Nogne O / Dugges-- Sahti

 

Nogne O  / Dugges Sahti is a beer that was a collaboration between these Norwegian and Swedish breweries, respectively, and was their take on the traditional Finnish style ale.

11% ABV and 24 IBU's

Review:

Aroma: Odd... phenolic smells are in your face. Strangely, the smell of walnut shells is very apparent. Notes of wildflower honey.

Appearance: This Sahti is a hazy amber color and has a white, soda-like head. 

Taste: There is a wheatyness, a rye bite, juniper in the throat... it is fruity and flowery with honey notes... this is a very layered and very complex beer. 

Mouthfeel: A bit syrupy. Quite thick and chewy. You can actually see the viscosity if you watch how slowly the bubbles rise!

Finish: A little bit of everything lingers on the tongue. 

(Side Note: I knew that I was in for an adventure when I saw that it was a Finnish style brewed by Norwegians and Swedes using honey, rye, sea wormwood, wheat, malt,  juniper twigs, hops, and three types of yeast from  from Belgium, Germany and Britain.)

Overall:

This beer is very difficult to grade because it is like nothing else. It is not a true Sahti although it has the key ingredients. It is an amalgam of so many things that it really is unique unto itself. Therefore I have to grade it simply by the satisfaction it gave to me.

Grade: B- for flavor, B+ for effort. This was a gutsy beer to brew and market. 

Barrel Man says, 

"Aye, a gutsy brew!"

(This Bottle Purchased at Ewa Pantry.)

Rogue Brewing Co. -- Dad's Little Helper Black IPA

Rogue Brewing Co.'s Dad's Little Helper is an annual Father's day release that changes in style each year. Last year it was a Malt Liquor. This year it is a Black IPA (also sometimes called a Cascadian Dark Ale or CDA)

6ish% ABV and 70 IBU

Review:

Appearance: This beer pours very dark-- similar to a porter or an extremely dark brown ale. The head is light tan and is quite thick.

Aroma: Roasty, citrus and earthy hops, chocolate.

Taste: ROAST! Some grain astringency, a bit of a sour hop character and what I think is Chinook hop bittering.

Mouthfeel: wheaty, earthy, gritty. Slightly chalky... like walking down a dirt road and a car speeds past you kicking up a dust storm. 

(Side Note: Another Black IPA / CDA that I rated can be found here)

Overall:

This style is still being defined. As such, it is a little tough to grade it on what it should be. Still, I'll just write what my taste buds are telling me: Too wheaty, too much astringency from the roasted grains, too porter/stout like to call it an IPA. 

Grade: B-

Barrel Man says,

"Sorry, Dad."

(Bottle Purchased at Liquor Collection)

Deschutes Brewery's -- Hop in the Dark C.D.A. (Cascadian Dark Ale)

Deschutes Brewery's Hop in the Dark was the second best beer reviewed by Wine Enthusiast magazine in 2010. Some beer writers are saying that this year, Hop in the Dark is even better!

6.5% ABV and 70 IBU's

Review:

Appearance: This beer looks just like a stout as it sits in the glass. It is seriously black with a dark tan head. The head retention is great and leaves lacing down the entire glass. My guess is that there are wheat and oats in this beer.

Aroma: Strong cascade/citrusy hop aromas. Behind that, there is just a hint of sweet malt. 

Taste: 

First sip-- hops, then rye bread, then roasted coffee notes.

Second sip-- hops and then roasty notes.

Third sip -- hops and then more hops.

Every other sip-- hops and hops and hops. 

The hop character is citrusy and grapefruity up front, with an earthy middle and a gritty Chinook-like feel late.

(Side Note: Cascadian Dark Ales are an emerging style that is new to the commercial market. It is my humble opinion that this trend was pushed by home brewers who were concerned with making something tasty to drink -- and unconcerned with how to market or make money on a beer that doesn't fit in the style guidelines. Commercial brewers who make their money by marketing beer took a while to come around to this innovative style. If you enjoy this beer, and how different it is from most other beers on the market, you may enjoy making your own beer.)

Overall: 

This is a great dark IPA or CDA or whatever you want to call it. It is very hoppy but not so much that you laugh at how ridiculous it is. Kanaka who like malty beers will be disappointed, as this beer is not balanced between hops and malts. This beer is balanced by setting a roasty mouthfeel against hops, and balancing the aggressive hops with earthy hops. 

On Deschutes website it states that it took the brewery 22 experimental batches to get the right combination. I believe this is probably true. Overall this is a well crafted IPA-like CDA.

Grade: A

Barrel Man says,

"As dark as a 

well-digger's hole

on a moonless

winter solstice."

(Bottle purchased at Liquor Collection)

Samuel Adams -- Summer Ale

Sam Adams uses malted wheat, lemon peel and Grains of Paradise in their Summer Ale. 

5.3% ABV

Review:

Appearance: Hazy golden ale with a white head that disapates rather quickly for a wheat beer. 

Aroma: Wheat and lemon peel witha hint of watermelon rind.

Taste: Tart and buttery with lemon and dry apple cider notes. The bite is closer to soda than a wheat beer. There is also a little club soda saltiness. 

Mouthfeel: Crisp, citrus rind astringency. Lingering dryness in mouth. 

Side Note:

Overall:

WTF? This beer is certainly unique, but I would not say that it is great... I wouldn't even say that it's good. This is what you get when you are a lager based company that occasionally tries to make exciting ales but you are still scared to make any flavor bold. This beer is like a watered down version of something that might have been good in the hands of another brewer. It is like you took a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, poured 1/4 of the bottle into a glass and then filled the rest of the glass with luke warm water. The flavor you would get from that abomination is approximately how much enjoyment you will receive from drinking this beer. 

Sam Adams makes extremely drinkable lagers, but when they put out these seasonals that are outside their normal profile, it's embarassing. If this were a home brew, I would dump it down the drain before I would serve it to my friends.

NOTE TO JIM KOCH: quit trying to make ales taste like lagers! Keep your lagers, and just make some ales that taste like ales! 

Grade: D

Barrel Man says,

" D is for 'dump it!'"

(This bottle purchased at Liquor Collection)

Lost Coast Brewing Co. -- Great White

Lost Coast Brewing Co's Great White is made with a hint of citrus and a secret blend of Humboldt herbs.

5% ABV and 10-20 IBU's (estimated)

Review:

After the disaster that was Unibroue's Blanche de Chambly, I thought I'd follow up with a good Witbier / white beer. This beer is made in the Humboldt Nation / Emerald Triangle, but no, the "secret blend of Humboldt herbs" does not seem to include that herb.

Appearance: Pale blond. Immaculately white pillowy head.

Aroma: A bit sulfury at first. After it breathes, the sulfur dissipates.

Taste: Lemon, sweet malt, and floral rosewater.

Mouthfeel: Light and smooth, with a delightful finish.

(Side Note: check out the website. I imagine that these folks wear tie-dye all day, every day.)

Overall: 
Even though the picture is a little grainy, you can see that this is a nice light beer with all the aspects that make a great Witbier. It does have a few more hop notes than other examples, but this beer was made on the west coast, and so that west coast flair is acceptable. I think that Hitachino Nest's White Ale is probably more of an authentic Belgian style Wit, but I'm not sure that Lost coast was trying to make an authentic Wit. I think they set out to make an American White Ale, and I think they succeeded. Zesty, Lemony, refreshing... what more do you want in a White Ale?

Grade: A-

Barrel Man says, 

That is a 

"Great White."

(Bottle purchased at Liquor Collection)

Kikuchi Brewery -- Hitachino Nest White Ale

Kiuchi Brewery's Hitachino Nest White Ale is a, "refreshing mildly hopped Belgian styled beer with a complex flavor of coriander, orange peel, nutmeg."

5.5% ABV and 13 IBU

Review:

Appearance: Pours a hazy golden whitish color, much lighter than it appears above. The head was yellowish white and surprisingly small for a Witbier.

Aroma: Black pepper, orange blossom, honey, slight ginger smells. As it warms, it smells more and more like a ginger lei. 

Taste: Orange blossom water, coriander, pepper and lemon zest are all present. This is a great example of what a witbier should be.

Finish: light and clean with a spicy hop/spice note. 

(Side Note: Kiuchi Brewery started over 180 years ago as a sake brewery. They still make sake there, but they also make the entire line of Hitachino Nest beers. If you are in Japan, the website says that you can brew your own beer using their equipment and they will deliver it to your house. If I were in Japan, this is how I would start my new brewery!)

Overall:
The folks in Japan have made a wonderful Belgian style Witbier. This beer is fantastically refreshing. Sweet and spicy notes playfully swirl and mix into one beautiful beer creation. If I had one criticism of this beer it would be that they didn't do anything to to give it a Japanese flair... but it is still hard to blame them for wanting to make a textbook beer without any flaws.

Grade: Solid A!

Barrel Man says,
"Fights the scurvy!"

(This bottle purchased at Liquor Collection)

Eel River Brewing Co. -- Acai Berry Wheat

Eel River Acai Berry Wheat is "a light-bodied wheat ale brewed with organic acai berries from Brazil."

4% ABV

Review:

Appearance: Straw/light gold color (picture above was taken in low light) with a light white head that is very minimal. 

Aroma: Blueberry skins, wheat, sulfur.

Taste: Wheaty tanginess with the essence of berries. There is actually very little berry flavor-- it's almost as if you are tasting the aromatics. 

Mouthfeel: Light and airy, even with the low carbonation level.

Finish: Crisp and dry.

(Side Note: This beer is actually brewed with Acai and a mix of other berries.

Overall: This is a nice light wheat beer. I like that the berry flavor is not overwhelming, but I can understand if others who enjoy fruit in their beer would be a little disappointed. The two things I think are great about this beer are that the slight fruitiness cancels out the sulfur from the yeast, and that I can tell that real berries were used. I do not like beers that have artificial berry flavor or berry extracts in them. They taste like what they are-- artificial. This is a real beer brewed with real ingredients. 

Grade: B+

Barrel Man says, 

"Is this beer, 'diet'?"

(Bottle purchased at Liquor Collection)

Lost Coast Brewing Co. -- Alleycat Amber

 

Lost Coast Brewing Co.'s Alleycat Amber Ale is a, "full flavored amber ale made with roasted caramel malt."

4.8% ABV

Review:

Appearance: Light, off-white head and amber colored body. Good clarity. 

Aroma: Light popcorn note. Some bready yeast character. No hops.

Taste: Slightly rusty, tangy, and sourish. Some notes of cider. Reminds me of Fat Tire.

Mouthfeel: Full and robust. 

Finish: Biting.

(Side Note: This beer hails from Humboldt county in Northern California. This area is often referred to as the Emerald Triangle because of the prevalence of another green crop that is a cousin of hops.)

Overall:

This beer reminds me of Fat Tire. As it warms, it does get better... but never excels. I wish I could have this side-by-side with a Fat Tire so that I could show how favorably it would compare to New Belgium products. Still, this isn't an exciting product. This is a, "goes well with pub food" beer. 

Grade: B-

(This bottle purchased at Liquor Collection)

Kona Brewing Co. -- FIre Rock Pale Ale

Kona Brewing Company's Fire Rock Pale Ale claims to be a, "crisp, refreshing 'Hawaiian-style' pale ale."

5.9% ABV and 35 IBU's

Review:

This copper colored ale pours from the bottle slightly hazy. The initial head stands 1/2 inch high, but fades to a minimal 1/16 inch. Aromas of crystal malts swirl and combine with hints of passion fruit and pineapple. The taste is surprisingly tart, with a dose of citrus rind character and a sprinkle of unripe fruit. There isn't much in the way of malt character or sweetness. The mouthfeel is full, and seems reminiscent of carbonated fruit juice. 

(Side Note: Kona Brewing Co. is owned in majority by Anheuser-busch, which is owned by INBEV, which is not an American company.)

Overall:

This beer is both hoppier and fruitier than I remember. As I was drinking this, I was thinking it tasted like it had followed the Wailua Wheat through a fermentation vessel and had picked up some of that flavor. I see on their website that this beer is brewed with wheat, which explains the haze and the wheaty character, but what about the unripe fruit? I'm afraid that with a sour front, a tart hop middle, no perceivable malt flavor and such little aroma, I'm not going to give this beer a very good grade. 

Grade: C+

Barrel Man says,

"tastes corrupted."

(This bottle purchased at Whole Foods, Kahala Mall)

Coronado Brewing Co. -- Islander IPA

 

Coronado Brewing Co's Islander IPA, "sweeps the senses with its intense hop bitterness, complex flavors and aromas." 

7% ABV and a healthy dose of IBU's

Review: 

Appearance: Hazy copper color with a 3/4 inch head that quickly disappears. The haze may indicate a high level of dry hopping. 

Aroma: Citrus hop! Slight DMS smell.

Taste: Nice BIG hop attack. Sweet, lemon/grapefruit, and orange flavor hops are all present and accounted for. The hops are a little sour late in the taste.

Mouthfeel: Medium carbonation. Medium body.

Finish: Hoppy.

(Side note: Coronado also makes an 8.5% IPA that is called Idiot IPA.)

Overall:
In true San Diego style, this beer immediately hits you with big hop flavors... and then keeps coming with more and more hops. The hops were so intense that I could barely perceive any malt flavor at all -- it was as if they were just there for color and body. This is a hop lover's beer!

Grade: A

Barrel Man says: 
"Three cheers for
San Diego!"

(This bottle purchased at Liquor Collection)

Biere du Boucanier -- Golden Ale

Biere du Boucanier makes a couple of different varieties. This one is the Golden Ale, and is as strong as a Belgian Tripel.

11% ABV

Review:

Appearance: Light gold color with a very white but thin head. 

Aroma: Belgian yeast phenolic notes. Both sweet and spicy.

Taste: Quite tangy with sweet and sour Belgian flavor. VERY Belgian!

Mouthfeel / finish: Effervescent... sweet... bite on tongue lasts for a while. There is a touch of alcohol warmth in throat.

(Side Note: Biere du Boucanier makes a couple of different varieties of beer.)

Overall:
This beer is a little rugged in the finish and is a bit warm. However, When the 11% alcohol is taken into consideration, it seems much more appropriate. Not too bad for a beer of this strength.

Grade: A for a beer of this strength. B for my personal taste.

Barrel Man says:

"Arrgh, she be 

a strong one!"

(This Bottle purchased at Liquor Collection)

Kapuziner -- Bavarian Schwarz-Weizen

 

Kapuziner's Bavarian Schwarz-Weizen is a Black Wheat Ale is a light bodied, dark colored beer that is as refreshing as it is dark.

5.4% ABV

Review:

Aroma: The signature aroma of a sweet German Hefeweizen can be smelled many inches from the glass. Nice notes of grilled citrus fruits are also present. 

Appearance: Dark brown to Black with nice brown highlights. The head is khaki and composed of very fine bubbles. It starts 3/4 to 1 inch thick and, while lessening, lasts through the glass.

Taste: There is a slight chocolaty flavor, bot it comes across dry. The yeast character is spicy but is balanced by the full, creamy mouthfeel.

Mouthfeel: It feels like a nice hefe-weizen with charcoal and ash added.

Finish: Dry and dusty.

(I guess they use the same bottle for a couple of beers)

(Side Note: The color in this beer comes from the same dehusked barley that is used in the Schwarzbier (black lagers) of Germany. It contributes nice color and roast with very low astringency.)

Overall:

Sometimes it is difficult to come up with a single grade for a beer. This was true for this beer because even though I respect the skill and finesse that the brewer obviously possessed in making this beer, I still couldn't get excited about the style.  So, this will be a split decision.

Grade: A- for skill and style. B for my personal taste.

Barrel Man says:

"As dark as the 

inside of my barrel."

(This bottle purchased at Liquor Collection.)

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co -- Double IPA -- Beer Camp Beer

Sierra Nevada's Beer Camp Double IPA beer is a hop-forward beer that was both dry hopped and torpedoed with bold American hops. 

8.5% ABV and 84 IBU's

Review:
Appearance: A nice dark gold color that is lightly hazy (a common characteristic in dry hopped beers) and has a  pure white rocky head.
Aroma: Grassy, piny, citrusy, resiny, grapefruit notes.
Taste: Immediate hit of high AA hops. Flavors of lemon, grapefruit, some pine needles are all present. Tastes a little young-- DMS type flavors from the high AA hops haven't cleaned out yet.
Mouthfeel: This is a full bodied beer with medium-high carbonation.
Finish: HOPS!!!

(Side Note: This beer was originally named Ghidorah-- the three headed monster that fought against Godzilla.)

Overall:
I bought this beer the very first time I saw it, and so I know it was fresh. The taste of really hoppy home brews usually takes a month after bottling to meld and mature. This beer tastes like it has been in the bottle for 2.5 - 3 weeks and as such, will probably get better in a week or two. Even so, I'd give this beer to any and all of my hop head friends.  The use of 5 or more hop varieties makes this a hop lover's dream.

Grade: A

 

Barrel Man says,

"enamel eater!"

(This bottle purchased at Liquor Collection)

Murphy's Draught Style Stout

 

Murphy's Draught Style Stout is an Irish style Dry Stout that comes in a can with a widget.

4.0% ABV

Review:

Murphy's is an exciting beer to pour. Because it is nitrogenated and has a widget, the tiny bubbles are slow to float to the surface and as a result the beer goes from foamy, to brown and thick with bubbles, to dark black with a tan head. It is also fun because the guys at Murphy's have trained the bubbles to creep up to the top of the glass and create a foam-dome but to never overflow. 

Well played, lads!

Anyway, that nice thick head that is pictured above does reduce a bit as you are drinking this beer, but never really goes away. Honestly, it lasts throughout the glass. I've said before that I don't put much stock into the importance of the head retention, but still, I've gotta say that this is pretty impressive. The aroma is dominated by sweet roasted malts and not much else -- which is appropriate. As for the taste, well, it tastes like slightly chalky roasted malts. That's it. Can we go back to talking about the impressive foam now? 

Oh, mouthfeel is very nice. Kinda like a pillow of nitrogen foam landed on your tongue and dissolved into light flavored beer.

(Side note: This page has a nice writeup about a taste-off between Murphy's and Guiness.)

Overall:

Meh. 

Did I mention the foam...?

Grade: C

(Can Purchased at Liquor Collection)

Anchor -- Small Beer

Anchor Brewing Company's, Small Beer, is a beer brewed from the second runnings of their Old Foghorn beer. This style is also refered to as a Parti-Gyle beer.

3.2% ABV

Review:
Small beer is "light" in many ways. The aroma of this beer is tart and lemony but pretty light. The flavor is light and crisp with a slight tartness and light huskiness. The mouthfeel is bubbly and light with the carbonation feeling medium/high for a beer of this strength. All in all, this beer tastes like a very light ale of a slightly complex lager with a squeeze of unsweetened lemon juice in it.

(Side note: "For centuries the term "small beer" was used in English to describe the lighter and weaker second beer. By association, the term came to mean something of little importance." Ref)

 

Overall:

I haven't bothered to look at Ratebeer or Beer Advocate to see what this beer is being rated. I would put money on the reviewers panning this beer. My feelings are that this beer is outside the bounds of many people's taste preference but that it still has something to offer the world of beer. Both Anchor's method of making Small Beer and the style itself are unique in the brewing industry and, personally, I am glad that there is a brewer with the chutzpa to market this beer. Imagine North Coast making a small Old Stock ("Small Stock?), or Sierra Nevada making a "Smallfoot," or Deschutes making a "Mini Abyss..." the possibilities are endless. 

Grade: A for guts, B for flavor.

 

Barrel Man says,

"Talk about a 

session beer!"

(Bottle Purchased at Liquor Collection)

Maui Brewing Co -- Flyin' HI. P. Hay

 

Maui Brewing Company's, Flyin' HI. P. Hay, is an IPA that was brewed in the memory of Glen Hay Falconer, a beer brewer who was close to the guys at Maui. Proceeds will be donated to the Glen Hay Falconer Foundation to provide scholarships to Homebrewers and Brewers who wish to further their knowledge and experience.

6.8% ABV and 68 IBU's

I am happy to report on this new beer from Maui Brewing. It seems that in Hawai'i, brewers put out less seasonal or special brews than on the mainland, so I've been eagerly awaiting this beer since I first heard it mentioned. 

Review:

Appearance- Take a look at the above picture. That is what I would label as a classic IPA color. (They are probably using some Crystal 40L in there.) The head pours to one half inch and the beer is crystal clear.

Aroma: Interestingly, this beer seems to have a very similar nose to the Maui Bikini Blonde. I think that they put Munich Malts in both, which might be what I am picking up on. There is a surprising lack of hop aroma here. Unlike Big Swell, that was dry hopped extensively, this beer may not have had any dry hop at all.

Taste: There are the hops! Thank goodness! West coast hops abound and grapefruit and grass dominate. Without a doubt, the malts take a back seat in this one. This is a very nice IPA. The mouthfeel influences the way the flavor is perceived... see below.

Mouthfeel: Full and creamy. Almost like a dry stout in a lot of ways. I am surprised at how this balances the American hops. Most beers are balanced between hops and malts. This beer is balanced between hops and the creaminess of the carbonation. As there is no widget, I suspect that this beer may have been brewed with an English or Irish yeast, which could explain this phenomena. The only other explanation is that Maui went BIG on the Dextrin malts.

(Side Note: This IPA is brewed with a hop mix  called Falconers Flight, which includes both common IPA hops and some experimental hops. )

Overall:

I am a sucker for new beers. I always feel that I HAVE to try them. Sometimes this leads to buyers remorse. Not this time. This beer is a wonderful and playful example of an American IPA. I've read reviews that said this is English style, but that's  bunk. Despite its lack of dry hopped aroma, this is as American as Chinook Hops... Or maybe this is the newest style of IPA -- The Hawaiian style IPA.

Grade: A

 Barrel Man says,

"Here's to you, Hay."

(This Beer Purchased at Liquor Collection)

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.)