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)

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. -- Summerfest

Sierra Nevada's Summerfest is a bottom fermented beer (a lager) that is brewed every year for the summer months.

Review:
Appearance: Straw in color and very clear. A quarter inch head dissipates down to an eighth of an inch, but stays at this level through the glass.

Aroma: The grain husk smell of pilsner malt is rather apparent in this beer. The slight sulfur note is obvious to me, but may be less obvious to someone who is less sensitive to that characteristic. Hop notes, including lemon peel and fresh cut hay, are also present but are at a very low level.

Taste: This lager starts slightly sweet, but quickly transitions to a tangy orange/lemon peel taste and feel. The finish is tangy and less crisp than I remember from years past.

Mouthfeel: There is  a strong sensation of a pilsner, but without the crisp finish... specifically the feel of pilsner malt husk shines through. The carbonation is medium/high which helps lighten the perceived viscosity.

Finish: In Sierra Nevada style, this beer has a gripping hop bite. It also has an astringency that is not unlike water with a squeeze of lemon in it.

(Side note: Although Sierra Nevada makes a wide variety of Ales, this is one of two seasonal beers that is lagered. The other is the spring release, Glissade.)

Overall: 
I have, of course, tasted this beer in years past. This year the hop presence seems a bit more prominent than previous years. In some ways I like it, but the lingering lemon peel sensation cancels out the crispness that I've come to expect in this beer and this style. Usually this is a B+ beer for me, but this year...

Grade: C+

Barrel Man says,
"I like Bikini Blonde
better."

(This bottle purchased at Foodland Supermarket)

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)