Great Divide - 17th Anniversary Wood Aged Double IPA

Tonight I am drinking... nay, delicately consuming Great Divides 17th Anniversary brew.  As soon as I saw this on the shelf I had a Wayne Campbell moment from Wayne's World. "She will be mine... Oh yes, she will be mine".  Oak Age Imperial IPA?! Chyea! Are you mental?  Schwing!  This will be fantastic.

You can read a damn news paper
through that glass!

We have reviewed a number of Great Divide brews in the past.  I've consumed about 297 different versions of their Yeti stout.  The most notable of which being their Belgian Yeti.  We've also reviewed Belgica and Old Ruffian, along with a few others.  We enjoy what Great Divide has to offer.  But please, stop pimping your Yeti's like they are back alley crack hookers!  This 17th Anniversary Wood Aged Double IPA is a step in the right direction at least.

Bottled on March 29th, 2011.  The clarity with which this brew pours really caught me off guard.  I figured it would be hazy like most other Imperial IPAs.  The color is a light golden orange, just like a pale ale.  A frothy finger of foam pushes forth aromas of wood, lots of wood in fact.  Piney hops and bready malt sweetness poke through as well.  I think I smell some ABVs too.  The flavors are not nearly as bold as the aromas would lead you to believe.  A little thin and hot right away.  But after a few sips the alcohol bite subdues and piney hop bitterness takes its place.  Those oak chips help create a smooth flavor profile without being too overpowering.  Though, it's a bit hard to describe since I find everything to be muddled together.

Overall - It's a shame...  I really wanted to like this beer.  I love wood-aged beers and I love IPAs.  So the two together should be great, right?  Well, in Great Divides case I just wasn't all that impressed.  The aromas were fantastic and exactly what I was expecting.  But the flavors fell short and the body was a little too thin and hot for my tastes.  I wouldn't be surprised if this got better with age.  It certainly couldn't hurt!

Stone - IPA

Tonight I'm drinking some hop flowers... err, I mean Stone IPA.  I hadn't even started typing this out prior to opening the bottle.  When I cracked open the cap, a pungent wave of juicy hops permeated the air.  I'm liking this IPA already!

Some of our more observant readers will notice that Duns reviewed this IPA back in April.  Generally, when we overlap reviews, it's because my short-term memory has all but disappeared and I forgot that Duns reviewed the beer already.  However, tonight it's on purpose.  Last week I posted to our Facebook page asking people to tell me what they were drinking that evening.  If they did, I'd review the brew.  Almost immediately, one of our readers from Iowa replied.  He was enjoying a tasty bottle of Stone IPA.  Cheers Dave! Tonights review is for you.  Let us know what you thought of Stone's IPA below.

This green gargoyle-laden bomber is packed full of tasty hop morsels.  I can already tell from the aroma.  The brew is a hazy golden orange.  Clearly unfiltered, or is that haze from the dry hopping?  Either way, I want to stick my face in it.  The most noticeable flavor here is a spicy, juicy hop.  A full body supports this heavy load of hops with some bready malt flavors present to give this brew some balance.  No alcohol, mild carbonation and a hop bite come together to form a deceptively smooth and refreshing finish.

Overall - I sure am happy you were drinking this last Tuesday Dave.  Otherwise I wouldn't have picked up this bottle.  This is a great IPA, and certainly one of the better ones on the market these days.  The aromas are floral and juicy, flavors are big and full and the finish is as smooth as silk.  If you haven't had Stone's IPA before, I'd highly suggest you go find yourself a bottle.

Avery - DuganA IPA

Tonight I'm reviewing an IPA that Duns reviewed back in January.  I should have known that he had reviewed this one already.  It's an IPA... what IPA available in the Midwest hasn't he reviewed?!  I think the fact that two of us run this blog warrants the need for two opinions anyway.  Heck, it's the reason we love hearing from our readers!  We love to hear your opinions about the beers we review.  The community around the craft beer world is half the reason we drink craft beer.  The other half is because it tastes so damn delicious.

We have a bit of an affinity for Avery here at The World of  BeerCraft.  If you check out the Review Archive you will notice that Avery garnered the most reviews out of any other brewery you will find on this site with 12 reviews.  Tonight's will make 13, putting Avery two reviews past Sierra Nevada and Summit.  Surprisingly enough, we have had a pretty hard time finding a beer we didn't like from Avery.  They brew a quality product, consistently and on a large scale.  That's something that any beer drinker can respect.

DuganA IPA's bottle has changed a bit since Duns reviewed it earlier this year.  The barely dressed hot Indian woman still graces this label (thank you Avery) but the name has moved to the middle making the overall appearance a little cleaner in my opinion.  Nice aesthetic update.

This brew is light orange in color, crystal clear and leaves a very thin white head.  The aroma is potent!  I could smell it from a few feet away after I filled up my pint.  Lots of earthy, sticky hop aromas with pine, citrus and mint as the primary players.  Hints of caramel elbow their way through the hop crowd to make its presence known.  The first sip is a bit on the boozy side.  Luckily this aspect quickly recedes after letting it warm up a but.  A prominent and relentless hop bitterness absolutely assaults your pallet.  It's almost on the verge of too hoppy.  Some caramel and malt characteristics come through to provide a welcome relief and balance from the hop warfare currently taking place in my mouth.  As this brew warms further the bitterness gives way to a nice fruity bouquet of orange zest and grapefruit primarily.

Overall - At first, I had my hesitations.  But as this IPA warmed it turned into a different beer.  The hop bitterness became more subtle and the citrusy and malty body came through to give a nice complex profile.  I'm still a bit put off by the alcohol heat, but at 8.5% ABV it's something to be expected.  This certainly isn't my favorite IPA, but it is worthy of a purchase if you are a hop head like Duns.

Steel Toe Brewing - Size 7 IPA

Tonight I am reviewing a brand new beer, straight off the brewery floor.  Steel Toe Brewing is one of the newest breweries to bring their craft to Minnesota.  Duns and I are lucky enough to only live about 20 minutes away from Steel Toe.  In fact, Duns went over there to get his own growler tonight!  They just started selling growlers about a month ago and their bottles are hitting store shelves in limited quantities now.  Soon, their kegs will hit our local watering holes and the suburbs of Minneapolis will have another craft beer to choose from.  Steel Toe's growlers have been selling like drug-laced hot cakes since they launched.  I'm excited to jump on this beer wagon and try their beer for the first time tonight.

Currently Steel Toe is offering three beers: Size 7, Dissent and Provider.  Provider is a light ale with a floral hop aroma.  Dissent is Steel Toe's version of a dark ale with oats.  I was also able to grab a bottle of Dissent and am looking forward to trying it as well!  Soon, Steel Toe will roll out a hoppy red ale named Rainmaker.  They are also teasing an oak aged stout and an oak aged barley wine in the future.  Hopefully we see those this winter!  However, tonight I am drinking Size 7.  This is an IPA that has 77 IBU's and weighs in at 7% ABV.  See the trend here?

Light orange, brilliantly clear with a fluffy white head that never quite goes away.  The aroma is akin to pulling a fresh hop cone off the bine, rubbing it between your hands and sticking your nose in the middle of the crushed lupulin and leafs.  It smells amazingly fresh and potent.  Lots of citrus and grapefruit with hints of malty sweetness in the background.  The flavors are intensely hoppy with a bold citrus and fruity hop-forward bitterness taking hold of my pallet every sip.  A subtle malty, bready sweetness helps to provide a semblance of balance this IPA needs.  The alcohol is barely there while the carbonation creates a smooth and crisp mouthfeel.

Overall - All I have to say is Wow!  I am not as much of a hop head as Duns but this IPA would easily make me drink an IPA every day.  Size 7 is floral, aromatic, smooth, bitter (in a good way), flavorful and dangerously easy to drink.  This IPA has earned a full time spot in my fridge.  I'm extremely excited to see what else Steel Toe has in store.  I think Surly may have a real competitor on their hands!

Schlafly Brewery - American IPA

Tonight I'm going to try another brew from the mixed 6-pack brought up from Kansas City by my ugly Uncle Mike - Schlafly American IPA from Schlafly (pronounced laugh-lee) Brewing in St. Louis, MO.  This brewery has been around for about 20 years, and is well-known in the St Louis area for their long list of unique brews.  Never seen any Schlafly brews in these parts, it's only available in the surrounding states of Missouri.  This brew is a limited release, available during the summer months, and comes in at 7.2% alcohol, with 65 IBUs and a boatload of American hops. 

The label on the bottle includes a quote from Benjamin Franklin, "There can't be good living where there isn't good drinking."  Amen to that!  This beer is a beautiful, clear orange-copper color with a big frothy head and excellent retention.  The lacing leaves a foam-screen on the glass.  The smell follows the appearance, with terrific citrus that mainly includes grapefruit and pineapples.  Also a big bouquet of flowers in there, fresh spring-time smell.  The taste starts off very hop-forward with plenty of bitter citrus concentrate up front.  That wave subsides to a middle ground of pine resin mixed with honey and marmalade, sticky and sweet.  That sticky sweetness lingers all the way through the finish, going through a strainer filled with grapefruit pulp.  The end leaves a lingering, refreshing zest that keeps me coming back for more.

Overall Rating:  This was a solid IPA, to be sure.  One of the better IPAs I've had in a while...the beer practically vanished from my glass!  Highly recommend this brew for you hop-heads out there!   A- 

Arcadia Brewing - IPA

Tonight I'll be drinking an IPA from Arcadia Brewing Company based in Battle Creek, Michigan.  Arcadia brews aren't available in the Twin Cities...this is part of a mixed 6-pack my Uncle Mike brought up from Kansas City a couple weeks ago - thanks for the brews old man!  Arcadia was established back in 1996, and specializes in British-style brews.  They brew with original british equipment - a 25 barrel 'Peter Austin' brewing system - and (mostly) English ingredients.  This IPA is 6% alcohol, and follows more of the english version of the style with only 41 IBUs.

The beer is a hazy, dirty brown-orange color with plenty of sediment visible and some egg-white foam that recedes quickly and doesn't leave much lace behind.  The aroma brings loads of sweet bready malts, along with some nice florals and barely-ripe peaches.  Also a bit of grape sourness.  The taste starts off with bitter-sweet, honey covered grapefruit.  Decent amount of spiciness comes in immediately after that first confusing wave of flavor, and cleans things up.  In the background is a fervent herbal grassiness that hangs out with the earthy english malt base.  The alcohol comes through, a little bit astringent.  This astringency isn't overwhelming, but it does linger a bit in the finish.

Overall Rating:  This IPA is definitely unique...can't say I've ever had anything quite like it.  It doesn't follow the beaten path of most craft IPAs these days.  Refreshing, I enjoyed it, despite the slight twinge of alcohol bite.  B

Flat Earth Brewing - Northwest Passage IPA

Tonight I'll be drinking a Northwest Passage IPA from Flat Earth Brewing in St. Paul, MN.  This is a small brewery that was born back in 2007, founded by Jeff Williamson.  Way back in 2010, in our early brew-review days, I reviewed their Cygnus X-1 Porter, which has grown to become one of my favorite porters in the Twin Cities.  Northwest Passage IPA is "the hoppiest IPA in the Midwest" at 115 IBUs, according to Flat Earth's website.  Bold words!  Brewed with canadian malts and plenty of American hops, this brew registers at 6.5% alcohol.

The beer is being served in a pint-sized bottle, priced reasonably at around $5.  A soft pour yields a 2 inch off-white head that hangs around for a few minutes before slowly receding.  The color is a soft golden orange, clear although I did notice a few rogue floaties.  The aroma is resinous and pungent, with some dank pine mixed with a hefty amount of citrus mixed with some light florals.  It's definitely an American-Hop bouquet.  The flavor starts off with a surprising amount of bitterness.  I know it has 115 IBUs, but that didn't fully prepare me for the palate body-slam this beer serves up.  Starts off with a load of herbal pine resin.  Follow that with a lemon rind citrus back-stop, definitely not fruity like the nose had hinted, but a zesty, slightly spicy citrus bitterness does come forward.  Then comes a layer of honey-covered caramel malts, brings some nice (much needed) balance to the hop assault.  The body is medium and the carbonation is heavy, but overall the beer drinks smooth with a dry bitter finish.

Overall Rating:  At first I thought, 'Come on Flat Earth...it can't be the hoppiest beer in the entire Midwest!'.  Then I took a sip, and regretted ever doubting them.  This is a heavy-weight in the IPA world, bold and hop-slamming, but with enough of a malt foundation to hold things together.  Nice brew, I recommend it!  A-

Lucky Bucket - IPA

Tonight I'm going to review an IPA from Lucky Bucket Brewing based in La Vista, Nebraska.  This brewery is completely new to me, I'd never heard of them until I came across this 6-pack at the local craft shop yesterday.  They first opened up back in 2009, so they've been around for a while and I'm guessing they are just now starting to distribute here in the Twin Cities.  So, why the name Lucky Bucket?  They explain the origin of their name on the website, "In the days before kegs and bottles were available, the only way to get beer was to take a bucket to the local brewery, fill it up and lug it back home.  We admire the work it took to enjoy a great beer.  Our name pays homage to our humble beginnings, the original Lucky Bucket."

The Lucky Bucket IPA is a west-coast style IPA with 6.3% alcohol.  It has a dark, hazy orange color with an egg-white head that stays low on the glass.  The aroma is scrumptrulescently bouquetous!  Fresh citrus - grapefruits and tangerines, extremely fresh and sweet.  Oily pine mixes with a hint of alcohol and caramel malts completes the package - awesome aroma.

The taste starts off with a prickly bitterness - pine resin slams the palate, then gives way to a load of acidic citrus.  Grapefruits aren't sweet like they were in the nose, far more bitter and edgy, and contains a hint of mouth-puckering pineapple along with it.  Lemon peels and general bitterness continue to linger through to the finish.  Some buttery biscuit bread malts are present and become more pronounced as the beer warms.  Medium body with a creaminess that adds to the character of the brew.

Overall Rating:  I guess Nebraska does know how to brew some good beer....who knew?!  This is a well-balanced, very drinkable IPA.  Definitely on the bitter side, but not overwhelming.  If you can get your hands on it, this one is worth a try.  B

Tyranena - Scurvy IPA

Tonight I'm going to crack open this scurvy brew from Tyranena - this is their Scurvy IPA.  This is one of their seasonal brews that will supposedly blast my face with cannons of hop-thunder.  We'll see about that!!  This is available from May-June, and oh by the way, it's brewed with orange peels. 

The color is bright, clear golden with a full inch.5 of white foam.  The aroma brings forth that orange peel, along with grapefruit and a touch of sweet malt.  The drink starts off with a sharp bitter twaing of orange peel.  Moves from there to more of a piney, resiny flavor, continuing to be sharply bitter.  Behind that big bitterness is a bready malt, tad bit of toasted grains.  Prickly carbonation with an oily, slick mouthfeel.

Overall Rating:  The orange peels were nice, but something was missing with this one.  It was a little too chalky, and the bitterness was a bit too sharp.  An average IPA with a couple flaws, but certainly drinkable.  C+

Surly Brewing - Furious

I'd like to start things off tonight by saying...I'm sorry.  Ever since Steve and I began this blog, I've promised myself (and Steve) that I would review Surly Furious.  It's my favorite beer and has been for a few years now, so I insisted that I be the one to write about it in our world....of beercraft.  Problem is, it's SO good, that every time I buy it, I end up drinking all of it before I have the chance to write a review.  I'm being completely serious.....EVERY time I've bought a 4-pack of Furious, it's vanished mysteriously, without explanation, before I could review it.  I suspect it went into my belly, but can't be sure...the mystery remains...  yes, I am a Surly fanboy.

Surly Furious is an American IPA, though some would argue that it's an Imperial IPA.  It's a hybrid, red-headed step-child of the IPA family, brewed with scottish malt and a potent blend of American hops.  Surly claims a measly 6.5% ABV, but I have agreed to disagree with them on that stat - I'm convinced it's at least 9%, and I have videos of Steve post-Surly to prove it!  This is a year-round offering (thank God), so the nectar is available all the time, although a 4-pack of pint-sized cans will cost you anywhere from $9-13.  It's put a dent in my wallet over the years (sad face).

This beer looks beautiful - cloudy dark red amber hue with a full fledged 2 inch head that recedes in layers.  The aroma is....have you ever seen the Yogi Bear cartoon?  Whenever a family brings a picnic basket to the park, there is a cartoon aroma-hand that floats to Yogi's nose and entices him to follow.....that same aroma-hand is coming out of this beer and into my nose.  Grapefruit!  Pine!  Orange Zest!  caramel malts?  Maybe a little.  The aroma is a beautiful temptress, enticing me to drink....

The flavor is hoppy.  IT'S.... SO...... HOPPY!  (This is a photo-shopped by my buddy Kasper.  He's talented.)

Big grapefruits take front seat.  Hello Pine, let me find you a seat next to Mr. Grapefruit.  These hop flavors hang around for a while before a wave of caramel malts comes into play - big malt sweetness, big enough to carry the intense hop profile firmly on it's shoulders.   Also a bit of tart pineapple in the background.  The carbonation is medium level - perfect for the texture of the beer, which is generally oily, dry and creamy.

Overall Rating:  I have an obvious bias towards this beer - it's one of my all-time favorites - so none of you should be surprised when I say, this beer is God's nectar.  It holds a special place in my heart.  I don't care where in the world you live, each and every one of you should try this beer.  If it's not available in your state/country, send me an email and I'll be happy to ship you some, perhaps for a trade?

Estes Park Renegade IPA

This is a beer that came to me with the shipment of Avery brews from Colorado.  My Uncle is awesome and surprised me with a couple bottles from Estes Park Brewery.  This is a small but well-known CO brewery that's been around since 1993 - it started as a 4.25 Barrel brewhouse!  Over time they've won lots of awards for their beers, so I'm excited to have an opportunity to try one of them! 

Renegade IPA is one of those award winning brews, winning Silver in the 2003 World Beer Championship.  They use over 3 lbs of hops per barrel, which is music to mine ears.  The main hops used are Amarillo and Cascade in the kettle, with Cascades used again in the dry-hopping.

This beer is going into my ale glass, a very dark, hazy brown color with little yeast chunks floating around the bottom of the glass.  Doesn't look like this beer is filtered.  A rough pour yields just a thin layer of off-white head that vanishes quickly.  The aroma is a combination of strong florals, and light tropical fruits of pineapple/mango.  It really reminds me of handsoap...but not in a negative way.  In fact, it probably only reminds me of handsoap because I've been pavlovian conditioned to wash my hands all the time.  Thanks Mom.

The flavor starts off with a light citrus hoppiness - tart unsweetened grapefruits and unripe oranges.  The malts in the background morph the beer into an earthy, herbal zone that definitely adds a chewy factor to the experience.  Sweet biscuits dominate the malt backbone, brings a nice balance against the hop profile.  There is also a funky flavor that is definitely brought by the yeast sediment that adds extra tart and bite to the palate.  The mouthfeel is full and thick, quite heavy for an IPA. 

Overall Rating:  This is reminiscent of one of Steve and I's IPA homebrews - the color, the sediment, the raw flavors, this has all the characteristics of a delicious homebrew.  Easy drinker, and probably a great replenishment beverage after a day on the slopes of the Rockies. 

Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Harvest 2011

Tonight I'll be drinking this fresh-hop brew from Sierra Nevada called Southern Hemisphere Harvest.  This beer is brewed with freshly picked hops from New Zealand, picked, dried and shipped all in a matter of days to SN's Chico facility.  The hops used are New Zealand Motueka and New Zealand Southern Cross, along with Pacific Hallertau for bittering.  I've never heard of them, but damnit, they're fresh!

This baby is going into my snifter glass - the color is a clear orange copper, with a big ole' 2 inches of frothy white head.  Standard good looks that we expect from Sierra Nevada.  The aroma is funkadelick!  Musty, pungent, warm peaches, mild resins, and then some sweetness is underlying in there.  The taste doesn't really follow the smell......very mild toasty grains and biscuits start things off.  The hop characteristics are weak and bland - not a lot going on.  There's a slight hop bitterness that lacks any real distinction or character - just some bitterness without much flavor.  The body is full, almost heavy, and the carbonation is high, very smooth going down, but that doesn't mean it tastes good...

Overall Rating:  I hate to say it, but I didn't dig this beer.  The hops were there but didn't have much to offer.  The malts were OK, but considering this is a "Fresh Hop Ale", I expect more robust flavors coming from the hop side of things.  Sorry guys, can't recommend this one.

Alaskan Brewing - IPA

Happy Friday folks!  Don't forget, this weekend is Mother's Day weekend, so do something nice for your mums!

Tonight I'm going to be drinking Alaskan Brewing Company's IPA, a year-round offering from this Juneau, Alaska based brewery.  A cool thing to note, Alaskan Brewing is donating 1% of the proceeds from all IPA sales to promote the health and sustainability of the Pacific Ocean and it's coastlines - philanthropy always wins.  Now down to the beer-geek tidbits - this is a 6.2% brew with 55 IBUs, brewed with glacier-fed (that's right, fresh from a damn glacier!) water and a fervent mix of Northwest hops (my favorite).  They recommend this beer be paired with grilled prawns and other spicy foods.

The label on the bottle pictures a huge snowy mountain in the background...with a surfer riding a wave in the front.  Probably a symbol for this beer, bold and adventurous?   This is going into my ale glass with a small half inch of white-white foam that proves to be super sticky.  The beer is a bright golden straw color, just slightly hazy.  The aroma is fresh, greens, not necessarily pine, but almost a fresh spring scent.  Also some honey-wheat and lemon show up.

The taste starts off crisp and juicy, with a big dose of red grapefruits and musty, herbal malt sweetness.  The body is bold enough to carry the flavors, very smooth.  The hoppiness carries on, throughout the rest of the drink, but there is an omnipresent malt sweetness that reminds me of biscuits, bread, butter, but it remains only an underlying factor in the overall profile of the beer.  The finish leaves a lingering sticky resin that is really pleasant.

Overall Rating:  This was a beer that started good, and got better with each sip.  This is a beer I could recommend to beer-drinkers that may not necessarily prefer hoppy beers - it's never overly bitter, but presents the hop flavors in a calm, relaxed, smooth setting.  I'm excited to have Alaskan Brewing Company in Minnesota, these guys make great brew!

Lakefront - IBA (India-Style Black Ale)

Tonight I'm going to be drinking a Black IPA from Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee, WI.  Steve and I actually toured this brewery on a trip to Milwaukee last fall - it was a great tour but sadly I don't have any pictures from the event.  We had the opportunity to try a bunch of their brews, although I don't remember this beer being an option at that point.  They had a big red ale that was probably my favorite of the tour, called Fixed Gear American Red Ale.  This 'IBA' is a part of Lakefront's Pure Milwaukee Genius Series, of which Fixed Gear is also a part.  I'm a huge fan of this style, so looking forward tasting Lakefront's rendition...

I'm pouring this brew into my snifter, it's a dark brownish black, almost looks like Dr Pepper.  The head is monstrous, with a light tan color.  Beautiful looking beer.  The aroma is of faint, sweet roasty malts, and some light citrus zest behind it.  The smell is far more mellow than the Black IPA I drank last week from Stone....that beer smelled like a hop-bomb, and tasted like a hop-nuke.  The nose on this beer indicates it will be more roast and less hop.

The taste confirms my theory.  Dark chocolate grains are the first to show up.  Then comes a wave of mild hop bitterness, a combination of lemon zest and pine, very nice hop profile that isn't overly bitter, but does work nicely with the roasted malt base.  The citrusy zest lingers for a long time after the drink.  The body is medium-heavy, and the carbonation is on the heavier side, but the mouthfeel leaves a smooth/creamy impression.  There is also a musky quality to the beer, almost like wet soil, although when I describe it that way it sounds gross....it's actually a nice quality that adds to the complexity of the beer.

Overall Rating:  This was a nice brew.  Great drinkability, goes down very smooth, and it has something for everyone.  The hop profile will keep the hopinistas interested, but the roasty malt backbone will attract the stout-lovers.  If you like Black IPAs, add this one to your list.

Stone - IPA

Stone IPA was first released back in 1997.  The brewers at Stone are self-proclaimed hop-heads, so they bring big doses of Columbus, Chinook, and Centennial hops in this brew, with an emphasis on the dry-hopping.  6.9% ABV and 77 IBUs.

This beer comes in a 22oz bottle with their signature winged rebel demon-man on the front.  It's a clear light amber color with a full finger of white head that sticks to the glass nicely.  Great retention.  The nose is reminiscent of the Ruination I had last week, but a bit softer.  The thick tropical fruits are barely there, oranges and mangos....but this time there is more of a pungent, herbal honey sweetness present.

The taste starts off immediately with spicy hops.  Very spicy, very herbal, bitter, and piney.  Also some grassiness in there.  These hops really dominate the flavor.  In the background there is a creamy, honey-lined maltiness that never actually gets sweet, it knocks at the door politely while the hops destroy the hotel room.  Some fruitiness or tart would be a pleasant diversion from the spiciness, but, none to be found.  The mouthfeel is creamy and heavy for an IPA, but stays smooth despite the high carbonation level.

Overall Rating:  (4.3 out of 6.0)  I'm struggling to rate this beer.  I would classify it as a nice, big, hoppy IPA, but it's fairly one-sided with spices and pine cones dominating.  This beer was actually more destructive to my palate than their Ruination Imperial IPA!  A nice beer, but not as adventurous (or fruity) as Ruination.  

**Side Note:  Ruination obviously had a strong effect on me, and influenced this review.  If I were to pit these two side by side, I would pick Ruination every time.  However, this beer is great and another winning brew for the hop-heads out there.

Great Divide - Titan IPA

Time for beer!  Today I'll be drinking Great Divide's Titan IPA - according to their website, this is a big, assertive, aggressively hopped IPA "brewed for hop disciples", a category that I comfortably fit into.  This is a 7.1%ABV ale that has won some medals in the past few years.  It pairs with Halibut, Thai curry, or cow's milk cheeses, none of which I will be eating anytime soon.

Great Divide manages to pack a ton of information onto their labels - they include a brew description, medals won, food pairings, and a full copy of Hemingway's Farewell to Arms.  After a gentle pour, this beer yields very little head.  Lacing is nice and sticky.  The color is an amber/orange that is ever so slightly hazy.  Quick disclaimer:  my nose is extremely stuffy today, at the moment only my left nostril is permitting air through.  So my smell-quality isn't 100%.  That being said, this beer is able to break through the barrier and present pine and lime....and a lot of it.  The taste starts of very bitter - it's actually opening up my nasal a bit!  It's a pure, non-flavored bitterness at first, but soon after the flavors of pine-sol and cleaning supplies come forward.  There is a small touch of gritty caramel malts that sneak through, but not enough to help pull this cleaning solution out of the gutter.  The body is crisp and highly carbonated, and the finish is slick and oily.

Overall Rating:  (2.0 out of 6.0)  It's been a while since I had this beer, but I remember enjoying it a lot more last time than I did tonight.  I think Great Divide may have tried to hard to make this an american hop-slammer, and ended up with a bottle of pine-sol.  It turned out too harsh and unpleasant, with an aftertaste that followed suit.  It's possible (probable) my stuffy nose and cold symptoms are affecting the flavor.....I'll have to revisit this one again in a month or two for a fair and balanced, Fox News style review.

Central Waters - Illumination Double IPA

Tonight I'm going to be drinking a brew from Central Waters Brewing Co. This brewery was founded back in '98, and is located in Amherst, Wisconsin.  They have a cool section on their website that includes some "Recipes of the Month", recipes for food that in some way incorporate (their) beer...worth a look if you're the culinary type.  This Illumination Ale is a seasonal brew, available only in March and April.  For some reason, they don't even list this brew in their 'Beer' section, which is a little odd.  You brew and distribute a beer, but you don't bother to add it as an offering on your own website.... either their web-manager is a lazy asshole, or this is a super-top-secret classified beer.  What's your money on?

The label on this bottle is a contrast print with a green hop flower in the middle - simple and well-done, looks good.  The label also indicates this is a 9%ABV DIPA.  The beer is a slightly cloudy dark golden color, with a sturdy half inch of white head that holds onto the lace.  The aroma is fumagous, with grapefruit taking primary role, along with some pine and lemon zest.  This beer smells awesome. 

The flavor begins bitter, with resiny pine starting things off.  Then comes some grapefruit and lemon peels.  After that, an herbal, earthy sweetness appears on top of a lightly breaded malt backbone.  That sweetness helps balance out the beer, and prevents the hop profile from getting overly bitter to the point of harshness.  The body is medium, texture oily, but the carbonation is high which helps lighten the load of oily resins in the back of my throat.  Alcohol is vaguely apparent, but remains a distant afterthought to the rest of the flavors. 

Overall Rating:  (5.0 out of 6.0)  This DIPA was bitter and destructive to the palate, but I loved it.  Central Waters put together a brew that full-filled my craving for big hops, without overdoing it.  I can't honestly say it was balanced....it wasn't.  But the hop profile was awesome.  Hopinistas, go find this beer.

Tallgrass - IPA

I would like to start things off tonight with a little NCAA basketball rant.  Is anyone else sick of hearing about Jimmer Fredette in the NCAA tournament?  Seriously, this guy's got the sports media in a manic, obssessive-compulsive hype-fest that that is never-ending...it's starting to get old.  What kind of name is Jimmer, anyway.  Enough is enough, I hope BYU loses to Florida tonight!

Tonight will be my first foray into the Tallgrass Brewing Company based out in Manhattan, KS. This is another craft brewery that had an epiphany and decided to use cans to package their brews.  I wonder if cans are a cheaper packaging option than bottles?  Anybody have any insight on this?

This beer is an American IPA registering 6.3%ABV and 60 IBUs.  It comes in a 16oz can with a big elephant on the front.  Very random design....not sure what, if anything, it's supposed to signify.  The beer pours an orange golden color, a bit cloudy, with a plume of frothy white head.  Sweet, buttery, bready biscuit notes in the aroma.  Also some grassy hop notes in there. 

The taste starts off bitter with some lemon zest, but there's an acidic, astringent flavor that isn't pleasant.  There's an herbal note that hits the back of my throat, and lingers there for a good portion of the drink.  Caramel, biscuit malt backbone with a buttery taste towards the end.  Almost reminds me of an english style IPA....but not quite.  The body is medium and the carbonation is fairly heavy, there is an oily texture throughout.

Overall Rating:  (2.8 out of 6.0)  This was an average American IPA, nothing memorable.  While the malts were almost pleasant, there are some off-flavors in there that cause a bad mouth-pucker....Acidic.  Probably not something I will drink again.

Two Brothers - Resistance IPA

Tonight I'll be taking a look at this IPA from Two Brothers Brewing.  Two Brothers is a small craft brewery in Warrenville, IL on the outskirts of Chicago that is 100% family owned.  Another warrior in the fight against the big brewing cronies that brew dirty yellow adjunct-water!  Resistance IPA falls under their "J Series" of beers which are aged in french oak foudres (basically large oak barrels).

The label design is simple, with a small foudre drawn on the front of the label and a short description on the label (pictured below).  Pours a clear honey-gold color with less than a half inch of head after a vigorous pour.  The nose is hefty and full of citrus tang, along with pine and lemongrass.  Also a hint of woody vanilla pushes it's way through the hop aromas.  The drink brings a wave of flavor that I honestly didn't expect after the aroma.  Instead of a big hop blast, the drink starts off with a fruity, juicy grapefruit coated with thin pine notes, overall I'm reminded of tropical drinks on the beach.  Then the flavor transitions to a cedar plank covered in sweet honey.  The finish is tart with sour fruits that are a bit different from the initial fruity hops, but very pleasant.  Mouthfeel is smooth and creamy, with a lower amount of carbonation that delivers the flavor perfectly.

Overall Rating:  (5.2 out of 6.0)  This was a fantastic, easy-drinking IPA with a nice twist courtesy of the french oak aging process.  If I had to describe this beer in one word, it would be 'Juicy'.  Unfortunately I think this is only distributed in the midwest, but get your hands on this brew if you can.

Breckenridge Lucky U IPA

This is an ale from Breckenridge Brewery for "everyone who believes you make your own luck."  This beer is brewed with a gaggle of American and English hops, with 68 IBUs and 5%ABV.  The label states "A hoppy homage to a Denver Landmark."  "A Tivoli Brewery."  And on the bottom, "Drink Up Fortuitous One."  You got it Breckenridge!

As you can see, this pour was an Epic Fail.  Actually, I knocked this bottle over in the fridge about 10 minutes before opening it up, so I think it was still a little charged up when I poured.  That, combined with my general clumsiness, led to this glass of foam.  This pours a clear, bright-orange copper hue with a sticky off-white head.  The nose is a combination of musky caramel malts and earthy citrus peels.  I'm also reminded of freshly cut cantaloupe.  It took another 10 minutes for that froth to recede enough to get a drink out of it.  First sip is similar to the nose - starts off with an earthy hoppiness of lemon rind and a hint of orange.  Then comes a light and transparent layer of malts - very thin.  The dots don't seem to be connecting with the flavors, they are all gritty and somewhat bland.  At the end, there is a hint of pepper in the background, and a dry finish.  The carbonation is overbearing, and the mouthfeel is thin.

Overall Rating:  (2.7 out of 6.0)  Although it was balanced, this was a bland, uneventful, boring IPA.  Not a beer I would recommend.