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Yards India Pale Ale

June 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Yards is one of those breweries that, as unfair as it is, I generally avoid. I don’t know many people that are big fans, so I’ve been skeptical. Even after reviewing their Saison (which I did enjoy), I was still hesitant to try the rest of the line.

That all changed this week when Ron Johnson, the Yards New Jersey Sales Rep, was co-hosting a craft beer tasting at my favorite place to buy the goods. They were sampling out four different brews (including Saison) that I had not tasted, but was more than willing to try. I enjoyed all four that I tried, especially “Brawler” and their India Pale Ale.

So, I grabbed a six of the IPA and brought it home with me. And I got a pretty cool pint glass to pour them into, too!

 Anyway, here’s what the fine folks over at Yards have to say about their India Pale Ale: “IPAs were originally brewed to survive the epic sea voyages from England to India. Ours is no different. Hailing from a perfect marriage of sweetness and bitterness and loaded through and through with citrusy and piney hops, this beer will surely survive the journey from your fridge to your couch.”

First of all, this is a beautiful pour. Clean, clear golden color with copper lowlights. Seriously, when I think of beer, this is what I see in my mind’s eye. A typical pour yields a thick, foamy off-white head that holds up very well and leaves a nice amount of lacing behind. The aroma is light – some hops, some citrus, definitely some malts and some other fruitiness as well.


Obviously, the taste is what made me bring it home after sampling it. Not your usual IPA by any means and not really one for the hop cravers, but it is still a nice  offering. There is a strong malt presence that overrides the hops from start to finish. Of course, if you aren’t a fan of the hops, then this might be the perfect IPA for  you. And while this isn’t at all what I usually expect out of an IPA, I’ve still enjoyed every sip. You get a bit of the citrus up front along with a hint of hops, but like I  said, the malts create the most present flavor, which really smooths things out. Very little carbonation allows you to really enjoy the flavors that are present,  allowing the beer to sit on your tongue a bit longer. And since this India Pale Ale has such a nice aftertaste (similar to the first sip), that’s really not a bad thing.

 I’ve been drinking this one with some pretty strongly-flavored meals. Mexican burgers (smothered in salsa and cheddar), Apricot-glazed chicken, extra sharp  cheddar cheese on crackers (see picture), things like that. And it’s really been a good match for those types of flavors. 

 It comes in at 7%, which is not bad for a midday pint, or hanging out at the grill. You aren’t going to hurt yourself if you have a couple. The price is pretty good too, at  $8.99 for the six.

 Congratulations to the crew at Yards. They’ve won me over by going two for two (Well, really four for four, since I enjoyed everything at the tasting, too). I’m looking  forward to grabbing Brawler, too!

 I’m giving this one a 6.75 out of 10. 

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Weyerbacher Last Chance IPA

June 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

If you need a reason other to buy beer other than the fact that Weyerbacher has unleashed a beast of a West Coast-style IPA, then do it for the cause!

From the Weyerbacher site: “Why “Last Chance?” The name “Last Chance” is a nod to something held very close to the hearts of many of the employees at Weyerbacher Brewing Company:  Animal Rescue.  Weyerbacher donates a portion of the proceeds from the sale of every drop of Last Chance IPA to small, regional animal rescue operations.  These shelters offer dogs, cats and other pets their last chance to find a new home.

Have a glass, make a difference!  Cheers!”

On to the review!

 First of all, I think I’ve made it very clear that I’m a big fan of West Coast IPAs. If I haven’t, allow me to do so now: I am a very big fan of West Coast IPAs.

That said, as much as I love Weyerbacher, I had my doubts that an East Coast brewery could deliver on their claim that they brewed a West Coast-style IPA. After all, East is East, West is West and the styles are VERY different. East Coast IPAs tend to be much more subdued and nowhere near as hoppy as their West Coast counterparts. Not that they’re bad, they just aren’t as strong in the flavor arena.

Until now.

I cracked open this IPA and knew just from the scent that Weyerbacher nailed this one down.

Here’s what they have to say about it: “Weyerbacher’s new Last Chance IPA is a west coast-style full-flavored hop assault delightfully lacking in balance.  We’ve added a combination of Centennial, Cascade, Simcoe and Columbus hops are used to produce pungent aromas of grapefruit, pine and citrus.  Last Chance IPA weighs-in at  5.9% ABV and 62 IBUs.”

See how they use the words “hop assault” up there? YUP. It is an absolute assault on the palate and exactly what the IPA hop fiend is seeking.

On the nose, it’s all citrus (grapefruit) and pine. Very much a hallmark of the West Coast style. My typical pour resulted in a frothy white head (2 fingers, at least) over a clear golden body and leaves behind a nice lacing.

Normally, I talk about balance here. But like the brewer says, this is wonderfully unbalanced. It’s a hop house all the way through. You’ll never get a boozy flavor out of it, thanks to that. Don’t read that as a lack of flavor though – for a beer that only comes in at 5.9%, this IPA starts and finishes strong in that department. Light carbonation makes it a very drinkable beer, too. While I was grilling, my wife commented on how quickly the first one disappeared. I didn’t even realize I’d finished it. The aftertaste follows along the initial flavor, very hoppy with a little bit of that grapefruit bite. But if you plan to drink anything different after this one, I’d advise eating about a loaf of bread before doing so.

For a single IPA (Which are enjoyable, but I prefer a Double IPA), Last Chance IPA is sure to please the hopheads. It certainly pleased this one.

Last Chance IPA is still early in the shipping stages from what I understand. As a matter of fact, it was so new to the store that when I went to purchase it, they hadn’t even entered the price in the system. Frank texted me later to let me know he owes me a dollar, because they wound up charging me the wrong price. LOL So what I thought was a $10.99 six pack is actually a $9.99 six pack. 

 Get out there and find it – if nothing else, do it for the animals!

Great work, Weyerbacher. I’m looking forward to more Last Chance and the opportunity for some of my money to go towards a great cause! I hope more brewers will follow your lead!

I’m going to put this one at a 7.5 out of 10! 

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Pyramid Breweries Hefeweizen

June 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

A few weeks ago, my good buddy Lance (check out his blog here: OxenTrot) was in town with his wife, Laura. Lance and Laura are the best friends we’ve ever had and they were here to celebrate the impending arrival of their first child. So while the ladies celebrated with a baby shower, a few of us boys headed out to Hailey’s Harp & Pub, right down the street.  I wasn’t sure what kind of  tap list to expect, as Hailey’s appears to be a very typical Irish Pub. I figured I’d see Smithwick’s, Harp and of course, Guinness. And while each of those beers were available,  I was pleasantly surprised to find not only a  an excellent craft beer tap list, but also a very friendly and knowledgeable bartender. He made some great recommendations for each of us and as a result, each of us was introduced to something we hadn’t tried before.

For me, this was my first introduction to anything  brewed by Pyramid…and after having two Hefeweizens, I was anxious to get my hands on a six pack.

That proved to be more difficult than expected.

After being temporarily shunned by Frank (for purchasing beer at a different liquor store last week), he sent me an e-mail to inform me that after weeks of me hounding him with fair regularity, the Pyramid I had been asking for had finally arrived! Mind you, Frank had been requesting it from the distributor all along, it just took a while to get there.

But I digress…besides, you’re here to read about the beer, right?

Pyramid Hefeweizen. What can I say? I had it, I fell in love with it and I don’t need to search for a new Hefeweizen any time soon.

Yes, it really is that good. And after having it from both the tap and the bottle, I’m still thrilled with it. This is not one of those brews you have from the nozzle, then get it home and are disappointed with how different it is when coming from the bottle.

First of all, here’s what Pyramid has to say: “The standard by which all other wheat beers are judged. Our award-winning American-style Hefeweizen is a unique take on the traditional Bavarian classic. This refreshingly unfiltered wheat ale delivers a distinctively smooth flavor worth savoring with friends.”

Now here’s the disclaimer: Hefeweizens are not for everyone. I mean really, beer styles are so varied that there is something for everyone, but not everything is for everyone. Make sense? Me? I love the style, so I guess you should keep that in mind while I rave about this brew. Your mileage may vary. Truth be told, even an average hefeweizen is likely to get a pretty good review from me!

It pours with about a one finger, short-lived, white head over a cloudy amber colored body and leaves a small amount of lacing behind. And one of my favorite things about a good hefeweizen is the smell. Pyramid doesn’t disappoint in this department, with an aroma that will make you think of breakfast cereal with bananas in it and even a hint of cream and from time to time, a little bit of citrus sneaks in there, too.

Due to what catches you on the nose, you expect this beer to be fruity and while there is a touch of that, it is not overbearing and does not dominate the blend. For me, the first thing I caught was a bite of citrus, that quickly gave way to the grain with light spice. But the aftertaste gets back to that citrus flavor and runs a little to the dry side. Very refreshing, very easy to drink and very hard for me to keep in the fridge!

Even though there is no serious carbonation to lighten up the taste, this is a great beer for a warm day.  And coming in at 5.2%, you won’t have to worry about spoiling yourself a little bit.

As far as American-style Hefeweizen goes, Pyramid’s a top contender in my book. But to be fair, even the best American-style Hefeweizen generally doesn’t hold a candle to a good German-style.

I’m going to put Pyramid Hefeweizen at a 6.5 out of 10. I love the stuff, but again, it’s not quite German… 

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Heavy Seas Loose Cannon IPA

May 16, 2012 By 1 Comment

 

It’s the time of year where I start hitting up the lighter colored brews. IPAs, pilsners, lagers, ales, things like that. So yup, today it’s another all-American IPA from the east coast!

Heavy Seas is based out of Baltimore and is another one of those breweries I’ve been really looking forward to trying. Back in November, when while visiting our daughter’s Godparents in Virginia, another craft beer fan pointed out Loose Cannon in the cooler and said “That’s the one you have got to try, if you’re an IPA fan.”

So, I filed it away, not even thinking about the blog at that time and figured I’d get it before long. But when I came home, it was nowhere to be found. None of the local liquor stores had it, so I figured I’d pick some up, next visit to Virginia. And then last week, Frank surprised me when he pointed it out on the shelf.

SOLD!

And man…I have to say, it was worth the wait.

What they say: “Burnished gold with a rich citrus hop aroma, it is wonderfully drinkable with a big hop flavor. We’ve knicknamed it Hop3 (hop cubed) ale to reflect the enormous amount of hops in this beer: over 3 pounds per barrel! It is hopped 3 ways: in the kettle, in the hop back, and dry hopped. Pairs well with strong cheeses and steak. 2nd Place CAMRA award winner at the 2010 Great British Beer Festival”

What I say:
Get. This. Beer.

Now.

I think I just found my new favorite American IPA.

First of all, I love the packaging. It catches your eye without being too flashy. Smart use of color and fun graphics, to boot.

Pours a nice amber color with dark orange lowlights under a nice, light colored head that fades fast, but never goes away completely. Leaves really nice lacing on the glass.

It has a nice, citrus aroma over a light pine. You catch the hops, but the scent is not at all bitter, like I’ve come to expect from an IPA.

The taste…oh the taste. It is incredibly smooth for such a hopped up ale. Very well balanced with the fruitiness and hoppiness and it drinks very nicely. There is very little carbonation, and it feels great as it crosses the tongue. The only minor drawback might be the hop coating it leaves behind. If  you intend to drink something different after one of these, you will definitely need to cleanse the palate, first.

Most of the India Pale Ales I’ve tried (and many that I love!), have a bit of a dry finish. But not this one – it’s almost creamy in nature. It comes in at 7.25%, but you may not want to drink more than a couple. The sweetness might start to get to you. But for one or two, it’s just awesome.

After having Loose Cannon, I am very much looking forward to trying other beers from Heavy Seas.

I’m going to give this one at 8 out of 10. Like I said, this is easily my new favorite IPA. It was worth the wait, but man…I wish I hadn’t waited so long!

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Shock Top Belgian White

March 21, 2012 By 1 Comment

Recently, I’ve had a number of people asking me why I don’t blog about any of the beers from the big breweries. Simple: Those are not craft beers.

Beers like that are the reason I didn’t drink beer for so many years. It’s not that I think the big breweries are terrible. Generally they aren’t a good match for my taste though. There are a few exceptions, but they are far between.

But since I was asked, I decided I’d give something a shot from Anheuser-Busch. I looked at it as kind of a gateway beer for people that are used to the Budweisers and Millers of the world. Sooo…

 Shock Top Belgian White. What can I say about it? I thought that the citrus-peel brewing hook would make it just different enough for the Coors Light crowd to feel like they were dipping a toe into the craft beer pool.

After tasting it, I’d advise them to just do a cannonball right in. Shock Top isn’t worth the stop.

When you pour it, it looks promising. Burnt orange color, hazy like you expect a wheat bear to be, about a finger and a half head. You even get light lacing on the glass. But as soon as you lift it, you know it’s not what you hoped for. You can smell it – you hope to catch the citrus and you do. But it smells like an old orange that’s two weeks past it’s prime. It isn’t awful, but it isn’t pleasant, either. And it’s not the aroma you want in  your nose when you’re about to take that first sip.

But you sip it anyway, because it’s beer and it’s there and you already opened it or poured it, so…you drink.

It is not the worst beer I’ve ever had. Not by a long shot. But it doesn’t hold a candle to the average craft beer. The 6-pack has been in the fridge since Friday. I gave two away and there’s one left. The first one I drank on Friday and I didn’t like it. The second one I drank on Sunday, while grilling and it was passable as a warm-weather, drink-it-while-cooking-with-fire kind of beer. Tonight,  I wasn’t disgusted by it.

There is no complexity to this beer AT ALL. So I can’t tell you about layers, or flavors because honestly, nothing jumped out at me. It’s kind of bitter with a wheat aftertaste, I guess. The one thing I’ll give them is the way it feels in the mouth. It’s a medium body brew with quite a bit of carbonation. As a result, it does feel good on the tongue. 

So at least I’m not saying to pour it down the drain. It’s not a great beer, but it isn’t swill, either.

For someone that enjoys Budweiser, Coors, Miller, beers like that, Shock Top is right up their alley.

For the typical craft beer fan, well…they’re probably cursing me right now for even buying it.

I’d give Shock Top a 3 out of 10. If I see it in a cooler, surrounded by Miller Light or Bud Platinum, I’ll grab the Shock Top every time.

But I’ll never spend my money on it again! 

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