Stone Japanese Green Tea IPA, India Pale Ale Brewed with Green Tea

 Stone Japanese Green Tea IPA, India Pale Ale Brewed with Green Tea.

10.1% ABV. Brewed and bottled by Stone Brewing, Escondido, CA, with Baird and Kiuchi breweries, Japan. 

Clear, bright golden hue, slim white head.

In the nose: Dank. Resinous. Fruity. Hoppy. And I’m getting a little tea.

In the mouth: why doesn’t the label say double IPA, or even triple? Doubly dank, deeply resinous overwhelming in its hop attack, gobsmackably boozy. And, sure, there’s some tea in it. Some sweetness, but largely bitter. Tea is in there somewhere. Kompai!

Our style of brewing has always been about taking chances. It’s an extension of our “What if” mentality, wherein we ask ourselves what would happen if we did things di­fferently in the brewhouse, such as fermenting with a di­fferent strain of yeast or, in the case of this beer, incorporating whole-leaf green tea imported from Japan. The answer, embodied in this IPA when we first released it in 2011, was something truly magnificent, delicious and well worth brewing again. But what if we changed it up a bit? This time around, we exchanged Pacifica hops from New Zealand for Helga hops from Australia. The result is an IPA that’s as bright, herbaceous and bitingly hoppy as the one that’s had our fans requesting its return ever since its depletion from store shelves, but with a modern, hop-driven twist that makes this second draft unique and tasty in its own right.

Southern Tier IPA

 Southern Tier IPA. 

7 % ABV, 60 IBU, Southern Tier Brewing, Lakewood, New York. 

I bought a Southern Tier 15-pack recently, because I haven’t had them in a while, and 15 is better than 12. That means I have 4 new  Southern Tier IPAs to review. Why not 5? One is a hazy IPA and I do not review those here anymore. You knew that. I’ll drink them, but I won’t enjoy and have grown tired of complaining about them. 

Clear, golden hued, large and lasting ivory head.

In the nose: soft, floral, slightly spicy, but most of all citric. 

In the mouth: more citrus zest and bright hoppiness on the palate. Minor sweetness to match the bitter, which hangs hard in the finish. A bit earthy, predominantly critic, with a touch of pine. Tasty stuff, good beer and you can drink it. 

Our IPA is timeless - brewed for those who give a damn about a well-crafted beer. As one of our original beers, its quality and consistency helped grow the popularity of IPAs from the ground up. The citrus and pine hop profile balanced by a subtle caramel sweetness are standard for a classic American IPA.

Wooden Ship Another IPA

 Wooden Ship Another IPA. 

5.1% ABV, Citra and Chinook. Wooden Ship Brewing, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

Largely clear, bright golden hue, ivory froth atop. 

In the nose: citrus for sure, slightly spicy, a touch floral. 

In the mouth: crisp and clean and plenty bitter. Grapefruit and orange and pine.Light bodied, with just a trace of malt. Superbly drinkable. 

Very diggable IPA. 

A malt-forward IPA made with Citra and Chinook hops

Alluvial The Visitor Triple Chocolate Barrel Agef Imperial Stout

 Alluvial The Visitor Triple Chocolate Barrel Aged Imperial Stout.

“September 2020 on 3rd Anna Weekend “ (was this written by Jeff, who gave me the bottle, or the brewery?)

11% ABV, 57 IBU. Alluvial Brewing, Ames, Iowa.

Full ebony appearance, cocoa tingedhead, a bit brief, utterly opaque. A little dirty at the top, as it diminishes. 

In the nose: chocolate dominates the aromatics, then along comes deeper, richer malty flavors, with barrel touches just below. 

In the mouth: thick, rich, dark, decadent. Chocolate frosting, fudge, oh, this is strong stuff, and it’s not on the label. Gonna have to look it up. Wait right here. 

11%? Is that all? I will finish this bottle and it will put me to sleep and I’ll be just fine in the morning, I promise. 

Whiskey barrel flavors coming on stronger, with dark fruits rising up to match the cocoa. Thoroughly delightful. 

Cholaca liquid cacao, Ghirardelli cocoa and Tcho cacao nibs. Aged 1 year in first use whiskey barrels.

Montgomery Brewing MNCity Pale Ale

 Montgomery Brewing MNCity Pale Ale.

4.7 % ABV, Montgomery Brewing, Montgomery, MN.

Clear, bright golden hue, large, fluffy white head.

In the nose: floral, citrusy, hops a’poppin.’ Vibrant, vivacious.

In the mouth: soft slide onto the palate, with appropriate bitterness clinging on through the finish. Just malty enough, hoppy enough to bring balance. Meanders a bit to the sweet side, but bitter comes back to correct. Smooth and satisfying. 

"Minn" City Pale Ale is a refreshing and hoppy brew that is perfect for any occasion. This American-style pale ale is brewed with a blend of three classic hop varieties - Centennial, Cascade, and Amarillo - which gives it a distinct citrusy, floral aroma and a well-balanced flavor profile.

Three Floyds Pride & Joy Pale Ale

 Three Floyds Pride & Joy Pale Ale.

5% ABV, Three Floyds Brewing, Hammond, Indiana.

Ten years ago, I posted a review of Three Floyds Pride & Joy, but that’s when it was called a mild ale. Two years ago, I reviewed a beer called Pride &Joy 3000 that tasted more like a pale ale. And now, in the latest variety pack, we have a new P & J with the same label as the first, this time called a pale ale. Am I reviewing the same beer three times? Am I confused? Definitely yes to the second question, maybe also to the first?

Clear, bright golden hue, large, soft, creamy head.

In the nose: grassy, citrus, revealing malt notes below.

In the mouth: just a little bit of bitterness blesses the palate splash of grapefruit and orange, smidgeon of pine, dose of clean, biscuity malt just beneath. Crisp, medium bodied, expertly drinkable. Smooth, hoppy and utterly lovely. 

And I’m very sure this is the same beer, but properly named this time.

A smooth, medium-bodied pale ale with a bright citrus hop aroma and finish.

Great Lakes Chillwave Imperial IPA

 Great Lakes Chillwave Imperial IPA.

9% ABV, Great Lakes Brewing, Cleveland, Ohio. 

Clear, bright golden hue, with amber edges, slim, creamy head. 

In the nose: swirls of dank citrus and deep malt, slight sweetness, fruit aplenty.

In the mouth: fierce on the tongue, rich on the palate, hoppy goodness compounds it’s delights. Bitterness blazes, juicy, fruity sensations play among the senses. High alcohol rings loud and clear. Nicely numbing, slipping into sublimity. Ever so chillaxing. 

Inspired by the North Coast's dedicated (and sometimes chilly) surf community, our fully stoked Double IPA will melt the ice in your beard and never lose its balance.

Wooden Ship The Three Wishes of Rick IPA

 Wooden Ship The Three Wishes of Rick IPA. 

5.3 % ABV, Wooden Ship Brewing, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

It was my first visit to Wooden Ship since last September. I’m back on the bike, enjoying the trip around the lakes. They’ve phased out crowlers for 16 ounce cans, and I was glad to learn that they happily assembled mixed four packs. So, this is one of four, with more to come. 

The three wishes of Rick. 

Yet another Wooden Ship beer that references Rick. I’m guessing he said, “I wish we had an IPA with Citra, Mosaic, and Simcoe hops, my three favorites. I’d bet Al would like it.”

Clear, bright golden hue, slim, lasting, ivory head. 

In the nose: citrus and tropical fruity notes popping up in the aroma. 

In the mouth: moderate bitterness blesses the palate. Blasts and bites, then along comes smooth and malty. Orange and grapefruit meets pineapple and papaya, with a dose of berries. Just a little juicy. Long, bitter finish. 

This is definitely my kind of IPA. Delicious.