New name, new location

Since we've just changed the band name to Mezzo Mestizo, we thought it would be a good time to move the ol' beer blog to our main website. Our blogger account will remain as an archive, but all new posts will be at mezzomestizo.com. Cheers!

Pliny the Elder (bottle) - 4.4

Pliny the Elder
Double IPA
Russian River Brewing Company
Santa Rosa, CA
ABV: 8%

Jon:
This is now the second time that I've ever been able to find this in stock at a liquor store (found on the first occasion by my wonderful girlfriend!). Very light color, clingy. Smells citrusy and overly hoppy with a hint of sweetness. The first sip is the reverse of that, with a far more balanced honey sweetness on the front with the hops leaning more toward pine flavors than citrus. Amazingly drinkable for the amount of hops and alcohol; I'm pretty sure someone sold their soul to pull this off. I guess I'll need to make some friends at the liquor store to have a chance of finding this on a semi-regular basis...

4.7	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 4/5 9/10 4/5 10/10 5/5 5/5 10/10

Mark:
This is exactly what I want in a nice IPA. Humongous hops straight to the face on your first sip, mellowing into a slight sweetness with a bitter white grapefruit aftertaste. Delicious.

4.8	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 5/5 10/10 5/5 9/10 4/5 5/5 9.5/10

Jere:
Pretty strong on first intake, but the intensity wears off as I go. A tad sweet but mostly bitter, I'd probably have to be in the right mood to down more than a half pint.

3.6	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 4/5 7/10 4/5 7/10 2/5 5/5 7/10

Tonight @ Boulder Beer!

Free CDs, great beer, and music on the patio! Mestizo pairs especially well with Mojo IPA. See ya tonight!

Hop Manna (bottle) - 4.3

Hop Manna
India Pale Ale
Shmaltz Brewing Company
Saratoga Springs, NY
ABV: 6.8%

Jon:
More goodness from Shmaltz. Their foray into the IPA world is a massive success in my book. Heavy on grapefruit and rye flavors, which is right up my alley. As is printed on all He'brew bottles, L'Chaim!

4.5	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 5/5 8/10 5/5 9/10 5/5 4/5 9/10

Mark:
Amazing aroma. The Cascade, Amarillo, and Warrior hops really come through. Fantastic flavor profile--bitter grapefruit with a slightly floral aftertaste.

4.0	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 4/5 9/10 3/5 8/10 3/5 5/5 8/10

Jere:
My first kosher IPA. Honestly, I probably wouldn't have known the difference. I will definitely need to sample some more from this brewery since this is some good stuff.

4.4	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 5/5 9/10 4/5 8/10 5/5 4/5 9/10

5-Day IPA (bottle) - 4.0

5-Day IPA
India Pale Ale
O'Fallon Brewery
O'Fallon, MO
ABV: 6.1%

Jon:
Unfiltered and hazy. Smells of caramel and fresh grains. Hoppy on the tongue but wonderfully balanced. Honey, malty sweetness is singing next to the citrus hops. Definitely one of the best beers I've tried in recent months.

4.2	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 4/5 8/10 5/5 9/10 3/5 4/5 9/10

Mark:
Wonderfully fragrant pour. Unfiltered, amber color, with little to no head. There's a bright sweetness to start with a slightly grainy mouthfeel, followed by a nice hop bitterness with just a touch of bee pollen and floralness.

3.9	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 4/5 9/10 4/5 8/10 3/5 3/5 8/10

Jere:
Still wondering what the "5 days" are from, perhaps the website will explain. Whatever the reason, it's definitely tasty. I could even drink another, given the opportunity, and we may have to try some more from this brewery.

4.0	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 5/5 8/10 4/5 8/10 3/5 4/5 8/10

Mystic Bridge IPA (bottle) - 3.4

Mystic Bridge IPA
India Pale Ale
Cottrell Brewing Company
Pawcatuck, CT
ABV: ?

Jon:
Reddish hue, foamy head. Sweet floral flavors, reminding me of some seafoam honey I once had at a farmer's market. Sweet middle, bitter tea finish, and the transition between the two makes this feel a tad watery. The bitterness becomes less pleasant as the beer warms up.

3.2	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 4/5 6/10 3/5 6/10 4/5 3/5 6/10

Mark:
Slightly sweet aroma, like dark unfiltered honey. Sweet start followed by a floral hop kick. Medium dark amber color with a silky mouthfeel.

3.7	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 3/5 8/10 4/5 8/10 3/5 4/5 7/10

Jere:
No sweetness detected here, in fact no descriptive words are coming to mind at all. It isn't displeasing in any way, just not terribly expressive.

3.4	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 4/5 6/10 4/5 7/10 3/5 4/5 7/10

JimBrew Gingerbread Ale (bottle) - 3.9

JimBrew Gingerbread Ale
Specialty/Spiced Ale
Arvada, CO

Even more homebrew from Jimbo!

Jon:
The nose on this one is really perfumey, so I was surprised when the flavor perfectly hit my expectation of gingerbread. As it warms up, some very nice chocolate malt undertones are coming through. A tad heavy on the spice, otherwise surprisingly good flavor in a style of beer I wouldn't normally seek out.

3.7	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 3/5 5/10 4/5 9/10 5/5 4/5 7/10

Mark:
Like drinking a cookie! I like the sharp nutmeg with the bitterness of the hops. I'm usually a purist when it comes to beer--barley, yeast, hops, and water--but this is surprisingly good!

3.4	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 3/5 5/10 4/5 8/10 5/5 4/5 7/10

Jere:
The appearance does remind one of gingerbread, with whole wheat flour. At first sip, I sensed more than just that flavor, but I can't quite put my finger on it. There does seem to be some bread-like qualities to the texture, which I'm quite impressed with, all things considered.

3.0	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 5/5 8/10 4/5 8/10 5/5 4/5 9/10

Tremont Freedom Trail IPA (bottle) - 2.5

Freedom Trail IPA
India Pale Ale
Shipyard Brewing Company
Portland, ME
ABV: 6.4%

Jon:
I'm not too big on British-style IPAs, but this one strays even farther from my usual tastes. There's a cloying sweetness and a Britishy bitterness that just don't balance each other out.

2.7	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 2/5 5/10 2/5 5/10 5/5 4/5 4/10

Mark:
Little head with little lacing. Not bad to start with a burst of floral hops, but finishes oddly sweet with a dandelion bitterness.

2.5	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 3/5 6/10 2/5 3/10 3/5 4/5 4/10

Jere:
Port! That's the first thing that came to mind on the first taste, but after subsequent sips I've revised my impression: bitter port.

2.2	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 2/5 4/10 2/5 4/10 3/5 4/5 3/10

JimBrew Amber (bottle) - 3.3

JimBrew Amber
Amber Ale
Arvada, CO

More homebrew from Jimbo!

Jon:
Cloudy and foamy, mucho carbonation. Nice and malty, but with a sharp hop counterpoint on the finish. The caramel goodness becomes more apparent the further you get through the glass.

3.5	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 3/5 7/10 4/5 6/10 5/5 3/5 7/10

Mark:
Crisp and malty with a slight herbal aftertaste. I taste zinc too, but that must be the Zicam I've been taking for my cold. Very refreshing and clean on the palate.

3.4	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 3/5 7/10 3/5 6/10 5/5 3/5 7/10

Jere:
The taste isn't quite distinguishable, but I keep thinking with every passing sip that I'll figure it out. Also lots of carbonation, although that could be operator error. The foam has its own flavor too, incidentally.

3.0	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 3/5 6/10 3/5 5/10 4/5 3/5 6/10