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

Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA

Supposedly “the newest member of the Firestone family”, Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA was the second Firestone Walker brew Mr. Dave, Mrs. Heather, and I decided to try from good ol’ Malt & Vine (not sure who bought this one, tbh).  This little brew comes at you with a 7.5% ABV… not for the faint of heart.  The nose is nice… hoppy and fruity just like it should be.  The body is sharp and bitter with hints of peaches coming through in the aftertaste… the overall finish is clean and crisp, leaving you with a pleasant sensation… like you just walked in from a brisk fall walk to the mailbox… kind of… sort of… anyhow, overall solid for the style and good from start to finish.

JBB6 Rating: Will Buy Again

Diamond Knot Industrial IPA

I really like these guys…  I like their normal Diamond Knot IPA… I was pretty sure I would like this IPA… I wasn’t wrong.

To sum it all up, same recipe, “25% more grain and twice the hops!” according to their description of the Industrial IPA on their website.  Short and to the point… just the way I like it. 

As far as the taste experience goes, it pours a dark amber color with a big head.  The nose is sweet and hoppy and the body is hoppy, hoppy, hoppy!  Bitter finish on the back of the throat with just a hint of sweetness.  Overall super solid and lives up to my expectations.

JBB6 Rating: For the Win

MacTarnahan’s Summer Grifter IPA

They say a picture is worth a thousand words… well… Mr. Dave leaves me a little speechless in this one, so I guess that picture is well worth it…   This was a good night of tasting… about half way through… and Mr. Dave was in rare form like I would expect.  We (Mr. Dave, Mrs. Heather, and I) drank a bunch of good brews, screwed around a bit, and ultimately had an enjoyable evening. 

As far as this little brew from Mac’s, is really wasn’t bad at all.  The nose is sweet with hints of caramel.  The body is light and hoppy. The finish is smooth and easy.  In those three sentances you have a reason to buy this brew again… overall a great little beer that goes well with any hot summer day. 

On a side note, definition for ‘grifter’ is interesting… makes me think of the carnie folk when the fair comes to town and then I think about drinking one of these brews with some of the carnies while sitting around a burn barrel… then we all get drunk, I pass out, and I wake up without a wallet but with a tattoo of Mr. Dave’s strange face from the picture below on my ass… interesting indeed… 

JBB6 Rating: Will Buy Again