Monday, March 11, 2013

Cane and Ebel: A Hopped Up Red Rye Ale




Red Rye Ale 7% ABV

Brewed by Two Brothers Brewing Co. Warrenville, Illinois

Notes: 68 IBUs (International Bittering Unit). Brewed with Summit, Columbus, and Simcoe hops. Brewed with Rye Malts which is unique, also brewed with Thai palm sugar. Which is also very unique to this beer.

Background: This is a hopped up Red Rye Ale.  Two Brothers wanted to branch out and try something new, and this is what they came up with.

Appearance: It pours a clear mahogany color. A very smooth red. Solid head retention for the duration of the beer.

Aroma: Not an overly hoppy aroma for a beer with 68 IBUS. You definitely can smell the sweetness of the Thai palm sugar. Also, a slight citrus scent.  

Taste: As I said, this is a hopped up red rye beer. So you get a lot of flavors of other red beers with an extra hop kick. A very smooth, sweet beer. You get the hop taste up front, then it progresses to a citrusy rye flavor, finishing off smooth and sweet.

Overall: I would rate this beer an 88/100. This is a great beer in a pretty limited category. I wish more breweries would do hopped up Reds. Very smooth beer for the higher IBU rating. The 7% ABV is masked pretty well. Definitely a beer everyone should try at least once.


-Braden & Jon

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Breckenridge 471 Double IPA: Hoppy? Brother, 471 IPA Redefines Hoppy



Double IPA 9.2% ABV

Brewed by Breckenridge Brewery, Denver, Colorado

Notes: 70 IBUs (International Bittering Unit). Brewed with Chinook, Centennial, Simcoe, Fuggles hops.

Background: 471 is a small batch, limited edition ale that was created by the Breckenridge 
Brewmaster to separate the weak from the strong.

Appearance: It pours a clear copper color with about a ¼ inch of head. Pretty good head retention throughout the beer.  

Aroma: Pretty strong hop aroma. You get a hint of orange citrus in the scent. Overall a pretty balanced aroma.

Taste: You get a huge kick of hop up front. After the original hoppiness, you get a pretty sweet finish. There is also a hint of citrus. Overall a pretty well balanced flavor. Very smooth for the high ABV and IBU.

Overall: I would rate this beer an 80/100. It’s a pretty good beer overall. Very smooth and sweet to mask the high ABV. At first sample it’s hard to tell it is a Double IPA. I would drink it again, however, it would not be my first choice in Double IPA’s. 

-Braden & Jon

Left Handed Fade to Black: WELCOME TO FADE TO BLACK VOLUME 4



Rocky Mountain Black Ale 6.5%

Brewed by Left Handed Brewery, Longmont, Colorado

Notes: 64 IBUs (International Bittering Unit). Brewed with Centennial and Columbus hops.

Background: Fade to Black Volume 4 is a seasonal created for the time where light fades away. This winter seasonal, is a hoppy Black Ale.

Appearance: It pours a pitch black color with about a half inch of a caramel white head. Fantastic head retention for this beer.  

Aroma: Strong hop profile. Hints of chocolate. Pretty strong malt scent.

Taste: Very hoppy up front. The hops are very pronounced. They stay on the tongue for quite some time. Tastes much like a regular IPA up front. The finish is very smooth, almost like a Chocolate Stout. 
  
Overall: I would rate this beer an 85/100. This is definitely a beer I would drink again. It is much hoppier than I originally expected. This is a good, well balanced beer. If you are a stout drinker trying to get into IPAs or vice versa, this is a great beer for you.

-Braden & Jon

Monday, March 4, 2013

Alpha King: The King of Pale Ales




American Pale Ale    6.66% ABV

Brewed by Three Floyds Brewing Co. Munster, Indiana

Notes: 66 IBUs (International Bittering Unit). Brewed with Centennial, Cascade, and Warrior hops.

Background: This is Three Floyd’s flagship beer. They label  it as a BIG American Pale Ale.

Appearance: It pours a deep amber color. It has a solid 1 inch of creamy white head.

Aroma: Pretty strong hop aroma. Hints of citrus and floral aromas.

Taste: Alpha King is a fantastic Pale Ale. It has a crisp, hoppy flavor. Pretty hoppy taste as far as Pale Ales go. Very smooth all around. If you are a hophead you will definitely enjoy this beer. The hops, malt, and citrus blends very well together.

Overall: I would rate this beer a 95/100. This is hands down one of my favorite beers, if I see it on tap, I order it. Not your typical Pale Ale as there is a much higher hop flavor than expected. Three Floyd’s is one of the best breweries around, and there aren't many better beers to hang your hat on than Alpha King.

-Braden

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Ranger IPA: To protect. To pour. To partake.



India Pale Ale            6.5% ABV

Brewed by New Belgium Brewing Fort Collins, Colorado

Notes: 70 IBUs (International Bittering Unit). Ranger IPA is brewed with pale and dark caramel malts. It is then hopped with Cascade, Chinook, and Simcoe hops. Cascade hops are added again for a huge dry hop flavor.

Background: New Belgium brewery is a pretty well-known brewery across the country. With Fat Tire as a flagship beer, people started asking for more.  Well, for all the, as New Belgium calls them, “hopinistas” out there you are in luck. They bring us Ranger IPA. It was first brewed in February 2010, and has become so popular that it has become one of the few craft beers to be canned.

Appearance: This beer has a clear amber color to it. With a nice 1 inch white head.

Aroma: Strong hop aroma, as is typical with an IPA. Get an especially strong aroma of the Simcoe and Chinook hops.

Taste: Ranger has a pretty crisp, refreshing flavor to it. You get an abundance of hops in your first sip. It isn't overly heavy, but you can definitely tell you are drinking a beer. The bitterness is about average as far as IPA’s go. Pretty well balanced malt and hop flavor.

Overall: I would rate this around an 88/100. This  IPA didn't top the charts, but it is definitely good. It drinks smoother than 6.5% abv would suggest. The best part about it is it is fairly abundant. You can get it pretty much anywhere, which has made it become one of the staple IPA’s in my arsenal. 

-Braden

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Live, Love, Marilyn Monroe


It was announced that Three Olives Vodka is launching their most glamorous and sophisticated flavor yet: Three Olives - Marilyn Monroe Strawberry Vodka. This flavor combines delicious imported vodka from England with the tempting taste of strawberries and a hint of cream.

Three Olives Vodka honors Marilyn Monroe with a flavor offering that celebrates the legend's love of strawberries and her dazzling style and iconic Hollywood glamour.

This flavor will launch nationally in the USA in March 2013. Look for it at your favorite retail stores, bars, & restaurants.

We recommend this delicious cocktail:

The Marilyn

2 parts Three Olives Marilyn Monroe Strawberry Vodka
2 parts cranberry juice
Splash of half & half

Mix all ingredients in a shaker filled with ice & shake vigorously. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a strawberry.

Thanks to our friends at Three Olives

Gumballhead: An American Wheat Beer That Doesn’t Suck!



American Pale Wheat Ale 5.40% ABV

Brewed by Three Floyds Brewing Co. Munster, Indiana

Notes: 35 IBUs (International Bittering Unit). Gumballhead is brewed with American red wheat and Amarillo Hops.

Background: Gumballhead is named after the underground comic book cat created by Rob Syers.
It started off as a summer seasonal beer, but due to the popularity turned into a year round product. This has become one of the staple beers for the 3 Floyds Brewery.

Appearance: Pours out of the bottle a clear yellow gold

Aroma: Up front Citrus scent with wheat mixed in. Smells much hoppier than a typical Wheat Ale.

Taste: First sip you taste a lot of citrus and wheat up front. After the swallow you get a lot more of the bitterness from the hops than you might expect from a Wheat Ale. It is a smooth refreshing taste, that I could enjoy drinking poolside or in a bar.

Overall: I would rate this 90/100.  With the Citrus flavor and the fairly low bitterness, it makes for a pretty refreshing beer. It is a little more hoppy/bitter than a typical Wheat Ale, but not as hoppy as an IPA. Overall this is a great beer that you could drink anywhere.

-Braden