Left Coast - Hop Juice

Left Coast Brewing - Hop Juice

Hop Juice is a 9.7% ABV American Double India Pale Ale from Left Coast Brewing Company out of San Clemente, CA.

This Double IPA pours a hazy golden/honey orange with 1 finger off-white head.  The head fades moderately leaving decent retention and light lacing.

Hop Juice smells of toasted malt, biscuit/bread, and grapefruit citrus.  There are also light notes of tropical fruit and pine.

The taste on this DIPA is mostly toasted malt with big hops and bitter grapefruit.  There are also light notes of pine and biscuit/bread.  Medium bodied with a pretty dry finish.  The hops and alcohol seem to overtake most of the other flavors in the beer.

Left Coast's Hop Juice is a solid Double IPA that delivers the hops.  I would have liked more balance in the taste but it was still an enjoyable brew.

Score: 3.5/5 (Untappd Caps)

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Mikkeller - Monk's Brew (With Raspberries & Wine Barrel Aged)

Mikkeller - Monk's Brew (Brewed with Raspberries and Aged in Wine Barrels)

Monk's Brew is a 10% ABV Quadrupel style ale from Mikkeller brewed at De Proefbrouwerij in Hijfte, Belgium.  Mikkeller is a gypsy brewer from Denmark and their beers are normally brewed at other breweries.  This particular version was brewed with raspberries and aged in red and white wine barrels.

This barrel aged Quadrupel pours a hazy dark reddish brown body with 1.5-2 fingers beige head.  The head fades pretty slowly with good retention and lacing.  There is some noticable yeast towards the end of the pour and yeast sediment floating throughout the beer.

The aroma of this version of Monk's Brew is mostly raspberries, red and white wine, and dark and tart fruits.  There are also some faint notes of chocolate and yeast.

The tasting notes include big raspberries with milk chocolate along with red and white wine notes from the barrel aging.  Some yeasty/funky notes on the backend that linger after the finish.  Medium bodied and semi-dry.

This raspberry and wine barrel aged version of Monk's Brew is pretty interesting and a solid brew from Mikkeller.  It was pretty pricy at about $15 for a 12.7 ounce bottle but is worth splurging on if you're looking for a nice barrel aged Quad.

Score: 4/5 (Untappd Caps)

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Maine - Lunch

Maine Beer Company - Lunch India Pale Ale

Lunch is a 7% ABV India Pale Ale from Maine Beer Company.  All of their beers have fun little stories behind the names.  This one was named after a whale off the Maine coast named Lunch whose fin looks like it was bitten off.  This bottle was bottled on 5/28/2013, so it was pretty fresh with just under 12 days on the age.

This IPA pours a hazy golden/caramel orange with 4 fingers of fluffy off-white head.  The head fades very slowly and leaves great lacing.  Good head retention as well.

Lunch smells of citrus rind/peel and grapefruit along with pine.  There are also hints of white and tropical fruits throughout the smell.

The taste is mostly pine and grapefruit citrus with followed up with some resin and caramel.  Medium malt with good hop balance and bitterness.  Semi-dry and medium bodied.

Maine's Lunch is a top notch IPA and probably my favorite brew of theirs.  Like I said in my previous review on King Titus, check out any brews from Maine Beer Company if you can!

Score: 5/5 (Untappd Caps)

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Maine - King Titus

Maine Beer Company - King Titus Porter

King Titus is a 7.5% American Porter brewed by Maine Beer Company out of Portland, Maine.  This particular bottle was bottled on 12/30/2012, so it's a bit over 5 months old.  Maine Beer Company is a small brewery that currently only distributes to the East Coast from Maine down to Virginia.

This porter pours jet black with a good 4 finger fluffy tan brown head that fades moderately. The head leaves good retention.  Very nice lacing is left when the head fades away and also during drinking the beer.

King Titus smells of roast, coffee, and dark/milk chocolates with a hint of caramel.  Great aromas that will leave you sniffing for more aroma notes.

The initial sip of King Titus is pretty sweet with a somewhat tart taste that settles down after a few more sips.  Bitter roast and toasty with a thick, creamy medium body.  Dark chocolate and coffee with a moderate amount of malt.  There are some hops lingering around but since this bottle was about  months old, they may have faded and settled down a bit.

King Titus is another solid brew and a nice porter from Maine Beer Company.  I have yet to have a beer from Maine Beer Company that I didn't enjoy so definitely give them a try if you come across their brews!

Score: 4/5 (Untappd Caps)

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Dogfish Head - Birra Etrusca Bronze

Dogfish Head - Birra Etrusca Bronze Ancient Ale

Birra Etrusca Bronze is an 8.5% ABV ancient ale from Milton, Delaware's Dogfish Head.  With the help of a molecular archaeologist and the Birreria Brothers, this recipe was derived from drinking vessels in 2,800 year old Etruscan tombs from 8th Century B.C.  Dogfish Head decided to ferment their batches using bronze.

This brew pours a good 3 finger off-white head that fades quickly with no retention.  Good carbonation and a light amber brown body.

Birra Etrusca Bronze has some nice aromas of sweet, dark fruit and honey.  Some light wine-like aromas and spices are also present.

This ancient ale tastes of honey, dark and white fruits, and herbs and spices.  Some sweetness and slight tartness with a piny finish.  Medium bodied with a light dry finish.

Dogfish Head's Birra Etrusca Bronze is a solid throwback to what kind of drinks may have been made by Etruscans.  Give this one a shot if you're into sweet herbed/spiced beers.

Score: 4/5 (Untappd Caps)

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Bierbrouwerij Emelisse - Emelisse Rauchbier

Bierbrouwerij Emelisse - Emelisse Rauchbier

Emelisse Rauchbier from Bierbrouwerij Emelisse out of Kamperland, Netherlands is a 6.5% ABV smoked beer.

Pours a dark caramel brown with 1 to 1.5 fingers light yellowish-white head.  The head fades slowly with good retention and decent lacing.  A decent amount of floating yeast sediment can be seen through the glass.

The aroma of this rauchbier is mainly big smoke, wood, and ash.  There are also some light caramel and whiskey notes along with subtle yeast.

Emelisse Rauchbier tastes of a good amount of smoke with some nuttiness and slight sweetness.  Maybe a little bacony flavor from the smokiness.  Subtle dark fruit notes here and there.  Light body with a light dry finish.

A good representation of the rauchbier style, Emelisse Rauchbier is worth checking out if you enjoy smoky beers.  The smoke is well balanced and not overpowering.

Score: 3.5/5 (Untappd Caps)

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Surly - Overrated! West Coast Style IPA

Surly Brewing - Overrated! West Coast Style IPA

Overrated! is a West Coast style IPA from Brooklyn, Center, Minnesota's Surly Brewing.  This particular can was canned on 5/8/2013.  Comes in a 16 ounce can with the ABV clocking in at 7.3%.

This IPA pours a light hazy golden orange with 1-2 fingers of off white head.  The head fades slowly with good retention and lacing.

The aroma is mostly grapefruit along with pine and resin as is usually the case in other West Coast style IPAs.  There are also some lighter aromas of tropical fruit.

As far as flavor, grapefruit citrus dominates with the pine and resin towards the back end.  Nice big hops with a hop bitter finish that lingers for a bit.  Just under medium body with a semi-dry finish.

Surly's Overrated! is a solid representation of the West Coast style IPA and another great effort by Surly.  It's not my #1 favorite West Coast style IPA or Surly brew, but is definitely worth drinking if you can find some.

Score: 4/5 (Untappd Caps)

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