Mad River Brewing Co. -- Jamaica Brand Red Ale

Mad River Brewing Co's Jamaica Brand Red Ale is a, "mahogany hued ale [that] brings an intense spectrum of hop flavors from the spicy aromatic to lingering bitter, all underscored by a full-bodied caramel richness.

6.5% ABV

Review:
This ale is yet another nicely crafted beer from the guys at Mad River Brewing Co.. The aroma is bready, roasty, and a little yeasty, but has a grassy hop nose for balance. The deep amber/mahogany liquor is beautiful and is topped by a light cream colored head.  Dominant tastes are sweet and roasty malts with pungent earthy hops. As the hops linger, the bitterness seems to grow and become more complex--spicy and peppery notes are revealed.
The mouthfeel is robust and bready. It feels like a meal in a bottle.

(Side note: their tasting room looks pretty fun.)

Overall:
This brewing company won Best Small Brewer at the GABF in 2010. They make great beers, and this is yet another of them. I know it doesn't make any sense to say this, but just like how their orange colored, Jamaica Sunset IPA tastes orangey, I swear that this tastes "red" somehow.
Anyway, it is good!

Grade: B+

Barrel Man says,
"red rover, red rover,
send dis beer right over--
brah."

(Bottle Purchased at: Liquor Collection.)

Kona Brewing Co. -- Pipeline Porter

 

 Kona Brewing Co.'s Pipeline Porter is made with Cornwell Estate Kona Coffee from the Big Island of Hawaii.

5.3% ABV and 23 IBU's

Review:
In this porter, the aroma boasts notes o coffee, roasted barley, sweet malts, and a bit of cream. The very slight hop note is earthy. Appearance wise, the ale is a dark brown but allows some lighter brown highlights to shine through the sides. The head is slight and the retention is minimal. Unlike many coffee beers, this porter finds a nice balance between the tastes of chocolate and coffee. There is no astringency from the coffee but there is a pleasing tinge from the dark roasted malts. The body of the beer is fairly light for the category, but the hop bite somehow adds to the mouthfeel and lends a perception of body. In the end, it finishes dark and roasty with a dark chocolate note that lingers. 

(Side Note: these are the guys that grow the coffee used in this beer. Personally, I like Ka'o coffee better than Kona.)

Overall Impression:
Lots of taste in this beer. Nothing is too overwhelming, and it may be on the sweeter end of the porter spectrum, but that seems appropriate for a coffee porter.
Is this the best beer bottled by Kona? I'd say: Yes!

Grade: A-



Barrel Man says,
"dark and drinkable."

(bottle purchased at Liquor Collection.)

Mehana Brewing Co. -- Mauna Kea Pale Ale

Mehana Brewing Co.'s Mauna Kea Pale Ale is brewed on the Big Island of Hawaii in the wonderful town of Hilo.

Review:
This beer pours gold and lifts a 3/4 inch head. Lacing remains on the top 1/3 of the glass while drinking. The aroma is comprised of crystal malts and a touch of citrus hops along with a slight hint of fresh cut hedges. The taste is a back-and-forth battle between sweet and bitter. Sweet leads the battle early but the bitter punches out a late victory in the match. The hops taste slightly earthy and remind me of a lot of organic hops I've tasted.

(Side Note: If you go to the brewery you can have a couple small samples for free, or can try them all for a few bucks. This investment is well worth it because the beer tastes twice as fresh as the bottle.)

Overall Impression:
This is a good, solid pale ale.
I've had some issues with this brewery in the past... twice. 
However, it looks like they've finally got their groove back and are making good beer.

Grade: A-

(bottle purchased at Whole Foods.)

Deschues Brewing Co. -- Green Lakes Organic Ale

Deschutes Brewing Co's, Green Lakes Organic Ale is an easy drinking ale perfect for having with a meal. 

5.2% ABV and 45 IBU's

Overview:
Green Lakes pours a redish copper color and has a very thin, 1/8" thick head. Even at refrigerator temperature this beer has aromas of crystal malts, citrus hops, and a slightly earthy note. This beer has medium carbonation. Hop flavors include lemony, spicy, and a slightly sharp hops. The malt profile is like a very light flavored brown ale.

(Side Note: This beer is made with 80% Salmon Safe hops. (In Hawaii terms, it's like saying that this is 80 percent certain not to harm the Ahi.)

USDA organic, certified by Oregon Tilth... Probably the cheapest organic beer in Hawaii.

Review:

This beer is quite tasty. Simply labeling this as an "ale" is a pretty good move because it doesn't really have any flavor components that would fit it in a more specific category. Overall, this is a "beery" beer with a west coast swing.

GRADE: B

 

Barrel Man Says,

"If no can, no can..

if can, buy organic."

Mad River Brewing Co. -- Steelhead Scotch Style Porter

Mad River Brewing Co.'s Steelhead Scotch Style Porter is, "[a] traditionally styled Porter...focused on complex malt characteristics balanced with a mild hop profile. The addition of Scottish peated malt gives added complexity and mild smoky flavor in the finish.

6.5% ABV and brewed in Northern California.

Review:
Steelhead Scotch Style Porter pours a deep, dark, brown...almost black, and has a thin 1/8" head. There are slight ruby highlights. Aroma is dominated by dark roasted malts, grassy hop character, and some sweet crystal malts. The taste is very interesting... both sweet and sour, with chalky chocolate notes battling an interesting tartness. The hop character is hidden behind... what is that... OH! Smoke! Peated smoke! That explains the slight tang. The body is medium to full, but not thick.

(Side Note: Mad River recommends this beer with game meats, sausage, marinades & slow cooking.)

Overall Impression:
To say that this beer is complex would be a slight understatement. I mean, who has the guts to make a "scotch style porter"... only one brewery that I know of... this one! I'd give them an A for guts, but while this beer is impressive, it just lacks a little excitement. Still a great beer. One that would be wonderful paired with sausage on a fall afternoon on the mainland--or with smoked ahi on a rainy day here in Hawaii.

Grade: B/B+






Barrel man says,
"mmm! smokey!"

(bottle purchased Liquor Collection.)

Kapittel Watou Pater Ale

 Brouwerij Van Eecke N.V.'s Het Kapittel Watou Pater Ale is, "a “single,” meaning a beer that was made for the guests of the abbey and for everyday consumption. 

6.0% ABV and should be served at 48 degrees F.

Review:
Appearance:
Pours dark amber. Little head... even attempting to aerate. What little head there is is khaki colored. Carbonation steady and consistent despite small head. Light shines through the color of sexy red plum fruit. Beautiful small bubbles-- probably bottle conditioned.  Clear (carefully decanted) bottom 1/4 inch left in bottle. Head almost seems to grow as beer warms. slight lacing on sipping side.

Aroma:
In order of occurrence: Cherries, sweet and sour sauce, soy sauce, slight bread crust, Toast with cherry preserves? Now plums. Later: Belgian dark candy sugar. Lastly: port!

Taste:
Full dark-crystal malt assault. Dark stone fruit all around... but without being too sweet. Slight roast/toast character balances fruit. Tastes a lot like what it smells like-- toast with plum/cherry preserves... with the emphasis on the preserves. More fruity as it warms....very slight tartness

Mouthfeel:
Full bodied, but not creamy/foamy.
Finish:
Sweet: sweet/tart: dry-- progression at the ratio of 6:2:10 seconds respectively.

Overall Impression:
James Brown was singing in the spirit of this this beer when he said:
"Sometimes I feels so nice, good god...I jump back, I wanna kiss myself. I got soul, and I'm super bad."  This beer is super bad and one of the better Belgian beers I've had in a long time.

Grade: A

Barrel Man Say,

"Solid, brah."

(bottle purchased at Liquor Collection)

The Wine Stop, Moiliili.

THE WINE STOP

A Beer and Beverage Boutique

The Wine Stop, on S. King Street is a location that I had been planning to check out for a long time. Although it is called The Wine Stop, the subtitle says "A Beer and Beverage Boutique." Yes, even a small mention of beer is enough to draw me in...
I suppose that the size of the beer selection was about what I expected, the beers that they had were quality  and some I hadn't seen anywhere else in Hawaii. But, what really pleased me was that all of the beer that they have is kept in a cooler. In a climate like Hawaii, beers of low alcohol strength can age very quickly if kept in a hot room. These folks take care of their beer!

(Side note: There is parking in front of the door... that's not a lawn, it is a permeable parking lot.)

Highlights: Batch One Barley Wine, Spanish beer, Ballast Point, Rogue, Deschutes, Belgian beers, Sierra Nevada, Eel River Brewing.

Missing: They don't have a lot of room, so it's hard to blame them for not carrying more, but I'd have to say that this is not a place for "every-day" beers-- this is a location for "event" beers.

Selection: 6/10 (small, but good!)
Location: 5/10
Price: 9/10
Friendliness: 10/10
Beer Knowledge: What they have is quality. This reflects knowledge. 9/10

Over all grade:B+


Location: 1809 South King Street, Honolulu, HI 96826

Pivzavod Baltika --Baltika #6 Porter

Pivzavod Baltika's #6 Porter is, "brewed with added high-quality ingredients and having a racy flavor these varieties are meant for unhurried drinking in sedate and relaxed surroundings."

 It is 7.0% ABV

Review:
The first smell of this beer's aroma confused me because it had a very lager-like edge. There are, however other smells of caramel, Carafa III malts, a hint of soy sauce and a touch of grain husk. No hop aroma is present. The flavor is sweet, sweet, and more sweet with hints of chocolate and candy sugar. As it warms, there are additional aspects of plum and currant. Warm or cold, this beer's body remains very thin.

Overall Impression:
With a body and mouthfeel like this, the brewers are either using adjuncts, or a strangely lager-like yeast. If you like a light bodied, sweet, dark beer that is a cross between a dopplebock and a porter, give this a try. It's not for me.

Grade: C

Barrel Man says,

"No comment."

(This bottle was purchased at Tamura's)

MacTarnahan's -- Spring Sling Shot Extra Pale Ale

MacTarnahan's Sling Shot Extra Pale Ale, is " a seasonal... ale for the spring with rich golden color."

 It is 6.2% ABV and 27 IBU's

Review:
This beer pours a nice clear golden color and carries a fluffy white head. The carbonation is light but it carries a wonderfully pungent nugget hop aroma. Slight sulfer notes hide behind some grapefruit from cascade hops. The taste is both malty and tangy. The hop character is slightly resiny and earthy. All in all, even with a 6.2% alcohol content, it remains light and refreshingly crisp.

Overall Impression:
If there is a downside to this beer, it is the lack of complexity. This is not a beer for after dinner sipping while conversing with a friend. This is a beer to drink after mowing your lawn on a hot weekend afternoon. I certainly don't dislike this beer, but there just isn't much to love, other than it's ease of drinking.

Grade: C+  

Barrel Man says,

"Good for fishing."

(This bottle was purchased at Tamura's)

Hair of the Dog Brewing Co. -- Fred

Hair of the Dog Brewing Co.'s, Fred is "made with aromatic and rye malts and includes 10 different hop varieties in an effort to incorporate the whole world into this beer."

 10.0% ABV and 65 IBU's

Review:

If the good folks intended this beer to include the entire world of tastes and aromas, they didn't miss the mark by much. I was able to identify notes of pineapple, honey, soap, rye, over-ripe apricots with peels, candy sugar, okolehao, cream cheese, Fen Chiew. There was very little head, and the hazy/murky orange held a light carbonation level. Flavors included orange, spices, bread, and a raspberry Entenmann's danish.  If Samischlaus, and Avery's Hog Heaven Barleywine had a child, it might taste like this. The hop bittering kicks in late but only serves as a palette cleanser and not a featured flavor. As it warms, maraschino cherry flavor comes out and a bit of kilned malt is apparent. The beer itself is little hot. You can tell that it has a lot of alcohol. The body is full to the point of nearing chewy. There is a bit of a tart finish. Each swallow leaves the mouth hot and sweet, but the hop's long slowly drying of the mouth works down the throat, and clears the way for the next sip. Your stomach continually warms as you finish the beer. Your mouth is left feeling like you sipped a very oaky red wine.

(Side Note: HOTD is a "big beer" brewery. 3 out of 4 of their beers are 10%+.)

Overall Impression: 

Definitely a sipper!
I am kind of stumped as to how I should grade this. The bottle claims this beer is a "Golden Special Ale." I don't know that I would call the color golden, and there is no recognized BJCP guideline that I can find for "Special Ale." So, what to do...?
Well, hell, I'll just shoot from the hip on this one.

I'm going to give it a B. I can't give it an A because I can't say I loved it (didn't really start enjoying it until half way through), but I can't give it a C because, while the beer lacks finesse and polish, it didn't offend either. I estimate that this beer was bottled late in 2009 and I think it will improve with age. At 10% ABV, you could lay this down for quite some time.

Grade:B

Barrel Man say,

"makes me sleepy."

(bottle purchased at Liquor Collection)

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. -- Ewe - 96 (Schwarzbier)

Ewe - 96 Dark Lager was made at Sierra Nevada's Beercamp #38. 

Because it was "torpedoed" it was supposed to be called U-Boat... 

but then lawyers got involved.

The ABV is 5.4%

Review:

This is the most bad-ass Schwarzbier ever sold by an American Brewery. Quite a claim, huh? Well it is true, and this is why: through the brilliance of Sierra Nevada's Brewmaster Scott Jennings, the malt bill is technically perfect;  through the brilliance of the beer campers, the hop selection and resulting aroma blows the competition away. I mean, the idea to combine a rare, floor malted and kilned basemalt with carafa III-- in perfect harmony-- then send this beautiful beer through Sierra's "torpedo" hopping contraption to get the most hop aroma of any schwarzbier? Righteous. 

Only one problem: I had the only 2 bottles on the island. Boy, were they tasty!

(I know that it's unkind of myself to tease my MILLIONS of followers, but hey, if you can't have fun with your blog, why bother blogging?)

GRADE: A

 

Barrel Man says, 

"Mahalo to Kasim!"

Mad River Brewing Co. -- Steelhead Double IPA

Mad River Brewing Co.'s Steelhead Double India Pale Ale, "goes great with red meats and life in general. Does not go well with driving or machinery."

 8.6% ABV and a balance 85 IBU's

Review:

85 IBU's? Hold up there! The calculation of IBU's is mostly theoretical unless analyzed by a lab. If this beer has 85 IBU's than either, A: it wasn't very fresh, or B: the hop additions were mixed in with the lion's share going in for aroma and bittering-- but not for flavor. Both possibilities are plausible, but since I received this beer off of an incoming shipment, I suspect that the answer is closer to option B. This would make sense since the beer shares many characteristics with Mad River's Jamaica Sunset IPA. The aroma is dominated by citrus hop and Chinook hop aromas. There are hints of sulfur and grain husk, but in fleetingly small amounts. The Head pours ivory (see above) and stands 1/2 inch thick. While slightly opaque, the orange color does not reveal any suspended solids. For reference, the body of this beer is similar to Torpedo Extra IPA from SN. There are two flavors that come to mind when tasting this beer: Chrystal malts and orangey hop character. Both are signature IPA flavors. There is a touch of a Centenial hop bite in the finish...but this only reveals itself after the beer has come to ale temperature.
.

(Mahalo to my brother for the VERY appropriate glassware!)

Overall Impression: 

A consumer purchasing this beer may assume that it would be a stronger, hoppier version of Mad River's Extra Pale Ale. That would be incorrect. This beer shares almost no common flavors or aroma characteristics with that fine beer. Indeed, this is much more likely a stronger version of the Jamaica Sunset IPA. Both have orange color, both are IPA's, both have an orange flavor hop characteristic while having little hop flavor, and both have a similar malt flavor.
Now, this beer takes a lot of flack from Hopheads who expect a Double IPA to be hopped out of balance and have a ganja like aroma. But, there is no reason that this is necessary. I find this beer to be delightfully drinkable, hoppy, balanced, and most importantly, a beer that makes you happy to be alive.
Did I mention it is a VERY drinkable 8.6%?

Grade: A

Barrel Man Say,

"A balanced DIPA."

(bottle purchased at Liquor Collection)