IPA Fest at Lucky Baldwins: Day 1

As promised, I made a trip to Lucky's last night for the first day of the IPA fest. And, as expected, the folks at Lucky Baldwins brought in a vast list of IPAs and IIPAs . . . I imagine that there will be more on the way as the week goes on too.

First though, the bad news . . . no Pliny the Younger :-(.

Next, the good news . . .


Beer 1: Port Brewing Company's 3rd anniversary

Definitely not filtered, with a great golden color. Floral aroma. The taste is quite surprising . . . not as hoppy as I was expecting, far more malt though. However, it is fantastic and very drinkable!

Beer 2: Victory's ______ IPA

The blank is because for the life of me I cannot remember the name (and no, it was not Hop Wallop or Hop Devil, although they both were on tap last night as well!). This was your your standard IPA, not too hoppy, but still full of flavor. I sensed something a bit peculiar though in that the beer had a hint of sourness to it, but very slightly. And interesting touch to a superb IPA

Beer 3: Speakeasy's Big Daddy IPA

Although actually an IPA, this one is on the list as a IIPA for good reason. The Big Daddy is something special, something remarkable, something extraordinary. Its appearance is like no other IPA that I have ever seen . . . very translucent, straw like. The aroma: floral as expected. The taste: out of this world. Initially you wonder, "am I drinking an IPA or water?", but after about a second or so, the hops kick in . . . its like the Amarillo hops are fighting the warrior hops in your mouth, like a world war of hops in your mouth!! And, this lingers . . . . . for a while, making this beer a good one to sip! This beer really is a special delight. Thank you Speakeasy.

Well, that is all for now, I plan on making many more trips to the pub before the festival is over (especially since the IPAs are only $3 and the IIPAs are $4 . . . can't beat that). Keep checking back for more updates!! And lastly . . . they have Maharaja on draft . . . it is #2 on the list :-).

The bottom line: Stop reading my blog and go to Luckys!

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!