Sunday, March 27, 2011

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
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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
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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
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Monday, March 14, 2011

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
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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
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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
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Wednesday, March 9, 2011

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
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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
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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
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