It's Fall. Time for Oktoberfests, Harvest Ales and Pumpkin Beers. We're not doing any of them though. We sort of found that with the Oktoberfest (or Octoberfest) style they all seem to taste pretty much the same. This is not to say they are bad, just becomes sort of repetitive when reviewing them. Whereas IPAs, for example, have an enormous range of taste profiles depending upon a variety of factors: the hops used, the malt, the yeast, as well as the regional differences (East Coast vs. West Coast vs. British IPAs). There are also Red IPAs, Black IPAs, Session IPAs. You get the idea.  And Pumpkin Ales? Well, personally, I love pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies. Pumpkin in my beer? Not so much. I've had a couple where the pumpkin spice is pretty subtle, so it's drinkable. But far too often the pumpkin flavor overpowers the taste of beer. After all, I drink beer because I like beer. I don't need to disguise the taste. Our nod to the proliferation of pumpkin everything is Sloop Brewing's (No) Pumpkin IPA.

We kick off our reviews this month with the appropriately named All My Friends Are Hopheads from Weird Window Brewery out of Burlington, Vermont. Including that beer, we review 4 Vermont beers. We also take a look at an all New York State brew from Ommegang, a big IPA from Sweetwater and an even bigger one from Sierra Nevada.

As a bonus, I'll give my thoughts on a beer from Grand Strand Brewing out of Myrtle Beach, SC. A good friend of mine gave me a couple of cans to try.

 ALL MY FRIENDS ARE HOPHEADS

WEIRD WINDOW BREWERY

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Weird Window Brewing, Burlington, VT, STYLE: New England Double IPA; ABV: 8%

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Packed full of juicy and citrusy hops, this double IPA is like a mosh pit in your mouth. This beer isn't just one in a crowd."

COLOR: Blond

POUR: Decent Head

AROMA: Bit of citrus with notes of bread, yeast not generally associated with New Englands

BODY: Medium

TASTE: Very balanced with a noticeable alcohol presence along with notes of grapefruit 

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: I Could Drink This!

COMMENTS: "Interesting - it doesn't look like a typical New England IPA, little bit of haze but not cloudy like many of them are now; You can taste the alcohol, which gives it a kind of fuller bodied taste than a lot of the New England IPAs also; Citrus didn't jump right out at you, but it is somewhat subtle; I like this, and definitely like the fact that it's not that kind of thick 'milkshake' style that has gotten popular."

THE DRAGONS OF EDEN

FOUR QUARTERS BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Four Quarters Brewing , Winooski, VT, STYLE:  India Pale Ale; ABV: 7.6%; HOPS: Nelsoon Sauvin, Wai-iti, Rakau

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Our newest IPA showcasing New Zealand gems Nelson Sauvin, Wai-iti, and Rakau hops. Juicy and sweet, and bursting with tropical fruit aromas like mangoes and papaya, as well as apricot and other stone fruit. At 7.6% we put this right on the cusp of IPA/DIPA, certainly drinkable and also warming, perfect for this time of balance between Summer and Fall. You'll dig it."

COLOR: Hazy unfiltered wheat

POUR: Decent Head

AROMA: Tropical fruit, apricot

BODY: Medium

TASTE: Big tropical fruit - mango, papaya - as well as citrus notes

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

COMMENTS: "Cloudy beer that just tastes good; Not over-the-top cloudy; Starts sweet but ends with a pleasing bitterness; Delicious!; Definitely in the New England/East Coast style with the cloudiness and the tropical hops going for it; The higher ABV really helps kind of ground it, so it's not overly sweet or fruity." 

HOPSTATE NEW YORK IPA

BREWERY OMMEGANG 

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, NY; STYLE: IPA; ABV: 7.4%; IBUs: 50; MALT: 2-row base malt, NY 2-row malt; HOPS: NY grown Chinook, Cascade, Nugget, Crystal, MI Copper, NY Rakau

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: New York-grown hops and locally sourced two-row barley shine in this classic IPA, a toast to our Upstate home and its hop-growing history. We're proud to live and work on this land and are honored to celebrate it."

COLOR: Honey gold

POUR: Decent fluffy white head

AROMA: Citrus and floral

BODY: Medium

TASTE: Nice balance of grapefruit, pine and malt with a nice bitterness.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Can't Get Enough!

COMMENTS: "This is such an easy-drinking IPA; More traditional West Coast using New York State hops and malt - kind of ironic in a way; Really smooth beer; Little bit of nuttiness to it; Maybe some of that Ommegang Belgian vibe really gives it a little different taste; Real nice beer."

FAIR MAIDEN IMPERIAL IPA

FOLEY BROTHERS BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Foley Brothers Brewing, Brandon, VT; STYLE: Imperial India Pale Ale; ABV: 8.2%; Hops from the US, New Zealand and Germany.

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "A well balanced Double IPA brewed with seven hop varities from the USA, Germany, and New Zealand. Unfiltered with aromas of stonefruit, passionfruit and tangerine."

COLOR: Hazy golden honey

POUR: Decent 2 finger head

AROMA: Grassy, floral, tropical fruit

BODY: Between Medium and Full

TASTE: Tropical fruit, lemon, malt, alcohol, nice bitterness

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Can't Get Enough!

COMMENTS: "They (Foley) make good beer - this is an exceptional one; Really tasty; Somewhat Westward leaning; Nice bitterness beneath it all; Terrific beer; It's one of those full-bodied, full-flavored beers where there's just a lot going on - stonefruit, tropical fruit, nice maltiness and the alcohol is there but sits nicely in the background."

(NO) PUMPKIN IPA

SLOOP BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Sloop Brewing Company, East Fishkill, NY: STYLE: IPA; ABV: 6%

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Hops, yeast, barley & water come together to make beautiful IPAs for real beer lovers. No nutmeg. No coriander. No pine trees. Just beautifully hazy IPAs."

COLOR: Hazy pale yellow-orange

POUR: Decent off white head

AROMA: Apricot, tropical fruit, slightly dank-ish

BODY: Medium

TASTE: Tropical fruit, some lemon, mango, pineapple, earthy, not much bitterness

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

COMMENTS: "Leave it to Ron to find a Pumpkin beer with no pumpkin! The best thing about this beer is that there is no pumpkin spice; Sloop is solid: This is just a nice New England IPA - with all that tropical fruit hop stuff going on that you expect from a NEIPA; Very nice beer, if a bit generic - they could brew this year-round with a different name! Got to admit, pretty clever name."

SWEETWATER 420 IMPERIAL IPA

SWEETWATER BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Sweetwater Brewing Company, Atlanta, GA; STYLE: Imperial IPA; ABV: 9.1%; IBUs: 60; MALT: 2-row Munich, C70/80, Midnight Wheat; HOPS: Centennial, Cascade, Columbus, Mosiac, Sultana - Dry Hop: Mosaic, Sultana, Lotus, Cascade

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "A fresh take on ingredients from the original 420, this bold, flavor-packed new brother features a fresh combo of hops for added intensity and complexity, creating flavors and aromas of mango, peach, pineapple, citrus and pine. The result is a well-balanced Imperial IPA that's a super-tasty, higher ABV brew."

COLOR: Lightly hazed amber

POUR: Decent tan head

AROMA: Sweet, caramel, candy aroma, with some citrus

BODY: Between Medium and Full

TASTE: Notes of citrus, peach, pine, with solid caramel malt taste underlying it all.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Can't Get Enough

COMMENTS: "Dangerous beer - at 9.1% you don't notice the alcohol - very well hidden; Out-frigging-standing!; Real nice maltiness to it; Kind of old-school DIPA, I really like it.:

HOPTIMUM TRIPLE IPA

SIERRA NEVADA BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Chico, CA, and Mills River, NC; STYLE: Triple IPA; ABV: 11%; IBUs: 75; MALTS: Carapils, Pilsner, Two-row Pale; HOPS: Chinook, Idaho 7, Magnum; YEAST: Ale Yeast

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Each year, we try to top ourselves by making the hoppiest most intense IPA we can muster. We sample endless hop varieties during the annual harvest to choose the ultimate mix - flavorful and aggressive, yet refined. Then we push them beyond their limits to reimagine Hoptimum, a remarkably drinkable triple IPA" 

COLOR: Hazy copper, clover-honey

POUR: Slight cream colored head

AROMA: Caramel, sweet, some pine

BODY: Full bodied

TASTE: Citrus, Pine, caramel, alcohol with pleasing bitterness

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Can't Get Enough (but be careful!)

COMMENTS: "Remain seated while drinking! Really a very good beer; Big full tilt IPA, I love it; It's a sipper for sure, but you can savor the flavor between sips - it lingers; I do like getting back to some of these that lean to the bitter side; Nice warming beer for sure."

FOCAL BANGER

ALCHEMIST BREWING

THE BEER FACTS: BREWER: The Alchemist Brewing, Stowe, VT; STYLE: American IPA ABV: 7%; MALTS: British; HOPS: Citra, Mosaic.

WHAT THE BREWER SAYS: "Focal Banger is an American India Pale Ale. We have a real love for IPAs here at The Alchemist and we strive to offer you the best hop experience that we possibly can. The beer is brewed using Citra and Mosaic hops and our favorite British malts. Truly an abundance of malty goodness."

COLOR: Hazy unfiltered straw

POUR: Better that decent head

AROMA: Hay, grass, dank

BODY: Bit more than Medium

TASTE: Resinous, grapefruit, orange, a little pine, some maltiness and a pleasing bitter finish

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Can't Get Enough!

COMMENTS: "I actually like this better than Heady, and I like Heady; Really good beer, another Vermont brewery that just does it right; It's got a nice cling-to-the-roof-of-the-mouth quality going; Yeah, nice initial taste and nice after-taste."

BONUS BEER

AIRBRUSH HAZY IPA 

GRAND STRAND BREWING COMPANY, MYRTLE BEACH, SC

One of the great advantages of being known as somewhat of a Beer Nerd is that friends often are anxious to have you try something they found interesting. So recently a long-time friend of mine (we'll call him "Dan" mainly because that's his real name) brought me a couple of cans of this beer which he had discovered while at Myrtle Beach. Our friendship goes way back to high school days where we were in football together, band together and ran track together. We both were hurdlers and even composed a song called Hey Hurdlers. Sung to the tune of Hey Jude it was a paean to hurdlers with lyrics unfit for publication here - or probably anywhere (conceived in the puerile brains of hormone infused teenaged boys, you can, I'm sure, imagine the creative choices taken).

But I digress. Dan said he discovered Airbrush IPA and really liked and kindly brought me a couple to

try as a kind of birthday present while we busily lost huge quantities of golf balls on a leaf-strewn golf course in late October. Dan tends to lean toward the New England style IPA rather than West Coast. He doesn't care for the bitterness of some IPAs. I prefer the West Coast brews and seek out those with a nice bitter bite, though I also enjoy many NEIPAs as well. So I was both grateful because, well, free beer, and curious. 

The beer clocks in a 6.5% - kind of the sweet spot for IPAs. It is hazy, as the name implies, and a light golden color. It pours with a decent white head that leaves some lacing as it dissipates. It has a subtle citrus aroma that is very inviting. The best way I can think of to describe the taste is smooth. It has that tropical fruit taste you expect from a NEIPA, but not overpowering. There is also a real nice maltiness that gives it a little more body than you often get with this style. And despite Dan's insistence that he doesn't care for bitterness, I found this beer to have a very pleasing bitter tang at the end.

Overall, I really liked this beer. In fact, I would go so far as to say it is one of the better NEIPAs I've had. It's nicely balanced and very drinkable.

Thanks Dan!

Sláinte,

The BOTB Guys

Of CAMRA and Casks and Craft

The Green Dragon - Upper Wensleydale

Fellow BOTBer Mike and I and our respective wives took a trip to England this May. It was a bit of a whirlwind trip that started in London, headed South to Poole and Guernsey then back up through Yorkshire and the Dales, visiting Sherwood Forest then all the way up North to Ulverston and finally back to London. We took in a collection of castles, an abundance of abbeys and a plethora of pubs. Along with the history and culture, Mike and I decided this would be a great opportunity to research the state of Craft Beer outside the US.

The Craft Beer Revolution here in the US came about as a reaction to the homogenization of American beers. Through the '50's '60's and '70's American beer became increasingly tasteless and bland as big brewers followed the Anheuser-Busch model of spending on advertising and branding while saving on quality. The American beer market was flooded with watery, bland German-style lagers. And then came Light (or Lite) beers which managed to make the bland even, well, blander (despite Miller Lite's "Tastes Great!" claim). I have in the past compared American mega-brew beer to pre-sliced, pre-packaged American cheese - cheap, inoffensive and boring. While many people like American cheese, wouldn't it be awful if that was the only kind of cheese you could get? That was pretty much the state of affairs before craft beer. If you wanted a beer, your choices were a lager or a light lager.

Random Weirdness:
Found in a kitchen drawer in our
flat in London

The growth of craft beer here in the States,  in large measure, can be traced to England. Many of the early craft beer pioneers have similar stories of traveling to England and finding beer with flavor and variety. So it was interesting to find that there are a couple of competing movements afoot in the UK which are reminiscent to the American Craft Beer Revolution. While Britain has its own craft beer movement, there is also a separate beer-related movement: CAMRA (CAMpaign for Real Ale). If you were to lay out a Venn Diagram of these two movements, the area of overlap would be in their common impetus. Both evolved as a result of a beer landscape more and more dominated by a few large breweries flooding the market with middle-of-the-road brews. However, the similarities end there.

Whereas the craft beer movement there is similar to that in the States - a sort of free floating, experimental what-can-we-do-next approach that often pushes the boundaries of brewing while, simultaneously, honoring its traditions - CAMRA has a narrower focus. CAMRA advocates accept only cask ale - often referred to as "real ale" and cask cider. Nothing bottled, canned or kegged. Only ales poured via the pump system. In fact a beer is not CAMRA  approved if there is both a cask version and a bottled, kegged or canned version (although bottle conditioned may  be becoming more accepted). But the CAMRA movement goes beyond beer. CAMRA is a reactionary movement looking for a return to days of old when the neighborhood pub was a social gathering place. A place for a quiet pint with friends, perhaps a game of darts, but none of that loud music or those big TV sets on the wall. It is a case where one movement is more inclusive vs. one that is more exclusive. CAMRA aficionados would not necessarily approve of many of the pubs serving craft beer, or the beers themselves. Whereas the Craft Beer followers certainly appreciate beer in it's many forms including cask ales.

"Real ale" seemed to be more prevalent than craft beer. Most pubs advertise real ale, and most pubs have at least a couple of cask ales (cask conditioned ales are unfiltered and unpasteurized. They do not leave the cask until the beer is served, and are hand pumped without the use of nitrogen or carbon dioxide to provide pressure). Mike and I generally choose a cask ale, so we had the opportunity to sample a number of them. We had a great many Bitters - Ordinary, Best Bitter, Special Bitter, Extra Special Bitter, Premium Bitter. The names roughly denote strength, though there is nothing set in stone regarding at what point a beer goes from, say, a Special Bitter to an Extra Special Bitter. It's sort of at the discretion of the brewer. Bitters are a sub-class of Pale Ales but it is not always easy to differentiate between the two. Cask ales tend to be less carbonated and, yes, they would be considered warm by US standards, meaning it is not ice cold. The thing is, it doesn't need to be. Malt, yeast, bread are the dominant flavor notes with varying levels of toffee, caramel and hop. We also had a few Stouts and  Porters that were quite tasty.

Most beers clocked in at 5% ABV or less. Many at under 4%. At one pub, The Swan in Ulverston, we spotted an IPA from nearby Hawkshead Brewery. We each ordered a pint. The bartender said, "Now, you realize this is 7%?"
"Yes," we said.
"Are you local then?" he asked.
"Local?" I said, then realizing what he was asking, said, "Oh, yes. We walked here." Which we had.
"Ah, then. That's good," he said and poured us our beers.


The beer, by the way, was excellent. It was by far one of the hoppiest beers we had tasted while in England. It is referred to as a traditional British IPA taken to a new level using new world hops. The "New World" referred to here was the US and New Zealand. The hops they referred to were Cascade and Columbus from the States as well as Motueka hops from New Zealand.

What did we discover in our informal, totally unscientific bit of research? A couple of broad generalizations came to light. We'll give you our take on this and the lowdown on a few of the interesting pubs we hit and beers we drank on our journey next time.

But now, we need to take a look at some of this month's beers.

SAM PLUS TWO

This month Sam Adams had a few brews for us to review. Six to be exact, but that left us one short of our normal seven. Luckily, I had picked up a six pack of Bedlam while in Springfield, Illinois that I thought would make a good one for BOTB. On top of that, Mike arrived with a new beer from Ommegang out of Cooperstown, NY. Let's start with the Sams.

REBEL RIDER IPA

SAMUEL ADAMS - BOSTON 

The Beer Facts:  STYLE: Session IPA; BREWER: Boston Beer Company / Samuel Adams; ABV: 4.5%; IBUs: 45; MALT: Samuel Adams Two-row Pale Malt Blend; HOPS: Cascade, Centennial, Citra, Simcoe, Citra

What the Brewer Says: "Samuel Adams Rebel Rider is a bold yet mellow IPA with the hop character of a West Coast style IPA complemented by the golden crispness and lighter body of a session beer."

Color: Hazy wheat

Pour: Decent head with nice lingering

Aroma: Citrus, sour, piney

Body: Somewhat light

Taste: Balanced in that it is not overly bitter, with notes of grapefruit and understated lemon character

Overall Impression: I Could Drink This!

Comments: "For a session, it has a lot of taste; Nice lawn-mower beer; Not a lot of hoppiness, just a little bitter - way better than a pilsener; Very subtle; A good "gateway" beer - introduction to IPAs."

ESCAPE ROUTE

SAMUEL ADAMS - BOSTON

The Beer Facts: STYLE: Kolsch; BREWER: Boston Beer Company - Samuel Adams; ABV: 5%; IBUs: 30; MALT: Samuel Adams Two-Row Pale Malt Blend, acidulated malt, flaked barley, Carafoam; HOPS: Strisselsplat, Aramis.

What the Brewer Says: "Escape Route is a limited release beer brewed for the spring season. This golden and hazy Kolsch-style brew is bright, fresh and crisp, perfect for the last days of winter and first days of spring."

Color: Cloudy Wheat

Pour: Decent Head

Aroma: Grassy, floral

Body: Light

Taste: Tending toward sweet with with malt-first but some subtle grapefruit hop coming in

Overall Impression: It would do in a pinch for us. If you like Kolsch - Can't Get Enough.

Comments: "Not my favorite style, but for a Kolsch drinker I would think this would be great; Light finish; True to the Kolsch style but a little more body than most; Much more flavorful than I expected; Some nice hop character there - subtle, but definitely there."

COLD SNAP

SAMUEL ADAMS - BOSTON

The Beer Facts: STYLE: Belgian-style White Ale; BREWER: Boston Beer Company - Samuel Adams; ABV: 5.3%; IBUs: 10; MALT: Samuel Adams Two-Row Blend, Malted Wheat; HOPS: Hallertau Mittelfrueh Noble.

What the Brewer Says: "Cold Snap is a crisp, refreshing Belgian-style White Ale with a combination of hazy golden wheat and a lively blend of exotic fruits and spring spices."

Color: Cloudy wheat

Pour: Decent Head

Aroma: Sweet with hints of clove, floral

Body: Slightly less than medium

Taste: Sweet with hints of orange and strong coriander presence. Very subtle hop.

Overall Impression: We would Leave It On the Shelf - just not the style for a bunch of hopheads.

Comments: "Wheat beer; Thin, sweet, somewhat watery; A bit spicy; Just not crazy over the taste of coriander, and it is very evident here; If you're a fan of Belgians, you probably would like this, just not my mug of beer, so to speak."

CRYSTAL PALE ALE

SAMUEL ADAMS - BOSTON

The Beer Facts: STYLE: Pale Ale; BREWER: Boston Beer Company - Samuel Adams; ABV: 5.3%; MALT: Pale, Maris Otter, Honey; HOPS: Crystal, Fuggles, East Kent Goldings.

What the Brewer Says: "Crystal Pale Ale is a bright and earthy pale ale named after its signature ingredient - Crystal hops grown in Corvallis, Oregon. Neither a classic American nor classic English Pale Ale, Crystal Pale Ale is inspired by both styles. the distinct bright, citrusy hop character of the American Crystal hops is complemented by the earthiness of English hops and balanced by malt sweetness, a trademark character of English Pale Ales."

Color: Golden

Pour: Better than Decent Head with a nice lasting lacing

Aroma: Grassy, floral, citrus

Body: A bit more than medium

Taste: leans to the bitter end of the scale with nice grapefruit notes balanced by a malty, nutty sweetness to give it a more complex taste than the previous beers.

Overall Impression: Beyond "I Could Drink This" and heading toward "Can't Get Enough!"

Comments: "Nice, big finish; A darn good beer; It's got some taste and body to it; The more I taste it, the more I like it; Solid malt backing with hops on top of it, makes for a nice tasting beer; Would love to see it out there more; Crisp, clean taste; I'm a fan; A very nice beer, one of the better Pale Ales I've had."

REBEL IPA

SAMUEL ADAMS - BOSTON

The Beer Facts: STYLE: India Pale Ale; BREWER: Boston Brewing Company - Samuel Adams; ABV: 6.5%; IBUs: 45; MALTS: Samuel Adams Two-Row Pale Malt Blend, Caramel 60; HOPS: American Cascade, Simcoe, Chinook, Centennial, Amarillo

What the Brewer Says: "Rebel IPA - the first West Coast style IPA from the same brewers that started the craft beer revolution in 1984."

Color: Cloudy honey golden

Pour: Better than Decent Head

Aroma: Straw, grass

Body: Medium

Taste: Beyond balanced toward bitter with citrus, grapefruit, pine and hints of caramel.

Overall Impression: Well toward Can't Get Enough

Comments: "More complex taste, many flavors attack the tongue (in a good way); Bitter finish; Always glad to see this on tap; A really nice beer; Nice lacing; Kind of a classic IPA taste though a little sweeter than some; 45 IBUs is lower than many, but it still delivers a nice hop punch."

REBEL ROUSER DOUBLE IPA

SAMUEL ADAMS - BOSTON

The Beer Facts: STYLE: Double IPA; BREWER: Boston Beer Company - Samuel Adams; ABV: 8.4%; IBUs: 85; MALTS: Samuel Adams Two-Row Pale Malt Blend; HOPS: Bravo, Galaxy, Zeus, Simcoe, Centennial, Cascade, Amarillo.

What the Brewer Says: "Rebel Rouser IPA is a Double IPA, brewed to showcase a wide variety of hop characteristics, rather than just hop bitterness. To drive the hop impact of this beer, our brewers didn't just take our Rebel IPA and double the hops. Our Double IPA is brewed with more than 5 lbs. of hops per barrel and dry-hopped with five american hop varieties from the Pacific Northwest. At 85 IBUs, Rebel Rouser Double IPA was brewed to showcase bold hop character, not palate-scraping
bitterness."

Color: Amber

Pour: Much better than Decent Head, with lingering lace.

Aroma: More acidic than hoppy, alcohol, some pine, floral.

Body: Full

Taste: Grapefruit, pine, alcohol warmth, malty base, citrusy hints of orange

Overall Impression: Can't Get Enough!

Comments: "Very complex; Alcohol jumps out at you; A lot of stuff going on here; Clean beginning with a bitter and strong finish; Nice step up from the Rebel; Contrary opinion - I liked the Rebel better; Overall I really like this whole Rebel family of beers, I wonder where they might go from here - a Belgian-style Rebel? A Red Rebel?"

BEDLAM BELGIAN IPA

ALE ASYLUM 

The Beer Facts: STYLE: Belgian-style IPA; BREWER: Ale Asylum, Madison, Wisconsin; ABV: 7.4%;

What the Brewer Says: "This beast is a beauty. It is heavily hopped and fiercely aggressive, with an unmistakable aroma and flavor profile in a sea of India Pale Ales. What started as an experiment in our original brewery has gone on to become one of the highest rated Belgian-style India Pale Ales in

the world."

Color: Unfiltered amber

Pour: Decent Head

Aroma: Grapefruit / piney

Body: Between Medium and Full

Taste: Balanced with a wonderful malty, yeasty background combined with a citrusy spiciness.

Overall Impression: Pretty near "Can't Get Enough!"

Comments: "Easy finish; Balanced; Big taste - filled the mouth; I like it a lot - delicious; The Belgian characteristics meld well with the IPA characteristics; They seem to bring out the best in each other; Not a real Belgian fan, but I like this."

NIRVANA IPA

OMMEGANG BREWERY - COOPERSTOWN, NY

The Beer Facts: STYLE: American IPA; BREWERY: Ommegang - produced by sister brewery Boulevard in Kansas City, MO; ABV: 6.5%; IBUs: 60; HOPS: Bravo, Simcoe, Centennial, Topaz, Citra  and Mosaic.

What the Brewer Says: "Tri-State hop-heads are about to discover an entirely new state of being!..our first ever American-style India Pale Ale will be available across New York, New Jersey and Connecticut...The flavor is hoppy, juicy and citrusy goodness - without harsh bitterness."

Color: Wheat

Pour: Better than Decent Head

Aroma: West Coast big aroma of grapefruit and pine

Body: Near Full

Taste: Toward the bitter end with tastes of grapefruit, citrus, pine, and hints of lemon

Overall Impression: Very near "Can't Get Enough!"

Comments: "Drinkable - I can definitely have more than one; Really, really nice tasting beer; Farming it out right now because Boulevard is better set up for hop-forward beers and six packs - Ommegang has only 4-packs and bombers; Ommegang is such a highly respected Belgian-style brewery, glad to see them get into IPAs; Really good beer, very complex mix of flavors."

THE RESULTS

So what's the skinny on this octet of ales? Keeping in mind that hoppy is our happy place it's not surprising that the IPAs took top honors, though there was no clear consensus among the top three, leaving us with a three-way at the top spot. Anyway, the results were as follows:

#1 - Rebel Rouser Double IPA - The most complex of the Rebel family, also the highest IBUs - although at least one of us preferred the regular Rebel in part because they felt the alcohol presence was too much.

#1 - Ommegang's Nirvana IPA - For us it was great to see one of New York State's most respected Belgian-style breweries dip their feet into the American IPA pool. This is the third Ommegang brew I've had recently that scored well with hop-heads like us (the other two were Hop House Dry Hopped Pale Ale and Hopstate NY American Pale Ale, a terrific beer I just had last night.)

#1 - Ale Asylum's Bedlam Belgian IPA - I am finding that Belgian style IPAs seem to bring out the best of both styles, and this one was a delicious melding of the two. 

#2 - Samuel Adams Rebel IPA - We found this to be another solid IPA from Samuel Adams to go along with Latitude 48, Whitewater IPA, Third Voyage, Tasmen Red and Dark Depths Baltic IPA to name a few.

#3 - Samuel Adams Crystal Pale Ale - A tasty, hoppy Pale Ale that scored well with us.

#4 - Samuel Adams Rebel Rider Session IPA - Sam's entry into the session IPA realm. Easy drinking. A nice beer particularly if you intend to have a few. They put a lot of flavor into a 4.5% ABV beer.

#5 - Samuel Adams Escape Route - Kolsch would admittedly not be our beer of choice, but this would be our Kolsch of choice. It was tastier than we had expected, given the style.

#6 - Samuel Adams Cold Snap - This was by far our least favorite beer. If you're a fan of hops, you won't care for this. If you're a fan of White Ales spiced with coriander, this is your beer.

Next Month,
The latest Boat Beers - Canned Brews for the Summer

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