Double Feature

Due in part to a busy schedule of family and travel and in no small measure to my own innate procrastination, I had fallen behind on this blog, for which I apologize. This month, while convalescing from knee surgery, I had some extra time so I decided to get caught up with an old fashioned double feature. We'll take a look first at a number of beers from around Central New York as we "buy local." Next we'll take a look at a sort of catch-all style known as "Strong Ales."

BUY LOCAL

The area in and around New York City is generally referred to as "down state," while the rest of New York (the majority of the state land-wise) is referred to as "upstate." Now Upstate is then often broken down into Northern New York, The Southern Tier, Western New York and Central New York. Exactly where Central New York ends and Northern or Western New York or the Southern Tier begins is a bit blurry. So when we decided to concentrate on locally brewed beers, we had to narrow things down a bit. we decided to call "local" anyplace within the 315 area code. Now, the 315 area is indeed huge, so big that it is being split up into two different area codes. That being said, we found that there are plenty of breweries in the very heart of Central New York - the area in and around Syracuse, that we didn't need to go too far afield to come up with some very good beers brewed locally.

BUM'S LOST IPA

WOODLAND FARMS

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: India Pale Ale; BREWER: Woodland Farm Brewing, Marcy, NY; ABV: 6.5

COLOR: Unfiltered wheat

POUR: Decent Head

AROMA: Apricot, juicy

BODY: Between Medium and Full

TASTE: Big citrus taste with some bitterness

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Can't Get Enough!

COMMENTS: "Nice, drinkable beer; Woodland makes good beer; It's a real nice summer beer with that big citrus taste; Real bright taste; bit of apricot, some tropical fruit in there as well; Very tasty beer; East Coast style IPA with the haze and big citrus taste."

HAZE IN THE HOLLOW

HOPSHIRE FARMS BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: New England Style IPA; BREWERY: Hopshire Farm and Brewery, Freeville, NY; ABV: 5.4%; HOPS: Citra, Mosaic, Centennial, Galaxy

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Juicy. That is the best description for the new style of beer called New England IPA. True to style this beer is brewed with no hops in the boil. Then a boatload of Citra, Mosaic, Centennial and Galaxy hops are used after the boil and for dry hopping. The result is a beer with intense aroma and flavors of citrus and tropical fruits. You don't have to wait in line fro this beer at Hopshire and you can have a couple glasses at the bar."

COLOR: Milky, creamy, hazy golden

POUR: Decent Head

AROMA: Big citrus, fruity aroma

BODY: Medium

TASTE: Tropical fruit, citrusy with notes of grapefruit, maybe papaya, and a touch of pineapple

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Can't Get Enough

COMMENTS: "I could drink this for breakfast; Tastes like a session; Juicy; Really nice beer; Ugly color - delicious taste; Definitely what I think of when you say New England Style - kind of bursting with tropical and citrus fruit flavors, very little bitterness, but a bit at the end; Real nice beer."

DOUBLE SECRET PROBATION

IBU BREWERY

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: American Double IPA; BREWER: IBU Brewing, Syracuse, NY; ABV: 7.4%

COLOR: Unfiltered copper

POUR: Big, lingering near Guinness class head

AROMA: Citrus

BODY: Pretty full-bodied

TASTE: Grapefruit, citrus and tropical fruit

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Can't Get Enough

COMMENTS: "Nice malt backbone to this one along with the big, fruity taste; Beautiful copper color; Tastes a little bigger than 7.4% - a bit of an alcohol taste there; A little sweetness on the end; I'd go to that brewery for a couple of growlers of this; Kind of a melding of East Coast and West Coast IPAs here, sort of best of both coasts."

LOCAL MOTION DIPA

LOCAL 315 BREWING CO.

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: Double IPA; BREWER: Local 315 Brewing Co., Warners, NY; ABV: 8.5%

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Beer made here in the 315."

COLOR: Copper, a bit cloudy

POUR: Decent Head

AROMA: Somewhat bready

BODY: Full

TASTE: Big, balanced and complex, with bready maltiness and piney hop dominates with a touch of grapefruit in there as well

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Can't Get Enough

COMMENTS: "Tastes like a West Coast IPA to me; Another really good beer - a winner; Haven't had a bad beer all day - and the winner is... us!; Doesn't come across as being as big as it is at 8.5%; Kind of a retro IPA after all the New England IPAs out there; It's got that nice piney taste that I have always liked in IPAs."

ROME BALTIC PORTER

COPPER CITY BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: Baltic Porter; BREWER: Copper City Brewing Co., Rome, NY; ABV; 8.0%

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Robust, Full-bodied and smooth with a sweet, malty, roasted flavor."

COLOR: Near pitch black

POUR: Big, full, rich, tan head

AROMA: Sweet chocolate

BODY: Full

TASTE:A nice melding of chocolate and vanilla with coffee. Big mocha flavor

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Can't Get Enough!

COMMENTS: "Delicious!; Somewhat more carbonated that most Baltics; Not too sweet, not burnt, just right (says Goldilocks); Great fall woodstove beer - pre-turkey; What nice, smooth sipper; It has that kick back, feet up, warm fire, shadows flickering, cold outside but warm in vibe; Yeah, a little chocolate, a little coffee, a touch of alcohol but it doesn't overpower at all."

THE ELEVEN

CRITZ FARMS

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: American IPA; BREWER: Critz Farms Brewing and Cider Co., Cazenovia, NY; ABV: 6.5%; IBUs: 85; SRM: 7.5; MALT: Locally grown malted barley (grown at Critz Farms); HOPS: West Coast hop varieties

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: A citrusy, piney India Pale Ale with the complexxity of eleven constituent parts and the singular deliciousness of local, homegrown ingredients."

COLOR: Unfiltered wheat

POUR: Decent Head

AROMA: Pine

BODY: Between Medium and Full

TASTE: Citrus, pine, floral and a bit of caramel and toffee

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Can't Get Enough

COMMENTS: "Nice bitterness; Tastes bigger than 6,5%; Floral on the end; Crisp and refreshing; Good beer; Tastes almost a little 'old school'; I like the size of the can; It's a nice, no-nonsense IPA, the style I keep returning to again and again."

WEDDING BLISS IPA

GRINDSTONE BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: India Pale Ale; BREWER: Grindstone Brewing, Pulaski, NY; ABV: 7.0%; HOPS: Cascade

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "A beer brewed to keep the magic alive long after the honeymoon."

COLOR: Unfiltered wheat

POUR: Decent Head

AROMA: Grassy, earthy, hay

BODY: Between Medium and Full

TASTE: Balanced with a rich bready, malty opening followed by a nice citrus finish

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Can't Get Enough

COMMENTS: "Very pleasant after-taste; Smooth, hoppy, but real easy to drink; Citrusy bite; Another great job by Grindstone; Congrats to the newlyweds!; Nicely balanced, gives it a kind of old-school West Coast IPA taste; I really like it."

STRONG ALES

"Strong Ales" is one of those sort of catch-all terms used to describe a beer that falls somewhere between a Pale Ale (or even a fairly light IPA) and a Barleywine. Scotch Ales, Old Ales, bigger IPAs, Imperial Stouts, and even some Barleywines can fall into this broad category. Generally the Alcohol content is above 7%, but IBUs can range from 20 to 90 or more.  As a result, our samples this month included an IPA, a Double IPA, a couple of Scotch Ales, an Imperial Brown Ale, a Belgian Strong Ale, a Belgian Quad and an American Strong Ale. 

SLY FOX 113

SLY FOX BEER

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: India Pale Ale; BREWER: Sly Fox Beer, Pottstown, PA; ABV: 7%; IBUs: 70; HOPS: Combination of Pacific Northwest and British hops.

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "This complex, aromatic beer is brewed with a n abundance of the finest hops from the Pacific Northwest and England. Every sip will remind you of just why you fell in love with craft beer in the first place."

COLOR: Copper

POUR: Between Decent and Guinness Class

AROMA: Malty, bready aroma

BODY: a bit beyond Medium

TASTE: Nicely bitter with solid doses of malt, nut and toffee.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Can't Get Enough!

COMMENTS: "Classic West Coast taste in my opinion, Spicy; So-o-o good!; Beautiful - perfect color - and tastes as good as it looks; Nice lingering after-taste; I like that it has a solid bitterness to it, it seems like so many IPAs are moving away from that, yet it is one of the qualities that first attracted me to the style."

LIMITED EDITION WILCO TANGO FOXTROT

LAGUINITAS BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: Imperial Brown Ale; BREWER: Laguinitas Brewing, Petaluma, CA; ABV: 8.1%; IBUs: 64.20

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Rich, smooth, dangerous, and chocolatey. It's a big ol' Imperial Brown Ale to help you with your slippery slide on into the heat of the night."

WHAT THE BREWER ALSO SAYS: (Thought I'd include this interesting little mashup of famous film speeches by Henry Fonda as Tom Joad a la John Steinbeck in The Grapes of Wrath, Jimmy Stewart as Jefferson Smith in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,  and Humphrey Bogart as Rick in Casablanca from the Laguinitas website. A bit of an indulgence here, I admit, but Steinbeck is one of my all-time favorite authors whose writings more of less helped inform my world view. In many ways he is the American Charles Dickens in that his work shone a light on the plight of the powerless, the poor and the desire for those with both money and power to keep poor in their place. Combine that with three great American films and I thought the mashup was worth reprinting here.): "I'll be all around in the dark. I'll be ever'where, wherever you can look. Wherever there's a fight so hungry people can eat, I'll be there. Wherever there's a cop beatin' up a guy, I'll be there. I'll be in the way guys yell when they're mad. I'll be in the way kids laugh when they're hungry an' they know supper's ready. An' when the people are eatin' the stuff they raise, and livin' in the houses they build, I'll be there, too. Great principles don't get lost once they come to light. They're right here. You just have to see them again. You think we're licked. They all think we're licked. Well, we're not licked. And we're going to stay right here and fight for this lost cause, even if this room gets filled with lies like these; and all their armies come marching into this place. Somebody will l  isten, I'm no good at being noble, but t doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. Someday we'll understand that. Now, now - Here's looking at you, kid."

COLOR: Amber

POUR: Decent Head

AROMA: Not a strong aroma, a little malt

BODY: Between Medium and Full

TASTE: Malty with undertones of caramel and chocolate

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Between "I Could Drink This" and "Can't Get Enough"

COMMENTS: "Sugar Daddy sweet taste; A sweety; A little bitter on the end after the sweetness; I get a little bit of molasses in there; Strong caramel, I feel like I taste more caramel than chocolate; Nice warming breadiness here; I do like this, I get a little brown sugar here as well; A nice winter warmer beer."

BOURBON BARREL-AGED ARROGANT BASTARD

STONE BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: Classified (let's just call it an American Strong Ale); BREWER: Stone Brewing, Escondido, CA; ABV: 8.1%; IBUs: Classified; HOPS: Classified

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "...Are you Worthy of quaffing a beverage of this intensity, irreverence and quality craftsmanship? Not likely, but for those who 'get it,' I know my time in this bourbon barrel has not been wasted. Cheers to you, enlightened imbiber. On second thought, cheers to me!"  For the rest of this, go to their web site. It's worth the trip because it's quite a trip.

COLOR: Garnet

POUR: Guinness Class head

AROMA: Bourbon, alcohol

BODY: Near Full

TASTE: Oaky, alcohol with hints of caramel

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Near "Can't Get Enough!"

COMMENTS: "Very distinct taste of bourbon; Vanilla beans; Reminds me a bit of a Baltic Porter; Whiskey drinkin' guy's beer; Love the bottle; I get that sort of dark fruit, plum taste in there; It's a little bit smokey, a little piney hop in there; Pretty big alcohol taste though; I like this okay, but must admit that I prefer regular Arrogant Bastard - still ranks as one of my favorite beers."

KILT TILTER

MIDDLE AGES BREWING COMPANY

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: Scotch Ale; BREWER: Middle Ages Brewing Company, Syracuse, NY; ABV: 9.0%

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "A Scottish "90/-" ale. Brewed only once a year, this ale is rich and full with a dryness that is beautifully balanced with a classic malt sweetness."

COLOR: Ruby/brown

POUR: Big tan head, lots of lacing

AROMA: Banana ester

BODY: Near full

TASTE: Banana, ester-y, cloves

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:Between "I Could Drink This" and "Can't Get Enough!"

COMMENTS: "Classic Scottish Ale; Really, I consider it the best Scottish Ale I've ever had; Smooth; A lot of that British Isles taste going on in there, which I guess, makes sense; Fills the mouth; Some hints of maybe raisins in there, big on the malt, bread, definite clove; The alcohol doesn't bite you on the ass like some of the bigger beers, somewhat sneaky; Little bit of hops there at the end; A nice smooth finish."

BIG BROADCAST DIPA

WAR HORSE BREWING COMPANY

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: Double India Pale Ale; BREWER: War Horse Brewing Company, Seneca Lake, NY; ABV: 9.1%; IBUs: 100; MALT: 2-row, Munich, CaraPils; HOPS: Mosaic, Centennial, Chinook.

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "'Here is your country. cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources, cherish the history and romance as a sacred heritage, for your children and your children's children.' TR. We have as much love for the land as ol' Teddy; this is why we spend so much time finding the perfect raw materials to use in our beers. The Big Broadcast drinks smooth (maybe a little too smooth). Enjoy this beer in a glass or from the can, indoors or out, just enjoy."


COLOR: Dirty blond

POUR: Between Decent and Guinness class

AROMA: Dank

BODY: Near Full

TASTE: Grapefruit, bitter, pine, resin, fruit

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Near "Can't Get Enough"

COMMENTS: "Sneaky - misleading, tastes less alcohol-y than it is; You think you're swimming with the dolphins until you realize you're in with the great whites; Citrusy hop; Some tropical fruit going on in there; A little orange, touch of lemon; Mostly I get grapefruit; What about pineapple? I get a bit of that too; A bit of spice to it, like pepper; I like it."

OMMEGANG 20TH ANNIVERSARY

BREWERY OMMEGANG

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: Belgian Strong Ale; BREWER: Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, NY; ABV: 11.50%

COLOR: opaque walnut

POUR: Decent Head

AROMA: Dark fruit, blackberry

BODY: Near full

TASTE: Dark fruit, hints of blackberry, plum, currents, raisins, bit of chocolate, oak, vanilla

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Can't Get Enough!

COMMENTS:  "Ommegang hit a home run with this one; Sweet and smooth;Full-bodied; I don't get the strong alcohol taste you would expect from a beer this big; The taste follows the aroma; Plum or current overtones; I really like it; Nice middle of the winter or after dinner beer; Fluted-glass beer; Snowing-like-a-son-of-a-bitch beer; Mouth-filling; I don't want to wait another 20 years for the next one."

WOLAVER WEE HEAVY ALE - BOURBON BARREL AGED - WOLAVER'S ORGANIC ALES

( UNDER THE AUSPICES OF:OTTER CREEK BREWING)

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: Wee Heavy Scotch Ale; BREWER: Otter Creek Brewing, Middlebury, CT; ABV: 12%; IBUs - NOTE: Wolaver's Organic Ales has retired production.

COLOR: Walnut

POUR: Very little head, with some lacing

AROMA: Molassas

BODY: Full

TASTE: Brown sugar, molasses, sweet, raisins

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Near  "Can't Get Enough!"

COMMENTS: "Sweet, maybe not as smooth as Ommegang's; Somewhat reminds me of Dogfish Head's Raison d'etre; A nice beer, I like it; Very sweet; Another good warming beer with that pleasant molasses or brown sugar taste."

VICTORY V-12

VICTORY BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: STYLE: Belgian-style Quad; BREWER: Victory Brewing Company, Downington, PA; ABV: 12.0%; MALT: Pilsner, Dark Caramel Malt, Dextrose; HOPS: East Kent Goldings, Styrian Goldings

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Taste true liquid luxury in this decadent and nuanced Belgian-style quad. Pear and apricot aromas blend with caramel, fruit and spice flavors in the full-bodied amber ale."

COLOR: Cloudy orange

POUR: A little less than Decent Head

AROMA: Yeast, alcohol, fruit

BODY: Between Medium and Full

TASTE: Sweet, with hints of pear, butterscotch, apricots

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Between "I Could Drink This" and "Can't Get Enough!"

COMMENTS: "Absolute definition of 'complex'; They should sell this beer with a helmet and a cup; Victory doesn't disappoint; A big beer; Almost like honey (reduced liquid honey); Reminds me of mead; Like a wine - sip it, repeat."

THE RESULTS

By the very nature of this category of beer, we knew we would be in for a very tasty review session, and indeed we were. None fell below that range from "I Could Drink This" to "Can't Get Enough!" So it was another of those "there are no losers here" kind of evenings. Nonetheless, below is a rough ranking of these Strong Ales - in our collective humble opinions.

1. Ommegang 20th Anniversary Ale

2. Sly Fox 113 IPA

3. War Horse Big Broadcast Double IPA

4. Wolaver Wee Heavy Ale

5. Stone's Arrogant Bastard Bourbon Barrel Aged Ale

6. Middle Ages Kilt Tilter

7. Victory V-12 

8. Lagunitas Wilco Tango Foxtrot

Want a quick glance at all the beers we've reviewed and our zero to four star rating? Get it at BOTB Tested Beers.

Sláinte,

The BOTB Guys

CNY IPAs

A FEW FLORIDA EAST COAST BREWS

Bugnutty Brewing Company - This little brewery tucked away in a strip mall on Merritt Island has a surprising number of beers on tap - their own as well as "guest" brewers. We stopped in to check them out. It is a brewery with an intimate tap room. Looking at the chalk board behind the bar I saw three IPAs right at the top: Zeus Will Smite Thee IPA, Black Falcon Black IPA, and Red Falcon Red IPA. I opted for a flight of these four beers and included a beer called Snickle Fritz just because of the name (though some of the other names, particularly Mike's Milf Stout - no, that's not a typo - and Camel Toad Pils, were intriguing as well, though for altogether different reasons).

Snickle Fritz is a California Common beer, similar to Steam beer. It's a very tasty beer with a much bigger hop presence than I expected. It's 5.41% ABV and 37.4 IBU, yet the clean finish gives it a nice bitter bite you wouldn't expect.

Black Falcon Black IPA - 7.4% ABV and 82 IBUs. Nice strong flavor of dark chocolate and coffee with a very strong hops presence. It's like a nice chocolate Stout paired with an IPA. Kind of gives you the best of both worlds. ****

Red Falcon Red IPA - 6.83% ABV and 67.8 IBUs. A hopped up Red Ale. Hint of caramel and toffee. A really good beer. ***

Zeus Will Smite Thee IPA  - 7.24% ABV and 76.2 IBUs. Terrific beer brewed with Galena, Zythos, and Antanum hops and Pale and Rye malt. Really hoppy with spicy citrus hops nose. ****

You can check out their whole line up at www.bugnutty.com.

In case you were wondering about the name Bugnutty, here's how they define it:

Bugnutty, adj. \'bug-'nut-te\

1. To have feelings of discouragement, disappointment or frustration.
Example: "Not having a great selection of locally brewed craft beers makes me Bugnutty."

2. Being in a state of overwhelming emotion; especially: rapturous delight
Example: "I am so Bugnutty now that I have fresh craft-brewed beer right here on Merritt Island!"

Florida Beer Company - I've seen some of Florida Beer Company's beers around throughout the South and even occasionally up North. But it seems to always be their Key West Sunset Ale or their Florida Lager. Many bars seem to have the Sunset Ale on tap. I had begun to wonder if they brewed anything else. Indeed they do. We visited the Florida Beer Company for drinks (no food) and found they had a pretty  good selection. The tap room is large with an enormous circular bar. The walls are all glass looking into the working brewery.

Their beer selection is broad enough to include at least one to please any category of craft beer enthusiast from the newbie first dipping a wary tongue into something other than Bud Light to a craft-y veteran of the Beer Wars. Their beers the night we were there included: an Amber Ale, a Belgian Wheat, a Porter, a Stout, a couple of Pilsners, an Amber Lager, and a Red Lager as well as a couple of seasonals - Gourd Shorts Pumpkin Ale and Conchtoberfest (their version of an Oktoberfest). They also had a couple of hard ciders. Oh, and by the way, they had three IPAs: Devil's Triangle (a beer they called a Southern American India Pale Ale -SAIPA?), Swamp Ape,  a double IPA and Smoked Swamp Ape.
I tried the three IPAs (surprise!). Here's what I found:





Devil's Triangle  - ABV: 6.66% (Get it? - Devil - 666); IBUs: 66; SRM: 10 - A delicious IPA full of the spicy hops you would expect from an American IPA. Brewed with Cascade, Centennial, Columbus and Warrior hops, it's a beer that won't disappoint hop hounds.





Swamp Ape Double India Pale Ale - ABV:10%; IBUs: 85; SRM: 12 - A big, bold slap-you-up-side-the-head beer. Five hops: Tettnang, Chinook, Cascade, Centennial, and Amarillo give this beer a
powerful punch with a nice warming alcohol-fueled bitter finish. A great sipping beer.

Smoked Swamp Ape - Same as above with a smokey aroma and subtle smoke flavor.

LOCAL IPAS (AND ONE BPA)

DEFINED AS: BREWED WITHIN 100 MILES OF PULASKI, NY

While some of us got the opportunities in recent months to sample some beers from various places around the country, we decided to look close to home for this month's series of samplings. We thought it might be interesting to pick an IPA from within 100 miles of the host's (Ron) home base - Pulaski, NY.

HOP HOUSE DRY HOPPED PALE ALE

BREWERY OMMEGANG 

The Beer Facts: BREWER: Brewery Ommegang , Copperstown, NY; STYLE: Belgian-Style Pale Ale; ABVs: 6.0%; IBUs: 21; HOPS: A blend of Cascade and European hops; WEBSITE: ommegang.com

What the Brewer Says: "Pale and hoppy with notes of citrus and tropical fruit. Our Begian-American love child."

Color: Cloudy wheat

Pour: Better than "Decent" but not quite "Guinness Class."

Aroma: Toward the malty side. Somewhat bready, but not a big aroma.

Body: Slightly less than medium

Taste: Fairly balanced. A bit spicy up front with a dry finish, notes of fresh bread

Overall Impression: I Could Drink This!

Comments: "this is the best tasting Belgian I've had; The aftertaste suffers a little bit - it's not a clean finish; This is an Ommegang I'd certainly buy; There is a bit of hops in it; Ommegang really got this one right - hops come to Cooperstown; Belgians are a little out of our wheelhouse, but his is one that crosses into the hop universe; A moderate alcohol content - maybe not quite an IPA, but definitely not a session beer; a somewhat complex taste, I like it."

INDUSTRIAL IPA

CORTLAND BEER COMPANY

The Beer Facts: BREWER: Cortland Beer Company, Cortland, NY; STYLE: IPA; ABV: 6.8%; IBUs: 79.9; WEBSITE: cortlandbeer.com

What the Brewer Says: "IPA descends from the late 18th century when beer was exported from London to India. Typical of India Pale Ale, this ale is bold, assertive, and full of hop flavor. It has a medium to dry finish and a fantastic citrus overtone"

Color: 14.9 SRM, Unfiltered buckwheat honey

Pour: Better than decent off-white head with good lacing

Aroma: Grassy hops

Body: A touch more than medium

Taste: Bitter, especially on the aftertaste, it fills the mouth and is heavy. there are notes of toffee and caramel.

Overall Impression: Can't Get Enough

Comments: "It's a little sweeter than many IPAs; It has a big "industrial" taste; It's a good tailgate beer; This has a complex taste; There is a little more alcohol presence - it announces itself, but not overly; The aftertaste is almost like 'give me another taste'; This is a good local beer that rivals the national beers; It compares well with the West Coast IPAs."

EMPIRE IPA

EMPIRE BREWING

The Beer Facts: BREWER: Empire Brewing, Syracuse, NY; STYLE: IPA; ABV: 7.2%; IBUs: NA; WEBSITE: empirebrew.com

What the Brewer Says: "Our American IPA, hopped heavily w/ 6 kettle additions of Falconers Flight. It has a citrus aroma and a bright earthy flavor, with just the right amount of malt balance."

Color: Unfiltered buckwheat honey

Pour: "Guinness Class"

Aroma: Neutral

Body: Medium

Taste: fairly balanced with some bready notes

Overall Impression: I could drink this!

Comments: "There's a nice little bitter finish to it; It's a pretty good IPA; It starts out a little sweet; It has a taste like sawdust smells (in a good way); I drink it when I can find it; We say 'bottle it!'; It should be at the MBT Stadium, the Dome and at Crunch games."

BIG SLIDE IPA

LAKE PLACID CRAFT BREWING COMPANY

The Beer Facts: BREWERY: Lake Placid Craft Brewing Company, Lake Placid, NY; STYLE:India Pale Ale; ABV: 7.0%; IBUs: 70; MALTS: Pale Munich, Carapils; HOPS: Amarillo, Simcoe, Chinook, Citra. WEBSITE: ubuale.com

What the Brewer Says: "Walking through the forests around the Olympic village you experience the enormity of the Adirondack Mountains. We offer this big, slightly piney brew in tribute to both the 27th High Peak and our ski jumps, which rise high above the trees. Here's to the heights!"

Color:Cloudy golden

Pour: Slightly better than Decent head

Aroma: Quite a ways toward the Hoppy end with hints of pine

Body: Between Medium and Full

Taste: Leans to the hoppy, with notes of pine resins

Overall Impression:  Can't get enough!

Comments:"It has a big nose; And a promising aroma; This is my favorite Lake Placid beer; I hope they start selling it in the Syracuse area; This is one delicious beer; It has a fireplace and easy chair written all over it; Delicious; It's full all through to the swallow; This is truly a find; It aggressively invites another sip; so far, this is the find of the day."

FLOWER POWER

ITHACA BEER COMPANY

The Beer Facts: BREWERY: Ithaca Beer company, Ithaca, NY; STYLE: IPA; ABV: 7.5%; IBUs: NA; MALT: 2-Row Pale, Honey Malt; HOPS: Simcoe, Chinook, Citra, Ahtanum, Centennial; DRY HOPS: Simcoe, Amarillo, Centennial; AWARDS: Silver Medal - Tap NY 2008 / National IPA Championship Final Four 2008, 2010, 2011; WEBSITE: ithacabeer.com

What the Brewer Says: "Enjoy the clover honey hue and tropical nose. Simultaneously punchy and soothing with a big body and a finish that boasts pineapple and grapefruit. Flower Power is hopped and dry hopped five different times throughout the brewing and fermentation process."

Color: Cloudy pale yellow

Pour: Decent head

Aroma: Hoppy pine and grapefruit

Body: A bit beyond Medium

Taste: Well toward the expected IPA bitter end with notes of            grapefruit, citrus and pine

Overall Impression: "Can't Get Enough!"

Comments: "This is one good beer; A real no-brainer; This is always in my fridge; It (the logo design) reminds me of the late '60's; This has been a standard in the area for a very long time; In my opinion, it is the best East Coast IPA; It stacks up well to the West Coast IPAs as well; It is arguably one of the best beers on the market; It's definitely a staple."

NEARVARNA

HOPSHIRE FARMS AND BREWERY

The Beer Facts: BREWERY: Hopshire Farms and Brewery, Freeville, NY; STYLE: IPA; ABV: 7.5%; IBUs: 74; MALTS: Pale and Caramel; HOPS: A lot of them; WEBSITE: hopshire.com

What the Brewer Says: "A hop farm needs a big American IPA. We start with a solid malt base...and then add hops (a lot of them!) five times during the boil. We don't stop there.We add to the serving tank in a process we call 'laced with hops.' Hopheads - find your NearVarna."

Color: Unfiltered copper

Pour: Some lacing with slight head

Aroma: Quite hoppy - grapefruit and pine

Body: A bit past medium

Taste: Well toward the bitter end with notes of citrus, grapefruit, nuts and pine

Overall Impression: Just a whisker shy of "Can't Get Enough!"

Comments: "This beer has a complex flavor; The color is typical of my vision of an IPA; It's a little sweeter and fruitier than many IPAs; Lots of hops flavor throughout; It has a nice malt body as well."

ANNIE

GOOD NATURE BREWING

The Beer Facts: BREWER: Good Nature Brewing, Hamilton, NY; STYLE: Imperial IPA; ABV: 8.5%; IBUs: 95; SRM: 5; MALT and HOPS: NA; WEBSITE: goodnaturebrewing.com

What the Brewer Says: "Our Imperial IPA was originally brewed to celebrate our second anniversary in 2014. We were so taken with her that we decided to keep her on as one of our first bottled beers. A complex IPA that delivers on many levels. The simplicity of the grain bill allows the hops to really shine. Tropical fruits and lemon on the nose with a spicy finish that tickles the taste buds."

Color: Cloudy clover honey

Pour: Between Decent and Little Head with lacing that clings to the glass

Aroma: Hoppy with hints of citrus

Body: Well toward Full Bodied

Taste: Bitter with notes of pine resins and the "Seven C's" hops

Overall Impression: "Can't Get Enough!"

Comments: "A West Coast hops cocktail; Similar to lagunitas; Smells like a pine tar road; it's a 'let-the-designated-driver-drive' beer because you know you are going to have another one; There is a malty start, then a nice bitter hops finish; It reminds me of Malicious Intent; This is dessert; It's sweeter than most; The strong malt backbone lets the alcohol rise; It really does taste like another; The taste lingers; It's definitely West Coast style."

BIG BUCKS STRIKE EMPIRE'S BOCK

One of the fun things about craft brewing is the word play many of the breweries employ when naming their beers. Brewers pay homage to everything from songs (Brown Shugga') to writers (Hunter S. Thompson at Flying Dog) to athletes (Larry Bird's Haircut) to TV shows (My Other Brother Darryl)  to literature (Long John Lager, Raven Stout, Tell Tale Pale Ale), to villains (Hoptimus Prime) to heroes (Cap'n Kickass) to landmarks (Nippletop Milk Stout) to movies (Apocalypse Cow) to monsters (Nosferatu) to saints (Yeastus Christ) to devils (Arrogant Bastard, Duvil in Ms Jones).  And that really just scratches the surface. Take a look at some of these actual beer names:

William Holden Belgian Golden from Drake's Brewing

Pandora's Bock from Elysian

Live and Let Rye from Empire

Spruce Willis from Dogfish Head

Cascazilla from Ithaca

Citra Ass Down from Against the Grain

Those Candies Your Granny Loves Brown Ale from Cigar City

Groundskeeper Spilly from Sixpoint

There Will Be Black from Brooklyn

Hell and High Watermelon from 21st Amendment

Yippie Rye Aye from Sierra Nevada

Wailing Wench from Middle Ages

Gourd of the Rings from Cambridge (It's a pumpkin beer - get it?)

Fermentation Without Representation from Epic

Carl Weathers As Dillon in Predator Imperial Cascadian Dark Ale  from Fort Collins - I kid you not!

Now, I throw all this out there because of a recent situation involving Empire Brewing in Syracuse, the naming of a beer and a claim of copyright infringement. For several years now Empire has brewed a Bock beer sold only in their pub called Strikes Bock.  Now, when paired with the Empire Brewing name you get Empire Strikes Bock,  a clever homage to the Star Wars film, The Empire Strikes Back.  Now that Empire Brewing has begun to expand and is about to begin bottling, they have been charged with copyright infringement by Lucasfilms, now a division of Walt Disney Co. In the brief filed against Empire it is stated that the name could create confusion in the marketplace, due in part to the fact that George Lucas owns some vineyards. That's vineyards not hop farms!

Empire plans on striking back, but when you consider the deep pockets of their opponents, it is unlikely they will win. Which is too bad. Granted, big movie studios do need to protect their copyrighted material. Franchises such as Star Wars bring in millions to the companies on peripherals alone: action figures, book tie-ins, tee shirts, hats, toys etc. Without a tight rein on the use of names and likenesses, unscrupulous entrepreneurs could cut drastically into those profits by selling knock-offs at bargain basement prices.

But Beer? Really? Confusion in the marketplace? "Gee, I wanted to get my kid a Luke Skywalker action figure but I ended up with this six-pack of beer." I think there's a big difference between trying to bilk the public with knock-offs and a nod and a wink to a beloved icon with clever word-play. I'd hate to see craft beer names lose their edginess and fun out of fear of a lawsuit.

Good Luck to Empire. May the Force be with you on this one. Or, to reference Mel Brooks, May the Schwartzbier be with you.

Sláinte,

The BOTB Guys