Sixpoint Apollo

ABV: 5.2%   IBU: 11

The unmistakable flavor of a Bavarian Wheat, but with a clear golden brilliance and a Sixpoint twist. An entirely unique canned offering for the sun-worshipping ale lovers. (courtesy of sixpoint.com)

Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter – 5.8% ABV | 37 IBU

One of the newest breweries to distribute to New Jersey is Great Lakes Brewing Company and I’ve had the pleasure of tasting three of their beers so far. All of their beers have been fine specimens of beer brewed under the German purity law “Reinheitsgebot,” stating beer can only possess barley, yeast, water and hops.  Today’s offering is Edmund Fitzgerald Porter a very complex yet simple brew that pushes the limit of what simplicity can be and raises a seemingly basic ingredient list to level awesome.

The Beer

Edmund Fitzgerald Porter pours out of the glass black with a finger and a half’s worth of a tan head. The aroma is a nice helping of chocolate that gives you this warm and fuzzy feeling like pulling a batch of brownies out of the oven. First sip hits you with an assault of chocolatey coffee and finishes with a deep smokey flavor. The mouthfeel is the only area I wish I could have had a bit more oomph, it wasn’t horribly thin but could have used a little more body.

Overall

I’m a tad jaded when it comes to having porters and stouts that aren’t as big as the high gravity beers like Ballast Point Victory at Sea or Founders KBS. I’m a quintessential American that likes things big and over the top and its only as of late that I’m starting to come around to the less robust beers. I’m very happy to find a gem of a beer such as Edmund Fitzgerald Porter that eases me back into normalcy and does it with such grace and finesse. This beer is so far the highlight of my foray into Great Lakes Brewing company and I’m very gracious to have such a high quality brewer distribute to my state.

If you are looking for a stout/porter high on the chocolate and smokey flavor with a smooth mouthfeel that’s lower on the alcohol scale, this is your go to beer. Forget what you heard Edmund Fitzgerald Porter is where its at.

Ballast Point Dorado 9.6% ABV

Fewer things are as exciting as getting beer (aka yeast samples) mail.  Often times for me it starts with the surprise of getting a package when you weren’t expecting one.  Wondering who it could be from, I quickly cut the tape to find that someone has taken a fair amount of time padding and packaging it’s contents.  Upon removing the layers and layers of bubble wrap, it revealed itself…garnering a response from me along the lines of “Yes!” or “Holy Crap”.  I know…I’m a linguistic genius.  But one thing is for sure, opening my recent beer mail to see I was sent a Ballast Point Dorado Double IPA was beyond exciting.

Now, to the beer drinking.  I saved this one for a few weeks.  I was waiting for the perfect time to dedicate to drinking this one.  On a fine sunny Sunday afternoon, I decided it was go time.

I cracked the bomber of Dorado and poured it into my globe glass.  Upon the pour I quickly noticed the beautiful color of a hazy orange color.  A good amount of white head topped the pour.

On the nose, a great bouquet of citrus.  Picked up tons of grapefruit and citrus peel.  A slight pine note with some malt sweetness.  I wasn’t sure what to expect in regards to taste as this DIPA was hitting a lot of marks on the nose.

First sip…boom! Grapefruit with a nice residual sweetness attributed to the malt.  I picked up tons of citrus with a hint of melon and caramel sweetness (crystal 40?).  Medium body mouth feel was consistent through the end with a perfect carbonation percentage.  The booze/alcohol taste was evident and a constant reminder that you were drinking a 9.60% ABV beer that is not for the faint of heart.

It wasn’t overpowering in the hop category but instead a balanced DIPA that I could tell was intentionally crafted to be different than other DIPAs on the market.

Overall…I’m glad Ballast Point Dorado showed up on my doorstep.  I hope someday to try more brews from Ballast Point.  The Dorado did not disappoint so do your friend a favor and send some beer mail.

Lakefront New Grist ABV 5.1%

In this age of allergy everything, I have taken on a little challenge of tasting a Gluten free beer. At first, like many of you, I kind of turned my nose up to the thought of a beer not made with barley. After some chiding and nudging I decided to taste one and that’s where my Lakefront New Grist Sorghum beer comes in today.

Let’s jump right into the review, it pours a very adjunct lager pale color, clear with minimal head. The smell is hard to discern, very faint fruity smell and I had to get my nose deep in my cup. Ok then I took a nice swig of the beer and you get this sweet, apple taste reminiscent to a watery Lindemans Apple Lambic beer. No hop profile at all. Then the aftertaste kicks in and makes me cringe like I just walked into a fart cloud at Walmart. It has a nice mouthfeel though, nicely carbonated and very refreshing.

That aftertaste though is a kick in the nads and really makes you think twice about taking another sip. But in the effort of research I push forward and take another sip. Same watery apple and super sour flavor, first impression confirmed.  I handed some to my wife to get some validation and she didn’t like it.

In all fairness I do not like sour beers and Lakefront New Grist kind of reminded me of a sour beer. Maybe a sour beer drinker might find this beer refreshing and enjoyable but I do not. I’m going to try some other gluten free beers but I don’t think I’ll ever try this one again. Maybe if I had a gluten allergy I might think twice but I can’t palate that swift kick in the teeth of sour apples but if you have tried Lakefront New Grist let me know what you think in the comments below.

Stone Espresso Imperial Russian Stout

ABV: 10.6%  IBU: 60

Like the classic version, this (Stone Espresso) Odd Year edition was brewed in the authentic, historical style of an imperial Russian stout, but with the addition of several hundred pounds of espresso beans from our friends at Ryan Bros. Coffee. Layers of flavor and complexity augment an already enigmatic brew, leaving this darkly delicious libation positively brimming with deep, rich espresso flavors that meld beautifully with the roasty bitterness of the dark malts. (courtesy of  www.stonebrewing.com)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqUzLG_XTZg

Lagunitas Maximus  – 8.2% ABV

For those of you who can’t speak Spanish or have a hard time properly pronouncing some of their words you see, I offer a lesson on that and on a tasty beer from Lagunitas Brewing Company out of Petaluma, CA – Lagunitas Maximus. The side of the label says it is 12 oz of “hops, malt, hops, hops, yeast, hops, water and hops.” Hmm, I think I see a theme here. This Double IPA checks in at 8.2% and offers a nice sweet malt profile with some moderate warming and a crisp, but not overly bitter citrus and pine aroma and finish.

Another line from the label offers sage advice – “Life is uncertain. Don’t sip.” Point taken. Cheers!

Rating – B+

Lagunitas Maximus photo by edwin.bautista of flickr.com

Founders Doom Imperial IPA

ABV: 10%  IBU: N/A

“Doom is one of those beers that we’ve talked about releasing ever since we started the Backstage Series,” says Co-Founder and Vice President of Brand & Education Dave Engbers. “It’s hop heavy. It’s barrel-aged. It’s unapologetic. It’s the definition of a Founders beer.” (courtesy of foundersbrewing.com)

Sixpoint Resin

ABV: 9.1%  IBU: 103
“Whatever flames upon the night.
Man’s own resinous heart has fed.

Captain Lawrence Imperial IPA 9% ABV 80 IBU

It isn’t everyday u find a sampling station in a supermarket sampling beer, so I gave the stand a try. Turns out they had an assortment of Captain Lawrence brews on hand, of which some I’ve had but the Captain Lawrence Imperial IPA stood out like Dad chaperoning his kid at a Justin Bieber concert. As I walked away I took one sip of the sample thinking ehhh this is going to be just another brew,  then it hit my lips and I swear I saw rainbows and unicorns parade through the Whole Foods.

I turned around and picked up a few bottles and made a B line for the register. Today I offer you Captain Lawrence Imperial IPA in this video review.

Side Note: Captain Lawrence, please label your bottles with a bottling date and alcohol content. Its super annoying not knowing if I have a fresh bottle or the alcohol content in said bottle.

Please enjoy the video above and leave any comments or questions below. PROST!

Stay Thirsty but Stay Different!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFjOzJ7qpjg

Maine Beer Company Lunch IPA 7% ABV

Everyone has that beer that they can lay there hat on as their perfect beer. That one beer that reminds us why we drink, blog and review beers in the first place. Today that beer came in the form of an indiscreet bottle from Maine Beer Company in Portland, Maine.  I’ve had their Peeper Ale which I was unimpressed by and decided to give them another chance and I’m very very happy I did. Today they offered up Lunch IPA and I’m thankful for catching this moment on camera. This beer single handidly reaffirmed my passion for craft beer and reminded me why I continue to blog and share. Watch the video above and let me know what you think or if you’ve ever had Lunch IPA before, let me know what your thoughts are.

PS Apologizes for the video cutting out abruptly but my memory card ran out of space and I never realized it until the next day when I went to edit the video.