Style: IPA
Menu description: Grapefruit, piney, citrus-fruity aroma.
ABV: 5.9%
Tasting notes: A great IPA that I’ve had many times. It’s the only IPA that I know of with a sweet finish. Top quality here!
Rating: 4/5
Beer Review #68: Goose Island Fleur
Style: Belgian pale ale
Menu description: Belgian style pale ale, blended with hibiscus & kombucha tea.
ABV: 5.2%
Tasting notes: Definite tea flavors, with some sweetish overtones. I don’t know what the he’ll hibiscus & kombucha tea taste like, but if it’s anything like this beer they’re pretty great.
Rating: 4/5
Beer Review #67: Oskar Blues G’knight
Style: American imperial red ale
Menu description: Piney hops, sweet grapefruit & citrus flavors.
ABV: 8.7%
Tasting notes: There’s a certain smell and taste that accompanies anything labeled as having “piney hops.” I suppose that makes sense, but I’ve never seen a particular descriptor be so consistently accurate. I don’t really get the grapefruit & citrus, but it’s pretty good. Strong flavor, probably doesn’t play well with others.
Rating: 3/5
Beer Review #66: Sam Adams Cherry Wheat
Style: Fruit and field beer
Website description: Crisp and fruity with a hint of honey, this ale brewed with Michigan cherries is light on the palate, yet full of surprising depth and flavor. The cherries contribute a tart fruit character, while a touch of honey adds a slight sweetness.
ABV: 5.3%
Tasting notes: This has a strong aroma of cherries. The flavor is predominantly cherry as well. It’s almost like cherry candy or a cough drop. There’s some mild hop flavor as well, but not very much.
Rating: 3.5/5
Beer Review #65: Dogfish Head Aprihop
Style: American IPA
Menu description: American style IPA with massive hop and fruit flavor.
ABV: 7%
Tasting notes: No joke about the massive hop flavor! Pretty good if I’m in the mood for hops. Not much apricot though.
Rating: 3/5
Beer Review #64: Dogfish Head Namaste
Style: Belgian Witbier
Menu description: Belgian style witbier, citrus fruit, spice & lemongrass.
ABV: 5%
Tasting notes: Unremarkable, but that might be due to the stupid hot wings I was eating deadening my senses. Gave this another try a week later and yup, it’s still garbage!
Rating: 1/5
Beer Review #63: Sixpoint 7th Anniversary Ale
Style: Belgian strong dark ale
Menu description: Strong hops, deep red color, mild fruits.
ABV: 7%
Tasting notes: The description isn’t kidding about strong hops! There’s a very hoppy taste, but absent the bitterness that usually accompanies it. Pretty good, but with a slightly odd aftertaste.
Rating: 3.25/5
Beer Review #62: Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine Ale (2012)
Style: Barleywine
Menu description: Caramel malts, piney hops, dark fruit.
ABV: 9.6%
Tasting notes: A bitter taste like you’d expect from a darker beer, but still characteristic of a pale ale. Quality!
Rating: 4/5
Beer Review #61: Firestone Union Jack IPA
Style: American IPA
Menu description: Lots of sweet fruits, mainly grapefruit, hint of almonds. Typical IPA bitterness.
ABV: 7.5%
Tasting notes: Moderate scent with hoppy floral notes. Much lighter body than is typical of an IPA, which immediately grabs your attention. It’s a very dry beer. Good, but pretty basic. This is a little too bland for my tastes and the dryness doesn’t help.
Rating: 3/5
Beer Review #60: Anderson Valley Hop Ottin’ IPA
Style: American IPA
Menu description: Grapefruit, citrus, roses. Interesting flavor, not like anything I’ve tried before.
ABV: 7%
Tasting notes: It starts out sort of sweet, but that taste vanishes so quickly, you’re not sure if you imagined it. Couple that with the fact that you no longer notice it after maybe a fourth of the bottle and it makes for a strange experience. It’s noticeably more bitter than my eternal standby, Sierra Nevada, which I’m OK with. A bit of variety is always nice. There’s almost a sort of spiciness to it as well, which makes it stand out from other IPAs.
Rating: 3.5/5
