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!
Showing posts with label Port Brewing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Port Brewing. Show all posts
IPA Fest at Lucky Baldwins: Day 1
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Labels:
Festivals,
IIPA,
IPA,
Port Brewing,
Speakeasy,
Victory Brewing
Port Brewing Company: Hot Rocks Lager
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Labels:
Lager,
Port Brewing
Listen up ladies and gentlemen . . . the Hot Rocks Lager is so new, its not even listed on the company's website yet.
Turns out that this beer was produced in collaboration with the folks at Bend Brewing Co. And, more importantly, this is not your standard lager . . . no-sirree-bob. Before reading the description on the bottle, one notices something odd about this guy, its color. I grew up just south of Pottstown, PA, the home of Yuengling Lager. When I began pouring the Hot Rocks Lager, I expected a similar color, maybe a little darker . . . but, much to my surprise the beer is very much opaque, a rich mahogany color. Very different for a lager if you ask me.
Then comes the aroma . . . malt, malt, malt, malt . . . malt, and more malt. I am guessing the hops were kept to a minimum with this guy (after tasting it, I am guessing less than 15 IBUs, 20 max!). The nose is almost caramel-like, very delightful, and smokey (more on this later). The initial taste however caught me by surprise . . . smokey, like a piece of smoked Pennsylvania Dutch sausage. And, as the beer warms the smokey malt flavors come through more and more . . . delicious!
Now comes the interesting part . . . apparently the sole purpose of this collaboration was to "rock it old school", i.e, brew the beer like yesteryear, in a style known as "stein beer" in Germany. The brewing method involves heating rocks in a fire until the begin to glow, like lava flowing from a volcano (hence the name Hot Rocks). Then, the rocks are removed from the fire and pitched into the wort, creating a nice boil, smoke, and steam (hence the smokey taste I do believe). What a way to brew a beer! I will definitely, have to pick up a few more of these guys to save for a fun get-together with friends . . . boy, will they be shocked!
The bottom line: Not your typical American lager, hot rocks make Hot Rocks Lager and fantastic beer!
Turns out that this beer was produced in collaboration with the folks at Bend Brewing Co. And, more importantly, this is not your standard lager . . . no-sirree-bob. Before reading the description on the bottle, one notices something odd about this guy, its color. I grew up just south of Pottstown, PA, the home of Yuengling Lager. When I began pouring the Hot Rocks Lager, I expected a similar color, maybe a little darker . . . but, much to my surprise the beer is very much opaque, a rich mahogany color. Very different for a lager if you ask me.
Then comes the aroma . . . malt, malt, malt, malt . . . malt, and more malt. I am guessing the hops were kept to a minimum with this guy (after tasting it, I am guessing less than 15 IBUs, 20 max!). The nose is almost caramel-like, very delightful, and smokey (more on this later). The initial taste however caught me by surprise . . . smokey, like a piece of smoked Pennsylvania Dutch sausage. And, as the beer warms the smokey malt flavors come through more and more . . . delicious!
Now comes the interesting part . . . apparently the sole purpose of this collaboration was to "rock it old school", i.e, brew the beer like yesteryear, in a style known as "stein beer" in Germany. The brewing method involves heating rocks in a fire until the begin to glow, like lava flowing from a volcano (hence the name Hot Rocks). Then, the rocks are removed from the fire and pitched into the wort, creating a nice boil, smoke, and steam (hence the smokey taste I do believe). What a way to brew a beer! I will definitely, have to pick up a few more of these guys to save for a fun get-together with friends . . . boy, will they be shocked!
The bottom line: Not your typical American lager, hot rocks make Hot Rocks Lager and fantastic beer!
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