Dogfish Head Craft Brewery Inc.: 60 Minute IPA

The continuously hopped IPA is like no other IPA on the market. I mean that. It's an IPA, but, the mere fact that the hops are continuously added over a period of 60 minutes adds a complexity to the beer that you just cannot find from other breweries (you can find it though from the other Dogfish Head ales!).

The 60 minute comes in at 60 IBUs (how ironic . . .) and 6% ABV placing it right in the midst of other IPAs. For such a hoppy beer, you may expect a stronger aroma, but I am guessing that they do not dry hop this bad buy anywhere near as much as the 90 or 120 minute IPAs. The taste though is sensational, loaded with citrus notes from the abundance of Warrior and Amarillo hops (there is another hop variety in this guy but Dogfish Head will not disclose what it is!).

Although the 60 minute is full of hops, it remains a very drinkable beer . . . story time:

"It was senior year at Penn State. I picked up a case of the 60 minute before heading to the game for some tailgating fun. To make a long story short, this beer is so drinkable that I managed to drink more than my fair share and was passed out before the start of the game, i.e., before noon."

I do not recommend drinking that much of the 60 minute, but a few would definitely suffice!

Lastly, Dogfish Head is again distributing coast to coast so you should not have to go far to find this high quality craft ale. To find the nearest bar or beer store to your home click here.

Bottom line: If hops are not your thing, then this ale will be a sting. If hops are your love, then this beer will fit you like a glove!

Victory Brewing: Hop Wallop

I have had this beer many times now and was delighted to see it in a While Foods here in Southern California a few weeks back. Without a doubt (if you exclude Dogfish Head's 120 Minute IPA), this is the hoppiest ale on the market. There are only two ways to get a hoppier beer . . . 1) Drink a 120 Minute IPA or 2) Brew one yourself. Although, with the amount of hops squeezed into the Hop Wallop, I would imagine that saturation of the alpha and beta acids is essentially attained, hence creating your own hop juice might be a daunting task. Nevertheless, it may be worth a try.

Imagine sitting in a field in the beginning of May . . . you know, right about that time when the wild flowers are in full bloom (depending on which part of the country you are from May may not be the best month, but I hope you get the picture). Now, take that invigorating essence from the air and imagine it has been sealed within a 12 ounce beer bottle. That's exactly what it is like when you pour Hop Wallop into your favorite goblet or chalice. I honestly don't know what it better, the nose or the taste . . .

This is the kind of beer though that you sip, slowly, over the course of an hour or so. I would recommend trying this first if you have never tried Hop Wallop (or any other super-hoppy beer for that matter):

1. Stick one in the fridge for a few hours to cool down to about 40°F.
2. Drink the beer slowly, i.e., 1 ounce every 5 minutes (do the math . . . this will take an hour) taking note of how the beer develops with temperature.

Chances are you will find that the beer gets better with time . . . and will likely peak in flavor somewhere in the middle of the hour. Try and take note of this and estimate the temperature, chances are its between 50°F and 55°F. If you are fortunate enough to have a wine cellar (one of those small wine coolers will do the trick if you are not a millionaire), stick the remaining 5 bottles in there. Now, you will have a Hop Wallop ready to go at the optimal temperature every day!

With regard to the hops, Victory does not disclose the exact nature of them, but I would be willing to speculate that an abundance of Warrior and/or Admiral hops were used. They also give no more information with respect tot he malts other than they are German.

The bottom line: If you want to pucker a bit and love those hops, pick up a 6-pack of Hop Wallop today!

Anderson Valley Brewing: Hop Ottin' IPA

Hop lovers, your dreams have come true!

The folks at Anderson Valley sure do know how to brew fantastic beers, and this no exception. The nose is full of floral notes making this a great beer for a spring day on the porch. The abundance of fine carmel malts give this IPA a brilliant golden brown color that is sure to please the eye. Like the Boont Amber Ale this beer is crisp and clean. However, hops, hops, and more hops prevail in this beer. Yet, it is not too bitter so that even those fair-weather IPA drinkers out there will enjoy this liquid hop-juice. At first, one might not even think this is an IPA given the initial rich malt overtones . . . but quickly, the malt succumbs to the hops.

What is more to like about this beer, well, this brewery, is that they are 100% solar powered. A few years ago the folks at Anderson Valley decided to broaden the focus of their brewery to not only emphasize high quality beers, but also to demonstrate how important it is to put the environment in the forefront by installing solar panels on the roof of the brewery. And, we are reminded of this every time we pot the cap on one of there beers since the cap says it all . . . solar powered brewery. I believe that this is not only a fantastic investment for Anderson Valley but also a stepping stone toward creating additional solar powered breweries across the country. Some other breweries have in fact begun following suit, however using different means to generate energy, like the wind! We can only hope that this trend continues and eventually works its way up to the big boys in the business.

The bottom line: Hop Ottin' bites like an angry rattlesnake looking for a fight

Anderson Valley Brewing: Boont Amber Ale

A sweet aroma fills the glass. A smidgen of hopa and a mouthful of malt pleases the taste buds. This amber ale, coming in at 5.8% abv is very nice . . . and after a few sips I can see why the bottle says "Consistently judged one of the World's Finest Breweries". This ale alone stands out as one of the best ambers on the market, comparing very well to the well known favorite, Fat Tire from New Belgium.

Its color is a rich copper tone and the taste is very clean. It boads will with spicy dishes, e.g. Mexican and Thai fare, just to name a few. And, as the bottle also says, "its good drinkin'" . . . I do confirm this. In fact, I like to keep a 6-pack on hand since it is a very drinkable beer, especially for those out there that are not hopheads.

The bottom line: Malty goodness, bursting with flavors, this beer is sure to please just about everybody.

Russian River Brewing: Blind Pig

Last evening I had the honor to try Blind Pig from Russian River Brewing. For those of you familiar with Russian River, you will already know that they make 3 IPA-style beers, ranging from the standard IPA (Blind Pig) to an IIPA (Pliny the Elder) and then finally to what some may call a "triple" IPA (Pliny the Younger); the later being released seasonally.

Blind Pig is a glorious beer . . . hops galore. The alcohol content is just right for an IPA at 6.1%, so if you love hops, but want to have more than a beer or two, this ought to be perfect. I am going to go out on a limb here and say that amarillo is the predominant hop used. If you are looking for a more balanced beer, this may not be for you since the hops are quite powerful in this liquid delight. The nose is quite floral, but dont let that deceive you . . . its not a beer for your old man that drinks Coors Light.

The bottom line: Like hops? Want more than one beer? This is the beer for you!

The World of Beer

With so many new beers being released these days, it is hard to stay on top of them all. Here, you can find reviews of some of the newest releases before you buy them. Have you seen a new release in your local beer-mart and are not sure if its worth the $10 to give it a try? Look here for a thorough review of the beer!