lol. Okay. I’m reading that the corks are bad. And there’s sediment. I guess a coffee filter should be at the ready. …
Easy like NEIPA by Berkshire Brewing Company (South Deerfield, MA) - NEIPA
Nearly session like IPA with smooth, creamy mouthfeel, mainly peach flavors upfront but low level of juiciness. Mild grassy flavors and a dry and very low bitterness finish. Easy to drink NEIPA but also something easy to forget soon.
Futurekill by Androit Theory (Purcellville, VA) - Hazy TIPA
Very smooth triple IPA with quite some sweetness and relatively strong melon and tropical flavors before a short burst of strong dank and pine. The finish is a bit off as it is quite bitter but the lactose adds at the same time too much sweetness and so it’s a real unbalanced finish. A more strained use of lactose would have made a much better IPA
Thank God It’s Fall - Evil Twin Brewing NYC (Ridgewood, NY) - Hazy IPA
Good but a bit unremarkable NEIPA with some tropical lime flavor, some malt backbone and moderate pine taste as a balance. Dry, medium bitter finish. Well made but nothing what distinguishes it from many very similar middle-of-the-road NEIPA
When I travel domestically, I like to get beer from tiny local breweries that I know won’t be available at home, even in my ginormous Total Wine. When I visited PA for Thanksgiving, I picked up two beers from Neshaminy Creek Brewing in Croydon: a collaboration with Rita’s Italian Ice (to have in the summer) and JAWN of the Dead Red Rye IPA. The latter is a copper-red, bitter-but-not-super hoppy IPA that clocks in at 6.5% ABV. Part of the proceeds from the sales go to The George A. Romero Foundation.
1 Like
IPA by Stoneface Brewing Company (Newington, NH) - IPA
Citrus forward IPA with long lasting grapefruit and tangerine flavor before some malt notes and floral and pines flavors take over. Relatively low bitterness in the finish. The ABV are very well hidden and it drinks more like a session IPA
Dark Lager by Sacred Profane Brewing (Biddeford, ME) - Czech Dark Lager
Unusual dark lager as it starts very light like a mild lager with bready, malty notes and slight sweetness before dark roasted flavors of raisin, dark bread, toffee, burnt sugar take over the beer. It feels more like drinking two different beers in one.
So Pitted by Great Notion Brewing (Portland, OR) - Fruited Sour
Unique sour with li hung mui which adds an interesting sweet, sour and salty component. Mango and Sicilian lemon add balancing fruitiness. A stronger tartness from the kettle sour finishes a really refreshing sour that has an unique funkiness from dried Chinese plum
2 Likes
Stupid Leaves by Stellwagen Beer Company (Marshfield, MA) - NEIPA
Low bitterness NEIPA without being a complete fruit bomb. Quite restrained mango notes, some malts with a bit of piney. Not terrible exciting and unusual but a refreshing and easy to drink IPA
1 Like
Bine Cutter by The Brewery at Four Star Farms (Northfield, MA) - Hazy IPA
Tastes a bit like a hybrid between WCIPA and NEIPA- Not a fruit bomb and more some light notes of melon and peach before piney, herbal flavors come through. Relatively malt heavy backbone and a dry, low bitterness finish which lingers for a while. Very creamy mouthfeel but also a bit watered down flavors
2 Likes
Heretic Brewery’s Chocolate Hazelnut Porter, on draft at a local bar. Warming with a creamy head, and not too sweet. Hazelnut flavor was very muted, though.
3 Likes
Cellermaker, wild gooseberry chase IPA and rare barrel hibiscus sour. Delicious. Rare Barrel leans on the sour side of sours, almost wine like.
2 Likes
Sneaker Wave by Lampligher Brewing Company (Cambridge, MA) - NEIPA
Unusual hazy IPA in this collaboration between Lamblighter and Borg Brugghus which starts quite citrus heavy with some light mango notes but than takes and unexpected turn with the addition of thyme which adds plenty of herbal and unusual hops like grungiest which add some anise flavors. Good to see some experimenting to add new flavor combinations and overall not bad but also requires some time to get used to it
1 Like
Oktoberfest Maerzen by Paulaner Brauerei (Munich, Germany) - Maerzen
In Germany this beer would be described as “sueffig” - a classic maerzen beer which isn’t too far off from Pilsner but a stronger roasted, caramel malt backbone which add some sweetness to it. Still some hop bitterness in the dry finish to balance but leans a bit too strong towards the sweet side.
1 Like
This is key. It’s SO easy to overdo added flavors. In today’s craft frenzy, it seems excess is successful.
If I’m tempted to order a flavored beer (e.g., a rausch), I ALWAYS request a taste first.
1 Like
That’s my issue with Märzen. Too sweet, too malty.
2 Likes
Glow Getter by Alvarado Street Brewery (Monterey, CA) - DIPA
Dank bomb - starts with some grapefruit and lemon flavors and hints of malt sweetness before it takes a sharp turn towards intense piney, dank flavors which have notes of weed and tobacco which last into the dry, medium bitter finish. Intense, yet still balanced WCDIPA.
2 Likes
Slo Glo by Cellarmaker Brewing Company (San Francisco, CA) - Hazy Pale Ale
Refreshing but also a bit one-dimensional hazy American pale ale with citrus notes upfront and floral, slightly piney flavors with a dry, medium bitter finish. Obviously expected to be less bold than an IPA, this one is too mellow and unremarkable.
1 Like
I was in San Mateo today and had a couple of beers at the Fieldwork outpost there, which is a container park next to the Hillsdale Caltrain station.
Fieldwork Pulp - one of my favorites from Fieldwork, hazy and juicy.
Fieldwork Destination Unknown - a hazy DIPA
2 Likes
Mallow Mania by Alvarado Street Brewery (Monterey, CA) - Fruited Sour
Orange and vanilla tend to be a great combination for sours and this one is no exception. Good fruitiness but not too much sweetness, vanilla adds some complexity and a healthy dose of tartness from the sour balances everything. Really refreshing, really good.
1 Like
