Tasting Notes: Brewdog: Tongue Tied IPA

Brewdog: Tongue Tied IPA (Scotland: IPA: 7% ABV)

Visual: Slightly amber gold. Inch of custard cream centres coloured head with a frothy look.

Nose: Lemon sharp and a juicy sweet lime. Distinct lemongrass. Sherbet like. Ginger. late on you get a touch of liquorice.

Body: Very lemon filled. Slightly sour grapes. lemongrass. Shredded leaves. Almost plum notes below in the malt base. Dry ginger. Toffee like malts.

Finish: Peppermint. Lemongrass. Bubblegum. Plum touch. Juicy grapes.

Conclusion: Summer brewing, here we are and…BLOODY HELL, this thing is lemon filled. Tart and with the level of lemongrass you normally only get with the sorachi ace hop. (Note: I have been told they used actual lemongrass so I don’t know if they actually used that hop at all). So yes very much lemon and lemongrass, you can almost imagine the shredded lemongrass remains on your tongue.

There is thankfully an offset flavour with juicy grapes and lime behind. On odd occasions you even get a plum like sweetness that pokes its head above the parapets every now and then. Always in the background but I will swear that it is there.

The main flavour though, as indicated, is the dry lemongrass, and also there is a ginger spice, very refreshing, yet dry at the same time.

The lemon is so strong that I can’t imagine having many back to back, but I could imagine slipping them in between heavier and darker beers as they cleanse the palette and refresh so well.

Very much enjoyed even if it is a bit single minded. A zinging refresher not a contemplation ale.  As a refresher it is unusual and very full on.  So, not perfect, but a great oddity to try and a great summer beer.

Background: Yes I’ve been reviewing a lot of Brewdog beers recently. They seem to have a new keg only beer on tap nearly every blooming week. Ah well, I enjoy their beers so can’t complain. We will be getting a nice dose of new breweries hopefully while I’m over in Japan soon, so will give you all a break from my favourite Scotland brewery. If It needs saying – I am not an unbiased actor on Brewdog beers. Anyway, this new beer from Brewdog Bristol, made by the “Brewbirds” – an all women brewing team at their new brewery. As someone who argues for more to make the beer scene more women friendly I consider this a good thing. Made with lemongrass, Kaffir Lime leaves and Cardamom – or so the twitter feed says.

Tasting Notes: Wild Beer Co: Epic Saison

Wild Beer Co: Epic Saison (England: Saison: 5% ABV)

Visual: Yellowed grain. Massive loose white bubbled mound for a head. Very excitable pour.

Nose: Dusty books. Sea weed sushi wrap. Black pepper. Touch of mild cheese. Bubble gum. Ploughman’s sandwich.

Body: Dry. Touch of dried apricot. Cheddar. Lemongrass. Chalk. Excitable feel. Peach sweetness. Belgium style yeast feel.

Finish: Black pepper on crackers. Dry. Lemongrass. Brown bread. Quite bitter.

Conclusion: That is not a trick bottle in the photo, the beer really did froth up that much in the pour!

A very rustic saison, very reactive which gives a mix of spritzy sparkle and Belgium yeast feel.   On one hand it is very down to earth in texture, with ploughman’s lunch aroma, and black pepper throughout. Solid and robust. Then, on the other hand there is subtle dried fruit that comes at the back and a well done subtle sweetness. Then, on the gripping hand, the whole things just bounces with lemongrass and bubblegum and seaweed wraps that just screams the sorachi ace hop influence.

It is a wonderfully competitive mix. Early on the hops dominate, but as I poured more of the bottle in and the beer got progressively cloudier the apricot fruit came much more to the fore.

Not an easy going beer, pretty dry and bitter on the finish, odd as heck in its hop use and pretty hard to pour without getting massive amounts of froth.  It is worth it though, and it grounds itself with that solid rustic feel, all brown bread and down to earth fillings below all those mad flourishes.

It doesn’t have quite the craftsmanship to unseat the insanely good Saison Dupont, but it carves out a niche as its own thing. Pushes together three distinct competing styles in one beer. The flavours don’t always integrate and don’t always work, but are always interesting. I am very glad they had this a shot though as it is the kind of madness I appreciate in a beer.

An acquired taste, but one I feel is worth acquiring. It is worth noting that it is much better integrated on keg, and a fantastic beer like that.

Background: Originally drank on keg at the York Tap, where I very much enjoyed it.  I picked it up on bottle a few months later, and had been saving it.   Anyway, after the depressing news that the ”xenophobic bigoted idiots in a smart suit party” also known as UKIP have been making headway in the local elections I needed a nice beer to cheer me up. So I broke this out. Yay. Made with the very odd Sorachi Ace hop which is a quirky favourite of mine, this lives up to the Wild Beers Co’s. promise of drinking wildly different. Incidentally this is a very lively beer, didn’t explode out when first opened but any attempt at pouring resulted in mounds of froth coming up in the bottle.

Tasting Notes: Brewdog: IPA Is Dead: Dana

Brewdog: IPA Is Dead: Dana (Scotland: IPA: 6.7% ABV)

Visual: Clear grain gold. Yellow touched thin froth head.

Nose: Prickly and spicy. Rustic bushes and twigs. Nettles. Soot. Light tart berries.

Boy: Slightly creamy feel and taste. Slightly dusty. Nettles. Light gooseberries. White grapes. Blueberry lightly. Vanilla toffee. Cinnamon and paprika. Touch of blueberry.

Finish: Paprika. Dry. Wheat and light bitterness. Touches of not quite ripe berries. Milky. Slight curried dryness. Touch of blue berry.

Conclusion: On first sampling I was planning to give this a bit of a kicking, but it is slowly growing on me. Oddly this hop, which is described as being a touch spicy, goes against the dried curried flavours I have been encountering in the others in this years IPA is Dead range. There is still some dryness and odd flavours but this hop seems to bring a nice creaminess and vanilla toffee which it uses as a base to bring its own spiciness onto as a new layer.

Slightly nettly and prickly, with some dark fruit, though I do wonder if sublimely the purple colour of the label is influencing me on that last one.  It is pleasant, not overly bitter which is a pity, and it is slightly closed in the aroma. Again a beer that is better warmer. Never really pushes the limits, but as a pseudo noble hope I doubt it is pushing for the extreme kick style.

So, still a touch flawed, but the texture really helps and gives a soothing hop delivery with a bit of prickle but not kick. It also is one of the few IID this year that gives the sweetness a free reign for once.

Not bad, not shiny. Works better than most of this year’s IPA Is Dead set.

Background: Nearing the end of the 2013 batch of IPA Is Dead and it has been a mixed bag so far, with a general feel of slightly over attenuated and spiced feel. This Single hop IPA uses a hop from Slovenia, and is described by Brewdog as a pseudo noble hop. As always I am not an unbiased actor on Brewdog Beers. Drunk while listening to Another free History of Guns Release: Guns At Dawn. Well worth a listen.

Tasting Notes: Brewfist: 24K Golden Ale

Brewfist: 24K Golden Ale (Italy: Golden Ale: 4.6% ABV)

Visual: Quite hazy lemon to dark yellow. Moderate off white head.

Nose; Slightly muted ground orange peel and passion fruit hops. Touch of apricot and lemon meringue.

Body: Zesty. Apricot and lemon. Sherbet feel yet creamy. Light bitterness. Cinnamon. Passion fruit.

Finish: Lemon sherbet and hops. Good bitterness. Cream. Passion fruit.

Conclusion: Not what I was expecting. I know Brewfist have quite a reputation for hoppy beers, so the more restrained character of this took me by surprise.

What it does have is a gentle level of hops, and a flavour that reminds me more of the Belgium style wit Isaac. The body is gentle and slightly creamy with passion fruit and a soft lemon flavour. It distinctly does not feel like a standard golden ale.

Isaac suffered a bit from being too light on the body, the extra hop fruitiness helps here but there is a similar underlying feel. Main body it is present but it doesn’t hit too hard, yet despite a nice bitterness the finish feels slightly light.

It is pleasant and smooth with just a touch of prickle to it. Not one I get wildly excited about but a nice beer for general drinking. I wouldn’t complain about it but can’t recommend specifically seeking it out either.

Background: Brewfist is the name most people have heard about the growing craft beer scene it Italy. It was definitely the fist name I heard. Yet, I’ve never tried any of their beers. So I decided this must change and grabbed this beer from Corks Of Cotham.  I decided to go with Golden IPA as I’ve been having a bit of an IPA overload recently, so thought something a bit different would be nice. Oddly whenever anyone asked my I could not remember for the life of me which beer I had picked up without looking. I may have drunk away my memory capabilities.

Tasting Notes: Brewdog: Brodies Tayberry Berliner Weisse

Brewdog: Brodies Tayberry Berliner Weisse (Scotland: Fruit Berliner Weisse: 5.17% ABV)

Visual: Very hazy. Creamed white thin head. Bruised apricot flesh colour.

Nose: Tart. Elderberry. Raspberry. Gooseberry. Bruised peach.

Body: Lemon cheesecake/Lemon curd. Gooseberry. Very soft. Light shortbread. Tart but sweet. Strawberry. Apricot.

Finish: Lemon sherbet frothing up. Very fresh. Custard sweet traces. Dried apricot. Berry tartness. Gooseberry. Passion fruit.

Conclusion: I’ve used the term “Holographic flavours” before, when a beer has a range of flavours that seems beyond what the beer should contain. It comes up a lot with sours and lambics as it feels like the sharpness of the beer is tricking you into experiencing shimmering evanescent flavours. Despite the indication of deception the term is meant as a compliment for the sheer amazing experience such a beer brings.

Which is a long winded way of saying, wow, how fruity is this beer? Tart berries, lemon sherbet, and I could swear strawberry and dried apricot amongst others.

For all the tartness the beer feels soft and it is one of the few Berliner Weisse’s I feel I could drink by the pint. Cheesecake and biscuit base flavours help a lot with that, bringing the aforementioned softness. Reminds me of Mikkeller’s “It’s Alive” but with more wow (and for those that remember that review, no I’m not starting the “Kitteh!” thing again on account of being reasonably sane at the moment.)

Teeth drying, yet doesn’t feel that sharp, I’ve really enjoyed Brodies Sours but this just seems to add so many layers to that. Light custard sweetness, shortcake and lemon curd brought with a metric ton of fruit.

Refreshing and delicious and lemon tart. Easy to drink and a perfect summer days drink.

Excellent!

Background: Ok, what is the name of this? First seen as just Berliner Weisse, Then Brewdog Vs Brodies, then Tayberry Berliner Weisse. The last is most descriptive so I went with that. Drunk at Brewdog Bristol. Bias warning: Not only am I not an unbiased actor on Brewdog Beers, the staff also gave me this pint free. Massive conflict of interest going on. Ah well.  Brodies are an awesome small brewery in East London, who have already done a few Berliner Weisse sours so I’m guessing brought some experience to the mix. As the name suggest this was made with Tayberrys. When I suggested Lemon Cheesecake a staff member added lemon curd as a suggestion, which was very cool so I kept it for my review.

Tasting Notes: Brewdog: Bracken’s Porter

Brewdog: Bracken’s Porter (Scotland: Porter: 6% ABV)

Visual: Very dark red to black. Coffee and cigarette ash dash for a head.

Nose; Bitter coffee. Smoke. Dry. Quite roasted. Dry roasted peanuts. Some milky chocolate undertow.

Body: Quite bitter. Liquorice toffee. Treacle. Slightly chalky. Coffee and chocolate liquore. Aniseed.

Finish: Bitter coffee and treacle. Smoke. Chalk. Toffee. Aniseed again. Dill and mint. Hazelnuts.

Conclusion: Ok, a beer brewed to mark a beloved brewery dog’s passing. Deep breath and try best to impartial on the review. With all respect and commiserations to Brewdog, here goes.

It is an oddly treacle and aniseed influenced porter, bitter, especially on the aroma but feels like there is something more viscous squirming in its guts.  At the current moment of the first sips of drinking it feels too heavily chilled.  As a result the main body becomes slightly thin with the treacle trailed through. I’ve got a book with me (William Gibson: Neuromancer – never read it before, very much enjoying so far) so I’m going to read a few pages and give it some time to warm up, lets see if that helps it integrate the elements a bit.

Ok, ready to go with the warmer drink, just a few thoughts that came to mind while I was reading first. The beer does bring this light herbal touch when chilled and also a mix of aniseed and smoke. It is almost Christmas beer like flavours but done with a very light touch. The base elements tend towards dry bitter coffee, more on the nose, but present throughout.

Anyway, yes, beer warmer now, lets go. The texture has thickened nicely, the treacle now coming in heavier than the coffee – almost overpowering it. It is more satisfying if slightly sickly, though the chalk elements in the base come into their element now working to prevent it becoming overly syrupy.  There is coffee but now like a shot of coffee liquore in the mix.  The best part of the warming is a nice soothing dose of hazelnuts have come out. It really is a beer that is heat reactive and the more it warms the more this best element of hazelnuts comes out.

Overall a tad off balance, a bit thin when cold and a bit treacly when warm. Definitely better warm though, the hazelnuts dominate over the herbs and makes for a pleasant enough sipping beer that is lightly nutty and easy going. As said, it is off balance of the mouthfeel, but not bad. Not one of the greats and not as great as the dog that inspired it, but not bad.

Background: Bracken was part of Brewdog from the beginning, the dog that most likely inspired the company name. He passed away recently and this beer was brewed in memory.   Which does make it slightly awkward to review.  My sympathies to everyone at Brewdog. I never had the chance to meet Bracken when I visited the brewery but you could see the love everyone had for the dog. As always I am not an unbiased actor on Brewdog beers. Oddly while the board said 6% abv, everything else I have seen refers to it as 5.1% abv. Huh. I have no idea.

Tasting Notes: Anchorage: Bitter Monk

Anchorage: Bitter Monk (USA: IIPA: 9% ABV)

Visual: Clear gold. Huge loose bubbled white head that descends down to just an inch.

Nose: Peaches. Vanilla. Cheesecake. Wine and white grapes. Strawberries and cream. Lemon sherbet. Cinnamon. Melon.

Body: Nicely bitter. Lemon meringue. Wheaty. Vanilla ice cream. Avocado. Grapes. Kiwi and strawberry. Light fruity esters. Watermelon. Funky feel. Creamy.

Finish: Dry bitterness. White wine and grapes. Avocado. Spritzy feel. Wheat flakes. Carrots.

Conclusion: What is it that Anchorage does with beer styles? Belgium Style IPA, or Double Belgium Style IPA in this case. I know them. I’ve had them. This aint it. This is something else. The mix of wheat and bitterness is closer to a hopped up Belgium wit than what I would expect of their IPA. By the way, I need to emphasise that this disagreement in beer style is not meant to mean the beer is bad. Not by a long shot.

This is funky and full of light fruit esters. Melon and strawberry as subtle notes over white wine sharp grapes and moderate bitterness that kicks up into heavy bitterness for the finish. Very wheaty and very yeast influenced.

Dry for the most part, in part the influence of the wheat feel of the beer and in part the flavours. These combine to create an environment where you are quite unprepared for the bitterness when it hits, even moderate as it is mid body.

While the bitterness can rise in the finish to be pretty heavy none of the flavours follow suit. You need to pay attention to find the intricacies such as subtle melon and green fruit with dry cheesecake sweetness mingling. Another beer for slow contemplation. Definitely drink it as your first or only beer of the night, if it has to fight with other beers it could easily disrupt the subtle harmony of flavours.

A quirky beer, while it is bitter I would say it has very little crossover with expectations of the IPA style, Belgium, imperial or otherwise. Again, a thing of its own, the yeast and barrel ageing very evident in feel and flavour. By about half way through the beer does smooth and become more recognisable as a Belgium IPA, but it still has as many differences as similarities.

Only drink if you are in the mind to do the examination it demands to be truly enjoyed. Challenging in its dryness and its mix of bitterness, tart and hops. I think it is a beer that will split the crowd but for me it is a great beer to be sampled but rarely but enjoyed thoroughly when you do.

Quirky, odd and challenging. Put me down as a fan.

Background: Ok, where do I start on this one? A double IPA, fermented with Belgium yeast in French oak loudres (Even after a google search I have no idea what loudres is, if you know help me out please) Then fermented with Brett in Chardonnay barrels (Brett being the yeast often used in sour and lambic beers), then bottle conditioned with more yeast. After Anchorage’s previous odd IPA I just had to give this one a try. I was going to save it for review 900 but I felt like treating myself. Drunk while listening to Bad Religion: True North, which I had just received in the post.

Tasting Notes: Mikkeller: It’s Alive: Lychee and White Wine Barrel Aged Version

Mikkeller: It’s Alive: Lychee and White Wine Barrel Aged Version (Denmark: Sour Ale: 8% ABV)

Visual: Bronzed red. Large loose bran flake brown bubbles.

Nose: Bran flakes. Horse blankets. Strawberries. Ice cream. Soft grapes. Rustic. Tinned grapefruit. Peppercorn.

Body: Tart apple juice. White wine. Tinned grapefruit strips. Sweet but tart fruit. Light perfume. Custard cream biscuits. Soft texture. Peppered and with soft cheeses.

Finish: Dry white wine. Custard. Orange segments. Funky yeast feel. Perfumed. Light spices and tannins.

Conclusion: For a strong abv beer, and a sour beer at that, this comes in with an amazingly soft texture and a flavour that was very unexpected.  Lightly tart apple, but hits you playfully with funky yeast and this sweet yet tart fruit (I presume the lychee – I’ve never tried it so can’t say for sure). It is like a beer kitten, playing with a ball of yarn made of flavour in your mouth.

Or something – I really need to work on my similes.

Slightly rustic saison like aroma, bit of wine dryness and grape effects. Smooth yet funky texture. The grapefruit feels like those tinned chunks you get, soaked through and falling apart on the tongue. Over a kitten.  Erm, maybe I should let that simile go..

So, playfully tart and fruity. Lots of wine and a soft fruit influence. Soft custard sweetness and lightly perfumed and tannin touched on the body. All comes together for a beer that is dry but still refreshing.

I don’t feel wowed by the beer, it is tasty and relaxing but feels all cotton buds and smoothness. It has a very nice flavour but somehow manages to keep it so soft that you don’t quite appreciate it. All very gentle and fluffy. Like a kitten.

Ok, ok I’ll let that go (Kitten)

So yes, soft, tart and relaxing. Lots of fruit and just a dash of spice. Feels like Belgium soft cheese soaked in beer and let loose to play.  So, for just that lack of push it isn’t quite a wow beer, and yet is still amazingly proficient. A beer to let wrap around you, to sip, relax and breath deeply as it lulls you to rest.   Really could do ith either more punch or a lower abv as right now it is far too easy to drink and at a low abv would be a lovely session beer. Ah well what can you do.

KITTEH!

..Sorry I don’t know what came over me there..

So, a pretty nice beer, but a bit too easy going to get the respect it deserves

Background: I’m not quite sure what I was on when I wrote this review. In the past week I had been on some quite powerful painkillers, but, not being dumb enough to mix painkillers and booze, my system was clean by this point. Maybe it was flashbacks. Anyway, despite the slight oddity of the review, it amused me so I thought I would upload it anyway. Hope you enjoy.

On the beer itself, well, like the name says, white wine barrel aged and with lychee. Now I don’t know what lychee is, wikipedia helped a bit but I’ve never tried them.  Mikkeller always seem to be pretty mental with experimentation so when this turned up on Brewdog’s Guest Beer selection I thought I would give it a shot.  Drunk while listening to “No Deliverance” album by Toadies, a quite rough and fun album a mate lent me which seemed to suit the beer well with a rustic energy.

Tasting Notes: Mikkeller: Smack My Brewed Up!

Mikkeller: Smack My Brewed Up! (Denmark: American Pale Ale: 4.9% ABV)

Visual: Hazy apricot flesh. Slight toffee touched thin head. Some trail of suds from the head.

Nose: Fresh lime hops. Key lime pie. Toffee and shortbread biscuits. Pineapple. Dried apricot. Still quite juicy.

Body:  Pineapple. Tart and fresh. Grapefruit. Hoppy kick. Apricot. Custard. Lots of shortbread in a buttery fashion. Caramel.

Finish: Avocado. Good bitter hops. Toffee. Kiwi.

Conclusion: After a period of time away from reviews due to being what could be understated as “Under the weather” I return to a big bountiful Mikkeller hop bomb.

Lovely jubbly.

Big and biscuity with shortbread and bitter hops. It feels like what rooster’s IPA was trying for by providing a very biscuit laced base for tart pineapple and softer juicy kiwi flavours to bounce off.  Using the base as a backdrop rather than a limit to the flavours.  It keeps a lot of sweet toffee and caramel elements that soften the edges while still allowing good bitterness. The fruit has quite a bit of juiciness which again keeps the body from being too dry. Thick and feeling just the right side of hop oiliness in the texture for flavour and grip.

If I had to go for a flaw is that, for Mikkeller, it feels very by the numbers. Then again, considering I thought it was an IPA until I saw the abv that may be the twist in itself. The flaw then is just that it keeps very closely to spec in the interaction of flavours. High quality, and a showcase on how to use the hops, but it doesn’t surprise. A lack of surprise in a Mikkeller beer is a shock in itself.  If I had to go for a more technical flaw I would say maybe a tad overly prickly in feel, but that is being very picky.

Frankly all the flaws mean is that it is a bloody good IPA like pale ale with a biscuit filled back.   That is hardly a bad thing. A great beer and at a modest abv for the  punch.

Background: Had to double check popular view on the beer style for this. I was leaning towards IPA but the abv seemed a bit low for that.  When I saw people listing it as American Pale Ale I nodded along and went with that. Anyway, a beer from the self proclaimed Gypsy Brewers Mikkeller, well known for renting brewing space due to having no brewery of their own. This was made exclusively for Brewdog Pubs.  When it first hit the taps I was sick as a dog so was worried it would run out before I could give it a try. Turns out I shouldn’t have worried, sounds like they have good stocks of it. I may still have had a slightly off sense of smell when doing the tasting notes but the vast amounts of hops seemed to quickly blow through that so I’m confident enough to stand by them. “Smack My Brewed Up” seems like a reference to the seminal “Smack My Bitch Up” By The Prodigy, a song so good it gets around my distaste for the word “Bitch” in that context.

Tasting Notes: Brewdog: IPA Is Dead: Waimea

Brewdog: IPA Is Dead: Waimea (Scotland: IPA: 6.7% ABV)

Visual: Clear amber touched gold. Large tight yellowed bubble mounds.

Nose: Prickly. Pine cones and resin. Quite dry. Slightly muggy hops. Elderberry and pomegranate.

Body: Quite bitter. Lime cordial. Grape jam. Resin. Pink grapefruit. Quite tart. Pink lemonade.

Finish: Popcorn. Turmeric. Quite dry. Granite and bitter. Pink grapefruit. Tangerine. Curried chicken.

Conclusion: So we return to IPA Is Dead after the disappointing El Dorado. The beer is still showing the dryness and almost curried tones that seem to define this batch off IID. This beer thankfully wears it slightly better.

The hops seem more rounded, there is no one defining flavour or aroma for the hop though. It is quite resinous and with a mix of tart pink grapefruit, grape jam and tangerine flavours, a combination that manages to add a much needed freshness and tartness to the very dry base.

The bitterness is present well, but the hop character feels slightly muggy again. The flavour is pleasant though with a mix of dry and tart fruit and a nice, if odd, pink lemonade like sweetness.  The extra juiciness and jamminess brought through to balance the base gives a nice chewy texture where El Dorado felt over attenuated.  The flavours are distinctly NZ, though not as bright as Nelson Sauvin or as smooth as Motueka, but still fresh and citrus filled.

The base beer still seems to work against the hops but the actual hop delivery manages to push past that and give a much needed break from the dryness. Not perfect but gives a bit of chewable citrus flavour over a dry base.

So not bad, and a good hop with good range of flavour that is easy to drink. The base beer lets it down a bit, but all things considered it isn’t bad.

Background: Oh, its spelt Waimea not Walmea. That explains why google fu was letting me down. Another single hop IPA from the Brewdog yearly release – this time an NZ hop that is descended from the Pacific Jade variety. As I’ve mentioned in past reviews I’m not 100% sold on this batch of IID. It seems a bit dry and overly spicy which doesn’t seem to let the hops roam well. As always I am not an unbiased actor on Brewdog beers. Drunk while listening to History Of Guns: Whatever You Do Don’t Turn Up At 12. I’m on quite a History of Guns kick at the mo, mainly because they are great, but also because they keep putting their stuff out to download for free. Seriously, give them a listen.