands LiddleFiddle:

Funky-nasty hop aroma (nasty in a good way) that is just fantastic. The nose gives me the munchies. Mild sweetness and tons of pine, funk, and ozone. Pale golden clear with light haze, topped with thin foamy head. Medium body and carbonation. Nice dry saison with tons of fresh hop character. Big bitter finish and funky after. Delicious.  Saison  86/100

50/365: Tired Hands Entropic:

Bretty, hoppy, and meaty. Light lactic and mild sweetness. Hazy pale with thin white head. Medium-light body with medium carbonation. Medium bitter start. Lots of Brett in this one. Light funk and big bitter notes but not harsh. Astringent finish with mild bitter after.  Sour Ale/Wild Ale  80/100 

 51/365: Tired Hands Ego Disillusionment:

Aroma is a mix of apples, sauerkraut, and milk with tea. Chardonnay and carbonic brightness. Hazy-cloudy pale straw with thin rocky head. Light body with medium carbonation. Tart, funky, sour and lactic. Kiwi chardonnay and apple cider flavors. Just a nice, tart weisse. Bright.  Berliner Weisse  80/100

52/365: Tired Hands MotherAnimal:

Smells of roasted barley and spent coffee grounds. Caramel and sweet with light alcohol and broth. Coppery brown with thin creamy lacing head. Medium-heavy body with high carbonation. Alcohol warming. Vanilla, coffee, toffee, and caramel. Sweet and thick with light alcoholic coffee. Big sweet after. Not cloying, but a little too sweet.  Barley Wine  76/100  

The day after this awesome tasting, I had lunch with a colleague at Benjamin's here in town. They have a pretty good tap selection now, and I went with a new IIPA from Victory.

53/365: Victory Ranch (Centennial):

Nice grassy-fruity fresh hop nose. Apricot, grapefruit, sugary syrup and light caramel. Medium golden amber clear with thin foamy off-white lacing head. Medium body with medium-high carbonation. Starts medium sweet with caramel and brown sugar, neutral fruity character but also with notes of apricot and tons of hop flavor. Big bitter finish and lasting bitter after. The higher gravity was not apparent.  Imperial/Double IPA  78/100

Every year, in February, to celebrate both Dana's and my birthrdays, we usually go to Pittsburgh for a Friday overnight, with a dinner at Casbah, followed by touring around Pittsburgh on Saturday. Casbah is part of the Big Burrito restaurant group, and for your birthday they'll send you a $30 coupon to use the week before until the week after your birthday. Unfortunately, our birthdays don't quite overlap, so we never get to use both of them. (oh, and you can't use it on Saturdays)  On Saturday, we had lunch at Mad Mex (another Big Burrito restaurant), which always has good stuff on tap.  I enjoyed two draughts for lunch:

54/365: Helltown Idle Hands:

Great fresh hop aroma, sweet and grassy with apricot and pear. Some pine and herb notes, too. Hazy medium amber with thin white lacing head. Medium body with medium to heavy carbonation. Starts nice and sweet with apricot and pear notes. Light brown sugar and caramel, too. Sweet bitter finish with nice lasting bitter after that’s not too harsh.  Imperial/Double IPA  82/100

55/365: Great Divide Espresso Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout:

Sweet espresso nose with vanilla, oak, chocolate, light molasses, and a hint of smoke. Dark black opaque with dark brown lacing foamy head. Medium heavy body with heavy carbonation, fizzy and alcoholic warming. Light chewy. Starts sweet and roast with burnt malty caramel, smoke, oak, vanilla, and chocolate. Rich, malty, and hot. Big warming. Big bitter chocolate finish with roasted burnt malt tang. Oak and smoke after, with lingering sweetness and carbonic tang.  Imperial Stout   80/100

And finally, to catch up on the rest of my new beer notes to date, I had the following in my cellar at home (except the St. Stefanus, which Dave and I shared courtesy of Tim at the Coney).

56/365: Rickard's Blonde:

Pale lager aroma, beany with some noble hops and a light corn or vegetal aroma. Mild oxidation. Orange amber clear with thin off-white lacing head. Medium light body with medium carbonation. Starts a bit dry with some caramel sweetness, mild papery notes, and little hop presence. Finish is smooth with light sweet after.  Pilsener  50/100

57/365: St. Stefanus Blonde:

Light Belgian wheat ale nose, mild esters and yeasty notes. Some honey and orange blossom sweetness. Golden clear with creamy-pillowy white lacing head. Medium to light bodied with medium to heavy carbonation. Kind of weak in flavor but medium sweet with light fruity esters and mild carbonic bite. Yeasty chalky finish with medium sweetness and very little bitterness. Mild after.  Belgian Ale  64/100

58/365: Rickard's White:

Nice fruity aroma with apricot nectar, orange peel, and coriander. Kind of sweet with mild floral notes. Cloudy medium amber with thin white head. Medium to light watery body with heavy carbonation. Starts with fruity and floral notes, orange peel and coriander. Pale malt and wheat sweetness with light dry finish. No discernible hop flavors. After is a little chalky but pleasant.  Belgian White (Witbier)   58/100  

59/365: Fat Head's Bumbleberry Honey Blueberry Ale:

Mix of real and fake saccharin blueberry aromas, fruity and a bit earthy. Sweet with no discernible hop character. Light honey. Medium golden amber clear with huge creamy-pillowy lacing off-white head. Medium bodied with medium to heavy carbonation. Starts somewhat dry despite the sweetness of the aroma. Notes of blueberry, honey with a berry-skin bitterness in the finish along with some hop bitterness. Light sweet albeit watery after.  Fruit Beer  56/100

Whew!  Finally caught up.  Next up ... ??