Beer: Stone Brewery – 14th Anniversary Emperial IPA…
I’m a little late to the review party again…but what’s new, right? Shit, I’ve got better things to do than sit at the computer and drink beer. Like sit at the turntables and drink beer. Or sit at the table painting and drink beer. Anyway, that’s all unimportant now that I’ve got this bad mamma-jamma in front of me. It is the Stone Brewery’s 14th Anniversary Emperial IPA. As usual, the bottle is cool looking and the trademark gargoyle is in full effect. I dig the sort of, old, scroll-type effect with torn edges. Nice.
The color is light and golden and pours with a nice frothy head. My mouth is officially watering. First sip = Welcome to happy hop town. Goes down smooth with that great hop bitterness following. I’m definitely pleased with this offering. It’s got a ‘thick’ mouth feel to it. Like many/most IPA’s, its’ looks are a little deceiving to the uninitiated. It’s lightness in color doesn’t have that ‘holy shit’ effect that ultra-dark stouts have, but it packs mucho flavor into each swig. It weighs in at a hefty 8.9% and although it’s smooth, I can definitely taste the alcohol in it. It’s not obnoxious, but it’s there.
Overall I’m super stoked that they went with an IPA for this year’s anniversary edition (last year’s stout was out of control good too though). Very tasty, and I’d recommend to anyone that digs the hops. One thing I’m thinking though: If I had to pick this versus their Ruination IPA? Hmmm…I think I’d have to roll with the Ruination. No disrespect, but that shit is friggin ridiculous.
*More info: CLICK
Peace…now go grab yours now before they’re all gone!
zOnk.oNe
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Beer: Alpine Beer Company – Pure Hoppiness – 2009…
I’ve been looking forward to drinking this for longer than I’d care to admit. I’ve had this thing in my fridge for a while now and have had to fight the urge to ‘just drink it’ and say ‘f*ck the review’. I held out though, so here we are. Beer is poured, and I’m actually sitting in front of the computer. Here we go…
The smell of this is quite pleasant. From the moment I popped the top, I could smell that great hop aroma. Oh man, the first sip and I’m happy. This is a true hop-head pleaser here. From that aroma to the aftertaste, it’s all about the hops in this one. It’s a very smooth beer and provides plenty of taste bud stimulation. It has that well-known IPA bitterness followed by the traditional American, weedy, hop aftertaste. This one pours out a very rich, clear golden/amber with a solid, densely packed head. Not that I would, but I probably could enjoy that ‘Pure Hoppiness’ foam all by itself…hehehe.
Honestly, I’ve never heard of the Alpine Beer Company, but if this is any indication (which it is) of what they’re doin, I’ll gladly sign up for some repeat business. This weighs in with a hefty 8% alcohol content, but I’d say that it definitely doesn’t scream high alcohol content by its flavor. It’s smooth, with plenty of flavor.
I’m not too excited about the label design, but it’s not that bad either. It’s just a little on the boring, uninspired side of things. All in all, I can definitely recommend folks to go out and try this’n. You can thank me later (see that ‘Donate’ button?)…hehehe.
From the bottle: A West Coast Double IPA
So mega-hopped it will take you to hop heaven. We’ve used hops in the boil, more hops in the giant hopback, and added to that, an incredible amount of dry-hopping for that cutting-edge “hop bite.” Once you’ve tasted this unique beer, all others pale in comparison.
For more info about ‘Pure Hoppiness’ and the Alpine Beer Company click: HERE
*Looks like they’ve got plenty of good offerings for hop-heads. I hope my local booze spot gets more for me to sample.
peace,
zOnk.oNe
Speakeasy San Francisco ‘Double Daddy’ Imperial India Pale Ale…
First off, I’d like to start by saying that I paid $2.99 for a 12 ounce bottle of this stuff. When I grabbed it, I didn’t see a price for the single bottles, and didn’t really think about pricing at all for that matter. Now that I’m sitting down to enjoy it, the price says to me that this shit better be damn fuckin good to earn a price tag like that.
Ok…on to the tasting…
This is on the thick side of the IPA universe. It’s got a heavy feel to it, and reminds me of the mouthfeel of a barleywine. Flavorwise, it’s good, but not exactly my ideal example of an Imperial India Pale Ale. I’m glad I picked this up though. It’s definitely not a let down, but it’s also not going to be added to my ‘go to’ list. This has got the, kind of, typical cloudy golden color to it, and although I thought that I poured it properly, there wasn’t much of a head to it. This is pouring from a 12oz. bottle though…not a tap.
I’m thinking that this is heavier on the citrusy side and not so much on the bitter hop side of things. It has a pretty long-lasting bitter aftertaste though, which is probably my favorite part. I guess it’s a good idea to say that the 9.5% alcohol content is not a surprise when tasting this. It wears it’s strength on its’ sleeve, so to say. I would say that this is another good example of a solid campfire brew. It’s heavy on flavor, heavy on alcohol content, and great for sippin in the cold.
For more info: CLICK
peace,
zOnk.oNe
Bumpin: »Artist: L’roneous«»Album: Purposely Powerful«»Track: overkill feat. cait la dee«»2004«»Hip-Hop«
Moylan’s Hopsickle Imperial Ale (Triple Hoppy)…
I gotta admit that this ‘triple hoppy’ tag has got me pretty interested in this particular brew. After all, I’ve definitely evolved into a hop-head, so anything with the promise of heavy hops has got my attention.
Whooo! This stuff packs a flavorful punch. It’s like hop syrup…hehehe. Ok, it’s not really like any kind of syrup, but it really is a heavy brew with a hell of a lot of hoppy bitterness. It’s a bit darker than a typical India Pale Ale, which might explain why it doesn’t say it’s a IPA anywhere on the bottle. So, back to the color; it’s a deep amber hue, and not exactly clear. It looks kinda like it’s gonna taste, although I’d say that the flavor is definitely a surprise for a first time taster. If I had to try to explain it to someone, which would be you, the readers, I’d say that it’s reminicent of a barleywine, but with a much more enjoyable flavor. It’s almost like a condensed IPA (meaning: if you added a glass of water to a bottle of it, you’d get a ‘normal’ India Pale Ale’ish type of creation.) The texture is pretty thick, but not thick like a big stout. It’s that oxymoronical thin and thick at the same time typa thing.
In short: This is a BIG beer and not something you’d want to guzzle on a hot Summer day. This is more of a sippin brew, and a workout for those tastebuds.
From the bottle: In Celebration of the Hop…
This is a “Hop” tribute, worthy of a King’s Imperial Court! Enjoy the blast of fresh Tomahawk, Cascade and Centennial Hops as they stimulate the taste buds in a truly imperial fashion. Pucker Up!
More Info: Moylan’s Hopsickle Imperial Ale
Peace,
zOnk.oNe
Beer: Dogfish Head – 90 Minute Imperial IPA (2009)…
Wooo….that’s some nice brew. This stuff is smooth man. At 9% alcohol, it’s a heavy hitter, but you wouldn’t guess by tasting it. It’s got a light aroma and a deep golden color. I wouldn’t recommend this during a hot day, but once that sun goes down and things cool off, this should be on your list of beers to try. That being said, I do want to point out that these are, in my opinion, extremely over priced. I saw a four-pack of these (no sixers) that was $10.99. That’s some expensive suds. And, although I do enjoy the flavor, I still can’t see that it’s $11 for a 4-pack good. Either way though, I’ve been looking forward to trying this ever since I first saw them (not sure how I’ve managed to overlook them for so long) and am glad that I did. I recommend buying at least a single to give it a sampling. These are part of Dogfish Head’s year round offerings, so they should be gettable at your leisure.
Word up…’El Pay’…
zOnk.oNe
Beer: Kern River Brewing-Just Outstanding IPA (2009)…
It’s too bad that I’ve been too busy to even review beer. That’s just plain weird, right? I mean, at what point does one need to put off drinking that extremely tantalizing brew in their fridge to do other ‘more important’ things? Anyway, it’s been poured now so lets get on with it, shall we?
With a name like ‘Just Outstanding’ anyone would expect some don-dodda suds. I, like you, am doing just that. Since I purchased this, I’ve seen it tempting me from the back of the fridge (the coldest part) and have wondered how exactly this was going to knock me on my ass and live up to its’ name. Upon first pour, I noticed it was a little lighter than I expected. This isn’t necessarily any kind of indicator, its just that I’d pictured it darker, I guess. The next thing that was kind of a surprise was that this one didn’t have the usual aroma that IPA’s tend to bring. This one is really light smelling. Next step, the taste. This is a good tasting drink, but like its color and fragrance, it’s also a little light on flavor. This is the type of IPA that you could drink while chillin out in the sun and not feel bogged down by it. It does pack some good flavor, but it’s also on the light side. If you’re looking for a Spring/Summer type of beer that isn’t the typical macrobrew (Coors, Bud, Miller) this might be what you’re looking for. As the nights continue to get warmer, a beer like this is going to fit in nicely. It’s got the heavy hop flavor, but can sweat it out with you during the raised temperatures of the season.
This one weighs in at 6.8% Alcohol by Volume and I paid $4.49 for the 22oz. From the label: Named after a local mountain bike trail, this India Pale Ale has a strong malt character and a large hop profile. We Dry hop this beer with Simcoe and Amarillo hops to give it that great floral aroma and citrus finish. If you like a strong IPA, you’ll find this one just outstanding.
Booyow…there you have it. Now go and enjoy one for yourself.
peace,
zOnk.oNe
Beer: Eel River Brewing – IPA (Organic) 2009…
Ok…being that the warm weather is back in town (not that it’s ever really cold here) those good old ‘Park Jams’ are also in full effect. So, the first Sunday of each month we get to roll out to Long Beach and chill out inna community fashion with like-minded individuals that want to share food, listen to good music, and enjoy life. If you live within a reasonable distance to Ceasar Chavez park in Long Beach, CA, you should definitely plan to roll out to this event. It’s nice to chill out with a group of people that don’t bring beef to the party and instead focus on what’s important: having a good time. For this review, I brought my backpack cooler filled with ice and brews. I figured I could write a review while taking in some sun and solid music. Good idea. So, on to the beer:
This Eel River IPA is good. I guess readers are used to that reaction from me by now. When it comes to India Pale Ales, they’re almost always going to be a pleaser. This one isn’t heavy…as I’m drinking it, it’s warm outside and the sun is shining. That being said, this beer isn’t too thick to fit in nicely. I normally wouldn’t be drinking IPA during a sun filled day, but this Eel River is going down nicely. With its’ 7.25% alcohol content, it’s a little surprising that this goes down so smooth. To be honest, it might be a little too light for my tastes (as far as IPA’s go). Then again, this isn’t a $9 22oz., so it isn’t really fair to compare those type of ‘Imperials’ and ‘Doubles’ with a standard edition. Basically, for the price ($3.69), this is a very good beer that will keep the buds happy and the wallet fat. Plus…it’s certified organic, so you can feel good knowing you’re supporting some green shizzle. This one is available year round, so grab at your leisure. More info: Eel River IPA
Word up…peace,
zOnk.oNe
