Tag Archives: California

Lagunitas Hop Stoopid Ale

Leave a reply

lagunitas-hop-stoopid-ale

Tonight I’m enjoying Hop Stoopid, an American Imperial IPA from the Lagunitas Brewing Company and I’m enjoying it in one of my new Dogfish Head (lightly) branded Spiegelau IPA glasses, which I love. It proclaims on the bottle “102 I.B.U. 4 U.” and they ain’t lyin’. The nose is grassy, and piney, and a little citrusy with some pineapple notes to boot. The middle is a heavy hop bomb of the bitter, west-coast style that I so dearly love. The body lives up to the imperial billing, as this is a medium to heavy weight beer. There is tons of citrus, primarily grapefruit and orange, with loads of bitter rind in the forefront, fading to some sweet orange sugars in the finish. I also taste a touch of vanilla throughout, mellowing it a bit. The alcohol in this beer is a healthy, but not huge 8.0% ABV, and it really stays in the background pretty nicely. This is a really outstanding, complex beer, and a unique twist on the super hoppy west coast IPA style.

I give it a 4.7 out of 5.

Green Flash Saison Diego

Leave a reply

green-flash-saison-diego

Saison Diego is a Belgian Saison, or Farmhouse Ale, from the Green Flash Brewing Co. of San Diego. The style is known for its spices, and Green Flash has done a really nice job of staying true to that style. With spicy Czech hops, orange zest, ginger, and grains of paradise, this is a flavorful old world beer, very different from some of the super piney bitter west-coast style ales that Green Flash is known for, but this is just as good a beer. The nose is bready, with wheat and yeast and a bit of orange. The middle is spicy, with the orange, the hops, and the grains of paradise coming to the fore. The finish is dry and dusty, with fading notes of cinnamon and slightly bitter orange peel. This is a really nice beer, and one of the better Saisons I’ve tried. I give it a thumbs up.

I give it 4.5 out of 5.

Arrogant Bastard Ale

Leave a reply

stone-arrogant-bastard-ale

Arrogant Bastard is a top-notch craft beer classic from Stone Brewing that I’ve avoiding reviewing, and for that matter drinking, solely based on how passionately I hate the name. Yes, I know it’s tongue in cheek and all in good fun, but it still makes me cringe. That said, it gets a 98 on BeerAdvocate from the brothers, and a 99 on RateBeer, so I really can’t ignore it any longer. It’s classified as an American Strong Ale, which in this incarnation means it’s a big, heavy, hop-bomb. The nose is actually pretty light, lighter than I expected for sure, primarily grassy with a bit of pine and some lemon. The middle is bitter, with dark roasted coffee, pine pitch, and grapefruit rind the major notes. The malt brings a bit of caramel sweetness towards the finish along with a bit of booze and more lemon. It’s got a fairly heavy body and lingers on the tongue for a bit. As a strong ale, I can envision it being more balanced, but that clearly wasn’t what they were going for here, and it’s without doubt exceptionally artfully crafted and executed. If you don’t enjoy hoppy, bitter beer this is certainly not the brew for you, but if do you enjoy the big west-coast hop bombs, this is an wonderful example of the pinnacle of the style and craft.

I give it a 4.7 out of 5.

Stone Smoked Porter

Leave a reply

stone_smoked_porter

Browsing through the beer section at the Earth Fare, one of the local grocery stores I frequent, I saw a bottle of Stone’s Smoked Porter that I’ve passed over my last few trips, and decided to give it a try.  It’s rich dark brown in color, and a medium to full bodied beer.   There’s chocolate in the nose, cocoa and coffee in the middle, and it has sweet, milky finish that fades to a faintly bitter last note that gives you a hint about the hops.  I really didn’t find a lot of smoke in my example. Other than a bit in the nose, to me, this was closer to a chocolate or milk stout than anything.   This is not as outrageous as some of Stone’s other offerings, but it’s a really nice, smooth, flavorful beer, and would be a great option for someone who isn’t into hoppy, bitter beers.  I like it a lot.

I give it a 4.2 out of 5.

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale

1 Reply

sierra_nevada_pale_ale

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.’s Pale Ale is a beer that needs no introduction.   You’ve almost certainly had one or six in the past, and it’s available nation-wide.   Why would I review a beer that all you readers have already tried?   Simple…I believe this beer deserves it.  To me this is one of two beers (Samuel Adams Boston Lager being the other) that epitomize the success of modern craft brewing in the United States.   This is one of the two beers that sets the standard for brewing high quality beer with care, and still being able to make it widely available for the enjoyment of a general national audience.  But I digress.   The beer:   This is a classic American Pale Ale in all it’s hoppy glory.  The nose is slightly bready, with some floral notes.   The middle is bursting with clean bitter pine, and a hint of orange peel.  The finish is pine and bread.  It’s a medium-bodied beer, and clean and crisp all the way through.  There’s nothing outlandish about this beer, but it excels in its simplicity.  This is one of my favorites for a hot summer evening.

I give it a 4.5 out of 5.