December 14 - Weyerbacher Double Simcoe

I'm going to keep this short, because otherwise I'd rant and rave more than needed about Weis quality control and the fact that this beer was sitting on the shelf in November when it should have been pulled in August. I guess I'll have to be the guy who checks beer expiration dates in the future.

Seriously, if I EVER do this with a beer, punch me in the face...

Normally at 9% I wouldn't care, but this is just a perpetual bomb of floating, flying particulate balls of yeast that I, thankfully, didn't feel the need to chew.

I'll be as impartial as possible, but this just irritates me.  

Tonight another beer from Lehigh Valley brewing company, Weyerbacher, we are having their Double Simcoe IPA.  A double IPA that, again, weighs in at an even 9% ABV.  My brother in law brought this bad boy over about 7 years ago and I haven't had it since.  Honestly, even in light of the yeastiness that was here, I didn't mind it too much.  I'm more pissed at Weis...myself too for not checking the bottle more carefully.

Aside from the white pieces of yeast obstructing the color, it poured a hazy amber color with an off white head at the top of my IPA glass.  Maybe it was unfiltered...

I'm not exaggerating here either...take a look at those floaters!

A sweet malty aroma filled the nose with some citrus pine and earthy hops added in.

The beer tasted just like it smelled, sweet and malty with the citrus and pine hop bite in the finish.  For those who don't really dig hoppy and bitter beers, this one may surprise you.  There just wasn't a harsh bitter here at all.  All in all, a decent DIPA!

3.75 out of 5 hops tonight!

December 2 - Fish Brewing Co. - Ice Breaker...I think?

Welcome back for day #2!  If you're unaccustomed to how things run around here, it's time for Winter Warmer Wednesday!  Each Wednesday, I'll make it a point to review a winter warmer style beer.  Not always a hit with me, but i'll take one for the team.

This is what I want to do to this bottle right now...

Can I be honest for a second? How about for a minute?

I haven't had ANYTHING from this brewery that is something to rave over. I'm pulling for these guys and I don't want to see any craft brewer fail. Some people like these beers, but not me.  I've given them a few tries, different styles even. Nothing so far has piqued my interest enough to purchase another single bottle, let alone a 6 pack or case.  To be brutally honest, I'm soon done buying their stuff.  I have one more later on this month and that's it.  

I'm just getting this beer out of the way. I believe in second chances.  I saw it at Weis and decided, "what the heck.  I'll give these guys another shot since it's something I haven't tried."

Problem #1 - When I searched for this beer on my trusty Untappd app, I either find it under the name Icebreaker or the proper name with a different label.  What exactly am I drinking here?  Not a big deal, but if it's Icebreaker then it's a Double IPA and if it's Winterfish it's a Winter Warmer.  It's a 7.5% beer, in which case it could technically be either style.

My label is like the one in the upper right corner.  Their website shows the bottom right label as "official."  The one on the left...well, see below...

Problem #2 - I did a google search for the brewery to see what they had to say.  Icebreaker isn't even on their site.  It's like it doesn't exist.  

Problem #3 - This beer is just awful.  I'm sorry Fish Tale, but it's awful.  I'll give you the Cliff Notes version since it's just not worth the time.  I'll review this from a DIPA standpoint since there's NOTHING winter warmer about it.  

The beer poured a hazy, golden amber with a decent beige head on top.  The aroma was very earthy hop-like...like dirty hop-like.  

I love hops...even earthy ones...

The taste was exactly the same with an obnoxiously bitter and astringent finish.  It almost reminded me of soap.  Unfortunately, the bitterness hangs on for a long time, as well as the soapy flavor.  

I apologize for the abundance of pictures this evening, but I had to make myself laugh and it needed to be spiced up a tad to be a bearable post.  I need you to want to continue reading the rest of the month, right?  I will forgo another fancy photo collage of my pretty rating and just tell you I gave it a 1 out of 5 on Untappd.  It irritated me from the beginning and since it screwed up my Winter Warmer Wednesday segment, it got demoted.  

Tomorrow will be better...I promise.  You know, since I get to choose what I drink.  Excuse me while I go pour another beer to get this awful taste out of my mouth...

December 18 - Roy Pitz - Daddy Fatsacks

 Roy Pitz Brewing Company - Daddy Fat Sacks

Ok...let's be honest for a second.  If you tell me you've never bought something because of either the packaging or the name, you would be a liar.  Now that we're on the same page and being honest with each other, that is EXACTLY why I bought this beer.  I mean, really, Daddy Fat Sacks?  That's like the epitome of a metaphor for Santa Claus, right?

The Original Daddy Fat Sacks

Roy Pitz Brewing Company, which is a new one to me, is just down the road a bit in Chambersburg, PA.  After looking at the bottle and the strange label that accompanied it, I had to visit the website.  Turns out that these guys are all about creating "liquid art".  It looks like their labels are as creative as their beers.  There are the 4 flagship beers, along with 4 seasonal beers, and 18 specialty brews that are listed on the site.  The brew with the most intriguing name is a specialty released in January called Chicken Leg Oatmeal Stout.  It gets me curious enough to think that maybe they use chicken in the beer?  Probably not, but I'd give it a shot anyway!

...I bet Ludacris would too

Tonight's beer is an American IPA according to Roy Pitz's website.  My go-to beer app Untappd listed it as a Double IPA.  Either way, I can't pass up a new IPA to try, so let's get to it!

I decided to use my specialty Dogfish Head IPA glass to taste this beer tonight and gave it a hefty pour as you can see by the photo.  The head was ginormous!  The beer poured a cloudy, golden orange color.  Upon further inspection it looked like someone dropped a yeast bomb in the glass because there was flakes of sediment everywhere in here which turned me off at first, but I decided to keep an open mind.  This wasn't the first time I've seen sediment in a beer glass before.

...or in a carboy...I drink my own yeast when I brew, so why not someone else's?

The aroma was a floral hop bouquet that had earthy notes and grapefruit.  There was also some malt presence here too, which exhibited itself as mostly a bready, yeasty aroma. 

The taste of this brew threw me off since I was initially expecting a DIPA instead of an American IPA.  There was much more sweet malt flavor compared to the overabundance of hops that I expected.  There was definitely a mild citrus hop bite (and I mean mild) that was predominantly grapefruit.  Even for an American IPA, there wasn't much bitterness here whatsoever.  If you followed the link above, most beers in this style category are much hoppier than this was.  I truly expected to be blown away by hops with this IPA.

I would definitely drink this beer as another go-to IPA if it were more readily available in my area.  The ABV is up there at 7.5% but there is virtually no alcohol presence here at all.  I do enjoy my hops, but the balance here between sweet malt and bitter hops is ridiculous.  I don't know that I've ever seen a more balanced beer in this respect.  For the IPA hater (and I know a few) this may be a safe bet to possibly venture into the realm of the hoppy.  As for the IPA lover, you still get your hop fix while appreciating a well-crafted brew from a local craft brewery. 



A solid 3.5 / 5 hops tonight!



December 5th

 December 5th - He'Brew Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A.

 

After two straight nights of winter warmers, (by the way, I was mistaken that last night's brew of choice...it wasn't technically a brown ale...) I thought I needed to get back to my roots...sort of...

 

India Pale Ale's are, by far, my favorite style of beer.  The first IPA that I ever had was at the beach, on vacation, quite a few years ago.  I took a sip and thought to myself, "Dear God, who wants to drink flowers?"  Now, IPAs are my go-to beer.  I haven't found too many IPAs that I don't like.  If I find a Double IPA it's an added bonus.  A Rye IPA is a variation of an IPA with more malty mouth feel.  Add them all up, and what do you have?  A Rye IPA that weighs in at a very stiff 10% ABV!

 

He'Brew Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A. from Schmaltz Brewing Company, is a very malty, and very hoppy, Rye DIPA.  Made in honor of Lenny Bruce, a Jewish comedian with very controversial viewpoints (insert history lesson), this is brewed with 8 different types of hops and then dry-hopped with 3 types of hops, there is a definite hoppy-presence with this beer.  I have had hoppier beers, but with this one the hop balance is just right.  It pours just like an IPA should with a copper color and an aromatic head.  Overall, quality Rye DIPA!

 

In honor of the Jewish faith and nature of this beer, I give it 4/5 Stars of David.

 

Mazel Tov to you Lenny Bruce!  And Mazel Tov to you if you're Jewish, and reading this too! 

 

If you're not, then to you I say cheers! 

PS - Happy "End Of Prohibition" Day!