Tag Archives: craft beer

Divergent – Rivertown Brewing Company – Cincinnati, OH

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Brew:  Divergent (On draft)

Brewery:  Rivertown Brewing Company

Style:  Berliner Weissbier ABV 3.8%

The nose is fruity with the scent of apple, lemon and a light yeastiness.  A sip immerses the drinker in flavors of apple, pear, citrus, very light hoppiness and malt, and that signature almost vinegary lactobacillus tartness.  These tastes become more apparent as the beer warms, the fruit flavors themselves are very tart and reminiscent of fruit rind. Light in carbonation this Berliner has extremely refreshing qualities that yield to a crisp tartness making the mouth water and the lips pucker. This beer is ‘Divergent’ from the traditional clear, concise, and straightforward Berliner Weiss style because it possesses full bodied fruit flavors and a sour funk that is anything but ordinary. The Berliner Weissbier style in general tends to have lower ABV but delivers on taste and a unique experience.  Divergent is true to the style in this sense and takes the refreshing qualities of a Berliner further with its flavors and depth. For a tart, flavorful, throught-provoking experience reach for a Divergent.

Seller Description: Flappers have always been a symbol of change and rebellion, harkening to a time where challenging the norm was all the rage. This beer embraces and celebrates that vibrant, relentless spirit. Representing the rebirth of a brewery and the reclamation of a dream, this beer is a completely contradictory experience where the wort is soured, the hops are minimized and the beer is filtered to be brilliant. Crisp, delicate, cutting edge, complex and tart, pouring a bright citrine with a nose of gently soured rind fruit, this beer is exactly what is needed when looking for a little something…Divergent.

Grapefruit Sculpin IPA – Ballast Point Brewing Company – San Diego, CA

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IMG_2730Brew:  Grapefruit Sculpin IPA

Brewer:  Ballast Point Brewing Company

Style:  American IPA  ABV 7%

Ballast Point’s Grapefruit Sculpin IPA pours an golden amber with an off-white head. The aroma is packed with grapefruit and a bouquet of tropical floral fragrance. The taste is also ruled by grapefruit and the hops are much less pronounced than in the traditional brew. The grapefruit is mouthwatering but, instead of being tart outright, it is sweet like a pomelo or a very ripe grapefruit. Sweet malty flavors and notes of caramel mingle in the background and contribute to the burst of grapefruit and tropical fruit. For lovers of the traditional Sculpin IPA this is a treat and an exploration in a new direction. Expertly infusing grapefruit flavors without too much sweetness was the perfect way to complement the original.  Because Grapefruit Sculpin was made with such care and attention to taste, beer drinkers everywhere are praising it instead of raising an eyebrow to a beer that couldn’t possibly measure up to its namesake.  Ballast Point has done it again and I am sure we haven’t seen the last experimentation with the legendary Sculpin IPA.

Seller Description:  Our award-winning IPA, with a citrus twist.  Our Grapefruit Sculpin is the latest take on our signature IPA. Some may say there are few ways to improve Sculpin’s unique flavor, but the tart freshness of grapefruit perfectly complements our IPA’s citrusy hop character. Grapefruit’s a winter fruit, but this easy-drinking ale tastes like summer.

Sculpin IPA – Ballast Point Brewing Company – San Diego, CA

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Brew:  Sculpin IPA

Brewer:  Ballast Point Brewing Company

Style:  American IPA  ABV 7%

Ballast Point Sculpin pours a light amber with a fluffy white head.  The aroma is hoppy with hints of citrus and grapefruit.  Sculpin IPA epitomizes a great IPA and is widely accepted as the quintessential American IPA.  The taste is smooth and refreshing but with a hoppy bite and floral overtones. Emanating from the hops are notes of fruit as well as a slight background maltiness. Within the fruit flavors are tastes of citrus (grapefruit, orange, and lemon), tropical fruit, and apricots.  Even with all these flavors playing a part in a symphony of taste, Sculpin IPA manages to maintain a refreshingly clean drinkability. I have had the pleasure of drinking dozens, probably hundreds of IPAs in my time and Ballast Point Sculpin has consistently made an impression as one of the best (and the one pictured that I enjoyed on El Matador beach in Malibu, CA was no different). When it comes to IPAs, we expect very high quality from well-known Californian Breweries. With Sculpin, Ballast Point goes a step further than the rest to deliver a tried and true American IPA experience. ABV: 7%

Seller Description: A trophy beer that’s a testament to our homebrew roots. Our Sculpin IPA is a great example of what got us into brewing in the first place. After years of experimenting, we knew hopping an ale at five separate stages would produce something special. The result ended up being this gold-medal winning IPA, whose inspired use of hops creates hints of apricot, peach, mango and lemon flavors, but still packs a bit of a sting, just like a Sculpin fish.

Bite Hard – Boonville Cider House – Boonville, CA

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Brew:  Bite Hard

Brewer:  Boonville Cider House

Style:  Cider  ABV 6.9%

Bite Hard pours a beautiful shadowy gold with a nose of crisp fermented apple.  This cider is made with heirloom organic apples from California and fermented to a healthy 6.9% ABV.  The taste of apple accompanies the bite during the first sip and lingers on the palate after the finish.  The apple flavor is so deep and rich that it makes the mouth water and drips with authenticity.  There are also refreshingly natural notes of citrus and lemon that add to the complexity of the taste. The tart and dry up front bite is accompanied by an unexpected and welcome lack of sweetness.  This is a connoisseurs cider, one that does not need to hide behind sugar and artificial flavoring to please.  One of the most satisfying elements of Bite Hard is the utter originality of the taste.  Boonville cider house has cultivated a respectable persona with Bite Hard, this is a cider that will undoubtedly stand the test of time.

Seller Description:  Bite Hard Apple Cider is a crisp, semi dry cider, slow fermented from heirloom apples in an English tradition. Made from tannic and full bodied fruit, this cider carries its distinctive BITE with a clean and unique apple finish and citrus notes. We take the time to seek out and preserve the best that Autumn has to offer.

JDubs Brewing Company – UP TOP IPA – Sarasota, FL

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Brew:  UP TOP! IPA

Brewer:  JDub’s Brewing Company

Style:  American IPA  ABV 6.5%

UP TOP IPA pours an auburn orange with a white head.  The nose is piney with a floral quality and citrus undertones.  The taste is a testament to Jai Alai IPA but with character all its own.  The hops are present but not overpowering, there are notes of caramel, malt, and a melange of citrus.  This is one solid IPA, and a welcome addition to what South Florida has to offer.  JDubs has made Sarasota proud, if you have a chance visit the brewery have an UP TOP, play some cornhole, and be sure to sample their latest libation.  UP TOP has drinkability but doesn’t sacrifice flavor, body, or originality to achieve it. (ABV 6.5%)

Seller Description: A sessionable India Pale Ale that doesn’t slap you in the face with bitterness.  Negatron – this one inspires to find your closest pals or the person next to you at the bar and give ’em a big ol “UP TOP!”

Oskar Blues Brewery – GUBNA Imperial IPA – Brevard, NC

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DSC_0948-2Brew:  GUBNA Imperial IPA

Brewer:  Oskar Blues Brewery

Style:  Imperial IPA 10%

2014 GUBNA pours a crisp golden orange with a nose that smells of citrus and pineapple.  The flavors are pronounced with a great deal of hoppiness but underlying clarity that is extremely refreshing.  Fresh grapefruit is prominent along with citrus/lemon zest and warmth from herbs and spices.  There are also notes of dark fruit, malt and caramel that add to the complexity of this beer.  Oskar Blues GUBNA was my true introduction to Imperial IPAs about 6 years ago.  It wasn’t my first experience with Imperials but it was a truly eye opening one.  No Imperial IPA ever enlightened me to the possibilities of this style like GUBNA.  Every year GUBNA changes but it is always true to its roots as a hoppy but refreshing unpredictably amazing beer. (ABV 10%)

Seller Description: GUBNA is packed with Rye and North American Pale Malt and accented with Munich Malt to give a spicy and flavorful backbone to support loads of kettle hops driving the IBUs to triple digits.  The 2014 GUBNA Seasonal is dry hopped with copious amounts of Sorachi Ace, Chinook and Mosaic hops creating a dank, dense nose and unique blend of lemon zest, red berries, spice, peach and herbs through a clean bitter finish.  (10 percent ABV, 100+ IBUs).

Hot Little Miami Tart – Stone Brewing Co. / J. Wakefield – Escondito, CA

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IMG_1558Incredible collaboration. Pours a gentle orange with an opaque tan hue.  The nose is acidic and makes the mouth water, it also smells of peppers and tropical fruit.  The taste is intense and complex for a Berliner Weiss.  The flavor encompasses slight heat and spiciness from the peppers and gives way to citrus and lush tropical fruit.  The tartness in this Berliner is rich with lemon and intense in the most pleasing way.  The fruit, the peppers, and the tartness are all very pronounced flavors but they seem to balance one another perfectly.  Light carbonation makes this Berliner Weissbier truly pleasing to the senses.  Hot Little Miami Tart is a collaboration between Stone Brewing Company in California and J. Wakefield Brewing in Miami Florida.  This sour beer is quite the success and illustrates why collaborations and creative recipes are making the world of craft beer exciting and progressive.  This is a great take on a Berliner Weissbier and definitely does the style justice. ABV 4.0%

Monomoy Kriek – Cisco Brewers Inc. – The Woods – Nantucket, MA

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IMG_2080-2Brew: Monomoy Kriek

Brewery: Cisco Brewers Inc.

Style: Sour/Wild Ale

Pours a beautiful crimson violet that permeates the head creating a rosy tint.  The nose is packed with tart cherry.  The cherry flavor has a broad spectrum ranging from crisp and ripe to sweet and sour.  The barrel aging adds an oaky edge to this impressive creation.   The tartness is mouthwatering and epitomizes a great sour.  The acid adds a fine balance to the fruit flavors. This kriek* is an undeniable testament to the style.  I was pleased to find a serendipitously fresh batch of this in Northampton, MA at a bar called the Dirty Truth.  Lambics and associated fruity sour beers tend to have low ABV but this beer registers at an honorable 6.7%.   This kriek is a great choice for a night out or as a morning companion for a plate of chicken and waffles.  According to the seller this cherried Flemish sour was aged for 2 years, 10 months on sour cherries, I must say it was worth the wait.

* Kriek is a word of Flemish origin that refers to a cherry-infused style of Belgian beer, fermenting a Lambic (Belgian fruit style) with sour Morello cherries.

Lemon Cello (Limoncello) IPA – Siren Craft Brew / Hill Farmstead / Mikkeller – United Kingdom

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This beer is as difficult to describe as it is easy to enjoy. The nose is thick with lemon and citrus with a slight air of Maltiness. The taste centers around lemon with a background of citrus and the tropical fruit beginnings of the hops. For me it was important to note that the tartness instead of puckering was mouthwatering and truly satisfying. As these tastes manifest, the hops become more apparent and the all star cast of this experience fully reveal themselves. Any fan of IPAs always enjoys an IPA with something new to offer, this beer is it. I have never had a beer with such tartness, well rounded flavor, and a proper ABV for a sour beer. This collaboration between Hill Farmstead, Mikkeller and Siren Craft Brew delivers a truly amazing, scrumptious, distinctive IPA. ABV 9%.

Seller Description: This is a truly different beer. The concept was to develop the flavour and mouthfeel of Limoncello and fuse with the carbonation and lemony hop hit of an IPA. Using pale and wheat malts, the base beer goes through a 24 hour sour process to add to the tartness of the beer. Tons of lemon zest and juice are added to the boil along with all the citrusy lemony hops available

The Passion of the Weiss – Schilling Craft Brews – Northampton, MA

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The Passion of the WeisseBrew: Passion of the Weiss

Brewery: Schilling Craft Brews

Style: Berliner Weissbier

This Double Berliner Weisse pours a beautiful golden tone of cadmium yellow. The passion fruit nose is poignant and mouthwatering, ushering fourth a sip of tartness that can only be described as mindblowing. This Berliner packs quite a punch and emanates the tropical fruit flavor and tartness of its namesake. It is a beer that truly delivers with brilliant sourness, passion fruit flavor that is by no means eclipsed by its tartness, background notes of tropical fruit and citrus, and a perfect level of carbonation. Also, The sheer thought of integrating a fruit that possesses its own qualities of tartness into a sour beer such as a Berliner is unmitigated genius. The Passion of the Weiss was fermented with passion fruit and double brewed or ‘long aged’ in a small batch so it has a higher ABV than your traditional Berliner. For any connoisseur of beer sour beers are a treat and a delight, they explore new avenues of taste and new possibilities in the world of craft beer.

This Berliner comes from Mike Schilling, an expert brewer and creator of thought provoking beers, who consistently creates beers that are as interesting as they are delicious. This beer, I am sorry to say, is not available commercially. In order to find a libation with taste of this magnitude one must locate Mike Schilling and gain access to his stores or find out what new brew is on the horizon. ABV 6.2%