They will call me this when I am a grandpa - Gritty McDuff's OPS IPA

While this might not be the first IPA I have reviewed, it is certainly the one with the longest name! Today I am reviewing the clever/lengthy Gritty McDuff's Original Pub Style Maine's Classic Pale Ale...whew!





Well, not only is this the longest named beer I have ever consumed, but also the most difficult to find a decent photo of! GMD's is a nice, lightly colored IPA with a subtle aroma and a quickly dissipating head...the flavor, however, is much softer than I expected. There is very little hoppiness to speak of, and this beer actually tastes a bit like dry toast (which, I should add, isnt necessarily a bad thing, just something I wasnt expecting)...the finish is smooth and there is no lingering aftertaste (something that can be a bit of a turn off about stronger IPAs).

All in all, I wouldn't say that this is my favorite IPA, but certainly not one I would scoff at if given to me. This is a very good starter IPA for those who are uncertain about diving into a strong IPA, but not necessarily memorable for those who are looking for a more falvorful brew!

Flavor: Light hoppiness with heavy hints of toast (?)
Color: Golden and clean
Alcohol Content: 6.2% (by volume)
Average Price: $12.99 (12 pack)

Maximus - best name never: Lagunitas Maximus IPA

I was in need of some crisp and cool hoppiness this evening, so I decided to turn to one of the IPAs I was holding off on (since, admittedly so, the blog is very IPA heavy). Tonight, we look into the self proclaimed "greatest" IPA in Lagunitas' Maximus IPA.





Lagunitas is a California based brewing company (is it me, or do most IPAs come from the west coast?) that currently only ships beer to 29 states and 2 Canadian provinces. They constantly brew 7 different types of beers, including 2 different IPAs, along with a nice variety of seasonal beers.

I tried to pour this beer a little harder than I typically do to judge the true head of the beer which, not to my surprise, was minimal and quickly dissipated, but was much more visible than when I typically pour my beers. The beer is a clear, golden color typical of many classic IPAs and has a subtle, hoppy aroma. The flavor is smooth and refreshing, with a nice undertone of hops that does not over power the flavor of the beer. Underneath the hops is a soft citrus and spice that balances out the hops.

I can honestly say that this is one of the better IPAs I have tried lately. As much as I enjoy a skull-crushing hoppiness, sometimes it is nice to be able to see clearly after drinking a beer! This is an IPA that could easily be tolerated by those who are new to stronger flavored beers, but tasty enough for the professionals to enjoy. I like to think about having several beers of one type over the course of a night as a gauge to the quality of beer...this is a beer that I could enjoy several of without tiring and wanting to switch to something else!

Do yourself a favor and pick up some Lagunitas Maximus IPA to try for yourself!


Flavor: Hoppy and citrus with nice spicy notes
Color: Golden with a nice clean finish
Alcohol Content: 7.5% (by volume)
Average Price: $10.98 (6 pack)

Calories: 233
Total Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0g
Carbs: 21.5 g
Protein: 1 g

James and Jessie: Awesome Review! - Sweet Water 420

Today is a first for the blog as both Jess (http://kamikazegourmet.blogspot.com/)and I are doing our first duo review together...As it is her first time to the site, she gets to pick the beer. Today we are reviewing Sweet Water 420 IPA.





This beer has a very clear and crisp amber color, Jess describes as a deep amber (perhaps a nice caramel complextion?) Little to no noticeable head, although a few bubbles are lingering along the top. For the rest of the review, I will simply dictate Jess' thoughts on the beer: "First taste is hoppy and made my tongue tickle...I had it in Atlanta for the first time while attending a museum event. It is a beer that will always remind me of Atlanta, and it makes me nostalgic for those times. My friend Mac brought this for me on a visit to Orlando...to my knowledge you cannot buy this beer anywhere but where it is locally brewed."

James back: This is a very good IPA (I promise some more variety is coming to the review soon!) and has a slight hint of baked flavor, as odd as that sounds. Jess came up with the idea of the beer review as a nice little break from my current P90X diet. I am certainly glad that I decided to give up my carb portion for the day to enjoy this refreshing IPA!


Flavor: Crisp and earthen...slight hoppiness with a nice baked finish
Color: Caramel Amber
Alcohol Content: 5.4% (by volume)
Average Price: $7.99 (6 pack) Only available in the Metro-Atlanta area

And, since I am trying to maintain my diet I think ill include this in all future updates:

Calories: 185
Total Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0g
Carbs: 15g
Protein: 0g

My grandma and your grandma - Abita Jockamo IPA

Seems like my blog has been very "IPA" centric over the past few weeks...I am almost through with my current 6, so I will be certain to mix things up with the next 6. If you feel like there are any you would like me to test out, let me know (although I have some ideas that I think might be entertaining/funny).

Up today for tasting is the Abita Jockamo IPA:





Abita Brewing Co. is a new brewery to me, so I decided to do a little research into what they were all about before I sampled this beer. The brewery is located in Abita Springs, Louisiana and they actually make quite a few beers which I have heard of (the most famous I suppose would be the Purple Haze). If you get a chance, check out their website...it is one of the nicer ones I have seen from a brewery: http://abita.com/


The beer is a very pale amber color, which seems unique among many of the other IPAs I have tried...a nice head that, while decreases in size, has yet to fully disappear entirely (which I am not certain has anything to do with the quality of the beer, but I always find it desireable to have a few bubbles in my beer). The taste is smooth and mildly hoppy...a nice compliment to the look of the beer. Within writing this last paragraph, I have nearly completed my beer and cannot find anything to complain about it. A very tasty beer!

Here is some food pairing (directly from their website): "The spicy aroma of the hops contrasts nicely with the pleasant sweetness of the malts. Jockamo has a flavor that entices and excites the palate. The intense hop character makes it among the perfect choice to team up with many spicy dishes. Cheddar and strong farmer cheeses stand up well to Jockamo’s hoppy character. Cajun food is a natural pairing, as is Thai, or Mexican cuisine."


All in all, I would not only call this a wonderful IPA, but a great beer overall as well. The unassuming flavor is a nice introduction to IPAs for those who are unfamiliar, but will also please those (like myself) who are looking to test the ranges of beer from top to bottom. Beeritarian approved!


Flavor: Smooth and mellow hoppiness...not overpowering, but still noticeable
Color: Light amber/slightly reddish
Alcohol Content: 6.5% (by volume)
Average Price: $8.99 (6 pack)





Also, as a little aside, I wanted to let everyone know about my intentions on trying to brew and (eventually) sell my own beer. Dave and I have discussed this, and given our love of beer, this seems a logical conclusion. So, if you have any advice, words of encouragement, or ideas, please let me know!

"Immortals... we put their name to the test" - Titan IPA

I really love the fact that Jess knows how much I love IPAs...after checking the fridge, I noticed that I have a few more pale ales to sample over this evening festivities...I will have it noted for the official record that my drinking partner is now asleep on the couch (what a wimp).

In honor of the strength that Emma shows when she jumps heroically onto the couch and thrust herself under her warm blanket, I will be reviewing ALONE (thanks Emma) the Great Divide Brewing Company's Titan IPA.





Titan looks much more like a traditional IPA vs. the Red Seal Ale...nice amber color, strong hoppy aroma. The first taste was very similar to the Red Seal Ale: surprisingly strong. However, unlike the RSA, I was expecting this beer to be a stronger flavor, so having it exceed my expectations would have to rank this beer a bit lower than I would have liked. It is not a bad beer, just perhaps a little more punch than I would have liked between bites of Chicken McNuggets.

I would probably recommend this beer for the sheer fact that I love a nice strong beer, but perhaps heed some caution before facing this Titan; the bigger they are, the stronger they hit...


Flavor: Strong, nearly overpowering, hoppiness...
Color: Medium amber color
Alcohol Content: 7.1% (per volume)
Average Price: $1.83 (bottle)

Awwww: Black eyes...Red Seal Ale

Well, I really shouldn't threaten myself with a good time...I told Jess that while she was on her trip to Georgia that I was going to do a 6 beer review. Well, she called my bluff and purchased me 6 different beers to do reviews on! Join me on my journey from beer to beer; sobriety to inebriation.


I chose this first beer in honor of my drinking partner for the evening (and a reason I am sure that Jess picked this beer as well): Emma! Both she and seals have much in common...long bodies, black eyes, smooth fir, and an overall cuteness about them.





Red Seal Ale is brought to us North Coast Brewing Company, the same company that makes Old Rasputin (reviewed a few posts ago by yours truly). I really enjoyed the Rasputin and at first glance it looks like I should really enjoy this beer as well. A great red color with no noticeable flaws (no cloudiness or specks). After pouring the beer, the head was quick to subside, but never quiet vanished.

My first taste was meet with much more bitterness than I had expected...much more like an IPA than I anticipated. After reviewing their website, I was surprised to see that this beer actually is an IPA! the color threw me off a bit, but the tastebuds are always batting 1000. The hoppiness grips you nicely without overpowering the smoothness of the beer. I am still slightly shocked by how wonderful this beer is!

I have reviewed so many other IPAs in this blog (in addition to trying so many others that have yet to be reviewed), so I dont think there is much more room for description on what makes an IPA great, but I will part is saying that this will rank among one of the best beers I have ever tasted (and Emma gives her approval too!)


Flavor: Smooth hoppiness, delicious...
Color: Flawless red hue
Alcohol Content: 5.5% (per volume)
Average Price: $8.79 (6-pack)



What a good drinking buddy!

"I believe the proper term is buffalo" - Bison Organic IPA

I have always been skittish about foods that are labeled "organic"...I know that they tend to spoil much more quickly but are generally consider better for you. Beer, however, seemed to be doing quite fine with it's illustrious history of being "non-organic" (or rather, without proclaiming it's organic-ness). Jess purchased me this beer, and it will be my first leap into the world of organic beers...let's see if this shall be an odysseain voyage or a quick trip to the 7-11.





At first glance, this beer is your traditional darker amber color and hoppier scented IPA...the beer is slightly clouded, though I am not sure if this is a typical feature of organic beers. My first taste was a pleasantly strong hoppiness that was powerful enough to perk my interest, but no so strong as to turn me off to the beer immediately. Also, and this might be because I was searching for something that might make an organic beer taste differently, I can detect a subtle earthiness about the Bison IPA.

I don't have any food to compare this IPA to, but you can always click on the links at the side of the page to read some of my older IPA reviews to get a good idea of what to eat while enjoying a fine pale ale such as this one. After reviewing it this way, I would recommend drink this beer with your favorite music playing on Pandora while messing around with your beetle collection (although, I am probably the only person in the world listening to Kanye West while preparing their Xylotrupes gideon for mounting).



(This type of beetle, although not necessarily this type of mounting)


All in all, a very tasty beer and a good enough one to help me shake off some of my fears about trying other types of organic beers...I would definitely give this the Beeritarian Seal of Approval.


Flavor: Hoppy and strong, without being overpowering in it's strength
Color: Dark amber and cloudy
Alcohol Content: 6.8% (per volume)
Average Price: $1.99 (bottle)

Smuttynose - IPA

Welcome back my old friend...Indian Pale Ale, how could I gone so long without your beautiful taste on my lips? Tonight I will be sampling a beer that Jess bought for me. The next several beers are gifts from her to me (suggesting more and more that I named this blog aptly).






Since this is an IPA, I knew that I should be expecting bitterness and a slightly amberish color, however I was surprised by what I saw after I poured the beer into my glass. If you look at the photo above, you will see something similar to what I saw: white specks floating in the beer! After doing a little research, it appears that certain IPAs will have the malts stick and create clumps in the beer. I haven't yet determined if this is considered a negative feature in a beer, but it didnt deter me from drinking it (although, this is only post 3, maybe i'll get more snooty?)

Again, the beers flavor was as expected...bitter and hoppy, just like an IPA should be! The flavor was less intense than the Sierra Nevada Torpedo, which might make this a better jumping off point for someone who wants to try an IPA, but isn't quite ready for the SNT...All in all, a very tasty and flavorful IPA...remember to look past the floaters!

Flavor: Bitter, but less so than the Sierra Nevada Torpedo
Color: Light amber with little hoppy specks
Alcohol content: 6.9% by volume
Average price: $9.59 (6 pack)

Sierra Nevada - Torpedo

First, let me state that this blog will be different than perhaps others that I have started...I actually have passion to create and continue this one. Beer is something that I feel I have a good amount of knowledge about and even more drive to experience more. Thank you for joining me on this adventure!





Sierra Nevada Torpedo

This beer is one of my favorites and I am pleased to be beginning my blog with this one. This beer is classified as an Indian Pale Ale (to be referred from now on as IPAs). A little history on the IPA...these beers are named this because during British rule of India, brewers needed to add extra hops to the beer to help preserve the beer for long oceanic freight trips to the East.

Given the extra hops, IPAs have a noticeable bitter taste, and Torpedo is no different. This beer might be a strong jumping off point for someone who is just beginning to experience beer or perhaps is looking for something new to try. I would recommend starting with a classic Sierra Nevada (which I am sure I will be sampling at some point in the near future). I personally love the sharp bitterness that comes with the Torpedo, since it is a nice compliment to a variety of different types of foods:

-Burgers
-Wings
-Fish and Chips

This beer has a nice dark amber color and, if given enough time to breath, will create a thick head that helps aromate the beer. I would recommend this beer to anyone who likes bitter IPAs or is looking to try something unique and new!

Flavor: Strong bitterness
Color: Amber
Alcohol content: 7.2% by volume
Average price: $8.99 (6 pack)