New Years Reviews.

Hello everyone today is a great day. I woke up to the smell of roasted coffee and chocolate malts from the late night homebrew; the birds were chirping my wife commented on how “disgusting” the house smells. It is a great day. I finally recovered from the debauchery and fun we had on new years and wanted to post some of my reviews.

First off let me say thank you to everyone that stopped by on New Years Eve. I had a blast and a half. The night started in the cellar. I let one of my craft suds buddies (Brad) take full control of the wheel and drive us on a craft beer journey. Here is where it all started.

I started with the Shorts Brewing Huma-Lupa Licious. From the website “Named after the hop flower Humulus Lupulus, this India Pale Ale style beer has enormous amounts of hop bitterness, flavor and aroma. With a very complex malt bill, flavors seem to meld with the hops to balance this ale and provide a ridiculous urge to sample more.
76 I.B.U.'s
16.8 deg. Plato
7.0% A.B.V.

I thought it was a very kind start to the evening. It was beautiful and golden in color with a thin white head that dissolves quickly.

The aroma is big juicy Grapefruit and citrus cascading down to piney hops and cracker malts.

The first sip uncovers many of the flavors on the nose with a powerful bitterness bite. The hops spike the palette and slosh over the tongue creating a nice prickle burn effect as they go down.

Mouthfeel was slightly thin for me and carbonation was high.

Drinkability is good. I polished it off in about 8 minutes. It wasn’t my favorite but it wasn’t the worst IPA I have ever drank. One day we will have distribution from Shorts in Atlanta, but until then I will use my underground method of gathering their amazing suds.

My craft suds bud Brad picked the second beer – Founders Backwoods Bastard. OUT – Fing –STADNING. If I could end the review that way I would. This beer is world class and it’s a damn shame it doesn’t get the credit it deserves.

It pours dark with a reddish tinge. Has a beautiful billowy ivory head that remains for quite some time.

Smell is of bourbon barrels vanilla and coconut. Some roasted dark malts, caramel & toffee. Everything that is tasty. It has great balance for being such a big beer.

Sip. Bourbon up front followed by the caramel and malts of this beautiful Scotch Ale. Perfect balance

Thick creamy mouthfeel and light tingly carbonation makes this slow sipper perfect.

You couldn’t ask for a better beer. Definitely in my top 5 only one word to describe it: perfection in a glass.

Check out the rest of the night @ http://craftsuds.blogspot.com/

Welcome friends from http://www.omfgatlanta.com hopefully you bridged the gap and want to continue drinking with us.

I chose the next two beers. Brad enjoys the Two Hearted from Bells so I thought the Mikkellar Green Gold would be right up his alley.

It pours a beautiful amber with a bold white head that remains for the duration of the beer.

Smell is of powerful citrus flesh, grapefruit zest, earthy bitterness, and light musty malts.

Taste is pine forward followed by the sweetness of the pure citrus and lemon. Nice cracker bread malt and tickle of pine balances this beer out. Dirt and earth are a undertone that creates for a nice balance to the harsh hop bite

Creamy mouth feel and bold carbonation make this a easy drinking beer. I wish I had more.

Following the Green Gold was the Mikkellar Simcoe Single Hop IPA. I was not a fan despite the huge rating on beer advocate.

Simcoe profile is: pine and bitter.

The beer smells of pine; Tastes of pine and medicine. The mouthfeel was medium and slick like olive oil. Not a fan, but I believe they accomplished the singe hop experiment and it is drinkable. Just not my cup of tea. ON TO THE NEXT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I switched it up to the wimpy sissy stuff. Think about it. BRAD! I needed a pallet cleanser. Whatever! IDK what you think and the Dark Horse Raspberry Ale was good. Here are just some notes and we can move on.  

Clean manly taste and feel. Bold manly Lemony citrus with some burly manly raspberries in the background. There is a bit of a soapy aftertaste that I'm not crazy about. I guess that's why it tastes clean...Anyway, the mouthfeel is quite masculine. Thin mouthfeel, and full of great mannish carbonation.

This is a man’s beer. It’s for lumberjacks that want to chop wood, get drunk and make out with chicks.

We had 3 more beers that night and the reviews will be up shortly. Stay tuned

Cheers!

Ryan