Knee Deep Brewing Company Lupulin River Imperial IPA

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is Knee Deep Brewing Company Lupulin River Imperial IPA.

From the Knee Deep Brewing Company website: “This Double IPA includes Mosaic and Simcoe hops, South American specialty malt, and tons of tastiness. Looks like liquid gold, smells like a bright tropical fruit pine forest, and tastes like all that and more.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a clear golden orange amber with a creamy white head and nice lacing.

Aroma: Sweet, citrus, dank, tropical, stone fruits, pine, grainy and biscuit malts.

Taste: Citrus, tropical, some pine, grainy, biscuit and some sweet malts.

Overall: Flavorful, balanced and extremely drinkable, Knee Deep Brewing Company Lupulin River Imperial IPA is very well done.  This 8% ABV offering is a must find for fans of the style.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

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Golden Road Brewing Back Home Gingerbread Stout

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is Golden Road Brewing Back Home Gingerbread Stout.  I picked this can up at The Wine Club in San Jose (here). They have a small craft beer section, but they have an incredible selection.  If you're anywhere near The Wine Club go visit them and tell 'em Mark from NorCal Beer Blog sent you!

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours dark brown with a thick tan head and light lacing.

Aroma: Gingerbread cookies, cinnamon, allspice, roasted malts, graham cracker and a touch of chocolate.

Taste: Gingerbread – heavy on the ginger – vanilla, roasted malts, cinnamon, chocolate, nutmeg, allspice and a slight graham cracker flavor.

Overall: A nice seasonal, Golden Road Brewing Back Home Gingerbread Stout is good holiday drinking.  I don’t know that I could drink more than one of these 8.5% ABV offerings, but for the right occasion (or dessert) it is excellent. I’d pick it up again.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

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The Rare Barrel Cosmic Dust - Golden Sour Beer Aged In Oak Barrels With Hibiscus

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is The Rare Barrel Cosmic Dust - Golden Sour Beer Aged In Oak Barrels With Hibiscus.

From the The Rare Barrel website: “Cosmic Dust is our golden sour beer aged in oak barrels with hibiscus. This sour is fermented with Brettanomyces yeast and Lactobacillus bacteria.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours clear golden honey with light pink tones, a thin light pinkish-white head and nice lacing.

Aroma: Tart and sour, stone fruits, citrus, sweet grains, slight oak and hibiscus.

Taste: Stone fruits, tart, sour, citrusy, floral, sweet grains and hibiscus.

Overall: Dry, floral, fruity and sour, The Rare Barrel Cosmic Dust - Golden Sour Beer Aged In Oak Barrels With Hibiscus is delicious.  This 5.4% ABV offering is not over the top tart – exceptionally created and left me wanting much more. Highly recommended!

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

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Cigar City Brewing Patio Pils - Pre-Prohibition Pilsner

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is Cigar City Brewing Patio Pils - Pre-Prohibition Pilsner.

From the Cigar City Brewing website: “This special summer seasonal release is a Pre-Prohibition Pilsner with a modern twist. We improve on the traditional recipe by replacing six-row barley and Cluster hops with premium two-row pilsner malt and imported premium noble hop varietals. This updated version of a classic Pre-Prohibition Pilsner style lager pairs well with with Cuban sandwiches, fresh corn chips with Salsa Fresca, Tostones, Ropa Vieja and of course good company.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a hazy pale yellow with a fluffy white head and nice lacing.

Aroma: Grainy, bready, floral, grassy and citrus hops, scents of honey and slight spice.

Taste: Sweet and grainy malts, grassy and citrus hops and honey.

Overall: Refreshing and crisp, Cigar City Brewing Patio Pils - Pre-Prohibition Pilsner is easy drinking.  I enjoyed this 6% ABV offering.  Worth a try for fans of the style.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

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Clown Shoes Beer Luchador En Fuego Mexican-style Chocolate Stout - Stout brewed with spices, vanilla added, and aged in bourbon barrels

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is Clown Shoes Beer Luchador En Fuego Mexican-style Chocolate Stout - Stout brewed with spices, vanilla added, and aged in bourbon barrels.

Commercial description: “Our third anniversary beer up sizes Chocolate Sombrero, using extra ancho chile and adding chipotle pepper. We aged the brew 100% in bourbon barrels. May it leap onto your palate majestically, like a luchador who flies into the ring from atop the highest rope.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours black with a small mocha colored head and lots of sticky lacing.

Aroma: Chocolate, bourbon, vanilla, caramel, roasted malts, oak, peppers, light coffee and dark fruits.

Taste: Dark chocolate, peppers, but not spicy, caramel, bourbon, vanilla, cinnamon, roasted malts and the slight hints of coffee and dark fruits.

Overall: Well executed, Clown Shoes Beer Luchador En Fuego Mexican-style Chocolate Stout is delicious.  This 11% ABV offering has a little heat from the alcohol, but none from the peppers.  The flavors mix well and I highly recommend this (if you can find it).

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

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Snowshoe Brewing Company Thompson Pale Ale

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is Snowshoe Brewing Company Thompson Pale Ale.

From the Snowshoe Brewing Company website: “Snowshoe Thompson Pale Ale is a medium-bodied, copper-colored ale with malty nose and distinct hop finish. Fruity, hoppy, and refreshing. Very balanced and flavorful. Fresh, clean, and tasty.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a clear copper color with a thin white head and streaks of lacing.

Aroma: Citrus, light tropical and some pine hop scents, caramel and toffee.

Taste: Sweet malts upfront, citrus and some pine hop bitterness, toffee, caramel and a slight bready aftertaste.

Overall: Easy drinking and crisp, Snowshoe Brewing Company Thompson Pale Ale is a nice Pale Ale.  This 5.5% ABV offering is nicely balanced, sweet and mildly hoppy.  I enjoyed it!

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

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North Coast Brewing Company Puck The Beer - Petite Saison

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is North Coast Brewing Company Puck The Beer - Petite Saison.

From the North Coast Brewing Company website: “First brewed to celebrate our 25th anniversary, the beer now known as PUCK, a petite saison of 4% ABV, won a place in our hearts and in our year-round portfolio of beers. Brewed with premium Pils and wheat malts and fermented with the same yeast strain used to make our renowned Saison, Le Merle, Puck is sharp and spritzy with a delicious flowery, spicy dry-hop aroma—the perfect accompaniment to any celebration, big or small.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a clear pale golden color with a huge white head and spotty lacing.

Aroma: Grainy, Belgian yeast, citrus, grassy, spice and floral notes.

Taste: Citrus, bready sweetness, grainy and a bit toasty, Belgian yeast, light tropical fruit and a touch of spice.

Overall: Light and crisp, North Coast Brewing Company Puck The Beer - Petite Saison is refreshing and delicious.  This 4% ABV offering is tasty and worth trying for fans of the style.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

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Green Man Brewing Company The Dweller Imperial Stout

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is Green Man Brewing Company The Dweller Imperial Stout. I picked this bottle up at Stella Brew (here) in Winston-Salem, NC. They have an excellent selection and we’re very helpful helping me pick out some local “must have” beers to bring home.  If you find yourself in the area stop in, buy some beverages and tell them that Mark from NorCal Beer Blog sent you!

From the Green Man Brewing Company website: “Robust and warming, this stout has hints of coffee and dark chocolate. A complex variety of roasted malts, and moderate hopping temper the pleasant sweetness of this brew. This special batch lurked in our cellar until our brewers felt it was worthy of its name.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours black with a tan frothy head and excellent lacing.

Aroma: Dark chocolate, dark roasted coffee, roasted malts, dark fruits and some caramel.

Taste: Roasted malts, dark chocolate, dark roasted coffee, caramel, dark fruit and a touch of molasses sweetness.

Overall: Creamy, malty and a touch boozy, Green Man Brewing Company The Dweller Imperial Stout is delicious.  This 10% ABV offering is a wonderful sipper and one I’d look forward to drinking again.

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

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Wicked Weed Brewing Lusus Naturae Brettanomyces Wild Double IPA

Hello beer lovers and welcome to another edition of the NorCal Beer Blog's brew review.

Tonight’s featured beer is Wicked Weed Brewing Lusus Naturae Brettanomyces Wild Double IPA. I picked this bottle up at Stella Brew (here) in Winston-Salem, NC. They have an excellent selection and we’re very helpful helping me pick out some local “must have” beers to bring home.  If you find yourself in the area stop in, buy some beverages and tell them that Mark from NorCal Beer Blog sent you!

Commercial description: “Lusus Naturae is a dry, North Carolina Double IPA brewed with thoroughbred Riverbend Malt and 30 lbs of fresh off-the-vine Cascade wet hops from Echo View Farms.  It is dry hopped with over 3 lbs per barrel and finish with our house Brettanomyces strain. Drink this hoppy goodness fresh or lay it down to bring out the Funk.”

Let’s get started!

Appearance: Pours a light golden orange with a slight bit of haze, a thin white head and spotty lacing.

Aroma: Tropical fruit, citrus, grainy sweetness, biscuit and a slight scent of Brett funk.

Taste: Tropical and citrus hop flavors, some mango, biscuit malts, some sweetness and Brett funk.

Overall: Easy drinking, Wicked Weed Brewing Lusus Naturae Brettanomyces Wild Double IPA is delicious.  This 8.4% ABV offering was nicely bitter, juicy with a dry finish. Highly recommended!

Cheers!

Mark Harvey

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