BridgePort Brewing Co.: India Pale Ale

I came upon this fine IPA this evening while restocking my beer supply at my local Bevmo. I had never heard of the brewery, but when I saw it was from Portland, Oregon, I figured it could not be bad. So I picked up a 6-pack and immediately threw one in the fridge when I got home.

Bridgeport is Oregon's oldest craft brewery and after tasting their IPA, I can see why they have made it so long.

The nose is full of citrus and floral notes, just as would be expected for an IPA, but is very well balanced. It is reminiscent of a spring day walking through a garden with flowers abloom. The pour is perfect, just the right carbonation. The taste complex, due in part to the blend of five varieties of hops used in the brewing process. However, it is well balanced such that the hops are not over-powering making the BridgePort IPA a beer capable of being consumed by even the non-hopheads. Due to the fermentation process, the beer is similar to champagne in that it is full of effervescence. This nice addition provides a nice tingle on the tongue.

The Bridgeport IPA comes in with 50 IBUs, putting it right in the middle of the range for a standard IPA. But, on the other hand, the alcohol content is 5.5%, which is a bit low for an IPA. But that is alright, given the magnificent taste of this well prepared, bottle conditioned IPA. With all of that said, I would rank this IPA somewhere below the 60 Minute IPA but far above the standards like Sierra Nevada . . . more on the lines of Flying Dog's IPA or Russian River's Blind Pig. I am glad that I have 5 more to enjoy.

The bottom line: It is not a 60 Minute, but it sure comes close.

Lagunitas Brewing Company: A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale

The much awaited release of Lagunitas' seasonal "A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale" has finally arrived. And, after a few weeks six-packs have finally arrived at my local beer outlet (i.e., BevMo in Pasadena, CA).

Let me begin with a disclaimer of sorts. The beer is good, maybe even better than good. But my expectations were beyond that, especially given that the brew comes to us from the fine folks at Lagunitas . . .

The pour reveals a clean, pale colored ale with next to no head whatsoever. In fact after drinking about half the glass, what little head there was at the start was all but gone and my glass resembled a child's glass of apple juice and not my adult beverage of choice. On the nose, you get what you expect . . . fruits and flowers, although I might go one step further as to narrow the "fruits" to that of "tropical fruits" alone; it is very nice.

The taste is crisp and clean (as one might expect given the translucency of the beer and lack of particulates suspended in the brew. The 64.20 IBUs pack quite a punch and add to that tropical fruit and floral aroma that I discussed above. Unfortunately, I could not lay my finger on one or two specific hop varieties. The punch is not like some other brews that I have reviewed and that I am sure you are familiar with. It is not a long drawn out battle of hops in your mouth (Hop Wallop) or a delayed battle followed by WWH (The World War of Hops, Big Daddy IPA), rather it is more like that knockout blow; it is brief but deadly. Alright, it is not going to kill you, but it is pungent and brief. For that, it is different . . . and I like diversity amongst my IPAs.

As I eluded to above, A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale seems to be missing a little sumpin': Carbonation! Since it appears as if this beer is not bottle conditioned, I doubt the carbonation problem could be solved by allowing the beer to sit for a few days/weeks. However, I will update the review if I notice any significant change in the near future.

The bottom line: An IPA of not-epic proportions . . . yet still an IPA of diverse qualities, a fantastic treat for a summer-time evening on the porch with the kids.

For a second opinion, check out the following:

Beer Rant

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!

IPA Fest at Lucky Baldwins

That is right. While everyone else seems to be blogging about the new Bing search engine from Microsoft or about his/her opinions on Sonia Sottomayor, I have my heart set on the upcoming IPA Fest at Lucky Baldwins in Pasadena (13 June to 21 June). For those of you in Southern California, this is one of the best opportunities to taste some of the worlds best IPAs, even if the majority come from California. Lucky's has many festivals throughout the year, but there are really only two that I look forward to: The Belgian Beer Fest (you have to, its over 2 weeks long . . .) and the IPA Fest.

Why is the IPA Fest so special? There are very few bars that have more than 60 taps so as it is. And then, when you take 50 of them and pour only IPAs from them, now that is something special. That is something to mark on your calendar weeks, if not months, in advance. You might be thinking, so what, I have tried so many IPAs already I doubt that Luckys will have many that I have not tried?

Well, you should be ashamed of yourself for even thinking this. I go to all of the festivals at Lucky's and each time there are beers that either I am yet to try or, better yet, did not even know existed previously. Without a doubt, this will be the case again this time around. And, so what if you have already had Avery's Maharaja . . . its well worth trying it again (and its cheaper at the festival that anywhere else!). And, I am willing to be that the folks at Lucky's have been sitting on a keg of Pliny the Younger from Russian River . . . what more could you ask for in a festival!?

Anyhow, I plan to be trying many new beers starting this coming Saturday and then providing a detailed list with reviews for each and everyone shortly after each visit to the festival. And, if its like the last Belgian Beer Festival (I went 17 times in 16 days . . . and there were some days that I did not get to go!), there will be plenty to write about over the coming days!!!

Alaskan Brewing Co.: IPA

Alaskan's IPA is nothing special . . . it is no where near on the same level as the IPAs produced by Dogfish Head, Stone, Speakeasy, etc. But, it is not bad . . . I have had far worse.

At first glance, one notices its crystal clear appearance. It is very translucent, sort of halfway between the 60 minute and your standard American light dirty water. The aroma is fresh, gives you the sense that you are walking through an orange, lemon, and lime orchard, a definite positive for this beer. Clearly this IPA has been dry-hopped.

Weighing in at 55 IBUs one may expect a little bit of a punch to the mouth upon tasting. However, I do not get that. In fact, the pure crispness of the beer comes through far better than the hops that one comes to expect from IPAs. The benefit to this is that it is a very drinkable beer for just about everybody (except maybe someone who usually drinks something like PBR). I am willing to bet that some crystal malt and maybe even a bit of roasted barley was added to this guy giving it a slightly toasted flavor. This sets the Alaskan IPA apart from many other IPAs. With that said though, I think a few more hops (i.e., warrior or admiral) would make this a killer beer, especially for the end of long autumn work day. As it stands now, its a good beer for a summer picnic . . .

The bottom line: An average IPA, great for any summer occasion.

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

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!