OMFG - New Years / Brew Years - Beer Reviews

Hello everyone today is a great day. I woke up to the smell of roasted coffee and chocolate malts from the late night homebrew; the birds were chirping my wife commented on how “disgusting” the house smells. It is a great day. I finally recovered from the debauchery and fun we had on new years and wanted to post some of my reviews.

First off let me say thank you to everyone that stopped by on New Years Eve. I had a blast and a half. The night started in the cellar. I let one of my craft suds buddies take full control of the wheel and drive us on a craft beer journey. Here is where it all started.

I started with the Shorts Brewing Huma-Lupa Licious. From the website “Named after the hop flower Humulus Lupulus, this India Pale Ale style beer has enormous amounts of hop bitterness, flavor and aroma. With a very complex malt bill, flavors seem to meld with the hops to balance this ale and provide a ridiculous urge to sample more. 

76 I.B.U.'s 

16.8 deg. Plato 

7.0% A.B.V.

I thought it was a very kind start to the evening. It was beautiful and golden in color with a thin white head that dissolves quickly.

The aroma is big juicy Grapefruit and citrus cascading down to piney hops and cracker malts.

The first sip uncovers many of the flavors on the nose with a powerful bitterness bite. The hops spike the palette and slosh over the tongue creating a nice prickle burn effect as they go down.

Mouthfeel was slightly thin for me and carbonation was high.

Drinkability is good. I polished it off in about 8 minutes. It wasn’t my favorite but it wasn’t the worst IPA I have ever drank. One day we will have distribution from Shorts in Atlanta, but until then I will use my underground method of gathering their amazing suds.

My craft suds bud Brad picked the second beer – Founders Backwoods Bastard. OUT – F-ing –STADNING. If I could end the review that way I would. This beer is world class and it’s a damn shame it doesn’t get the credit it deserves.

It pours dark with a reddish tinge. Has a beautiful billowy ivory head that remains for quite some time.

Smell is of bourbon barrels vanilla and coconut. Some roasted dark malts, caramel & toffee. Everything that is tasty. It has great balance for being such a big beer.

Sip. Bourbon up front followed by the caramel and malts of this beautiful Scotch Ale. Perfect balance

Thick creamy mouthfeel and light tingly carbonation makes this slow sipper perfect.

You couldn’t ask for a better beer. Definitely in my top 5 only one word to describe it: perfection in a glass.

Check out the rest of the night @ http://craftsuds.blogspot.com/2011/01/new-years-reviews.html

Cheers!

Ryan

OMFG - Beer Review Series - Founders Backwoods Bastard

Founders Backwoods Bastard: a Scotch Ale in Bourbon barrels! I saved this bad boy for an entire year and popped it open with one of my boys. I remember it fondly and at the time I didn’t take notes but traditionally, Scotch Ales pour a deep copper. ‘Compared to Scottish Ales, they'll be sweeter and fuller-bodied, and of course higher in alcohol, with a much more pronounced malty caramel and roasted malt flavor.’

This bad boy falls into the “extreme” beer category.  Per www.beeradvocate.com

What are we talking about? 

- Beers made with no hops but plenty of heather and lavender. 

- Beers aged in Jack Daniels oak barrels with an alcohol by volume of 20 percent or more. 

- Traditional beer styles, but with double, triple or more hops or malt. 

- Beers brewed with chocolate, peanut butter or espresso beans. 

- Strong Porters brewed with Chinese candied ginger. 

- Ales brewed with oysters or seaweed. 

- Sharp tasting beers inoculated with various wild bacteria and yeast strains.

Much of what I drink falls into this category but bourbon aged is its own animal in my opinion. I will get right into the tasting. The beer pours a dirty dark black with red highlights when held to the light. You cannot see through this bad boy.  The head is thick but quickly retreats to a thin tan mist across the glass. 

Smell is wood/oak and bourbon!  Really, it’s one note; not much complexity in smell but not overpowering. Why wait and smell when you can gulp it down. At 10.5 ABV it’s smooth and thick with some bold carbonation. Fear not friends: Backwoods Bastard is still amazing after 10 months.  It has some wild bourbon flavor followed by silky vanilla. Then flavors of caramel/toffee become more pronounced. Lastly coconut, yes, this is what I taste! Coconut rounds out the profile and seems to mellow out the alcohol burn.

What can I say? Backwoods should be available in November and its outstanding! I beg you to go out and experience this beer. It is a one off amazing beer that needs to be taken in small doses.  It is a one off amazing beer that needs to be taken in large doses.

Cheers! 

Ryan