Drink. Blog. Repeat.

Three Floyds Brewing Co.

Munster, IN

Dreadnaught Imperial IPA

9.5% ABV

Saturday was Three Floyds’ annual Dark Lord Day, the day beer geek and imperial stout fans from across the country (and world?) descend on Munster, IN, for one of the country’s most sought-after beers.

But with me being hundreds of miles away and with no desire to brave the crowds, I decided to enjoy some of the brewery’s other offerings I obtained through a recent trade. On top of the bottle of Zombie Dust I recently had, I’ve continued making my way through FFF’s hoppier offerings, starting with Dreadnaught.

The hops off this thing hit your nostrils as soon as you pop the cap. There’s a slight haziness to the sunset orange color and about a finger of a tight bubbly head. Little lacing, but the alcohol legs are crazy for only a 9% beer. 

Great peach and mango notes on the nose. A slight pine from the hops and a touch of grass. There’s definitely a malt note present, and I got a slight woodiness off it as well.

There’s little to no hop bite on the front, but a wave of crazy rich flavors come bursting through in the middle of the palate. Pineapple, mango, peach are all in there. I got a slight hop burn with a really strong malt backbone, but it doesn’t damped the IPA-ness of it. Grapefruit and pine come through more on the back, as does a really dry finish.

Damn, you guys in the Midwest can make some good beer.

Goose Island Beer Co.

Chicago, IL

Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout

14% ABV

My knowledge of Chicago’s Goose Island is limited to two primary pieces:

1) Last year, they were bought by A-B InBev for $39 million, setting off a firestorm in the craft beer community;

2) Even with that fact in mind, they still make some of the most sought after and highly-regarded beer in the country.

So when a recent trader offered up a bottle of Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout along with whales such as Dark Lord, Darkness and Abyss, I asked some of my more well-versed beer geeks what I should go for. Everyone immediately picked the BC, so it was settled.

BCBCS, as it’s colloquially known, is brewed with coffee from Chicago’s Intelligentsia Coffee and Tea, which is across from the brewery. The 2011 batch I got was brewed with Anjilanaka beans, making it unique from the 2010 release. It’s also aged in bourbon barrels, so you know it’s got to be good.

While the bottle says it’s ageable up to 5 years, my friends and the trader suggested I drink it fresh. So I did, and it was glorious. Easily in the top 3 best imperial stouts I’ve ever had.

It pours black as night. There’s about half a finger of a dark brown head on top that vanishes pretty quickly. Not surprising for a 14% behemoth like this. I didn’t get any lacing or alcohol legs either.

It’s definitely a bourbon bomb on the nose. There are strong notes of bitter dark chocolate and a mouth-watering roasted coffee smell. Slight hints of vanilla, toffee, caramel peak through as well. It’s such a luxurious-smelling beer.

A chocolaty bitterness hits right on the tip of the tongue. A velvety smooth chocolate and bourbon flavor coats the inside of the mouth. There’s a gorgeous roasted coffee flavor that shines through on the back of the throat. Definitely an alcohol burn on the back of the throat at well, almost as if you drank a glass of straight bourbon. I got hints of figs, chocolate-covered raisins and plums in there too. 

BCBCS is a phenomenal A+ beer in my book. The coffee adds such a great roasted note, the bourbon gives it that alcohol kick, and it all comes together in this velvety smooth, rich and flavorful beer. Definitely one to put on your bucket list if it’s not there already.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Chico, CA

Hoptimum Imperial IPA

10.4% ABV

Last year was the debut of Sierra Nevada’s Hoptimum, a whole-cone imperial IPA clocking in at 100 IBUs and hopped to the high heavens. It was a much-hyped and sought after beer.

And for me, it’s was met with a resounding “meh.”

For a beer that screams “hop” - from the name to the color of the label to the fact there’s some freaky Silent Hill looking dude on the label with a hop cone for a head - I was quite underwhelmed. It wasn’t bad so much as it was just a major disappointment.

I’m guessing they went back to the drawing board with Hoptimum, because this year’s batch is simply astounding. First, a tribute to the hopping process:

First, the beer is brewed with German Magnum and Simcoe as well as some secret proprietary hop variety. Following that, it’s dry hopped with more Simcoe and proprietary hops, and then “torpedo hopped” with Citra and Chinook. Torpedo hopping is described as an “espresso machine for beer,” releasing the resin and essential oils without imparting any additional bitterness. 

Anyway, on to the beer.

Hoptimum pours a crystal-clear brownish orange color. There’s a good two fingers worth of a bubbly rocky head, but it dissipates very quickly. (This is a 10% beer, after all.) Some really nice alcohol legs.

The Simcoe hits you on the nose to start. You get those wet pine and resin characteristics. There are hints of sweet fruits, oranges and peaches.  There’s some astringency and a little malt note but otherwise just a really sweet, juicy smelling beer.

There’s a muted bitterness on the front of the tongue, but it just explodes in the middle of the mouth. A real nice bouquet of pine, bitterness and sweeter fruits take over the palate. The grapefruit really comes through on the back.  There’s a slight maltiness that works well balancing out the hops and kind of a sweet finish, but the bitterness masks it slightly. It does have a nice bitter dry finish to it, an interesting end to an otherwise rich and flavorful beer.

Kudos to the folks at Sierra Nevada. This year’s batch is a vast improvement over last year, and I like the break from 22 oz. bombers for 12 oz. 4-packs. Makes an already drinkable yet ass-kicking beer a bit more accessible.

Jack’s Abby Brewing

Farmingham, MA

Cascadian Schwarzbier Hoppy Black Lager

6.8% ABV

I’m a bigger fan of ales than I am lagers. To me, there’s more room for experimentation with ales and a wider variety of styles to explore. It may also be because when I think “lager,” I think of the Big 3. But every once in a while, a lager comes along that surprises me. It happened with New Belgium’s Shift and again the other night with the Cascadian Schwarzbier from Jack’s Abby.

I came by this bottle thanks to a trade with someone in the Northeast. Since it was an extra with some other ridiculously good beers - reviews to come! - I figured it couldn’t be that bad. I was right.

First off, it’s brewed with Magnum, Cascade, Centennial, Cluster and Columbus hops in the boil, and then dry hopped again after brewing, making it a very hop-forward lager. Add that with the roasted malts and you’ve got a very smooth, clean lager with a great hop profile and a nice roasted backbone.

True to its name, it pours pitch black, although there’s a hint of brown around the edges of the glass. There’s a huge three-finger foamy and pillowy head with light lacing that melts away quickly. I’m not sure if it’s bottle conditioned, but it sure looks like it.

It’s very coffee forward on the nose with light hints of coffee and caramel. The hops are prevalent but very subdued. It smells as balanced as it tastes.

On the front of the tongue is a slight bitterness from the hops. The lager yeast gives it a very smooth mouthfeel in the middle, and then the roasted malt notes come through at the back of the throat. There’s a hint of dark chocolate that comes through more as the beer warms. The lager yeast gives the beer a really rich, smooth mouthfeel.

After the last few lagers I’ve had, I may have to rethink my opinion on them.

Coast Brewing Co.

Charleston, SC

Boy King Double IPA

9.7% ABV

With last Friday being 4/20 and me with no herbal refreshment to enjoy, I figured now would be a good a time as any to crack open a little liquid dank and enjoy one of the best double IPAs on the East Coast: Coast’s Boy King.

During my frist visit to Coast last year during American Craft Beer Week, I was able to try Boy King for the first time, albeit in the form of a 4 oz. sample. For whatever reason, I didn’t buy a bottle that day and went on to really regret it as a lot of my friends began waxing poetic about all the bottles they had.

This year, I was more prepared. A friend in Charleston hooked me up with a couple bottles (bottled 4/4) and I helped a friend polish off a fresh growler about a week ago. I really had forgotten just how amazing this beer is. It’s heavily hopped and topped off with a round of Citra dry hopping, but it’s not a hop bomb. It’s smooth, flavorful and extremely drinkable for a high-alcohol DIPA. In my opinion, it rivals any DIPA on the East Coast, if not the rest of the country.

Boy King pours a rich orange with a darker amber tint toward the middle. There’s a slight haze to it, but it’s nearly translucent. Not much of a head, which doesn’t surprise me for a high ABV, but there are some nice alcohol legs.

Rich pineapple is the first thing that hits you on the nose. There’s tinges of mango and papaya and those standard tropical fruits. There’s a hint of astringency and a wet, dank hop smell, too.

On first sip is a really rich and juicy fruit taste, but that transforms into a focused hop bite as it warms. That hop bitterness also comes through on the mid and back palate. There’s a dry finish on the back, at which point a great piney hop taste comes through. As for flavors, it’s all over the place. I got lemon peel, citrus, peach, mango and pineapple. The tropical flavors come through more and more as it warms. And there’s a very slight booziness to it, too.

Boy King is one of those beers that explodes on the BeerAdvocate trading forums when it’s released, and with good reason. For a small brewery in Charleston to put out a beer that highly sought shows just how good it is. High in alcohol but still very drinkable, it’s on its way to being in the upper echelon of East Coast DIPAs. Get it while you can.

Bear Republic Brewing Co. - Cloverdale, CA

Fat Head’s Brewery - Cleveland, OH

Stone Brewing Co. - San Diego, CA

TBA Brown Ale

7.1% ABV

Stone has been on a roll lately with their collaboration series, where they join with two other breweries across the country to craft a unique one-off beer. Stone already makes some of the best beers on the planet, but in an effort to get outside the box and create something not limited by a particular style, they’ve begun a brain trust of sorts composed of some of the county’s best and up-and-coming breweries.

So far, every beer I’ve had in the series has been a big hit. Last year’s releases included:

• Highway 78 Scotch Ale with Green Flash and Pizza Port;
• Japanese Green Tea IPA with Baird and Ishii, a beer the benefitted tsunami victims;
• Cherry Chocolate Stout with Troegs and two homebrewers;
• La Citrueille Celeste de Citricado pumpkin beer with The Bruery and Elysian. 

In 2012, they’ve produced the More Brown Than Black IPA with The Alchemist and Ninkasi to help support hurricane victims in the Northeast, and the newest entry in the series, TBA, a super-hoppy brown ale brewed with Bear Republic and Fat Head’s.

The collaboration was inspired by standard brown ale homebrew kits, usually labeled as “Texas brown ale”s. Instead of letting the biscuit and roasted qualities of most brown ales shine through, the brewers instead added brown sugar and molasses to even it out while hopping the hell out of it. (It’s a Stone brew. What else would you expect?)

The pour is, well, brown. A very deep, rich brown with hints of ruby around the edges of the glass where light shines through. There’s a huge pillowy head on the top and some mild lacing.

On the nose is a really nice blend of the roasted malts and hop bite. I got hints of pine, a subtle sweetness from the molasses and a definite hint of brown sugar. Really interesting for what is in essence a standard brown ale.

On the front of the tongue is a muted bitterness from the hops. A kind of woody maltiness comes through mid-palate accompanied by a nice wash of carbonation. The piney hop notes really comes through on the back. There’s a sort of woody note to the back as well and a nice roasted quality.

Brown ales are one of my least favorite styles. I just consider most of them bland and boring, with no real standout characteristic. But the sweeter notes on this with that great hop kick make this a great twist on the style. Another winner in the series.

Here’s the video Stone put together about it:

Brasserie Cantillon

Brussels, Belgium

Classic Gueuze

5% ABV

Last Friday I was privy to another great night of awesome beer hosted by a new friend I met at the recent bottle share I went to. It was part clearing of the cellar, part “Hey, why don’t we try this?,” and while we didn’t get through a ton of stuff, there was one I was really surprised to see in the rotation: Cantillon’s Classic Gueuze.

Cantillon is a small 112-year-old brewery in Belgium that specializes in lambics, such as gueuze and kriek. The brewery still uses the traditional spontaneous fermentation style of brewing, wherein vats of beer are left open to the elements to ferment and work their magic.

While I haven’t had many of them, I love lambics. They can be very versatile - sour on their own, or with a range of fruit flavors - and a great gateway beer. But I’ve had even less experience with gueuze, a beer than blends, 1-, 2- and 3-year-old lambics together and then refermented in the bottle. The wild yeast and mild hop flavors give it more of a sour or cider characteristic not found in most beers.

Classic Gueuze is, of course, a classic example of the style. At only 5%, it’s sessionable, but the unique flavors and history of the beer and brewery make you take your time and appreciate it.

The pour os a hazy yellowish orange with a very light head on the top, which dissipates pretty quickly.

On the nose is a very pungent funkiness, void of any of the fruit notes you’d get with a lambic. Lemon peel and citrus are the primary smells, with the funk adding a musty quality to it.

The taste was like nothing I’d had before. There’s a strong sour bite right on the tip of the tongue. It mellows out mid-palate and the funk kicks in again on the back of the throat. The bitter lemon flavors are easily the most prevalent to begin with, but as you drink it there’s a saltiness that begins to develop. The bitterness sticks to the back corners of your mouth and it tastes like salt on the back of your throat, almost as if you drank salt water. It’s unique, but not off-putting, but you do have to take your time drinking it. It’s a sipper, not a gulper, and unless you have a diverse or mature palate, it will likely be a big turnoff.

(While I’ve been writing this review, I can feel my mouth start to water, and I’m instinctively puckering. It’s crazy how just the thought of drinking it brings on that reaction.)

While nothing is set in stone yet, my fiancée and I are planning to spend our honeymoon in Belgium. Other than drinking with monks and enjoying some fresh Westvleteren 12 were already on the list, but a visit to Cantillon and their Gueuze Museum is now in the cards as well.

Foothills Brewing Co.

Winston-Salem, NC

Hoppyum IPA

6.2% ABV

North Carolina is slowly making its way toward being the beer capital of the Southeast, if not the entire East Coast. Their wealth of fantastic beer and breweries has been a lure for craft beer jugernauts such as Sierra Nevada and New Belgium, both of which just announced plans to build their new - and first - East Coast breweries in the little town of Asheville, NC, which has been voted BeerCity USA three years in a row.

With all those bigger breweries setting up shop in my neighbor to the north, it’s likely the spotlight will shine on all the great beer coming out of the state, including those from my personal favorite NC brewery, Foothills.

Foothills, for me, is another brewery that hits all the right notes. I have yet to have a bad or even lackluster beer from the brewery. They’re renowned for their Sexual Chocolate imperial stout and People’s Porter, which are both superb for their respective styles. And when they do their releases of the barrel-aged versions, the crowds are just as strong as any other rare release days.

Not only that, but they’re staffed by some of the nicest, funniest and passionate brewers I’ve met. About a year ago, I went to a five-course beer dinner they did at a local bar and was blown away by the selection. (It was the first time I had most of their offerings.) And more than an hour after the dinner had finished, my fiancee and I were still standing around talking with Brewmaster Jamie Bartholomaus. He even took time to sketch out this illustration of the proper way to move a keg, which I still have on my fridge:

(Jamie said he planned to use this illustration during interviews with prospective employees. If they could somehow decipher it, he said he’d hire them on the spot.)

Anyway, back to the beer. Hoppyum is the brewery’s year-round IPA. It’s brewed with a variety of hops, but the brewers focused mainly on Simcoe, giving it that juicy tropical fruit smell and taste. And at a little more than 6% ABV, it won’t wreck your weeknight.

Hoppy pours a crystal clear brownish orange, almost a copper color with a hint of amber toward the center. It’s topped with about a finger-and-a-half worth of a light bubbly head and some mild lacing.

The Simcoe shines through on the nose as the most prevalent hop. Those characteristic juicy tropical fruits - orange, papaya, apricot, grapefruit, mango - are very forward. There’s also a dry characteristic to it which mutes the scents somewhat, but doesn’t dampen them.

On the front of the tongue is a swell of those juicy fruit characteristics. It’s a very rich, wet flavor to it. As it progresses, the hop bitterness kicks in toward the middle of the palate, and interesting twist for an IPA (it’s usually concentrated on the front). But that bitterness flushes away on the back end and those fruit flavors come rushing back. I got a nice kick of orange juice and peach on this bottle. Toward the very end, there’s a dry finish and a more prevalent bitterness.

It’s great to have Foothills back in South Carolina - they were gone for a little while - and to know that their great selection of stuff likely won’t be a Carolina secret for much longer.

Three Floyds Brewing Company

Munster, IN

Zombie Dust Pale Ale

6.4% ABV

In an effort to make my way through the “must have” beers for hop heads, there are a few that have eluded me due mainly to breweries not distributing anywhere in my area. Indiana’s Three Floyds is one of those breweries. I have a bottle of Boogoop - the barleywine they did in collaboration with Mikkeller - in my cellar, but other than that hadn’t tried any of their other beers.

Fortunately, as has been the case lately, my beer geek friends come through and hook me up.

I’ve heard Zombie Dust, their single-hopped Citra pale ale, referred to as the best pale ale in the country. I’m partial to the bite of Oskar Blues’ Dale’s Pale Ale, but after trying a bottle of ZD, I may found a contender.

The beer has a great sunset orange color to it that’s yellowish around the edges. There’s a finger worth of a rocky head on top and a bit of lacing, as well as some carbonation coming up the sides.

The pungent citrus notes from the Citra are very prevalent on the nose. There’s orange and grapefruit and a hint of astringency. There’s also bread notes from the malts. It’s a very rich, but mellower hop smell that’s just excellent.

There’s a strong punch of hop bitterness right on the front of the tongue. Throughout the mouth, I got a really prevalent biscuity malt flavor, similar to New Belgium beers. However, that flushes out to great citrus notes - orange juice, pineapple and papaya. The bitterness kicks in on the back again, but the balance between the hoppiness and maltiness is really nice.

Zombie Dust is a superb pale ale, and I think people are totally justified in calling it the best of its style in the country. Having no access to it on a regular basis, I can’t call it the definitive winner in my opinion, but it’s a strong contender. And of course, I really hope this isn’t my last bottle. 

New Belgium Brewing Co.

Fort Collins, CO

Shift Pale Lager

5.0% ABV

I’ve talked before about how New Belgium has a pretty good track record with me, and that continued with Shift, their new and much-hyped pale lager. With Saturday being National Session Beer Day, I figured it would be a good time to try out something on the lighter side.

Shift pours a gorgeous crystal clear straw yellow color. There was tons of carbonation coming up from the bottom of the glass, where the nucleation site is on the New Belgium goblet. There was a thick, creamy head on top, about two fingers worth and it lingered for a while. A really nice looking beer.

On the nose is grass with a little bit of banana and some spice. It’s kind of a richer, thicker scent to it. A bit malty on the nose but a slight hint of hops too.

The taste is very clean and smooth. There’s a little bit of hop on the front. It’s smooth throughout the mouth, with that characteristic biscuity malt taste New Belgium has in all its beers. A bit floral, and there’s kind of a grassy flavor it. Slight bitterness on the back from the malts.

I’m not the biggest fan of lagers, but this is a step up for the style. It’s crisp and clean, but has a lot of depth to it, and would be a perfect lawnmower beer.

Boston Beer Co.

Boston, MA

Cinder Bock Rauch Bock

9.4% ABV

Last week, I took a look at the first of two new entries in Samuel Adams’ Batch No. 1 series. Of the five beers released in the series so far, all were a hit with me, and that record is now six for six after trying Cinder Bock, their smoked bock beer.

I’m a big fan of rauch beers. I love the smokiness and roasted qualities imparted on the beer, like sitting around a campfire while eating delicious bacon. On the other hand, I’m mixed on bocks. I enjoy the history behind them, and they’re not bad beers per se, but the style itself isn’t my favorite. With all that said, Cinder Bock was a little much for me, but still a really great, unique beer.

The pour is a gorgeous clear deep ruby red and copper color. There’s about a finger of a slightly off-white head on on top that goes away pretty quickly, and a bit of lacing on the sides.

There’s a crazy amount of smoke on the nose. It’s a kind of maple BBQ sauce smokiness, with definite hints of bacon and that characteristic campfire smell.

That incredibly smokiness is very prevalent on the front of the tongue. There are very concentrated campfire and maple smoke qualities to the taste. The smoke gives way to really sweet caramel maltiness. I got hints of plum and molasses. The sweeter characteristics coat your mouth. The smokiness shines through on the back and lingers really lightly. There’s a hint of alcohol, but not in an off-putting way.

One thing I love about this series is how inexpensive all the beers are. I haven’t paid more than $6 for a 22 oz. bottle. Which is nice, because this is definitely one to share. Rauch beers are always a little rich for one (or for me, at least), but this is definitely one worth checking out and sharing.

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Milton, DE

75 Minute IPA

7.5% ABV

Back to Dogfish Head for their newest release. Previously available only at their pub and tap houses, 75 Minute IPA is a blend of their staple 60 and 90 Minute IPAs - both of which are some of my favorites - dry hopped with Cascade and bottle conditioned with maple syrup. There’s nothing about this beer that doesn’t sound amazing.

It pours a hazy light copper color. You can almost see through it, but still a slight bit of a haze. There’s an absolutely insane amount of head on top due to the bottle conditioning. It’s About 4-5 fingers worth and it sticks around. Awesome lacing, too.

Hops are prominent on the nose, but kind of glazed over by the maple syrup. It gives off a really mellow sweetness. It makes the hops a bit more resinous smelling. Good bit of tropical fruits from the hops. Peach, papaya, a little pineapple.

There’s a light hop bitterness on the front of the tongue. The carbonation scrubs the palate pretty well, expected for bottle conditioning. The maple sweetness kicks in pretty prominent toward the back. The bitterness comes through a bit too on the way back and lingers. The maple syrup definitely becomes more prominent as it warms. While there’s a good bit of malt in 60 and 90 Minute to balance the continual hopping, this has more of a pronounced sweetness than that bready maltiness.

This is an incredibly well-balanced beer. The sweetness and hoppiness work together so well and blend to form a really drinkable and enjoyable beer. DHF says its cellarable, but the dry hopping is something to be enjoyed fresh. It’s pretty sought after, so grab a bottle or two if you see it.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Chico, CA

Ovila Saison

7% ABV

Sierra Nevada needs no introduction. As one of the pioneers of craft beer - hoppy West Coast ales in particular - the brewery is one of the juggernauts of the industry. They’re one of those consistently good breweries who occasionally goes out on a limb with new offerings.

One of those newer offerings is their Ovila series, a collaboration with the Abbey of New Clairvaux in Vina, CA. Together, they’ve produced three beers designed to be baseline examples of their respective styles: A Belgian dubbel and quad, and a saison. I’ve seen mixed reviews on each, but with saisons being one of preferred warmer-weather styles, I figured now was a good a time as any to try the series.

The pour is a nice golden sunset orange with yellow around the edges. There’s a big fluffy head on top, typical of saisons, with a little lacing and tons of carbonation streaming up the glass.

The smell is classic saison: Esters, spice and pepper, a good bit of funk and a great citrus smell, with lemon peel being the most prominent. Saisons are designed to be the quintessential warm weather beer - malty and hoppy, but never leaning to far to one extreme - and this is a good example of what the style starts out as.

The taste, again, is classic saison. There’s good carbonation at the front of the mouth and a really crisp, floral taste throughout the mouth. The citrus and grassy notes are very projected. On the back is that classic bite of funkiness.

Nothing outstanding, but for an example of what a classic saison should be like, this is a good start.

Boston Beer Co.

Boston, MA

Dark Depths Baltic India Pale Ale

7.6% ABV

Sam Adams recently put out the two newest entries in its Batch No. 1, which I’m a fan of. I’ll get to their smoked bock next week, but up first is Dark Depths, their “Baltic IPA,” which isn’t really a style. I’ve heard it described as more of a black IPA - which isn’t really a style either? - or robust porter or baltic porter (one of my favorite styles) than anything else, but brewed with lager yeast. So, yeah … weird, but in a good way.

The beer pours pretty thinly. It’s really dark like a porter or stout, but a little light coming through the curve of the glass, giving it hints of ruby red and dark brown. There’s a huge rocky head and great lacing to top it off.

On the nose is an interesting IPA and malt mix. There’s a lots of orange, a bit of pineapple and grapefruit, but it’s all covered up by the roasted notes. Those give it chocolate and burnt coffee smells, and strangely enough, a little bit of soy sauce smell.

At the beginning, it’s like a straight-up black IPA. Very hoppy and slightly bitter on the front of the tongue. It really opens up midway through the mouth. The orange is very prominent, as is the maltiness and roasted notes and chocolate. There’s a sort of espresso quality to it. It works well to balance the hoppiness, more so than with most black IPAs. The lager yeast is nice touch. To me, it gives it more of a thicker, richer mouthfeel, but with a really clean dry finish.

Next in the series: Cinder Bock.

21st Amendment Brewing

San Francisco, CA

Monk’s Blood Belgian Strong Dark Ale

8.3% ABV

I’ve talked before about how 21st Amendment has been a consistently good brewery to me. I’ve made my way through all of their regular offerings except two: Hop Crisis, their oak-aged DIPA (which I’ll have to wait a few more months to try), and Monk’s Blood, their Belgian strong dark ale brewed with candi sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, figs and aged on oak. The brewery recently announced they would suspend production of the beer for a while to make room for other beers, so now seemed as good a time as ever to get hooked up.

Short review: Friggin’ amazing. It’s just … damn.

Slightly longer and more detailed review:

The beer pours this gorgeous deep ruby red color, almost a murky brownish color. There’s a really light brownish head on top, but I’ve seen it pour a lot thicker. There’s also an insane amont of carbonation along the side of the glass, but not much lacing. Not really surprising for an 8% beer.

The smell is so rich. The plum and fig scents prominent on most dark Belgian beers is very pronounced, but with a much sweet, sugary smell. There’s also a really slight burn on the nose from the cinnamon as well.

The taste … oh, damn, the taste. It starts with a really light nip from the carbonation, but that lightens up throughout the mouth. This thing just comes in waves of flavor from there on in. It starts with the vanilla, more of an extract sweetness than a smokey bean flavor. That gives way to the candi sugar and figs, along with the expected dark fruits. On the back, the oak flavors punch through. On the first few sips, it’s very pronounced and has kind of a burnt quality to it. But as you go along it becomes much more mellow. And then the cinnamon shines through on the back. It sticks to the back of your throat but doesn’t have that burning sensation. It all kind melts away into this mouth-coating taste of dark fruits and sugar.

This is one of the more complex beers I’ve had in a long time. Every flavor is punctuated and noticeable, but blends together to perfectly. At the same time, for a heavier 8% beer, it’s incredibly drinkable. If you have the chance, GET THIS (while you still can).

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Milton, DE

Aprihop India Pale Ale

7.0% ABV

I’m a creature of habit when it comes to seasons. As soon as it starts to cool off, I can’t get enough stouts, porters and barleywines. But during the spring and summer - especially when the humidity reaches levels that make you feel like you’re swimming as soon as you step outside - I tend to lean toward the lighter fare. For me, that means mostly IPAs.

Last spring was the first time I got to try Aprihop, Dogfish Head’s spring seasonal. At 7%, it may seem like a bit heavier IPA for springtime, but it’s perfect for porch weather. While it is brewed with apricots, giving it that nice tart sweetness, there’s a strong malt character that gives it kind of a chewiness, and it’s pretty aggressively hopped. DHF’s Sam Calagione described as “a fruit beer for people who hate fruit beers,” so it pleases both ends of the spectrum.

Aprihop pours a really dark orange color, almost verging on a copper or brown. It’s crystal clear when you hold it up to the light, and there’s a good two fingers worth of a rocky head on top. A bit of lacing, but nothing drastic.

The apricots are really pronounced on the nose. But again, there’s that malt character that gives it a bready quality. There are also the mango, pineapple and papaya notes you’d expect from an IPA.

The hop character on the front is sweet and a bit biting. At first, the apricot flavor punches through, along with hints of orange, a bit of lemon and other citrus flavors. As that dissipates, the malt characters shine through, giving way to a really nice, chewy mouthfeel. There’s a slight hop and bitterness on the back of the tongue as well. 

This is easily one of my favorite spring beers. It’s extremely well balanced, super drinkable and has a lot of great flavors and characteristics. It’s sweet enough to please fruit beer fans, but hoppy and malty enough to make everyone else happy.