JimBrew 2.0 IPA (bottle) - 3.9

JimBrew 2.0
India Pale Ale
Arvada, CO
ABV: 5.4%

You won't find this one in stores... partly because we already drank all of it, and partly because it was never in stores to begin with. Our friend Jim has started brewing his own beer, and he sent a few bottles of his first IPA our way.

Jon:
Cloudy and dark. Citrus and caramel aroma. Smooth up front then considerable lingering bitterness on the end. Quite malty for an IPA, but that's a big part of what makes this really unique. The nose and finish are a bit contrasting for me, but I think things would've started to match up had I tried it more than twice. Extra point for home brewing!

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Mark:
I'm very impressed with Jim's foray into home brewing. This IPA has a malty, slightly dark chocolate feel with a very bitter, dark aftertaste. Get job! I'm going to have to get the recipe!

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Jere:
I've had this twice before, and if anything it's gotten better with age. Considering it was a homebrew, I appreciate it even more. Kudos to the brew meister!

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Alaskan IPA (bottle) - 3.7

Alaskan IPA
India Pale Ale
Alaskan Brewing Company
Juneau, AK
ABV: 6.2%

Jon:
Lovely citrus nose, but has a strange herb/sage quality on first sip. Feels bright and fizzy on the tongue. Loses pretty much any distinctiveness after saturation. A good buy when on sale.

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Mark:
This is my economy IPA, as it's been on sale for a long time at my local liquor store. Bright carbonated mouthfeel with a lemon peel bitterness.

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Jere:
It's different, but a good different. Perhaps the 2° Below I had prior to this is coloring my judgement, but for now I don't mind. We'll see how I feel after I finish it I guess...

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Bard's Gold (bottle) - 2.4

Bard's Gold
American Lager (Gluten-free)
Bard's Tale Beer Company
Minneapolis, MN
ABV: 4.6%

Jon:
Pretty sure this is my first sorghum beer. Nicely sweet orange aroma--but looks and tastes like someone put a drop of soap in a Shock Top. Very unique. I guess not a horrible option if you really need to go gluten-free, but I haven't tried many in this category to compare.

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Mark:
Bard's is an odd beer. It looks great, tastes slightly sweet and slippery with a bitter and sweet molasses aftertaste.

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Jere:
Free of wheat, barley, rye, oats, and taste. But I somehow toughed it out. Or at least I'm trying to...

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GABF 2009

The Great American Beer Festival was over a month ago, but I can still taste it like it was yesterday. Here's some of the great stuff I came across:

• I had somehow never tried a brew by Shmaltz Brewing despite the fact that I've passed it by at more than one local liquor store. What a mistake! The Bar Mitzvah 13th Anniversary Ale was great--built like a barley wine with lots of extra hops, very balanced. They also put out a rye IPA that I will definitely be looking for again.
• I finally got to try Stone's Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale and it didn't disappoint. It had a sweet maple syrup nose with herby, peppery undertones. Complexity can be good.
• I once drank an awful green chili beer in New Mexico that I thought had ruined me on the concept forever, but CooperSmith's green chili beer won me back. Reminiscent of Twisted Pine's Billy's Chilies, maybe even a tad more flavorful.
• Dogfish Head always brings some crazy stuff to the GABF, but they topped themselves this year with a beer they call Chicha. This selection was brewed in a traditional South American method which apparently involves chewing and spitting out the maize that goes into the beer in order to break down the starches. Brewer saliva? I couldn't pass that up! It was very sweet and floral, heavily dominated by the flavor of strawberries (not sure if the strawberries they used made it into any mouths or not). One of the most interesting beers I've had the pleasure of drinking, at least in terms of back-story.
• I got another taste of Sam Adam's Utopias this year (I somehow missed it last year), which I already wrote about in 2007 so I'm not sure why I'm bringing it up again. Oh right, because it's frickin' epic! Everyone needs to try this stuff. Seriously.

I'll be there again next year, and you should be too. Hurray beer!

-Jon

Modus Hoperandi (can) - 3.5

Modus Hoperandi
India Pale Ale
Ska Brewing Company
Durango, CO
ABV: 7%

Jon:
Copper complexion, sweet orange hoppy nose. The aroma didn't prepare me for the mouth-puckering bitterness -- somehow the sweetness I smelled just doesn't transfer to the tongue. Unique and tastes good, but unexpectedly harsh for me.

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Mark:
I really like this IPA. Full palate, slightly toasty with bitter floral notes. I can definitely taste the 7% ABV.

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Jere:
Canned IPA -- WTH? Actually not that bad, considering... Not sure if I'll have another though.

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Southampton IPA (bottle) - 3.6

Southampton IPA
India Pale Ale
Southampton Publick House
Southampton, NY
ABV: 6.2%

Jon:
A serious amount of roasty/caramel flavors for an IPA, quite unexpected. Very sweet and somewhat bitter but doesn't quite strike a balance. It's sweet, then bitter. With a gummy aftertaste. Same aftertaste as after drinking a sweet and sour margarita. Very unique, but not a favorite.

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Mark:
I'm not sure what to say about this one. It's a golden caramel color with an eggshell head. The bottle claims that "balance" is their difference. Not so hopped as an American-style IPA, closer to an English IPA. Slightly bitter, toasty with a strange lemon rind / sour skittles aftertaste. It's definitely a quality brew, but I'm not crazy about it.

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Jere:
Not bad for a 6.2%. The Mexican Mojito I had beforehand may have clouded my judgement, though... Hopefully it won't be another long while before I try one again.

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American Dream IPA (growler) - 3.9

American Dream
India Pale Ale
Rock Bottom Westminster
Westminster, CO
ABV: 7.2%

Jon:
Very floral nose mixed with grapefruit. Soothing mouthfeel with a little alcohol heat on the finish. The floral notes are a bit too pervasive on the tongue, otherwise a great brew.

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Mark:
Tasty. The first thing you taste are the floral notes followed quickly by a white grapefruit sweetness, fading to a bitter finish. I would say this was the best beer that I've had at Rock Bottom except that I just tried their recently released Naked Hop Bomb--amazing!

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Jere:
I like. Definitely one of the better brews I've had in a while. If I remember it next time I'm at Rock Bottom, I'll be sure to revisit.

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Bud Light (can) - 1.7

Bud Light
American-Style Lager
Anheuser-Busch Company
St. Louis, MO
ABV: 4.2%

Jon:
This is Good Times: Recession Edition. It's cheap but I think there are better values out there (Tecate, IMO). I'm scared to pour it in a glass after my PBR experience last year. Tastes like a mega-corporation.

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Mark:
Almost defies description, like that guy you know that so lacks personality that it's impossible to ever be offended by him. That said, this is good, cheap summer beer and I don't know anyone who won't drink one if they're handy.

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Jere:
This Bud ain't for me. "Superior Drinkability" is deceptively accurate--thankfully I won't be partaking again anytime soon. Less filling? I think not.

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Hoppy Boy (bottle) - 3.2

Hoppy Boy
India Pale Ale
Twisted Pine Brewing Company
Boulder, CO
ABV: ?

Jon:
Sweet orangey nose, followed by a real bitter taste that's harsh on the tongue at first, mellowing into a slightly unpleasant aftertaste. The right flavors are in there, and they're good, but there is some imbalance that takes a toll on this brew's drinkability.

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Mark:
This starts with a sweet caramel, NutraSweet taste and ends with a big pine flavor. Very flavorful and very different, but I'm not too fond of the Pine-Sol bitterness.

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Jere:
This ain't bad. I usually like the Twisted Pine line, and this one's no exception. Not quite sure what the aroma is but it's not offensive by any means.

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Spoiler Alert! LOST puzzle solution from Wired's May issue

I hope this doesn't go against the spirit of Wired's May mystery issue, but I figure since they've already spilled the beans on the metapuzzle, it's probably time to do the same with the LOST puzzle on pages 104-105 since the season finale it relates to has already aired.

Page 104 was solved by Steven Bevacqua (also the first person to solve the metapuzzle), who used a Vignere cypher to decrypt this message:

U S E L E T
T E R S B A
C K W A R D S F
R O M E N D

Steve credits Nick Tierce for the idea that the page was an alphanumeric code. I had nothing to do with solving this page and merely used the clue that they unearthed.

Page 105 solution:
In the recent LOST episode "The Variable," there is a quick shot of Wired issue 11.08 from August 2003. Scott Dadich's twitter hint led me to the time travel article in that issue. The part of the article on Thorne Plates refers to the "Casimir Effect," which was also referenced on LOST in the past. In order to USE LETTERS BACKWARDS FROM END, count the letters backwards from the end of the Thorne Plates portion of the article. So, count 4 letters back (the "t" in "trip"), then 34 letters back from that (the "h" in "happen") and so on. The final solution is:

T H E F O U
R T O E D S
T A T U E I S
T A W E R E T

which refers to one of the reveals in the Season 5 finale of LOST.

-Jon

Wired's LOST puzzle

I just out-nerded my already rather nerdy self by spending many an hour figuring out the LOST number puzzle in the May issue of Wired magazine. The answer turned out to be one of the many reveals of last week's finale, so kind of a letdown that no one apparently figured it out in time, but still satisfying to get it out of my brain.

-Jon

The Tunes

Mestizo is getting ready to release a new album, so I figured it was high time to put some new songs up in here. Check out the new section in the sidebar called "The Tunes" to listen to the songs we have available on iLike/Facebook (it's kind of far down the page... this is a Beer & Tunes blog, not a Tunes & Beer blog). "Hostage" and "Fade" are from the new album, out on May 16th! If you're in Colorado, you can grab a copy at our CD release party:

Saturday, May 16th - 7:30pm - $5 cover
The D'Note - www.dnote.us
7519 Grandview Ave, Arvada, CO
with Melissa Ivey and My Friend Tom!

-Jon

Upslope IPA (can) - 3.0

Upslope IPA
India Pale Ale
Upslope Brewing Company
Boulder, CO
ABV: 7.2%

Jon:
Doesn't look like an IPA. Doesn't really taste like an IPA. Soooo bitter, like black tea. No citrusy goodness to speak of here. Just a bitter punch in the mouth.

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Mark:
First impression: "That's a weird color!" Except for the high alcohol content, it seems more like a crazy bitter amber or a weird stout. Very, very bitter with a floral quality and a hint of coffee and pine. Sort of tastes like dandelions.

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Jere:
Can you can an IPA? Upslope seems to think so, but I'm afraid I disagree. Worth a try just to say I tried it though.

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Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Today's to-do list:

• Cerveza.
• Siesta.
• Más cerveza.

Happy Cinco to all the other Mestizos out there.

-Jon

Single-Wide IPA (bottle) - 3.0

Single-Wide IPA
India Pale Ale
Boulevard Brewing Company
Kansas City, MO
ABV: 5.7%

Jon:
Foamy to a fault... I don't even really understand how it's possible. Smells like a beer fest (in a good way). Good drinkability without overpowering your palate or sacrificing too much hop flavor.

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Mark:
Really foamy, I poured it very carefully and it looked like I topped it off with spray foam insulation. Also, I'm allergic to this beer. Pretty good other than that. I wonder where I put my EpiPen...

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Jere:
Foamy like the wolf... Too "alcohol-ey" for my tastes, once the foam finally dissipated.

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7th Annual Boulder Strong Ale Fest

Not much time for new beers lately since we've been putting all our effort into the upcoming album, but Mark and I did get a chance to hit up the Boulder Strong Ale Fest this year. We were joined by the usual Kate and Jim, plus beer fest first-timer Rico. Since we are accustomed to unlimited pours at GABF, we were shocked to learn that we would only be receiving 16 coupons each. One coupon is good for a two-ounce pour of 8% ABV or higher ale. I put some extra cash in my pocket, thinking I'd need to buy quite a few more tickets to get through the night. But hold the phone, this is some stroooong beer. Not a single one of us used all of our tickets. But we did get in on some good stuff--here are some highlights:

• Great Divide's Hercules IPA is a full-on, all-up-in-yer-bizness IPA, with an explosion of citrusy hops. I can't believe I've somehow avoided it at my local liquor store this long. Shame on me.
• Pizza Port had some great offerings in the double IPA category, including the piney "Killer Dana" from San Clemente and the amazingly hoppy "Poor Man's IPA" from Carlsbad.
• Moylan's Brewery brought along Wet Hopsickle, which was quite reminiscent of Stone IPA (a very good thing). Also, Green Flash Brewing's Imperial IPA reminded me of Redhook's Longhammer IPA (also a good thing). Reminiscent, but with nearly twice the alcohol.
• The ever-present New Belgium brought along the mysteriously-named Kevin's Ale. It's described on the info sheet as a "strong golden ale with spices." Call me unrefined, but I couldn't get past the ginger to find any other spices. You got yourselves some very alcoholic ginger ale there, dudes.
• I also liked Redstone Meadery's Nectar of the Hops. I haven't had a lot of experience with mead, but it tastes like a syrupy agave nectar. Really not bad at all.
• I gotta throw a shout out to Alpine Beer's Pure Hoppiness, merely for the fact that I tried it toward the end of the night and wrote nothing but "bueno" in my notes. Did I mention that these were strong ales?

All in all, a good beer fest. But I must say that Harpo's is waaaay too small for this event. It took half of our coupons to stop being annoyed by the closeness of the crowd and enjoy ourselves.

-Jon

Revisited! Mojo (growler) - 5.0

Mark and Jon have been spending a bit of time over at the Boulder Beer Company's bar lately, so it's once again time to shower our favorite brew with some love...


Mojo
India Pale Ale
Boulder Beer Company
Boulder, CO
ABV: 6.8%

Jon:
Huge orange flavor, some subtle pine notes, and the most amazing bitterness on the finish. Sweeter on tap than in the bottle, but it adds to the depth of flavor and smells heavenly. $9 for a growler! This is the standard by which all IPAs should be judged.

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Mark:
Liquid perfection! Definitely my favorite beer, and it's even better on tap! Crisp, clean... It hits you with a hoppy bitterness reminiscent of white grapefruit with floral hints and a clean mineral effervescence, followed by a bitter alcohol finish. Bravo!

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Red Rocket Pale Ale (bottle) - 3.0

Red Rocket Pale Ale
American Pale Ale
Bristol Brewing Company
Colorado Springs, CO
ABV: 5.2%

Jon:
Honey colored, honey nose, honey taste. Strangely metallic finish. Somewhere between complex and easy-drinking, and rather unique.

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Mark:
Slightly sweet, watered down, definitely different. Almost tastes like a stout that they somehow morphed into a pale ale. Tricky. Very tricky.

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Jere:
Now it's Red Rocket instead of Red Truck--what's next, Red Comet? Works for me, this beer however is not really up my alley.

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Red Truck IPA (bottle) - 3.0

Red Truck IPA
India Pale Ale
Palisade Brewery
Palisade, CO
ABV: ?

Jon:
Woah. There are some crazy sorts of bitterness going on here. It's very herbal; reminds me of some of the bitter flavors found in Cynar. Marks for complexity, but it's ultimately an unfortunate comparison because Cynar is one amazingly toxic drink.

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Mark:
Fairly balanced for an IPA. Not quite the hops for me, but with an oddly watered-down bitter flavor. Not bad at all, definitely good quality, but the $9 price tag turned me off a little bit.

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Jere:
Red Truck stands for bitter--too much for my tastes unfortunately. Not that I won't finish what I've started, mind you, but I can't say I'll enjoy it all that much.

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