Kelly’s Tasting Diary
I started keeping track of the different beers that I’ve tried lately. Beer is not new to me, but stepping out of the box is…I’ve enjoyed the journey!! Instead of little notes stuffed here and there, which until this moment has been my method of choice, I thought I would try to consolidate my list here. I’ve linked to Beer Advocate if possible (BA official review included if available):
Kevin’s Ale – New Belgium Brewing/Lips of Faith (Limited (brewed once)) BA rating: B+
Pliny the Elder-Russian River Brewing (Rotating) BA rating: A+
Mildly hazed orange golden color, solid two fingers of head leave a nice crowning of sticky lace. Big hop aroma of evergreen, clementine rind, pineapple and fresh cut grass. Super smooth with a modest amount of carbonation. Prickly spicy hop bitterness with citric, mint and wild flower flavors that linger far into the aftertaste. Hint of nutty yeast and a handful of biscuity malt are thrown at the palate and actually shows that this beer has balance. Full bursting orange grove flavor. The 8.0% stays hidden for the most part yet does yield a slow warmth about half way through the pint, a bit of ripe tropical fruitiness within from the esters. Finishes with that long drawn out hop bitterness and flavor as it leans towards the dry side.
Epic, a deserving epic as well. Pliny The Elder is the poster-boy for Double IPAs.
Pliny the Younger-Russian River Brewing (Winter) BA rating: A+
Beire de Mars- New Belgium Brewing/Lips of Faith (This beer is retired; no longer brewed) BA rating: B
Pours an orange hued beer with a touch of cloudiness (this is a bottle conditioned ale), with a slightly off white foam head that keeps a thin lace throughout its stay in the glass.
Delicate floral aroma (orange blossom), soft herbal spices and the faintest honey note in the back. Thin mouthfeel, actually a bit watery, and quick to leave the palate. Coriander, clove, lemon peel, wheat husks, crackers, slight peppery note. Splash of lime bitterness. Touch of peach, both in fruitiness and tartness. Thin honey sweetness. Dry, with a lot of yeast character in the finish. A bit too much as it lingers to the point of almost becoming unpleasant, the some lingering sweet floral notes help to mask this a bit.
This could be something to quaff back during the summer as it’s both light and refreshing on the palate, but it does have a slightly sneaky alcohol. A nice farmhouse ale. I’d love to see more US brewers take a stab at this concept.
Tank 7 Saison – Boulevard Brewing (Rotating) BA rating: A-
Mountain Standard – O’Dell Brewing Company (Limited (brewed once))BA rating: A-
I had this one several weeks in a row when I went to watch my friends join in a drum circle. I liked it very much, but now it’s gone. Which I guess is part of the appeal of a “tasting room”…finding and trying something new!
Racer X – Bear Republic Brewing (Year-round) BA rating: A
I had it just once. I wanted another one, really bad, but the very next time I ventured over to The Tap Room, it was gone.
Val-Dieu Tripel – Brasserie de l’Abbaye du Val-Dieu (Year-round) BA rating: A-
Presentation: Short stubby 11.2 brown bottle with no freshness date.
Appearance: Bright and glowing golden hue, haze from both the yeast and chill haze are very light. Thin powdery white lace leaves a beautiful trail down the glass.
Smell: Ripe pear, raw honey and peppery phenols rise into the nostrils. Spicy sweet estery alcohol intoxicates the nose.
Taste: Smooth and creamy with a fluffy crispness upfront. Delicate and supple medium body curls around the tongue with a medium to high carbonation. Esters are solid but not flamboyant. Sweetness pushes forth with ripe fruit and pale honey. Fruitiness is light yet expressive with hints of pear and tangerine. Hop bitterness cuts through a bit and a bite from the yeast tries to keep things in balance also. Slight phenolic peppery flavour adds an enjoyable contrast to the sweetness. Phenolic flavours stay with the finish so the sweetness does not appear to dominant.
Notes: Incredibly easy to drink and dangerous at that being a triple. Very well balanced with a clean palate even with the esters and phenols running around the taste buds.
Stone Ruination IPA – Stone Brewing Company (Year-round) BA rating: A
Pours a magnificent looking beer, at first … quite pale, touch of cloudiness (expected as this is unfiltered), and topped with a patchy, frothy, white foam head; retention could be better.
Aroma is even more magnificent, full of so much perfumey hop character that your mind drifts, dizzy, into another zone.
The taste … this is one smooth bastard of a beer. Malt flavour is defining-ly bready / toasty up-front with a thick-ish, creamy mouthfeel. A hoppy beer indeed, but not “bitter,” as one might think. It’s all about the malt and alcohol with this beer, the hops try to punch through but get smoothed into the overall flavour. That said, the hop character is extremely flavourful with woody / herbal / flowery notes and a citric edge that melds quite nicely with the prickly alcohol. Speaking of alcohol, it’s persistent and very warming. Todd like.
Loads of fruity flavours, but mostly pineapple and other tropical fruits. Finish gets a bit dry, touch of yeast feel and flavour and woody hop residuals. Plenty of bready leftovers, too.
Although a bit same-y in comparison to some of the other hopped up Stone beers, there’s no denying that this is one helluva kick-ass beer! Flavours are off the scale, drinkability frightening and the effort/passion put into this beer is a beautiful thing, and very apparent.
Stone Levitation Ale – Stone Brewing Company (Year-round) BA rating: B+
Pours a clear, bright chestnut/rich dark amber coloured beer topped with a creamy, finger thick, off-white head. Nice stick and retention. Restrained hop aroma, floral, touch of grass with a slight toasty malt character in the nose.
A somewhat thick, rich-body, even a bit chewy and slick on the palate … Tight, tingly carbonation. Hop flavours are herbal, sharp with salty/lime note of citrus, leaf, pine, wood and earth. Dry, a bit astringent. Malt character is pretty much all tied up in the body, yet some caramel (bit buttery, too) notes sneak through, along with notes of toasted bread, a slight twang of roasted malts, peanut skin, splash of fruity prune. At times, a bit vinous in character, too. Dry finish, with raw leaf and grain notes.
Who beat up the Arrogant Bastard? A less powerful, more sessionable offering from Stone, yet still complex. I like it, and I’d like to see more brews like this from them.
