Magic Hat Brewing - #9 Not Quite Pale Ale

This evening's review is going to be short and sweet.  Battlefield 3 officially released today at 12:01am, so being a HUGE Battlefield Bad Company 2 fan, I'm pretty damn excited to play this game.  It's days like today that I yearn for the college days of limited responsibility and tons of extra time....

Tonight I'll be drinking "a beer cloaked in secrecy" - #9 Not Quite Pale Ale from Magic Hat Brewing in South Burlington, VT.  This is an English-style pale ale that uses Cascade and Apollo hops, and registers 5.1% alcohol.  The brew comes in a 12oz bottle with a funkadelic swirling maze that forms the number 9.  Magic Hat throws little quips under their bottle caps - this one says "A good sneeze can knock you on your knees".

The beer is a slightly hazy, light golden color with a fairly big head on top.  The aroma is loaded with apricots.  Also some sweet butter and adjuncts - bits of corn and rice.  The flavor starts off with a boatload of crisp, dry apricot.  Really fruity!  It's certainly apparent the fruit flavor was added in - it's really up-front and a bit unnatural.  The carbonation is insane - this is a bubbly champagne-style delivery.  There's a very mild hop bitterness in the background, hardly noticeable.  The finish is clean and dry.

Overall Rating:  This is an odd beer.  I've never had anything quite like it - definitely suits the name.  Apricot is the star of the show - if you like apricots, you'll probably like this beer... otherwise, you'll want to steer clear.  For my part, it wasn't anything special, but certainly refreshing and I did finish the bottle.  B-

Brooklyn Brewery - Pennant Ale '55

I'd like to comment first on the phenomenal football games we've seen this past weekend.  Steve and I both went to Iowa State, and for us, the ISU vs. Iowa game is always the biggest rivalry of the year.  On Saturday these two teams fought an absolute war, and ISU came out on top after THREE overtimes!  It was epic.  Iowa Hawks suck.  I'm also a die-hard Northwestern fan, my cousin is a senior starting at Tight End (they call him a super back - watch for him, #9).  They beat Boston College in Week 1, and just whooped some ass against Eastern Illinois last weekend.  So overall, my teams are doing pretty well.  Let's keep this momentum going!

Tonight I'm going to drink a bottle of Pennant Ale '55 from Brooklyn Brewery in Brooklyn, NY.  Back in July, Steve raved about their Local 2 Belgian Dark Strong, and in April he enjoyed the Local 1.  Since we're approaching the end of the summer, I figured it's a good time to try this summer baseball themed brew.  This is a year-round English-style pale Ale from Brooklyn, and it commemorates the 1955 World Champion Dodgers baseball team.  It's a session, at 5% alcohol, and recommended to be paired with 'Robust Fish" and crabcakes.  What the hell is a robust fish?

This bottle is sporting a baseball-themed label, and states that this beer is best by Sept. 2011.  The beer is ever-so-slightly hazy, pure copper color with a creamy off-white layer of head the has no interest in receding.  The aroma is malty, buttery, with a decent amount of sweet fruity esters in there - mainly fresh plums.  Just a brilliant aroma, I keep coming back for more.  The flavor begins some mild fruits - apricots, apples, plums?  Some combination of those fruits comes to mind.  Then we move to more of a buttery toasted malt back that balances things nicely.  Buttery is a theme that I keep coming back to, both in the nose and the flavor.  The finish is clean and crisp, super refreshing.

Overall Rating:  My only regret is not trying this beer earlier in the summer.....if I had, this would have been a staple in my fridge!  Smooth, wonderful flavors, super refreshing - great beer.  Definitely recommend you pick this up while there's still some summer (and baseball) left.  A-

Odell Brewing - St Lupulin Extra Pale Ale

Tonight I'm going to try the St. Lupulin Extra Pale Ale from Odell Brewing in Fort Collins, CO. 
This is a seasonal brew from Odell that features, of course, the hops.  There is a story on the label of the bottle that is too small for a picture...here it is:

"A mystical legend echoes in our brewhouse - that of St Lupulin the archetypal hophead,.  He devoted endless summers to endless rows of hops, tending to the flowers and the beloved resin within - lupulin.  Extraordinary oils in this yellow resin provide this dry-hopped extra pale ale with an undeniably pleasing floral aroma and clean, crisp finish.  One sip of this season summer ale and you too, will believe."

Speaking of lupulin, Steve and I brewed an IPA this weekend with fresh Cascade hops grown on his father-in-law's farm. This gave us an opportunity to inspect the hops, and when you peel apart the hop flower and look closely, you can see the little pockets of lupulin oils on the leaves.  Pretty cool!  We will devote a post to the brew-session and include pictures.

The color is golden straw with 1 inch of pure white frothy head.  The aroma is earthy and floral, sweet oily orange and a hint of pine needles.  The taste starts off with an assertive, bubbly bitterness.  Primary flavors here are pine resin and zesty citrus rinds.  Musty, herbal grassiness in the background, along with light grainy maltyness that lends just a tad of sweetness to the mix...reminiscent of honey.  The 6.5% alcohol is nowhere to be found.  The finish is dry with a bit of oily resin hanging on with it's lingering bitterness. 

Overall Rating:  This was a nice, well-balanced, hoppy EPA from Odell.  Easily one the best EPA's I've had in a long time - light, drinkable, refreshing.  I recommend this beer to go with a summer BBQ - it would compliment a big hearty dinner.  A-

Victory Brewing - Summer Love Ale

Tonight I'm going to be reviewing Summer Love Ale from Victory Brewing in Downingtown, PA.  This is a summer seasonal that classifies as an American Blonde Ale.  Brewed with german malts and a combination of american and german whole hop flowers, this is another European-influenced take on an American style brew. 

The label on the bottle has a summer baseball theme, and the back of the label has a little story which I have pictured below.  After a rough pour, the beer leaves an inch of frothy white head.  Very little lacing left behind.  The color is pale gold/straw, clean and very clear.  The aroma is full of lemongrass, some sweet orange zest, and honey on toast.  Also a touch of sugar in there.  The flavor starts off crisp and zesty, with lemon peels and citrusy hop bitterness.  In the background, there is a toasted bread maltyness with honey sweetness on top of it.  An herbal grassiness also plays a part in there.  The body is light, with a medium amount of carbonation - perfect.

Overall Rating:  Light, refreshing.....at it's core, this is a hoppy pilsner.  Terrific brew for a baseball game or a day on the beach.  Give it a try!  B+

Sierra Nevada - Pale Ale

Tonight I am reviewing a brew that is likely the second most famous craft beer in the U.S. market today.  This distinction will depend on what coast you live on.  If you are from the West, its the most famous beer.  Otherwise, on the East coast, Sam Adams Boston Lager takes the cake.  In either case, we are going to partake in a beer that paved the way for many others to follow in its brew steps.

Sierra Nevada is a brewery that is known for its clean, refreshing and extraordinarily consistent brew process.  Every batch of beer they produce is just like the previous batch.  They take great pride in their beer and their popularity across the nation backs up their reputation.  They are one of the few breweries that you can find across the country INCLUDING Hawaii and Alaska.  A distribution reach like Sierra Nevada's is one that most other breweries cannot boast about.

I love this enhanced feature on my camera. It really makes the beer pop!

SN's Pale ale is a great example of the style.  In fact, it is the primary example of an American Pale Ale.  Since its listed first under the commercial examples section found within the link that means you cannot find a better beer to exemplify the characteristics you are expected to find within an American Pale Ale.

This nicely green labeled beer has a clear amber body and bright white head.  Strings of carbonation can be seen rising from the base of my tumbler.  Not the best glass to use for an aromatic beer such as this one but it works.  Piney, resiny and citrusy with a touch of caramel malt blend nicely together to form a welcoming aroma.  The flavor is much like aroma with it being a bit more malt forward than my initial impressions.  Citrus makes a bolder appearance as well alongside a noticeably pleasant level of carbonation to bring out the hoppy tones and crisp finish.  No alcohol, no bite, all enjoyable.

Overall - I dont think there is much doubt as to where I am going with this wrap-up.  Sierra Nevada's example of an American Pale Ale is second to none.  If you are not a hop head but are looking to make the leap into the lupulin scene then I advise that this be the place to start.  Its not so overbearingly hoppy that you feel as though your tongue is being burned off by hop acid.  This pale ale is a pleasant experience that will keep you coming back for more. 

Stone - Pale Ale

This evening I had the pleasure of enjoying one of the few nice summer evenings we have had in MN since, well, last summer!  My wife and I went out to the arboretum and had a serene, peaceful picnic on the top of the highest hill within the park.  Even though we were surrounded by crab apple trees, we still had a wonderful scenic view of the surrounding area.  It was a great way to clear my mind, relax and spend some quality time with my better half.  I feel great!

Now that I am one with nature I feel more qualified to give my opinion on topics that are related to nature.  Lucky for us, water, barley, hops and yeast are all natural products readily available on this little blue planet of ours!

Tonight's review is from Stone Brewing Co. out of Escondido, CA.  We have reviewed a number of their brews in the past, all mighty delicious.  You can find them all in the Review Archives if interested!  Stones Pale Ale is their flagship brew.  Based off of the classic British Pale Ale, Stone adds their own southern Californian spin by adding a healthy does of Magnum and Ahtanum hops to a rich malt backbone.  In classic Stone form, the bottle depicts a Gargoyle on the front with a little story about its origins on the back.

True to the websites description, this pale ale is a crystal clear deep amber.  A voluminous off-white head gives off a subtle woody, floral aroma.  Caramel malt blends nicely with the delicate hop aromas and doesn't steal the show.  The flavor is really where the maltiness kicks in.  Smooth, clean, toasty caramelized malt is first in line.  The Magnum hops do a nice job providing a solid bitter foundation to cut the sweetness a bit.  Some more woody, earthy tones creep around as the flavors commingle together.  Absolutely no alcohol is present and the carbonation is soft which supports the smooth mouthfeel.

Overall - This pale ale is certainly worthy of carrying Stones flagship banner.  Its not overly done with extreme hoppiness like some other West coast pale ales I've run into.  I like a solid malt character with just enough of a hop boost to push it over the edge from an American Amber Ale into an American Pale Ale.  In fact, I dub this a new style - American Amber Pale.  Feel free to borrow the description and place it on your bottles for the next batch.

Anchor - Liberty Ale

Tonights review comes to us from Anchor Brewing Co. out of San Francisco, CA.  Dunz and I have reviewed their Porter and Old Foghorn Barley wine and have enjoyed both of them.  This brewery produces consistently good beer year round.  And really, what else would you want from a nationally known, award winning brewery?  Its nice to see these guys stick to their guns and create craft beer that doesn't belong within the nether-regions of the craft beer universe.  You wont find any chocolate-coffee-espresso-double-mega-ultra-oak-aged stout from this brew house.

Liberty Ale was originally conceived on April 18th, 1975 as a tribute to the 200th anniversary of Paul Revere's historic ride.  Unfortunately, for us here in the states, Paul Revere has been in the news for all the wrong reasons recently... just Google 'Sarah Palin' and 'Paul Revere' and you will know what I'm talking about.  This craft beverage is a light, dry hopped ale that is produced year round.

A hefty plume of bright white foam billows from my pint as I pour the slightly hazy, straw colored brew from its 12 ounce bottle.  The head retention is impressive, still loitering around 15 minutes later.  Sweet malt and floral hops make up the aroma.  Hints of lemon grass are noticeable and carry through into the flavor.  Bready, hoppy and clean, this pale ale is easy on the senses.  A light bitterness supports the overall profile with no alcohol present to crash the party.

Overall - A very clean, easy to drink summertime pale ale.  This brew is light and full of flavor.  More on the hoppy side of the pale ale category but I'm certainly not complaining.  This six pack will disappear from your fridge before you can say "The British are coming!  The British are coming!" 


Like our reviews?  Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @worldobeercraft to get updates on what we are drinking, upcoming reviews, and general beer information directly from the breweries themselves!

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.

21st Amendment - Bitter American

Well today is another dreary and cold day in Minnesota.  We were teased with spring last week when we had temperatures in the 50s and 60s.  Now, its 40, rainy and overcast and I dont want to do a damn thing right now.  Sitting on the couch and watching a baseball game where its warm and people are wearing sunglasses makes me want to do nothing even more.  When I do nothing, its generally with a beer in my hand.  And todays brew is a spring seasonal from 21st Amendment Brewery out in California.  Am I the only one who cant say California without thinking of Schwarzenegger?

Bitter American comes in a can with a space monkey floating around in space.  Its typically not the first thing I think of when Im looking for a good brew but it caught my attention none the less.  From this six packs packaging, "If you'd been rocketed into space against your will, you might be a little bitter too".  Well I guess that explains that!  They go on to say how this beer is their "long-overdue tribute to unsung, unwitting heroes everywhere".  I can get on board with that.  I raise this pint to you garbage men, sewage technicians and road construction workers everywhere who dispose of my trash, keep my house flowing and allowing me to get to and from work without blowing out a tire in a giant pot hole.  Well... that last ones a bit iffy.... Cheers!

A brilliantly clear and vibrant straw-sunburst color fills my glass and tops off with a lasting white head of foam.  Citrus and malty aromas fill the empty space at the top of my mug.  Grapefruit, orange peel, biscuit and hints of caramel comprise a decidedly floral aroma.  The flavor is very crisp and clean.  More malt forward than the aroma but the bitterness catches up quickly towards the finish.  Subtly sweet malt mix with a slight fruitiness from the yeast used to ferment this seasonal session brew.  Dry, bitter and crisp round out the final flavors as I finish each sip.  Medium carbonation and no alcohol warmth either.

Overall - A very enjoyable session beer for a hop head.  At 4.4% ABV I could put back a few of these and still feel like going back for another.  Nice to drink and easy on the eyes.  Search high and low for a six pack of Bitter American this spring.  Since its a seasonal it wont be around for long!

Deschutes Red Chair NWPA

So a friend pointed out to me that I've been on a Deschutes bender the last couple weeks.  Well, it's true.  I keep running across new Deschutes brews that I've never tried before, and I just can't help myself.  So I apologize for my narrow-mindedness and utter lack of variety lately, because it's going to continue today as I drink this Red Chair NWPA!

Just a quick side note - the Packers looked great against the Falcons.....they held a smack-down clinic and completely destroyed them, in Atlanta, very impressive.  I'm looking forward to next week's Packers/Bears game.  I think from here on out I'll be rooting for Rodgers and the Pack to win it all. 

OK, back to the important stuff.  According to Deschutes' website, Red Chair NWPA is named after the oldest operating lift at Mt Bachelor in Oregon.  Not sure exactly what that is supposed to mean in the context of beer...that it is extremely old and dangerous?  Weird name.  This beer is designed to be hop-forward and full of malty goodness with a wide variety of different malts (7 total), and registers at 6.2%ABV, 60 IBUs.  It won the "World's Best Beer" award for 2010.

Pouring this into a pint glass (not pictured, my iPhone was dead while I drank this, iPhone battery life is a joke).  The beer pours a light copper orange color, nice and clear, with foamy and persistent white head.  The aroma is a full of earthy pine and citrus hops, along with a muted caramel maltyness.  There is some sweetness in the nose also, hard to describe but reminds me of honey. 

The beer definitely brings the hops to the forefront - pine cones and grassy undertones, also a lot of citrus.  The malts come through in a bready, lightly sweet note.  The taste of this beer reminds me of hiking in the mountains in Colorado.  It's a general earthiness that is present from the hops through the malt backbone and even in the crisp, dry finish.  Relatively light body, and the mouthfeel is very sharp - I think the beer may be a little over-carbonated.

Overall Rating:  (5.1 out of 6.0)  I absolutely burned through this 12oz bottle of beer.  It is a phenomenal American Pale Ale - it really takes the style to the next level in terms of hoppiness and the flavor profile, while not quite reaching the IBU insanity of an American IPA.  Great drinkability, not overbearing in the alcohol department...the only negative I encountered was the carbonation, which seemed a little too high.  Other than that, great brew.