The label on this one is boring - it states on the front "Hopped to Perfection" and above that "Prost! Or if you prefer, Haka." Diversity. The beer is a clear, bright copper color with a hefty white froth after a gentle pour. The aroma is surprisingly nice and full, with loads of grapefruit and other zesty citrus. Almost like pineapple juice spiked with booze. The first drink brings more of a piney edge than I expected. Right behind it lies some spicey pepper, maybe a hint of that pineapple citrus in there but I have to search for it. A touch of caramel toffee malts sit in the background along with a warm edge of booze. The texture is smooth and silky, with a mild amount of carbonation, and a dry resiny finish that leaves my mouth happy.
Showing posts with label Widmer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Widmer. Show all posts
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Widmer Brothers - Nelson Imperial IPA
Sorry Steve, I'm going to break up the Summit week tonight, but not on purpose....unfortunately I don't have any Summit in the fridge. The fridge is actually depressingly empty right now, I'll have to stop at the beer-shop tomorrow to re-stock! Tonight, I'll be drinking Nelson Imperial IPA from Widmer Brothers Brewing out in Portland, Oregon. This is a year-round offering from Widmer that showcases the Nelson Sauvin hop from New Zealand, which is known for it's big hop flavors and relative drinkability. Many big DIPAs are saturated/DRIPPING, in hops, and the result is a heavy, oily characteristic that takes away from the overall drinkability and leaves you feeling full and with a destroyed palate. These New Zealand hops supposedly bring the flavor without the heaviness. The brew comes in at 8.6% alcohol and 70 IBUs.
The label on this one is boring - it states on the front "Hopped to Perfection" and above that "Prost! Or if you prefer, Haka." Diversity. The beer is a clear, bright copper color with a hefty white froth after a gentle pour. The aroma is surprisingly nice and full, with loads of grapefruit and other zesty citrus. Almost like pineapple juice spiked with booze. The first drink brings more of a piney edge than I expected. Right behind it lies some spicey pepper, maybe a hint of that pineapple citrus in there but I have to search for it. A touch of caramel toffee malts sit in the background along with a warm edge of booze. The texture is smooth and silky, with a mild amount of carbonation, and a dry resiny finish that leaves my mouth happy.
Overall Rating: This was a pleasant Imperial IPA - great balance of different flavors. Widmer Brothers has built a formidable player in a growing (dare I say saturated) beer style. Great beer - if you're in the mood for a good hoppy brew, go pick up a 4pack of Nelson. A-
The label on this one is boring - it states on the front "Hopped to Perfection" and above that "Prost! Or if you prefer, Haka." Diversity. The beer is a clear, bright copper color with a hefty white froth after a gentle pour. The aroma is surprisingly nice and full, with loads of grapefruit and other zesty citrus. Almost like pineapple juice spiked with booze. The first drink brings more of a piney edge than I expected. Right behind it lies some spicey pepper, maybe a hint of that pineapple citrus in there but I have to search for it. A touch of caramel toffee malts sit in the background along with a warm edge of booze. The texture is smooth and silky, with a mild amount of carbonation, and a dry resiny finish that leaves my mouth happy.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Widmer Brothers - Deadlift Imperial IPA
Widmer Brothers began with two brothers who graduated college back in the seventies, got jobs, and hated their lives. After hitting their quarter-life crisis, they went off to Germany to explore the delicious European beer styles there and learn more about them. It was there that they obtained a yeast strain that was provided by the Brewing Research Institute in Bavaria...and they have maintained that yeast at the brewery to this day. I haven't tried any Widmer brews before, but they have a good chance of hooking me with this first one, because Imperial IPA is one of my favorite styles of beer!
The beer pours into the one and only pint glass - this pours a slightly hazy bright copper/orange color. There is a surprisingly little amount of head, just a thin lace on the brew. The nose is full of floral hops, reminiscent of an english IPA with some earthiness and a bit of pine, also some pineapple present in there. The nose is almost fumey (is that a word?).
The beer pours into the one and only pint glass - this pours a slightly hazy bright copper/orange color. There is a surprisingly little amount of head, just a thin lace on the brew. The nose is full of floral hops, reminiscent of an english IPA with some earthiness and a bit of pine, also some pineapple present in there. The nose is almost fumey (is that a word?). The taste is literally split in half - the hops hit with the pine bitterness immediately, but the sweet caramel malts pound through almost simultaneously. For an imperial IPA show, the malts are a pretty big star. Bigger than usual. But that's not a bad thing - this malt backbone is sweet but it doesn't overtake the bitterness of the hops, it complements it. The earthy smells I caught are present in the hop profile. This beer really reminds me of an English IPA.
Overall Rating (4.2 out of 6.0) This was a very well-balanced Imperial IPA. However, I'm not a big fan of english-style IPAs, so the resemblance of this brew to that style kind of threw me off. But... that really comes down to personal preference - if you're a fan of English IPAs, then you should absolutely pick up a case of this Widmer brew.
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