Redhook Long Hammer IPA – In The Can!

Do you like it in the can?  I know I do… and I met a lot more people that like it in the can at Redhook’s Party @ The Pier at the Seattle Aquarium, Monday May 7th.  At the event, Redhook’s Long Hammer IPA, now in the can for your pleasure.

It started earlier that night with a text to the neighbors, “First one to reply wins.  Redhook VIP Party in Seattle.  I leave at 8pm.  Who’s in?”

Mr. Dave was first to call but it was a school night and he wasn’t that interested.  Anthony was second… and took the challenge.  One hour later, we arrived.

The lobby was already packed.  People were loving it in the can!

So Anthony and I wasted no time in finding the nearest purveyor to give it to us in the can.  And verily, it was good.  Our first one in the can was smooth with the just the right body.  A great start to an evening of many in the can.

We wandered for a bit, threw our names into the raffles, and enjoyed the many sites and sounds of people enjoying it in the can.

There were people watching the fish while having it in the can:

People lined up to get it in the can:

And general mirth and enjoyment for all.

After having it in the can for most of the night, we were starting to wind down when lo and behold a voice from the heavens called out: “Anthony, you are a winner!”  And so he was.  Hello Redhook beer fridge, nice to meet you:

We stuck around for a bit more, grabbed more freebies and our night was done… well… not prior to grabbing a burger and fries at Dick’s.

My spread from the night was solid (don’t ask about the wig and boa):

And so there you go… after a night of having it in the can over and over again, we are happy to say that it was a great night.

Thanks Redhook for giving it to us in the can, we will take it any time!!

Redhook Big Ballard Imperial IPA

Coming out of the Redhook Big Ballard Imperial IPA Release Event, here is the official tasting…

Goal!   Redhook scores with their Big Ballard Imperial IPA. Tasted tonight, at the event, this brew pours darker than a normal IPA but has the characteristic nose.  Getting into the body, you can taste the Caramel malt and wheat as it eases on down your throat… in a great way.  The overall mouthfeel is definitely a little more substantial but well balanced.  The finish is clean and easy… at 8.6% ABV, this beer is dangerous and should be consumed at all costs. 

Enjoy!

JBB6 Rating: For the Win

Widmer Brothers W ’10 Pitch Black IPA

I just finished off 2/3 of a six pack of these bad boys (Widmer Brothers W ’10 Pitch Black IPA)  in nothing flat… easy to drink, nice as a session, this 6.5% beauty tastes good and packs a punch.  I drank out of the bottle tonight, but you could smell, even through that small little neck of a bottle, that this was maltier than hoppy… the black malt came through both in the nose and the body, making you wonder where all the hops had gone.  Then… all of a sudden… POW… HOPS IN YOUR FACE!  They sneak up on you and give you a little ‘hows your father’ right as you think you are safe. 

Overall a really balanced brew with complexity that keeps you guessing and the right amount of malt and hop to please just about anyone.  Nice work Widmer Brothers!

JBB6 Rating: For the Win

Full Sail Grandsun of Spot IPA

Close your eyes, think about a good, solid IPA… the golden amber color, the hoppy, floral nose, the bitter hop body balanced with moderate malt flavor, the moderately complex finish with hints of citrus… Now open your eyes… you couldn’t read any of that since your eyes were closed, but if you could, you would have a mental drink of this fine brew.  Part of the Brewmaster Reserve, Grandsun of Spot was part of the summer “sun” series at the brewery and was a might tasty brew for the style.

JBB6 Rating: Will Buy Again

Southern Tier Oak Aged Unearthly IPA

I have a thing for stuff aged in oak barrels… in fact, I haven’t met anything aged in oak that I haven’t really liked, I don’t think… instant winner, then?  Prett much!

Southern Tier Oak Aged Unearthly IPA is a solid IPA offering from our prolific brewers at Southern Tier.  Nice little head, sweet and mild nose, hoppy yet mellow body, and complex and interesting finish.  Couldn’t taste the ABV but pretty sure I felt it in the morning.

From the web site:

At the Southern Tier Brewing Company, vigorously hopped beer is our standard and inspiration. We continue a commitment to innovation with an aggressive offering. Oak Aged Unearthly is a manifestation of the brewer’s craft; skillfully balancing art and the forces of nature to produce a divine liquid. Delicately pour a taste of this oak aged brew into a fluted glass. Smell the enchanting aromas of the hops waft forward as your first sip divulges this beer’s fervent soul. To underestimate Oak Aged Unearthly is to trifle with the mysteries of the universe, so please consume wisely.consider it an immoral act to blacken an ale. We suggest they don’t rely on conventional standards. Allow the darkness to consume you. Cheers!
9.5% abv • 15.7ºL • Imperial India Pale Ale • 22 oz

JBB6 Rating: Will Buy Again

Alaskan IPA

Getting back to some old standbyes… Alaskan IPA comes to us from what I would regard as a solid brewery… these guys up on the high country know how to make their beer… guessing there isn’t much else to do, though, so they have that advantage.

Overall this isn’t a bad offering from the brewery.  Not one of their standouts, but not bad.  For the genre, it is a bit flat… low carbonation and very mellow.  Hops are in there for sure, but again on the mellow side… their site says it is dry hopped, but I can’t notice it really.  The finish is short and dry.  As the tasting continues, it does tend to grow on you. 

This may actually be a pretty decent session IPA because of how mellow it is.  Overall, not bad but not one that will be on my IPA list in the future given choice.

JBB6 Rating: Middle of the Road

Cashmere Continuously Hopped IPA

Another Cashmere brew coming at you, Cashmere Continuously Hopped IPA!  For you hop heads, this is your brew.  As good as any of the super hoppy beers I have had, this one lives up to its name and you can definitely smell and taste the amount of hops they are throwing at it.  A 7.3% ABV, very floral and fruity in the nose, this pours a nice light orange and screams IPA throughout the full experience.  Not much else to say… strong IPA… good for the genre.

JBB6 Rating: Will Buy Again

Elysian Avatar Jasmine Imperial IPA – Brew 2000

Elysian brought this special brew out for a limited time and we were able to grab a bottle from good ol’ Malt and Vine. 

Elysian Avatar Jasmine Imperial IPA – Brew 2000 was a solid take on the traditional Avatar…  thick and visoucd on the pour, nice white head, you could tell going in that this would be a meal in a bottle… so we thought.  As we tasted, though, it didn’t come across heavy… it was actually pretty mild but you could tell there was a lot under the hood… the Jasmine has a mellowing effect, taking the edge off and giving it a nice balance.  Overall, this brew came through for me, producing solid IPA flavor with a twist.

JBB6 Rating: Will Buy Again

Lagunitas Hop Stoopid IPA

Another one from our friends at Lagunitas… Lagunitas Hop Stoopid brings you some happy hoppiness from CA in a somewhat strange looking labeled bottle… 

Coming through a respectable head, this brew is floral and fruity in the nose… so far just like a nice American IPA should be…   This leads right to the hoppy, HOPPY body… when I say hoppy, I mean hoppy… super hoppy… but the 102 IBUs are misleading because the bitterness is there but not overwhelming… so far just like a nice American IPA should be…   the hoppy body leads to a clean sweet finish… not too long or complex, not too short and simple… about all you could ask for in a nice American IPA…

JBB6 Rating: For the Win

Hale’s Ales Aftermath Imperial IPA

Hale’s Ales Aftermath Imperial IPA is a biggie… 8.4% IPA hopped like a mother… extensive use of Colombus, Cascade, and Centennial hops though-out the boil and dry hopped with Cascades… this bad boy could give a Northwest beer drinker wet dreams… lets see if that may be true tonight or not, shall we?

Pours a a somewhat cloudy dark amber color with a good sized head. Head is short lived, but that leads to a nice hop-conglomerate nose… you can definitely tell there are multiple varieties of hops used here but that isn’t a bad thing. The taste… HOLY COW… the first drink actually makes me cough… this brew is thick, creamy, and punches you in the mouth right while you are looking… second drink goes down a little better… still smooth and creamy, thick and viscous… the hops are there from the middle of the taste to the back and you can feel it coat the inside of your mouth… the finish is bitter but in that really hoppy ‘I expected it’ kind of way… so again, not bad.

Overall this is probably one of the hoppiest brews I have ever had… and I have had a lot of hoppy brews, my friends… This is not for the faint of heart or the mild beer drinker… this one will knock you out and have your name tattoed on its ass without blinking an eye… watch yourself.

JBB6 Rating: Will Buy Again