Lord Hobo Brewing Co. Boom Sauce

What: Blended Imperial IPA or "hoppy ale" as per the can; 8% ABV  [blend of 3 separate IPAs]

How we had it: Out of a can into a Lord Hobo tulip snifter within one week of packaging

What we saw: Bright and opaque orange with a one finger white foamy head.  Head quickly dissipates to a light layer of foam over top and a nice thick ring around the border of the glass which remains throughout. Beautiful lacing on glass as well.  Really inviting beer to see in a glass and great head retention.

What we Smelled: An interesting combination of tropical fruit and pine.  A faint bready sweetness trails behind the pronounced resinous hop character of this beer balancing the aroma. The hop profile presents ripe pineapple, mango, earth, and pine, with grapefruit becoming more present as the beer warms. 

What we tasted: An immediate attack of hops.  A pleasant bitterness lingers on the tongue but does not overwhelm the palate - but this is a hoppy beer!  The tropical fruit first noticed on the nose follows suit up front of palate with the bitterness coming next.  A really nice malt presence holds up the hops and balances the flavor and bitterness of the hops.  In our opinion, this malt backbone is crucial to the balanced nature of the beer.  The malt backbone of the beer, accomplished by blending three of Lord Hobo's IPAs, allows the hops to shine while maintaining a flavorful vehicle for the bitterness and resinous nature of the 8 hops found in the beer.  At 8%, the ABV lends to the body of the beer but is not more than a faint character in the flavor profile which adds some more complexity to the beer.  Again, as the beer warms, the tropical fruit character gives way to the grapefruit which becomes the dominant flavor.

What we thought: From start to finish this beer displays balance and purpose.  It's a wonderfully crafted blend of three IPAs, blended to achieve that balance.  Along with that balance, the beer lends itself to the dinner table more so than most IPAs.  If you're looking for an IPA that is nothing more than a hop soda, this is not your beer - but if you're looking for a creative, balanced, and complex interpretation of the style this is a winner.  It's more than just hops and we appreciate it's reliance upon a proper and well crafted malt backbone.  Boom Sauce would go fantastic with heavily spiced foods, jerk seasoning, or Indian food (think hot tandoori chicken).  It's a unique interpretation of the style drawing influence from the staple west coast IPAs which brought the style to the forefront in the first place.  It is definitely its own beer.  Try it fresh and let it warm just a bit to allow the complexity of the beer shine.  

J Wakefield Brewing Hazelnut Coffee La Nada

What: Russian Imperial Stout treated with Hazelnut Coffee

How we had it: On draft into snifter

What we saw: Pitch black motor oil pours thick in to the glass leaving a thin tan/brown head.  The head reduces down quickly in to a ring around the glass and a light tan haze on top of the beer.  Held to the light, the beer is completely opaque.  Very rich and inviting appearance.  A really nice looking stout.

What we smelled: You're immediately hit with a wonderfully sweet bouquet of hazelnut, nutella, dark chocolate, and coffee.  As the beer warms, the presence of coffee softens just a bit and allows the hazelnut to become even more prevalent.  A nice roast is present behind the sweet hazelnut throughout the entirety of the glass.  I found myself continuing to go back to get more and more of the aroma as it really adds to the experience of the beer and sets you for the next sip.   

What we tasted:  Balance.  Perceived sweetness up front followed by a sturdy, roasty, and slightly bitter character you expect from a high quality Russian Imperial Stout.  Again, the hazelnut dominates on the front of the palate giving that very sweet first impression.  The sweetness is balanced on the back of the palate by a roasted coffee, dark chocolate, and lingering bitterness on the tongue.  The mouth feel plays beautifully into the richness of the flavors by providing a viscous, creamy, velvety vessel for the layers of flavor and complexity.  As the beer warms the dark chocolate and roast from the coffee and base beer shine even more.  

What we thought:  This is a fantastic and well-balanced treated version of the JWB La Nada Russian Imperial Stout.  While the base beer is fantastic on its own, the hazelnut coffee treatment shines and adds to beer, which is great from start to finish.  The color and consistency are visually appealing coming out of the tap, as it sits in the glass, and on the tongue.  The aroma is inviting and complex.   JWB is producing some of the country's best stouts - always delivering big bold flavors while ensuring a quality base beer and balance.

Green Bench Brewing For the Mad Ones

What: Rye Sour Brown ale aged in Cabernet Sauvignon Barrels; 8.0% abv

How we had it: Out of a 500 ml bottle into a stemmed wine glass

What we saw: Beautiful brown tones with a hint of red/purple.  Crystal clear and very clean looking beer.  Very little foam and little to no lacing.  

What we smelled: Big wine notes are prevalent followed by some oak.  Very dry smell - like sticking your nose into a glass of a big cabernet sauvignon.  The sourness of the beer is also present on the nose - a crisp and refreshing character to round off the rustic wine barrels.

What we tasted: This is a very complex beer!  Up front, the cabernet sauvignon is present, followed by a huge amount of oak.  The beer changes throughout your palate, providing a different experience with the beer as you take each sip.  The big oaky cabernet flavors up front are reduced to a smooth, clean, sour (not too sour) finish.  The finish being so soft and smooth leaves you wanting another sip, while the sourness of the beer makes your mouth water. The pepperiness from the rye is soft and adds a subtle complexity and another layer to the beer that will hit you in the middle of your palate.  The brett is not present as funk and instead adds a nice layer of complexity and allowed for an incredibly dry finish to the beer.  Clean, complex, peppery, fruity, sour. 

What we thought:  We loved this beer.  It had so much to it that we found that every sip presented us with a different experience.  There was layer after layer of flavor and smell.  As it warmed, the cabernet character became more prevalent but the sourness, provided by the kettle souring process, gives a really refreshing back end to the beer that balances the very big, rich flavors that you first experience.  There's just so much to this beer - the immediate visual of the beer, clear and clean is off set by the massive oak and wine notes which are complemented by the rye, and then you are presented with a sour, dry finish that actually matches the visual of the beer in the glass.  Do not expect funk here!  This beer was never meant to be funky and we liked that about it.  For a full explanation of the beer, its name, the process behind how it was made, and a visual; watch our conversation with Khristopher Johnson, the head brewer at Green Bench - we talk about For the Mad Ones at ~30:00 in.

Side Project Brewing Blanc de Blancs

What: Side Project Brewing Blanc de Blancs (10% abv) [Batch 1 (released 9/24/14)].  A biere de champagne fermented in chardonnay barrels with chardonnel grapes.

How we had it: Out of 375ml bottle into a side project stemmed tulip.

What we saw: A hazy orange/gold color.  Little to no head on the pour and fades almost immediately leaving only a ring of white bubbles hugging the glass.  Held against a white back drop the color turns more to a straw yellow.  The beer screams farm to us.  It's a really pleasant beer to look at and get you excited to see what's coming.

What we smelled: Immediately you're hit with a really nice fruity tartness - so much so your mouth will begin to water.  The tartness is followed by a slight sweetness, presumably from the white grapes.  Just like a nice white wine, a slight minerality is picked up on the nose too; almost like a blend between a slight oak chardonnay and a sauvignon blanc.  A bit of oak comes through and as it warms just a bit, you'll pick up some funky cheesy notes.  A really nice nose on this beer and very complex.

What we tasted: Wow!  Immediate tartness refreshes your palate and makes your mouth water.  White grape is prevalent throughout, playing into the tartness up front all while providing a residual sweetness that balances the beer out.  Let the beer sit on your tongue a little while and get ready to grab that beautiful sour grape.  The beer seems to coat your teeth and tongue.  The body perfectly balances the flavors and leaves you craving another sip.  The oak comes through in the finish which reminded us of a really delicate dry champagne (hence the name).   Almost like drinking a funky, barnyard champagne - awesome!

What we thought: This beer is absolutely fantastic.  For those lucky enough to have gotten a bottle of this extremely limited release, count your blessings.  The best part about this beer was the complexity on every level, beginning with the look of the beer, the nose on the beer, and ending in the taste.  Each sensory experience topped by the next.  We drank it on its own to really experience the subtleties and nuances of this wild ale but could really see this as a beer you could drink with an assortment of cheeses.  Some cheeses we would recommend are a fresh goat cheese, a creamy brie or a funky Camembert.  The acidity from the beer would really cut through the fattiness of the cheese and play together nicely.  On that same note, this beer would go great with some very savory foods like caviar, lobster, scallops, foie gras, or curried dishes.  An all around beautiful representation of the style and worth the difficulty in getting a bottle!

Terrapin Beer Maggie's Peach Farmhouse Ale

What: Terrapin Beer Maggie’s Peach Farmhouse Ale (5.3% ABV; 22 IBU; Seasonal)

How we had it: Bottle poured into a pint glass

What we saw: gold/straw yellow beer.  Long lasting white head.

What we smelled: Peaches!  Sweet fresh picked Georgia Peaches.  Terrapin uses 1,000 pounds per 100 barrel batch!  Nice saison funk lingers in the background.  Did we say peaches?

What we tasted: Crisp refreshing farmhouse ale with a slight funk and ripe sweet peaches on the finish.

What we thought: Great summer release from Terrapin.  Perfect beer to have while at the beach or by the pool on a hot summer day.  Pair with creamy white cheeses, figs, crisp salads, and grilled chicken.