Nøgne Ø

The Beer: Nøgne Ø Pale Ale
Type: American Pale Ale
Serving: Pint Glass
Stats: 6.0% ABV 40IBU
Brewer: Nøgne Ø
Web Site:http://www.nogne-o.com/index.php
State/Country of Origin: GRIMSTAD, Norway

Review


Appearance: Poured a thick apricot, honey, caramel color. 2 finger width head off white large air pockets recdes slowly with light lacing. Beer is non trasnparent with a lighter base than near the head. Center still froathy while outer edge head has receded

Smell: Strong malt flavor with hops and undertones of fruits and pins. Its a very strong pungent scent that tingles the nose. 

Taste:  Very malty with a balanced hopped flavor. The palete first taste the sweetness from the malts followed by the bitterness of the hops. The hop's along with the presence of lemons and cirtus balances this pale ale quite nicely. I was expecting this beer to taste rather hoppy but the malts were at the center of attention.  
 
Mouthful: Slightly thick yet really well bodied with medium carbonation. This brew has a feel of being alittle grainy. 

Overall: I was expecting more of a Sierra Nevada pale ale flavor but, this beer has uinque characteristics. Much more sophisticated than your average pale ale due to the use of malts. Its hard to compare this to another beer because it really is quite unique. I would recommend sharing this beer because it gets rather heavy. Not sure if I would get this beer again because its so far off from a typical pale ale, however; definitiley worth trying out. I also purchased thier IPA so I'm very excited to try that and let you guys know how it taste.

Rating: 8/10

Rouge Dead Guy Ale

The Beer: Dead guy ale
Type: Maibock
Serving: Pint Glass
Stats: 6.5% ABV
Brewer: Rouge
Web Site:http://www.rogue.com/
State/Country of Origin: Newport, OR

Review


Appearance: Poured into a pint glass, to show a deep golden amber. The head a great white, nice contrast to the deep amber color of the brew itself. Awesome heavy head when first poured with great head retention. As the head began to recede heavy lacing was left behind. In the end the head was about two finger widths.


Smell: Not picking up a strong scent. The scent is faint but clearly malty. Upon deeper investigation I picked up some hints of citrus and hops. I expect this beer to be quite sweet due to the malts I picked up in the scent.




Taste: As I suspected there is a heavy malt presence in dead guy ale. There is much more flavor than I expected given the subtle aromas. I tasted the malty flavors instantly and frequently throughout the sips. The malts had a varying wheel of flavors including, caramel, oak, and honey. I must give the brewers at Rouge credit because under this layer of malts and sweetness they found a way to balance this beer. The back end of dead guy is more pungent of hops but still keeping the sweet malty flavors involved. 




Mouthful: Good consistency, sweet all the way through with a great balance of carbonation. Quite a refreshing beer for someone who appreciates strong flavors. 




Overall: There is a reason why I go back to this beer time and time again. It's been awhile since I last picked up a 6 pack in which four people all enjoyed. The beer is refreshing, drinkable and affordable, I picked up a 6 pack for just over $12 dollars. The beer has a unique blend of sweet malts and bitter hops that I haven't experienced in another beer. Definitely worth giving this beer a shot at your next event.

Rating: 8.25/10

Batch 300

The Beer: Batch 300 homebrew winner
Type: Belgium Tripel
Serving: Wine Glass
Stats: 8.2% ABV
Brewer: The Bruery
Web Site: http://www.thebruery.com/index2.html
State/Country of Origin: Orange County, CA


CA Release only


Review


Appearance: Golden peachy in color slightly transparent. About the width of 1 to 2 finger(s) with a nice light white head, receded rather quickly leaving behind a solid lacing containing small bubbles of carbonation along the outer rim. 


Smell: Again the scent reminds me of summer time peaches, oak, along with a hoppy kick. The sweet peach scent is the first scent I pick up before the hops take over. I'm curious to see if the sweetness of peach will over power the bitterness of the hops or vice versa.


Taste: What a complex beer! I'm not able to determine if the flavor is peach but its quite sweet with citrus undertones. Batch 300 really contains several layers ranging from tangy, sweet, to bitter. This beer leaves a clean and refreshing taste on the pallet. Slightly bitter after taste yet still sweet.


Mouthful: Good consistency, medium carbonation. 


Overall: Solid all the way around. When I was deciding on what beer to purchase from Healthy Spirits in San Francisco, this was recommended to me. When I was told this was a home brew contest winner, I immediately grabbed it. Home brewing is the driving force of the industry and people from all over create amazing beer in their homes. I was able to try someones beer that otherwise I would have never been able to experience. This beer has some kick to it and one bottle should give you a nice buzz. Great for the summer time! 


Rating: 8.5/10

Pliny The Elder

The Beer: Pliny The Elder
Type: Imperial IPA
Serving: Bottle
Stats: 8% ABV 100IBU
Brewer: Russian River Brewing Company
Web Site:http://www.russianriverbrewing.com/index.html
State/Country of Origin: Santa Rosa, CA USA.

Review


Bottled on 06/29/11

Appearance: Golden amber color with hints of yellowish gold. Pliny appears to be slightly transparent with a head approximately two fingers in width that's slightly off white. Head retention is very even and slow leaving behind a nice lacing.

Smell: Super hoppy, piney, flora,l citrus and sweet honey. Perfect aroma that tingles the nose. The ingredients smell fresh and bold. 

Taste:FUCKING AWESOME!! The flavor is perfect. Balanced from beginning to end with the right taste at the right time. The bitterness from the hops isn't overpowering because of the malts, citrus, grapefruit and passion fruit among other various flavors. The bitterness doesn't leave a heavy bite but a sweet refreshing taste that leaves you wanting another sip.

Mouthful: Overwhelming with hops, yet, still a bit sweet as you take down the sip. Perfect medium carbonation allows smooth drinking.  

Overall: This is an AMAZING brew the folks at Russian River have perfected the IIPA. This beer contains a perfect balance of malts and hops. I recommend this beer to anyone whose goal is beyond a drunken stagger. Although at 8% ABV. this is a good possibility. On a serious note though try this beer. Amazing all around

Rating: 9.5/10

New Belgium Ranger IPA

The Beer: New Belgium Ranger IPA
Type: American IPA
Serving: Bottle
Stats: 6.5% ABV 90IBUs
Brewer: New Belgium Brewing Company

AVAILABILITY: YEAR ROUND

Web Site: http://www.newbelgium.com/home.aspx
State/Country of Origin: Fort Collins CO, USA.

Review:

Appearance: Ranger Pours a nice peachy amber color almost resembling apple juice. 
This image above allows you to see right through the glass. Very transparent.  When 
poured a thick white head about the width of two fingers appeared. Very nice head
retention and a nice lacing.


Smell: This beer has a hoppy aroma with a hint of pine and undertones of citrus. 
While the citrus is noticeable, it doesn't take away from the hops, a perfect 
complement.


Taste: Ranger is a two layer beer, first you taste the bitterness that comes from
the hops along with faint citrus. The second layer comes from the malt leveling 
out the beer and giving Ranger a really nice balance. There is a hoppy kick at the
finish.


Mouthful: Nice smooth and clear with medium carbonation. The smoothness of
Ranger makes this beer refreshing and fairly easy top take down, even for those
who aren't fans of IPA's. The beer feels clean and nicely balanced.


Overall: For those who are expecting an aggressive in your face IPA you'll be
mistaken. New Belgium's Ranger IPA is a really good beer, just more subtle than
one would expect. This beer is perfect for people trying to venture into the 
realm of IPA without having their taste buds ripped out due to bitterness. With
6.5% ABV. approach with caution because you can hardly taste the alcohol. I 
highly recommend this beer to people who are open minded to trying IPA. For 
those who are fans of IPA and are looking for something less aggressive you've 
found your beer. 


Rating: 8/10

Sierra Nevada Summerfest 2011

The Beer: Sierra Nevada Summerfest 2011
Type: Czech Pilsner
Serving: Bottle
Stats: 5% ABV 28IBUs
Brewer: Sierra Nevada Brewery

Availability: Seasonal 

Web Site: http://www.sierranevada.com/index2.html
State/Country of Origin: Chico CA, USA.


Review


Appearance: Very clear and transparent light yellow body. Clear white head about the width of a finger. The head leaves a slight lacing on the glass that recedes rather quickly. The head is full of smaller bubbles with a constant flow of smaller bubbles flowing from the bottom of the glass towards the top.


Smell: Classic pilsner scent with an floral aroma with a hint of hops. The scent is rather faint yet, there's a subtle sweetness.


Taste: Amazingly light! The flavor is nearly identical to the scent but dragged out into two segments. Summerfest is clear and smooth with a taste of malt and floral hops with a hint of honey. The taste lingers on the back of your tongue creating a lasting taste on your pallet following consumption. 

Mouthful: Light and crisp with light to medium carbonation making summerfest easy to down.

Overall: Summerfest is a typical pilsner with a Sierra Nevada twist. This beer is definitely the lightest of Sierra Nevada's portfolio. A very fitting name, perfect for a warm summer day. RRRefreshing!! Easy to drink but lacks character. Can't take much from this beer other than getting a nice buzz going, however; I do enjoy this beer and it's light yet complex flavors. 


Rating: 7/10