Let's Get Stoopid

Hop Stoopid Ale, that is. This is an Imperial IPA from Lagunitas Brewing Company in California that caught my eye. I’m generally not a big fan of Imperial IPA’s due to the high ABV which I often find to be overpowering, but in this case the taste hides it almost completely.
The pour is a clear golden color with a half inch white head, it is an extremely sweet smelling beer, beautiful hops and citrus aromas. It smells so fresh! The medium body and carbonation is what you would expect for the type, but the taste – wow. At first you’re hit with a powerful bitterness (102 IBU!) accompanied by a wonderful creaminess courtesy of the lingering head. I taste piney grapefruit with a little bit of caramel that then moves to a malty sweetness followed by a nice dry finish. I don’t detect a hint of booziness..
I poured this from a 22 oz. bomber that cost only $4.49 at Half-Time, in Poughkeepsie, NY. Quite a bargain!  At that price you might be tempted to have a second, but be careful, you might not be able to taste the alcohol, but it’s there…If you do have a second you may start to feel a little…stoopid.

Firestone Union Jack - India Pale Ale

I'm not a big IPA drinker but I have come across so many IPA lovers that I decided to try a beer that gets raves from many of my friends: Firestone Union Jack.  This Californian beer is brewed in a unique way using oak barrels that impart some of its complex flavors.  If you're interested, like I was, you can find out more about the brewery and the brewing process here. 

The Union Jack pours gold with slight head.  The first taste is crisp and refreshing with a bit of a bite up front.  It is hoppy in a good way, not overpowering me with its bitterness. After swallowed, this beer leaves a bitter taste on back of my tongue. There is a sourness that lingers like grapefruit juice.  My tongue is left tingling.  After the tingle dies down, I find my tongue asking for more.  It reminds me of when I see someone battle down a hot pepper and then shortly after crave for more.  It’s a sensation that begs for a repeat engagement.

I even feel this beer up in my sinuses like a menthol lozenge.  It seems to clear my sinuses in the same way.  This IPA is very different from the sweet, malty brews I typically lean toward.  But I can see the attraction.  It hits very different senses in the palate and can be just as pleasing.

Union Jack also holds up well to strong tasting food.  In this case, the gourmet tuna melt sandwich I made for dinner. I can't say that I've become an IPA lover myself, but I will definitely be more open to these complex brews in the future.

Brutal Forecast

Yesterday and today I spent twenty-seven hours with my wife and 3 kids, in a car, on a route home from Disney World (more on that trip in another post or two) with the intention of avoiding and ultimately beating to New York the angry storm we all now know as Irene. I was thirsty. What could I chose from my quickly dwindling selection from my recent trip to Half-Time?
A brutal storm like this deserved no less than Rogue Brutal IPA. The beer pours a deep orange with a decent, white, long-lasting head. I’m struck by the beautiful, citrusy aroma and a taste that screams oranges with a touch of caramel. Ironically, I think this is a touch less BRUTAL than Arrogant Bastard Ale but no less deserving of praise. Enjoy, you deserve some Brutal treatment, except from this storm. Be safe my beer drinking friends.

IPA Lovers Flock to Lazy Boy Saloon; Dogfish 120 Minute on Tap

by Kelly

It's Friday, August 19th, 2011. Not a very significant day in history as far as notable world events are concerned. But the definition of "notable" depends, as always, on who you're talking to. Are you a member of the beer loving community, reside in either Rockland or Westchester County and have a burning passion for IPAs? If you answered a resounding "YES!" to all three of those questions, man oh MAN! Was last Friday night YOUR night!

Oh, what's that you say? You weren't aware of the one-night arrival of Dogfish's 120 Minute IPA at Lazy Boy Saloon last Friday?! Well, let me just be clear here: I don't pity you, fool. If you were truly passionate and truly dedicated to seeking out the rare and limited IPA releases in your surrounding area, you WOULD have been there. After all, I was. And I'm not really much of an IPA consumer myself. Yeah...take that!


Okay, so I didn't write this post to hurt your feelings. Instead, I wanted to share a discovery I had made while slowly sipping on my very own glass of DFH 120 IPA last weekend. (Just a reminder: the previous letter-number combination is not some bizarre form of an algebraic equation I just made up. It's an abbreviation of the beer mentioned in the title above. Pay attention!) So, what was this discovery of mine that was so enlightening, you ask?! Without further ado, I present to you: the stronger the IPA, the sweeter the taste!

As many of you know, the fundamental ingredient in all IPAs is hops. These female flower clusters, as hops are more commonly known, cause this particular style of beer to taste very bitter. The 120 indicates the time over which the hops were added during boiling.  Dogfish head also makes 60, 75 and 90 minute IPAs. The more hopping, the more bitter the taste.

The bitterness can make IPAs unpalatable for certain people. (Ahem.) But after three sips into my first glass of DFH 120 IPA, I actually found myself enjoying the drink. The hops, for once, were not staged front and center; what I was tasting most of all was the sweet maltiness. And this was not an accident. Apparently, the stronger the IPA means more hops, which means more malt. This was certainly an unexpected, but thoroughly enjoyed, surprise.

I'll be honest with you: I only drank one glass of the 120 that night. But it was a damn good glass. Sitting at around 18% ABV, you can't really expect to drink more than a couple of these bad boys and make wise, coherent decisions by night's end. I opted for a pint (or two) of Weyerbacher's Pumpkin Ale instead, which were both garnished with a generous sprinkling of cinnamon. Ahhh, fall is certainly descending upon us!