Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA

Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA



http://www.dogfish.com/brews-spirits/the-brews/year-round-brews/90-minute-ipa.htm


     Do you remember him?  Our old friend from Dogfish Head?  Well if you don't then go here: 60 Min.  In this video we learn a little more about both the beer and the spokesperson.  For example, he apparently loves his malt mill.  Also, they continually added the hops using an old school football board game when Dogfish Head first started out.  See folks, you can do anything with a little research, ingenuity, and drive.  So how did it go?  Read on.
     It was a pretty cool day which actually ended in a steady drizzle.  It was my first time at Naja's Place in Redondo Beach on the International Boardwalk.  I heard good things about the place and some friends and I wanted to watch the Laker game there.  I arrived early, and so, got to review.  I looked at the whiteboard that had their list of brews and saw the 90 minute.  Well I might as well, I thought, especially since it's on tap.

Appearance

        Doesn't that look absolutely wonderful?  The perfect glassware at the perfect temperature with the perfect pour.  It was just perfect.  What you see is exactly what I saw.  Yes, I finally got a perfect shot with my phone, what a rarity!  So you see the dark amber color with the pretty white head.  The head had good retention and steadily disappeared after drinking and never before, which really boggled my mind.  The glass really does make a difference, not just in look, but in smell as well. Okay, on to smell.

Smell

     I'm regretfully going to skimp a little on this section.  The bar was pretty much an outdoor bar and the sea breeze was at my back blowing away smells and blowing around the aromas of french fries and various meats from the kitchen.  What I did smell, though, were scents of orange and sweet.  Part of the reason I smelled it the first try, though, was that the Snifter glassware really helped the aromas come out.  The smell was stronger than the 60 minute IPA and I think that's because of the glassware and not due to the drink.  Sorry, that's all I really got.  After the first smell, the wind started blowing hard and I lost it.  All I could smell was chili fries and ocean air after that.

Taste

     Damn this drink was in your face.  It was strong and full; really top of the line.  I tasted citrus flavors, a little bit of sweet that mixed well with the citrus.  Before I move on, I'm noticing that beers tend to have two strong flavors which are usually made by a combination of different flavors.  The two flavors are bitter and sweet.  Yeah, I know it was simple, but I got lost thinking about notes of nutty flavors and citrus flavors and what not.  Ultimately, at least to me, it's bitter and sweet and what's inside those two sections are the "notes" of flavor that reviewers taste.  Hopefully that makes it easier for you in picking out what you're drinking.   In this case, the sweet end was a fruity/citrus kind of taste.  On the other end, the bitter had notes of almond  and a bitter taste that I really can't articulate.  I checked Beeradvocate and the Dogfish Head for some help and here's what I got:  a brandied fruitcake with extra alcohol.  That's the best I can do.  That doesn't sound very appetizing but it's because I have no words!  That bitter taste is the centerpiece of the beer but is settled down by the other flavors and creates a nice blend that made me happy, at least.

Mouthfeel

     The mouthfeel for this drink was easy on the tongue.  It wasn't heavy on the tongue nor was it light; and, by light, I mean frothy.   By heavy, I mean thick like syrup.  Sure you have better words but I'm writing this and you need to give me a break.  The carbonation was middle high and added a nice texture to the brew.  There was a slight bite but nothing harsh.  There was no dryness and was rather refreshing to drink.

Overall

     Overall this was a great great beer.  I enjoyed this over the 60 minute, but I could pick the 60 minute over the 90 depending on how I feel that day.  Either way, they're both top of the line beers.  I also have to add that my friend arrived midway through my review and had a taste.  He said he liked the 60 minute more and that the 90 minute was too strong for him.  There you go--to each his own.  I do like the strength of the bitterness in this ale but I know it's not for everyone and, if you haven't destroyed your tongue as much as I have, you'll feel the same as him.  Also, like the 60 minute, the ABV and the IBU are alliterate to the number of minutes:  9.0 ABV and 90 IBU's from 90 minutes.  So there you go.  This is a beer I recommend you drink before you die, I think you'll like it.  If you don't like it then okay, I'm better than you, I get it. 

Afterthought

Glassware
      I've talked about glassware before and, since I'm lazy to look up anything with more meaning, I'll just let you guys know where to get it.  I recently went to Crate and Barrel and they have a great selection of glassware.  Some stores that specialize in libation may have some but often they cater to the wine drinkers.  Of course there's online, but if you really hate the idea that the mail man might destroy your glasses, you can go to Crate and Barrel.  Sorry for those reading outside of California.  I can't speak for you and you're, unfortunately, on your own.  Here's where you can learn about glassware:

                                            - Beer Glasses!

That's my favorite guide so far.  And here's some sites where you can buy glasses:

                                            - Amazon
                                            - Pub Glasses (good luck with this site, when I went on it, it was goddamn slow)
                                            - Crate and Barrel
                                            - True Beer
                                            - Mikasa

Well, there's some sites for you.  If you don't like those then stop being so lazy and do your own research, come on this blog is for free.  Anyway, the glasses can get expensive if you're looking for a particular kind or want yours engraved or something like that.  Also, there are a lot of boots.  So I've heard it's impossible to drink so fast where the bubble at the bottom of the shoe does anything (sorry frat boys).  And if you run into this thing called a beer "flight paddle" that's just a thing to serve samplers (no not for beer pong).  Okay guys, good luck and drink up.

Lazy Dog Porter

Lazy Dog Porter

If you live in Southern California maybe you're familiar with this place, particularly Torrance, Irvine, and, well, just click here.  I didn't expect this place to have craft beer at all (which they do have a pretty good amount) let alone craft beer with their name on it.  But I am glad they did.  So today, I got the Lazy Dog Porter made by Bay Hawk Ales brewing company in Irvine.  Well, well, well, it looks as if Bay Hawk Ales have a nice little site that details their brews--click here to see the scoop.   I am guessing I drank the Chocolate Porter, considering I had the porter, but the description is different from what I experienced with the Lazy Dog Porter.  What did I experience?  Well then let's have it.

     
Appearance

      I made this picture of the extra large persuasion because I wanted you to see that, no this picture isn't badly taken albeit through the camera on my phone once again, this porter is black.  The drink is completely opaque with a deep thick looking texture.  I wonder if this is as dark as it gets.  The color is comparable to motor oil.  I couldn't see through it at all so no telling if there were any carbonation streams, which I'm sure there were because there hasn't been a beer, minus this one, where I didn't see carbonation streams.  The head you see was the head I got.  This came from tap and was poured away from my supervision, thus, I don't know if the head was bigger or what kind of retention it had.  Hey you can't watch the bartender all the time, what are you a stalker!  No big deal, though, and they had a 22 ounce option as opposed to an American pint.  Don't remember the difference between the American pint and the English pint?  Here you go my friend, just scroll to the educational afterthought.  So how does that beer look to you?  Did you like that?  Did you think that was sexy?

Smell

     The smell was a nice chocolate smell with a little bit of a roasted nut or bean smell.  I really smelled the chocolate though.  If you are a baker, or know one, look for some semi-sweet chocolate chips.  Yeah, that's right, the kind you throw into a batch of cookie dough.  Open the bag (hopefully it's at least half full, but I'm sure you'll still smell it.  Especially if the batch is new) and stick your nose in the bag and inhale.  That's what this beer smelled like .  A thin breeze of semi-sweet chocolate.  The chocolate was the star of the smell show.  The supporting cast was a roasted smell of something.  I want to say coffee, but maybe that's because that's what the description on the menu said.  I don't really want to say coffee but more like just a roasted bean or grain of some sort.  Yeah, you're probably right in saying that's roasted malt.  Either way it smelled good.

Taste

     I have to say, as far as taste and smell going together, this one was right on the nose.  I might as well put this section and the smell section together. The star of the show was chocolate, but not like drinking chocolate fudge or being a fatty and drinking from a chocolate fondue fountain, more like drinking a more acidic Yoo-Hoo.  And if you don't know what Yoo-Hoo is, well it's a chocolate milk drink that you can never get enough of, and ma'am/sir, you're missing out.  The taste of coffee was present but stayed on the sides of the mouth.  Every time I drank, though, all I could think was chocolate, chocolate, chocolate.  The malts were on point in this drink.

Mouthfeel

     The mouthfeel had a nice variety or complexity, whatever adjective you'd like to use because I honestly am not fully confident in my use of 'complex' when talking about beer--not yet at least.  The brew was thick and creamy, similar to Guinness but more carbonated, which gives more texture that can keep your tongue interested.  I, and I imagine others, can grow tired of Guinness because the mouthfeel is so smooth and I begin to feel like I'm just drinking syrup.   I grow tired of drinking it and start to feel like I need a little more excitement in my life.   Nothing wrong with Guinness, though, and I love the drink--honestly--but I like carbonation and would pick a more carbonated drink rather than Guinness.  There was a dryness to the drink which made me think of chocolate ( if that's normal or not, I'm in space).  Lastly, which I think was a nice way to end my session, the brew made my breath smell like chocolate.

Overall

     This beer was good!  I don't want to make it a favorite.  Well, no, I don't exactly want to say that.  The explanation is that this beer is different.  I wouldn't drink it as a session beer because I think the texture is too rich.  It was a heavy drink and the flavors were very robust.  For me to call it refreshing would be wrong.  It was filling.   I can drink more bottles of Guinness than this (and remember what I said earlier about getting tired of it).  Can I go so far as saying this is a sort of dessert beer?  Just like a dessert wine is sweet, this beer is sweet and I could really end a good meal with this beer as a replacement to a cupcake or cookie or something like that.  I guess it can be a more tough dessert.  I mean really, how cool can you look when you bite into a cupcake?  Do I suggest it?  Hell yeah!!  Try it; the only reason I wouldn't pick this beer before other beers is because of personal preference.  There's quality present in this brew and I really don't want to take away from that.  So go out there and take it in.


Afterthought

     Yeah I'm labeling the afterthoughts now.  Not only for easier organization but also because when I refer you to something I'm talking about that is in another blog,  you can now just scroll to the bottom and look it up with an easier time at finding it (although I understand how hard it is to avoid reading the entire article, but you know, time dictates everything).  So what are we going to talk about today?  Malts of course. I'm in my mid-twenties and only recently have attained a full understanding of what 'malt' is.  I know, and now you do if you didn't, that malts contribute the sweetness to beer--as well as candy and milkshakes and et cetera.  So I looked some stuff up for you and good old Wiki gave this nice and clean explanation: MALTS!  If you were a good student and read the entire article, then you realized that malt is not a thing but the result of a process involving grains.  The product is sugar, grain, and/or malted milk (milk shakes!). 
     Here's another thing about malts--adjuncts.  When referring to beer (I don't really know if adjuncts are included in anything else) an adjunct is an unmalted grain that can add certain flavors for beer, create a kind of retention in the head, and it also helps with cutting costs.  Just read this if you're interested: ADJUNCTS!
     So there's a little preview of Malts and Adjuncts.  You now have an extremely (and take extremely generously) basic knowledge of malts and adjuncts in reference to beer.  Here's a list of malts and adjuncts you can find in beer:  MALTS AND ADJUNCTS! That page got a little thick for me and becoming an expert that fast isn't my thing.  This is fun remember?  If you want to go get a degree in Beer go to UC Davis.  Other than that,  let's take it easy and learn as we go along. 
 

Pyramid Haywire Hefeweizen

Pyramid Haywire Hefeweizen

     You like that label?  Apparently,  this beer makes you feel like you're climbing the side of a building.  I must be frank, this label is ugly.  That's probably my biggest gripe with a lot of American breweries--the labels are a little annoying to the eye.  But I can overlook if you make good beer.  So this is Pyramid Haywire Hefeweizen, a new name for the brewery according to their site.  Their original name was plainly Pyramid Hefeweizen.  Apparently, this beer was named to remind you it'll make you haywire.  So I bought this as a six pack from Bevmo! because, well, I don't really know why I picked this particular brand up.  I guess the label did me in.  What I thought you ask?  I got you friend.

Appearance

     As you can see (I think I always lead in with that now), it's a cloudy golden/orange color which references the wheat that it's made of.  A lot of carbonation streams rising to the top, which I thought looked cool (I  interject that because I don't see people talk about it too much in other reviews and sometimes I enjoy watching the bubbles rise, especially in lighter beers).   The brew looked like it had the texture of thick and creamy.  The head was slightly larger than what you see on the right, but it broke away quickly and left the beer looking less appealing.
  

Smell

     The smell was slightly sweet and a little bit smokey.  The sweet smell was not sweet like candy but of something like honeysuckle pig sweet, thus the smokey barbecue smell.  Yeah, I said barbecue, is that weird?  It probably is, but that's what I smelled.  Again, it wasn't strong.  It was actually quite light in smell.  The smell waved in and out but wasn't present the entire session.

Taste

     I was pretty disappointed with this beer as far as taste goes.  There was a complexity in smell, although light, that made me expect more from the taste.  Yes, it was a little bit sweet, the basic taste of a Hefeweizen.  There weren't any strong tastes that set it apart from anything else.  Actually, it tasted like the breweries skipped out on putting any other taste in the brew.  There was a little bit of a bitter aftertaste that may have been due to aging (a good amount of dust on the bottle when I bought it), but I don't think that's the reason for the bitter.  Overall taste was disappointing.  Especially if you've had a lot of Hefeweizens prior to drinking this.  One taste that came out was a slight twinge of an unripe orange.  The orange taste being a flavor I taste in many Hefeweizens.  I should probably say 'citrus' rather than orange because that's what the flavor is closer to.  Also, there was a sweet taste but, again, nothing that wows the palate.  Otherwise, the entire flavor canvas of this beer was light like the smell and didn't impress me much. 

Mouthfeel
     
     The feel was pretty aerated and frothy.  The end of a drink would have a slight dry sensation on the tongue.  No refreshing taste and it was pretty bland to drink.  I was pretty distracted with the frothy feel that I didn't get much out of taste.  Overall, the mouthfeel was plain.

Overall

     Eh...that's all I can really say.  I'd drink it again only if someone bought it for me.  It wasn't bad, but the taste is like my opinion of the beer--plain.  At 5.40% ABV this could be a session beer.  I didn't feel much and, yeah, I can drink this all day.  There was nothing robust about this beer so I can't give you something to hold on to about this beer.  I automatically give Bud Light a shit rating.  You need letters? A damn 'F' for Bud Light.  This beer would be a C.  I don't like giving letter grades because of the subjectivity of taste, but there are beers that I can definitely grade; and, this beer is a definite C.  It's just there.  Don't be afraid of it, but don't go out of your way for it.  Then again, the great thing about opinion is that it's not truth and you, you, or you, can just tell me to go fuck myself.

     If you were keen enough to check the label I put on these things--a label I make by type of beer--then you'll notice that this beer is labeled American Pale Wheat Ale.  But the label on the bottle says Hefeweizen.  Well, American Pale Wheat Ale is another way of saying "American Hefeweizen."  If you want a definition of  a Hefeweizen, then go here.  If you weren't lazy and clicked on the links, you'll notice that at the end of each definition states that adding a lemon wedge is an American popularization and can be a nice complement or a slap in the face of beer makers.  My opinion of the lemon wedge is forget about it--in most cases.  I would actually put a lemon wedge on a Pyramid Haywire.  It would probably add a nice flavor, but I didn't try it.  For me, most Hefeweizens have enough flavor, especially German Hefeweizens, that the lemon just cancels all the strong flavors out.  Here's a little rule you can follow that I just made up right now:  if it is an American Pale Wheat Ale, or Hefeweizen made in America, then sure, you can put a lemon if you really need to, but try it without one first.  If is is a Hefeweizen from Germany: DON'T PUT A LEMON.  That's just my opinion.    I don't know what I"m drinking next but let's hope it's a good one.  Deuces!

Dixie Blackened Voodoo

Dixie Blackened Voodoo

     A surprise trip to the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, shoot up to the top floor and stroll down the stairs into the Bona Vista Lounge--a revolving lounge that has a spectacular view of Los Angeles (might I add the best time to go is sunset).  Well, well, well they have some craft beers available.  I stupidly forgot to remember the entire collection, but I'll return for reviews.  Today's pick, though, was the Dixie Blackened Voodoo Lager.  This site appears to be their distributor and, if I can recall correctly, their description is the same as the one on the menu.  To be honest, though, I picked it because of the name.  Before you get angry and claim I was being reckless with my decisions, I want to add that I've never heard of any of the other beers and they all seemed the same caliber with different names.  When the period appears, shoot.

Appearance

          Oh yeah, another reason I picked it was because the word 'Blackened' inferred that it was a dark beer, and if you're new, I pick dark over light ninety percent of the time.  See, I didn't forsake you as your guide, you're tester, you're "first stone thrower."  So the head was tiny on this one.  It didn't dissipate too fast, but it didn't add to the physique of the beer.  The color, though, was pretty wonderful.  The liquid was relatively thick with a dark brown roasted coffee color, giving a leather-like texture.  There were a couple of carbonation streams but it wasn't really noticeable.  Have you been looking closely?  You see it now?  Yup, frost, and not light frost.  The damn glass is sweating.  Makes the beer look more enticing, more tasty, I can go so far as saying it's a little more sexy.  Did I mention that the beer was served in a cold bottle with a frosted glass.  No don't!  It's a ruse!  It's a Siren song to the untrained;well, most of the time. I'm not completely sure about that yet.  Read on, you'll see why.



Smell

     This lager--yes, my first lager review, exciting isn't it--  has a lot of fruity attributes to the smell.  I smelled the sweet of malt and a nice cherry smell.  I didn't smell hops; and, if I did, I didn't notice it.  It wasn't strong but it was stronger than the Samuel Smiths that I had a few weeks ago.  Alright, on to taste.

Taste

     It was a nice beer.  I did run into a problem--remember when I mentioned that the glass was sweating?  Yeah, it was served pretty damn cold.  At first, I tasted hardly anything.  It was kind of a job trying to figure out what was wrong with the beer.  I kept thinking "damn did I ruin my taste buds somewhere today?  I can't blame it on the food because it hasn't come out yet."  Then I finally realized it was too cold and it numbed my tongue.  I let it sit for awhile and held it in my hand sporadically.  About fifteen to twenty minutes later and I was good to go.  A minor inconvenience but a lesson learned.  The taste is light with a nice malt taste (I'm tired of saying "hint of chocolate."  Let's just say it's malt from now on. I'm convinced that's my idea of malt.  And it's not like I taste a Hershey's bar.  It's more like a Whopper ball after getting through the chocolate.  Oh yeah, BECAUSE IT'S A CHOCOLATE MALT BALL.  Go try a whopper ball, then try a 'malty' beer.   Here's a little site that helped me).   There was no strong aftertaste nor did any of the flavors linger.  The taste was there, said a salutation, and then left down the tube.

Mouthfeel
      
     It may just be solely my opinion, but I'll go out there and say that the mouthfeel was more spectacular than the taste.  What, do you wanna fight about it?  The texture was thick and frothy.  I enjoyed that--almost like melted ice cream.  The carbonation contributed to this by adding gas to the liquid.  The carbonation had a slight bite but wasn't passive; meaning, I felt the carbonation but it didn't bother me.

Overall

     I wouldn't argue with you if you said that this review was a little short.   I'd agree with you and I would also say it was because this beer wasn't all that impressive.  But, and that's a big 'but,' this is a lager--my first craft lager that I reviewed.  The 'but' gets bigger because most BMC beers (it used to be all, but Budweiser came out with an ale and I'm sure there are more but I can't think of them off the top of my head) are lagers.  I'd like to make this beer my base.  I can't use BMC beers because they're just so bland. There's a taste that I can agree with and I can describe.   If I were forced to compare this beer with a more widely distributed beer, I'd use Heineken.  Dixie Blackened Voodoo does not have that sharp acid taste that Heineken has.  It is thicker and sweeter.  Does that put it more into perspective?   This beer is also a good session beer.  About a 5% Alcohol by Volume, which means I can drink this for days without getting ridiculous.  I had two of these at the lounge and, yes, I just felt good and sober.

     Before I go, I want to remind you that the difference between Lager and Ale is just how it's made.  Lager is bottom fermenting and Ale is top fermenting.  I wanted to tell you that there is a big distinguishing taste between a Lager and an Ale, but after trying this--no.  You could probably make an ale taste like this.  Perhaps ales are more bitter, but I'm sure I'll run into a bitter lager.  So I'm with you in saying I have no clue what sets these apart other than the way it's made.
     Furthermore, this is a "Munich Dunkel Lager."  Which is explained in detail here at the top of the list, as well as a link that leads you to what the top Munich Dunkel Lager beers are.  I have to admit, I feel a little lost with the lagers.  The learning never ends.  Drink up!

Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA

Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA



http://www.dogfish.com/brews-spirits/the-brews/year-round-brews/60-minute-ipa.htm

      Did you like that video?  Did you check out the site?  This company cannot cater to beer lovers any more perfectly.  A video, an explanation, and genuine enthusiasm is what I see.  They even have beer porn!  I gotta say, the cups full of hops...pretty sexy.  So let's get to it shall we?

     In the last entry I talked about Samuel Smith's India Ale as a good base for India Pale Ale's.  This beer seriously smashed through the ceiling.  This was seriously a damn good beer.  But maybe I should save the cocksucking for later.  Last night I tasted this before a party that was going to happen at my house.  Smells of food filled the entire downstairs, so I hid upstairs and locked myself into a room that hasn't been permeated by distractions.  I poured, I smelled, I drank, I enjoyed, and then I went downstairs and had a good time with my peoples.  I bought the 60 min IPA as a six pack from Bevmo! in the craft beer section (for those of you who haven't been to bevmo) at the Torrance location on Hawthorne Blvd.  There's no doubt in my mind that this beer set the mood for the rest of the night.


Appearance

      Sorry for the picture.  It's grainy because it was taken from my phone.  Do you really care?  You better not.  Also, sorry for the lame print on the glass, I really need to stop being lazy and go get something less tacky.  So you can see the nice gold color.  A little darker, deeper amber than the Samuel Smith, but still had that glassy look but with more noticeable streams of carbonation rising to the top--a real classy looking beer.  The head was small but retained well.  It didn't crumble away like Samuel Smith's IPA.  In the words of Akon "...damn you a sexy bitch."


Smell

     Oh the smell was stupendous!  This was hands down the best smelling beer I've had so far.  At first I thought it was just my weak nose that made me review previous beers as light smelling, or something to that effect, which still might be the case except to a lesser degree, but this beer smelled sweet and, oh I don't know, pine like?  Not like Pinesol cleaning agent, but more grassy, to use the words of the man in the video.  It also had a sour twinge, maybe orange or something citrus flavor like that.  It really smelled great, and gathering from how it's made (did you read the blurb on the website?) that's the smell of hops.  It really does smell nice.  It wasn't strong and overwhelming but like a pleasant scent that lingers in the air when you walk through a forest--how fanciful.  Also, I usually lose the smell after drinking it for awhile, but this stayed the course.  I didn't have to aggravate the beer too much to unleash the smell.  It just hung out with me until I finished my session.

Taste

     The taste was yummy.  Super balanced like a high end Le Mans race car.  Many IPAs tend to be bitter throughout the drink.  To me, I don't know if this is consensus, the strong bitter hops taste is a marker of an IPA; but, this beer was very light and sweet which got punctuated by the bitter hops taste rather than the bitter taste taking center stage.  The beer was clean and refreshing with light carbonation.  The taste was less dry than Samuel Smith's IPA and left my palate feeling clean afterward.  I had questions about the Doghead Fish Brewery site claiming it was a "session" beer (that I'll explain at the end), but the lightness helps with making it a session beer.

Mouthfeel

     Again, the brew was dry to the tongue but not so much where it felt like it sucked all the moisture from my tongue.  The carbonation had no sting and really did a good job at aerating the beer to make it fresh and light.  Often too much carbonation ruins drinks (beer and soda) for me because the sting it gives distracts me from what I'm tasting.  Instead of tasting the sugars and whatnot, I feel the bubbles bursting on my tongue and I focus most of my attention on that.  The drink was not at all thick and not too watery.  

Overall
     

     The opinions I heard about this beer and the reviews that I've read are all raving glory for this beer.  I am officially jumping on that wagon because there is nothing bad about this beer.  Sure, I'll try to think of one:  the bottle was too small and a six pack is not enough.  That actually sounded like alcoholic phrases.  Anyway, it is true that this beer is high end and a real prize for American IPAs.  There's nothing bad about it and should, or will, become a regularly bought drink in this household.  The site says that this beer has an ABV (Alcohol by Volume remember?) of 6% and an IBU (International Bitterness Units) of 60.  Sixty is a really high number and if I saw that  before I drank the beer I would have braced myself for a face cringe, but it really was not as strong as 60 IBUs would lead one to anticipate.  The mix of malt with hops is so well put together, despite adding and boiling hops for sixty minutes (yeah that's where the name comes from, but you should've known that after you clicked on the link under the first picture!), that the bitterness shows as a friendly face instead of a punch in one.  Also, if you needed to review the IBU and ABV terms again go to the afterthought of this entry which will also have good links that will lead you to education, or this site.  Also, as a kind of side note, I poured the other five bottles for friends and they loved it.  A good friend of mine, who loves Hefeweizens, really smiled wide when he drank this one.  So go out and have a taste, I really encourage this one.






     Okay here's the educational afterthought.  Two things: what "session beer" means and an explanation on IPA.  First off, when you hear that a beer is a "session beer," that beer is a beer that can be drunk in large quantities without becoming tiresome and/or getting too drunk.  According to Beeradvocate.com's definition of "session beer,"

Any beer that contains no higher than 5 percent ABV, featuring a balance between malt and hop characters (ingredients) and, typically, a clean finish - a combination of which creates a beer with high drinkability. The purpose of a session beer is to allow a beer drinker to have multiple beers, within a reasonable time period or session, without overwhelming the senses or reaching inappropriate levels of intoxication. (Yes, you can drink and enjoy beer without getting drunk.)

  but this is Beeradvocate's definition and, thus, is not accepted by the world, at least not yet.  I personally like this definition.  The Doghead site claims that their 60 Minute IPA to be a session beer, but after drinking one, I had a nice buzz.  Also, since I subscribe to Beeradvocate's definition, the 60 Minute IPA has an ABV of 6%, which really makes a difference albeit is only one percent.  I couldn't drink the whole six pack and be sober.  Click the Beeradvocate for more information, though, there's some history about the term and a better explanation than I care to give at the moment.  See, I like that I have the resources to teach you without saying a damn thing.
     Now, since this is the second IPA, I realized I didn't even explain really the term IPA or India Pale Ale.  I thought it originated in India by the English, but I'm not entirely correct.  If you have time or if you are really interested in IPAs read this article on India Pale Ales.  It gives the history and the characteristics and even some suggestions.  Things I can't really explain because, I mean let's face it, I'm pretty stupid.  Self deprecation is only sad if you let it be, I'm not!  I'll find articles on the other beer styles when I get to them.  Sorry for neglecting to do that in the previous reviews.  Share a drink with friends and make lots of jokes.  Beer is the absolute best when you're laughing with friends.

Samuel Smith's India Ale

Samuel Smith's India Ale

 

     Well Samuel Smith, I see we face each other once again--same name but different Ale.  I accept your challenge, just don't hit the face.  I might be getting ahead of myself, but after tasting this I think I'm going to just buy all Samuel Smith products and use them as my base.  They aren't exquisite and mind blasting, but it's great quality and comparing this beer to the others gives me a better gauge than using BMC (remember Budweiser, Miller's, and Coors?).  Okay so let's get this done with because I have a 60 minute IPA by Dogfish Head Craft Brewery and from what I heard it's the bees' knees.  Plus it was recommended to me by a good friend who says that it is one of his holy grail beers to try.  So Sammy Smith, you're my base and tonight, Dogfish will test my gauge.

Appearance

     So the picture might not do too much justice because the lighting is bad, but hey, I'm not a photographer!  Give me a break.  Anyway, as you can see there's a really golden/amber color to it.  It was smooth and glassy and really exquisite looking but the head went away too fast.  The head came out about an inch thick, maybe a little more, but crumbled away after ten seconds (I know this because I put a timer on my camera so I wouldn't shake it and blur the picture).  I don't get enticed by golden beers like I do with dark ales, but I do appreciate the color and texture and I stare in awe like a painting that strikes my interest.  My mouth doesn't water as much as my mind begins to wander and my imagination takes me into the brownish orange liquid.  The label says, "...characterised by the colour of a golden sunset...," sure whatever you say boss--not really.  Okay this is getting stupid, moving on!

Smell

      

     The smell was light; nothing overpowering.  I am not sure if I'm on the right track with smelling beer.  I invigorate the aromas (look at me with those words!) but I don't get as much.  I don't know if my sense of smell is off or if most of the beers have light smells.  Well, either way, there was a hoppy smell and that's about it.  A bitter bread kind of smell.  That's all I can say about that.

Taste

      

     Bingo--the taste of an Indian Pale Ale.  Strong flavors that included hopps and grain sugars.  By that I mean a bigger amount of bitter than other beers and there's a presence of grain, something like rice or wheat bread.  There's nothing special about it like a fruit taste or a nutty taste.  It tastes like strong beer without weird impurities that a lot of commercial beers (BMC) have; such as, a metallic  or skunky taste (skunky means it's old beer which tastes stale, flat, and a little rotten.  If you want to find out what skunky tastes like, find a dusty forty ounce at the liquor store that has a clear glass bottle, they're usually skunked beers) or basically piss tasting.  No, you know this is beer, and you know it's an IPA with it's punch.  I have to say, my first pour was not as impressive and I think that's because this beer was sitting in my house for awhile--everything just sunk to the bottom.  The second pour was way better.  Also, the hopps really punches out in the aftertaste.  You sometimes want to smack your lips.

Mouthfeel

     

     The mouthfeel was dry and thin.   The liquid went down fast and disappeared from my tongue, leaving the taste of the beer only.  The carbonation was there but not strong.  I didn't think that was a bad thing, but we're all different.  Yeah, I like Gin sometimes.

Overall

     I like this beer.  Like I said before, this is a really good base to compare IPAs.  It seems pretty basic but tough and the quality is easily present.  Go judge for yourself,though, because I've been hearing a lot of opinions about IPA's and so it's probably going to be awhile before I can really develop an solid opinion on what is what.  We're getting better though aren't we!

      

     Well, before I end this entry I found out something interesting, something trivial, maybe.  The pint is different here in the States and in England (and probably the rest of Europe, but I'm not a hundred on that).  In the U.S, a pint is 16 ounces.  In England, the pint is 20 ounces.  There's a law that a pint poured must be 20 ounces in England.  All this info was from Wikipedia and it goes on to say that the pint can only be used to measure beer.  Most everything else is in the metric system--I guess what I just told you is old.  So when you go to Europe and have a pint, you'll see a line on your glass that says "pour to here" which will probably read something like 550ml.  There you go!  GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN MY PEOPLE!