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    He’Brew R.I.P.A. on Rye

    September 15, 2010
    / Beer Review /
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    Name – He’Brew R.I.P.A. on Rye
    Country – United States
    Type – American Double IPA

    I keep it as no surprise that Lenny’s Bittersweet RIPA is one of my favorite Double IPAs out there.  I will even go as far to say it is in my top 3 for that style.  It is just simply unlike any other beer that I have ever had.  The rye taste is one of the most present in any beer I have tried that claims rye in it.  This may be bad because then I always compare the rye quantity in a beer to Lenny’s.  That’s like always comparing oatmeal stouts to Sam Smith.  It’s tough to compare to.

    So with that I was able to get my hands on a bottle of a very special and limited edition of Lenny’s.  This is He’Brew’s RIPA on Rye.  A version of Lenny’s aged on rye whiskey barrels. When I read about this beer coming out I just thought, “These guys are geniuses!”  I know some would call it gimmicky but I just find it witty as hell.  It was tough to find this though as the availability in South Florida was very limited.  By the time I had heard that BX Beer Depot had it they were out.  But luckily Kevin at the Funky Buddha told they had gotten bottles in so I picked one up there to take home.  So enough of all that.  Let’s get to the beer.

    I popped the cap off of the 22 oz bomber and right away I could smell the rye whiskey barrels.  I poured it into my trusty Dogfish Head snifter and it rested in the glass a brilliant copper, maybe mahogany, color with a nice bubbly off white head.  It left a decent amount of lacing along the glass as well.

    The smell is just out of this world!  It is a mix of the rye malts and the whiskey.  You get a nice woody smell from the barrels as well.

    The first sip is incredible as well.  The rye malts blend oh so well with the vanilla like notes from the barrel.  Bring on some good hop character and slight booziness from the whiskey and this is just an all around wonder of a beer.  The alcohol taste does get more prominent as it warms up but I think that is to be expected.  It does not turn off putting at all.

    I was just so blown away by how good this was that I really couldn’t think of anything out of the ordinary to say in compliments to this beer.  What I will say is damn good job with this one He’Brew.  I hope you make it again and I hope that maybe in a slightly bigger batch.  If you can get a hold of one of these then you absolutely must.

    Guess what?  This one is getting the rare top grade from MikeLovesBeer.com

    Grade – A+

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    Rogue XS Imperial India Pale Ale

    September 13, 2010
    / Beer Review /
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    Name – Rogue XS Imperial India Pale Ale
    Country – United States
    Type – American Double IPA

    So here we are with another one of the little Rogue XS bottles.  I have been disappointed by the first two I have had from the XS line but I am convinced I will find one that I like sooner or later.  Let’s hope for the sooner.

    It pours a hazy orange color into my Cigar City snifter.  There is a very thin white head on it but it is gone quicker than the start of the Kevin Kolb’s first year as the number one quarterback of the Eagles.  Yes I know he’ll be back probably in a couple weeks but I had to make a crack at that.

    Oh the nose is very nice on this one.  Grapefruit, orange and pine hops with a sweet malt smell.  It comes across a lot like bubble gum.  Oh Rogue I may have found an XS series beer I like.  Things are looking up so far.  Or am I jinxing myself?

    So the first sip and it’s definitely bitter.  Very distinct pine hops that also have a very earthy and grassy taste as well.  The malt character that was in the nose has decided to make like the Raiders and just not show up to play.  That earthy bitterness really sticks around for awhile too.

    So it looks like again I am slightly let down by a Rogue XS bottle.  I would say that this is the best of the three I have had so far but it is just not well rounded enough.  While I have been known to like overly hopped IPAs and DIPAs I wish this had more malt backing in the taste.  It is strange that I found a nice malt smell but nothing in the taste.  Bummer.  But if you dig very hoppy and bitter then you may very well like this.

    I will look forward to the Old Crustacean as many people say that is a great beer.  Until then another so so offering.

    Grade – C+

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    Gueuze Girardin 1882 Black Label

    September 11, 2010
    / Beer Review /
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    Name – Gueuze Girardin 1882 Black Label
    Country – Belgium
    Type – Gueuze

    It’s a Saturday afternoon and I just finished work.  Yes I’m working on the weekend.  But a small price to pay to have next Thursday through Sunday off to go to Colorado for the Great American Beer Festival along with nearly countless other beer related activities.  But again my work day is over and it’s time for a beer.  This treat is from a trip to Tampa.

    We don’t get many sour beers down here in South Florida.  We especially don’t get any gueuzes so when I saw this bottle it just jumped into my hands as if it was a puppy that I spotted at the humane society that just knows I am his rightful owner.  And who am I to say no to a cute little puppy, or I mean beautiful gueuze.  Yeah I’ll leave the beautiful in there.

    I poured it into my Bruery tulip carefully as there was a good amount of sediment on the bottom.  I’ll save that for later.  It was a slightly cloudy orangish color that starts collecting a large bubbly head.  But before I can even finish saying “large bubbly head” it disappears into a thin white line across the top of the brew.

    The aroma is very forward but not harsh in the slightest bit.  Apple cider vinegar is the primary scent I pick up with a backing of sour funk and lemon.  Phil from Dos Beerigos had mentioned to me that the bottle of this that he had contained a very unpleasant smell to it.  You might even say he thought it smelt like shit.  Not in this bottle Phil.

    I was a bit surprised by the taste.  Of course it is funky and sour but I get a distinct hay taste in there along with sour apple.  It has some wood like qualities in the back and then there is an almost medicine like after taste to it.  I can’t really decide whether the wood makes it pleasant or the medicine taste makes it a bit off putting.

    While I found this to smell a lot like other gueuzes I have had before the taste was different.  It is much more funky with a lot of strange flavors than it is just sour and tart.  I like this but it has an off after taste.  I know saying a lambic has an off taste is a lot like saying that a curry is spicy.  It comes hand in hand but there is something stranger to this.  I can’t quite completely like it but I also can’t completely dislike it.

    It’s like back to the dog.  He’s so cute and loving but he eats my flip flops.  He is so good around other people but when they leave he takes a crap on the floor.  Maybe we were destined for each other but we are just going to get by living with each other.

    Grade – B-

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