Feeding The Fanatics by Monkish brewing

14516556_10103598625976660_1789878070697657022_nRating: 7/7

Feeding The Fanatics by Monkish brewing is a 7.1% ABV India Pale Ale brewed with Citra, Simcoe, and Amarillo hops.

Label:
None!

==Introduction==
Released as a taproom exclusive, Monkish has changed its ways for the better good. Since the beginning, they were a brewery exclusive to the Belgian styles of brewing. They even had a sign that used to say NO IPAs! Until recently, they have tested their brewing art and applied to making IPAs. They somehow stumbled upon an east coast secret of hazy New England style IPAs. Essentially, the orange juice and tropical fruit and pulpy hop bombs. I say that because the beers are so hazy and so juicy that they are exactly like if you are drinking juice. Since I tried King JJJuliusss by Tree House a while back, I have an idea of what they are about. Especially since Heady Topper as well. This combined with the fact that Monkish has been releasing IPA cans exclusively at the brewery and creating a very coveted market, their IPAs are extraordinary. Unfortunately, for me, I think I have lost interest in waiting for can releases. You see, it has become very hyped up that people are actually staying overnight on some Fridays before can releases in order to get a chance at a 4 pack of gold. They pretty much sell out really quick. So, when they said they would release one of their IPAs on tap only and growler fill option, I had to see what this “hype” was all about. The name alone describes how big their IPAs have become. They have to feed the masses or “fanatics” like a cult of IPA praise that there really is not enough of these delicious beers to feed the other masses that do not want to camp out for beer releases. Monkish is a gold mine! Essentially, to the degree that they are most likely Pliny and Heady Topper hype killers at this point until other breweries can make such juice bombs just like Tree House or Trillium to name a few. So here I have a pour from a growler fill and I will tell you, what I think of this so called, Gold… cheers!

Aromas:
Tropical fruit guava, mango, dragon fruit, passion fruit, pineapple juice, kiwi, prickly pears, pomegranates, honey dew melon, papaya, cranberries, cherries, tangerines, lychee, kumquats, Danish cream, sweetened condensed milk, lemon starbursts, orange starburst, lemons, limes, orange juice, lemonade, lime aid, tang, tampico orange juice, raspberries, cane sugar, agave nectar, stone peaches, apricots, dank, garlicky, floral, herbal and grassy hops, basil, lemon grass, vanilla and tangerine gummies.

Flavors:
Rich orange juice, lemonade, lime aid, tang, tampico orange juice, raspberries, cane sugar, agave nectar, stone peaches, apricots, dank, garlicky, floral, herbal and grassy hops, basil, lemon grass, vanilla, tangerine gummies, tropical fruit guava, mango, dragon fruit, passion fruit, pineapple juice, kiwi, prickly pears, pomegranates, honey dew melon, papaya, cranberries, cherries, tangerines, lychee, kumquats, orange bang, orange juice pulp, grapefruit pulp, orange blossom honey, almond cream, cashew cream, biscuit bread, Danish cream, sweetened condensed milk, lemon starbursts, orange starburst, lemons, limes, grapes and tropical fruit smoothies.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with rich tropical and citrus fruit flavors that just linger for a very long time with rich hop dankness, honey, sweetened condensed milk hints, honey and more. No alcohol in the taste, Hazy Pale Honey medium body, crisp, clean, smooth, refreshing and velvety mouthfeel with an easy drinkability.

Overall:
Seriously though, what Vatican Deep Vault Scrolls did Monkish unearth to make these grandeur IPAs. Apparently, they somehow brought the magic of the east coast and blended some West Coast mysteries into it because this is damn insane. IF the can releases is making people wait outside on different Friday nights to camp for a Saturday Can release, it must be something that is definitely out there. This must be proof as the fact that this was the first time they released it on tap that soon, there will be enough beer for even distribution to the masses. I will not say this is the best beer in the world, NO, but I will say this type of beer style is definitely up there with my top 10s. Sorry, I love my Belgians to be a hop head but I am a lover of all styles and IPAs are a love of mine as well. Regardless, I honestly think while the beer is supreme and I hope to see more in the future, I would still not camp out to get these beers. Unless you really want to, I say give it some time before this or any other of their IPAs are released to the public or find a way to trade for it. These beers have a low shelf life, even lower than West Coast IPAs so you definitely have to enjoy them fresh. If Monkish still has this beer on tap and you happen to be around the town. GO GET THIS!… This one is a bucket lister… I’m sure their other ones are too.
14500314_10103598625966680_7273747620588369782_o
Anime Corner:
Anime Justice League by artists Wizyakyza (link in the sources) which includes anime characters Kirito from Sword Art Online 2, Naruto from Naruto, Natsu from Fairy Tail, Ryuko Matoi (maiwaifu LOL) from Kill La Kill, Saitama from One Punch Man, Mikasa Ackerman from Attack On Titan, Goku from Dragon Ball/Z/GT/Super, Edward from Full Metal Alchemist and Luffy from One Piece were all used as a statement. The masses seem to be moving forward toward some kind of IPA hop juice Utopia and the name signifies that people will stop at nothing to this brew. Maybe the secret isn’t so secret at all as some home brewers have attempted to mimic some of these beers. However, for being a beer that I damn enjoyed so much (maybe not the way I enjoy my favorite best beers in the world like my Quads and Belgian Dark Strongs or Barrel Aged gold) I still wanted to create a parallel between what people in the craftbeer world are wanting versus what people in the anime world are wanting. A true collision of Beer and Anime awesomeness!!

Sources:
http://wizyakuza.deviantart.com/art/hmmmmmmm-587323705

Passion of the Mango Saiyan by Nubis Sanctum Ales

12670524_10103153472178440_208368482966789237_n 12795293_10103153473031730_5232904621522431181_n 11416332_10103153474239310_5285692143008164167_oRating: 4.5/5

Passion of the Mango Saiyan by Nubis Sanctum Ales is a 7% ABV Hard Apple Cider made with Mango and Passion Fruit.

==Introduction==
12043051_10103089759055050_5161831082288574054_n
Project# 19 came up as the eventual need to go back to something basic. The fact that I have not been making ciders in and while my ciders have all been Belgian inspired, this was my first opportunity to make cider with the basic cider yeast. Nothing too fancy but definitely something of experimenting with natural and organic flavorings. As many should know by now, some ciders made commercially are like this. I will be making more of an actual cider using real fruits but for now, my attempts to mimic the common came to question, How good of a cider can I make with just simple to get ingredients and little effort? Don’t get me wrong, it still enough work to make sure it is made correctly, but I wanted to contrast this versus what I have done with beer which is drastically different amount of workload. Regardless, I bring forth my new creation. Let’s see how this one came out, Cheers!

Aromas:
Apple cider, passion fruit, mango, peach, pineapple hints, vanilla hints, cane sugar and stone fruits.

Flavors:
Passion fruit, Mango, Pineapple, Apples, Stone fruit peach, apricot notes, honey, starburst candy, strawberry notes, honey dew melon, agave nectar, cane sugar, grapes, vanilla and guava hints.

Aftertaste:
Finishes dry with notes of the mango and the passion fruit. No alcohol in the flavor, clear light golden body, crisp, clean and super refreshing mouthfeel and very easy to drink.

Overall:
A very good cider. Not much to it really in terms of complexity but damn is this very drinkable, super delicious and great for the coming summer. Who would of thought just going to the basics can be rewarding. Even if it is not super complex or a lot of work like brewing it proves one thing, if you really want to make your own fermented beverage, ciders and wine are on the easier end. Next time, I’ll want to make this with the real fruits to see the difference.

Anime Corner:
Android 18/Lazuli, Trunks and Vegeta from the Dragon Ball series were used in this pairing to represent the Passion Fruit and the Mango. In the series, Vegeta and his son Trunks both get beat down by Android 18. While they still have the passion to keep going, in they still lose. The representation here is pretty much like punishment for making something so easy using basic ingredients. Many people may see it as cheating in some context but as long as you keep trying different things, you will eventually find great things. Plus, Vegeta’s hair as a super saiyan looks like a dried mango and the cider is all yellow like Android 18 and both Super saiyan’s hair.

Sources:
http://static.zerochan.net/Android.18.full.1561469.jpg
https://fingerbook.com/uploads/fingerbooks/3429/81125/preview_large_10806_dragon_ball_z.jpg?1427359660

Monarch’s Imperial Stout by Avila Ales

12672131_10103153468964880_93076147408653684_o 12593533_10103153468061690_4329677023538776097_oRating: 5/5

Monarch’s Imperial Stout by Avila Ales is a ~9% ABV Imperial Stout brewed with Hawaiian Coffee.

==Introduction==

Brewed at my place, Nubis Sanctum, my friend Richard Avila of Avila Ales. A luscious imperial stout which was made back in November with rich Hawaiian Coffee and had aged for several months. Tribute for the beer comes with the addition of the Hawaiian coffee and the heritage of my friend’s wife, Megan Avila who is from Hawaii. The name originated from royalty as the Avila Ales label has a crown in the logo. The name of Monarch is in reference to King Kamehameha who ruled over the other islands. Overall, it was a well-fitting name for this Imperial Stout. Thanks to my friend Richard for sharing this brew and hope to try many more in the future. Cheers!

Aromas:
Roasted Coffee, mocha, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, bakers chocolate, dark fruit currants, cherry hints, espresso notes, Kahlua coffee notes, toasted coconut and brown sugar.

Flavors:
Dark Chocolate, milk chocolate, bakers chocolate, mocha, espresso hints, roasted coffee, marshmallows, graham crackers, dark fruit currants, blueberries, raspberries, cherries, Kahlua liquor, rocky road ice cream, pecan pie notes, hazelnut nectar, vanilla, caramel, toasted coconut, toffee, brown sugar, molasses, leather and tobacco notes.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with notes dark fruit, toasted coconut, fancy roasted coffee, earthy notes and dark chocolate. No alcohol in the taste, dark full body, creamy, smooth and silky mouthfeel with a moderate drinkability.

Overall:
A perfect and well-made Imperial Stout. Like the Barleywine from before, this beer is one of my friend Richard’s best beers. It has everything I love from imperial stouts like the dark chocolate, dark fruits, vanilla caramel, coffee and more. It really hit home, especially I think due to the Hawaiian coffee influence on this brew, that it reminded me of my first imperial stout, Sangrileche. Granted, Sangrileche is oak aged, still, this beer has those notes I really liked and was a definite winner. I hope my friend makes this one again.

Anime Corner:
Queen Nemor of Dragon ball Ultimate Crossover wiki was used in this pairing as I wanted to use a Dragon Ball reference. Goku’s Kamehameha was named from the King of Hawaii. In the Dragon Ball universe, the rulers of his home planet Vegeta are the most common royalty that I know of. So to go with the theme of royalty and Kamehameha, I used Queen Nemor. While Nemor is the ruler of the previous Planent before Vegeta’s planet (Planet Plant), it was the closest I could do to royalty but also a bad ass looking female royal. While I do think Nemor is merely fictional or created for the purpose of introducing who ruled the saiyans before Planet Vegeta, this seemed to fit well in my mind.

Sources:
http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/ultimate-crossover/images/7/77/Queen_Ringo.png/revision/latest?cb=20140105074941
http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/ultimate-crossover/images/7/7a/Nemor_Super_Saiyan.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140109071649

20th Anniversary Higher Math by Dogfish Head

12615322_10103031731971790_5500334912958599512_oRating: 6/6

20th Anniversary Higher Math by Dogfish Head is a 17% ABV Belgian Golden Ale brewed with Chocolate and Sour Cherry Juice.

Label:
Celebrating 20 off-centered years with our luscious chocolate-cherry birthday cake in liquid form.

==Introduction==

Holy Shit! It’s been a long time since Dogfish Head released a super gravity beer. Perfect along with Fort. The last time I tried a high gravity brew that was up in the 16% to 18% ABV from them was Dogfish Head 120 IPA. A crazy insane IPA that I wish I could find again. With the release of this beer, my need to the high gravity (Aside from the Bruery stuff) can be satisfied once again. These are the beers that you definitely cellar for a long time and see how it evolves. Since I don’t wanna wait and bring this to the site to see if you should cash for this one, I will be trying this one and let you know hot it is, like I always do. Cheers!

Aromas:
Dark fruit raisins, figs, grapes, currants, plums, dark cherries, cranberries, raspberries, Chocolate Orange Creamcicle, grilled bananas, dulce de leche caramel, banana cream pie, cinnamon, flan, double fudge cherry cake, honey, maple syrup, cherry cordials, port wine hints, milk chocolate, hazelnut nectar, orange peel, coriander, toffee, rye bread, tangerine preserves on toasted bread, butterscotch and tres leches cake.

Flavors:
Chocolate Orange Creamcicle, grilled bananas, dulce de leche caramel, banana cream pie, cinnamon, flan, milk chocolate, hazelnut nectar, orange peel, coriander, dark fruit raisins, figs, grapes, currants, plums, dark cherries, cranberries, raspberries, toffee, rye bread, tangerine preserves on toasted bread, butterscotch, tres leches cake, Stone fruit apricots, peaches in cream, apple pie, pecan pie, rocky road ice cream, double fudge cherry cake, honey, maple syrup, cherry cordials, port wine hints, grape must, capirotada raisin bread pudding, fruit cake and piloncillo sugar cone.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with rich cherry, orange, hints of chocolate, dark fruits, stone fruits, rye bread, tangerine preserves on toasted bread and rich honey. Slight alcohol in the taste but not detracting from the already rich flavors. Bloody Crimson hazy body, silky, creamy and syrupy mouthfeel and sipping drinkability.

Overall:
Exceptionally luscious high gravity goodness. Warms up the tummy on those late fall/ early winter days. There was so much going in this beer. For being high gravity, you could still taste the complex flavors even if the alcohol was slight. My only regret was that I could not get any more of these bottles. Now I will have to track them down so I can try it again. That or the other high gravity brews from Dogfish Head for sure. Any of them would be awesome. But seriously, if you like these types of beers, this one is king!

Anime Corner:
Android 18 (Lazuli) from Dragon Ball Z was paired with this one mainly for the colors of the beer and label but mainly the whole ABV and numbers relative to the name, Higher Math. The strength is a major as well seeing that Android 18 coming from Dragon Ball Z would be one of the strongest females in Anime History and one hot looking one at that. Next to Goku or Vegeta, Lazuli is my favorite since growing up with DBZ.

Sources:
http://1.media.dorkly.cvcdn.com/34/86/f4c98b05a6528bfc1f784dd84235a951.jpg

Atomic Kangarue collaboration by The Bruery and Smog City

10356216_10102017683263530_2221085792071013665_n 10440646_10102017682979100_3087017942918613446_nRating: 5/5

Atomic Kangarue collaboration by The Bruery and Smog City is a 9.5% ABV American Wild Ale dry hopped and brewed with grapes.
Label:

HOLY SMOGOLY!
This complex ale was brewed with 2 grape varieties, fermented with brett trois, blended with a sour ale, dry hopped with Amarillo hops & bottled just for you.

We’ve been friends with the folks at Smog City for many years and getting to brew a beer with them was a dream come true. Truly, only in the world of dreams could this remarkable beer have been manifested. A Belgian-style golden ale, brewed with Semillon and Viognier grapes plus three types of hops, fermented with Brettanomyces Trois as well as our house yeast strain, then blended with a sour blonde ale and finally dry-hopped with Amarillo hops. This beer couldn’t be more complex and we couldn’t be more proud of it.

___

This beer was a collaboration from Torrance local favorite, Smog City and The Bruery of Placentia. When I first heard they were doing a collaboration, I really wondered how it would turn out. As the Bruery is mainly experimental Belgian styles and Smog City IPA and variety styles. They bring forth a beer that actually uses Smog City’s best kept secret, the use of Amarillo hops which is what fan favorite, Amarilla Gorilla is based on. So since the Bruery rarely uses or plays with hops in their potent beers, a 9% doucey with hops I could only imagine how it would go. This beer was originally released to Reserve Society members and I believe will be hitting the public venues where the Bruery and Smog City beers are sold. Definitely can’t wait to try it, so let me break this caged beast for you, cheers!!

Aromas:

Oranges, citrus, lemon peel, peppercorn, vanilla, herbal, floral, piney and grassy hops, biscuit bread, honey, farmhouse hay, white grapes, white sage spice, coriander, basil, garlic notes, dragon fruit, passion fruit, pineapple, strawberries, papaya, stone fruit like apricots, peaches, mango, herbs and spices.

Flavors:

Oranges, tangerine, white sage spice, floral notes, flowers, white grapes, brettanomyces, stone fruits like apricots, peaches, vanilla, caramel, lemon peel, citrus, grapefruit, herbal, floral, piney and grassy hops, rich biscuit bread, honey, farmhouse hay, basil, garlic notes, onion hints, dragon fruit, honey dew melon, passion fruit, pineapple, strawberries, papaya, farmhouse hay, herbs, honey, white wine grapes, musty funky notes, stone fruit apricots, peaches, old mango, coriander spice, clove spice and hints of allspice.

Aftertaste:

Tangy Oranges, Tropical fruit notes, floral hops, vanilla, herbs and spices linger. No alcohol in the taste, easy to medium drinkability, light to moderate mouthfeel, medium to light body, very crisp and refreshing.

Overall:

A perfect collaboration! Drinking more along of the Belgian Strong Pale Ale or Golden Ale, this beer definitely takes its roots and reminds me a lot of the Eschatological Ale from Stillwater if it was more sweeter with grapes and a bit more tropical. This beer is not a complete sour at all. The balance with the bitter hops and the brettanomyces helps it blend to a sweet, bitter and sour/tart tri-force of flavors.

Anime Corner:

Android 18/Lazuli from Dragon Ball Z/GT was used in this pairing to pair with the Sour Blond aspect and the colors of the beer as well as several things. Lazuli was evil in her beginnings but it wasn’t until she was in danger and was cared for by the protagonist Krillin, in which she learned to care and love. She grew sweeter and softer which eventually showed her true powers. This is reflected in the beers tropical and sweet yet bitter and sour aspect. Hey just because 18/Lazuli is sweet and awesome she still has attitude. That ain’t going away. Her stance is that of like an animal style in Kung-Fu lore. I have no idea what it is but let us call that one “The Kanagarue” Style lol. While I added Trunks in the mix, I wanted to basically show that basically, the Bruery while all powerful, a brewery like Smog City, in this case Lazuli, can bring so much more to the table and together can take the world by storm. Awesome job guys!!

Sources:
http://cfile30.uf.tistory.com/image/2123114651D44B2806EEB0
http://www.zerochan.net/full/1561469

Grey Monday by The Bruery

375268_10100970740155910_403711075_n (1)Rating: 6/5 * Final Review of 2012*


Grey Monday by The Bruery is an 18.6% ABV Imperial Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels with Hazelnuts. Essentially, this is the Black Tuesday Variant but made with Hazelnuts. Black Tuesday along with it’s cousin, Chocolate Rain are one of my most favorite Chocolate beers ever. They may not be the highest in the world but they certainly rated higher in my opinion. While St. Bernardus abt 12 and Trois Pistoles covers my most favorite Belgian/ World beers ever. Mainly this cover covers my ultimate chocolate beer sweet tooth. This is like a very special chocolate liquid of the gods.

 

Label:
Originally brewed for a molecular gastronomy dinner at Beachwood BBQ, this decadent version of Black Tuesday is brewed with Oregon grown, roasted hazelnuts.
___

The ABV on the label said 18.6% however, at the tasting rooms in The Bruery they have it at 19.2%. Chocolate Rain was about that much, maybe more. This year’s Black Tuesday is in the 19 something as well. Anyways, on to the review 🙂
Grey Monday is hard to get. You have to basically go out of your way to get it so for those that want to seek this on out, be ready to climb over a good amount of obstacles. If your lucky, you may find it online though. So immediately after you open the beer is an massive explosion of extremely rich chocolate, vanilla, bourbon, cherries, plums, pecans, hazelnut, and caramel. Like literally, you can smell how sweet and nutty this is. Aromas are just that rich. Just like I said about Chocolate Rain. Basically Diabetes in a bottle. Also a note to the wise. Take your time and do not consume in one sitting. 1 small 8 ounce glass or less is best. Nectar of gods should be taken lightly and savored to the best ability and saved some for later or for friends. I decided to drink this on Monday 31st as being the last beer of 2012 I review :). So I figure why not. Upon trying it I was taken to the boozy world chocolate nirvana. Immediately I was surrounded by flavors of very strong milk, dark, sweet chocolate, chocolate covered raisins and tart cherries, rich mocha, rich dulce de leche caramel, rich sweetened condensed milk (Mexican Lechera), flan with pecans, almonds, walnuts, Bourbon, vanilla, raisins, port chocolate, Chambord Raspberry in chocolate cake, hazelnut nectar, pecan pie, chocolate cheesecake with maybe some macadamia nuts and well lots of burnt sweet caramelized sugars and cocoa. There is also an underlying banana nut bread with cherry and chocolate, vanilla and caramel hazelnut in the aftertaste. This beer is pretty deep and it takes grasp of the spirit. You would probably be done in one sip. The Oak Bourbon is present but no burn, just a small level of intensity for this super giant megaton fusion super saiyan of an ABV beer. Certainly one of the greats and nothing less. World Class in its own special way. The Grey Monday, The Black Tuesday and The Chocolate Rain. I love Trois Pistoles and I love St. Bernardus abt 12, but just as Chocolate Rain has taken me above and beyond this has taken me to another level of rich hazelnut, chocolate, caramel, vanilla, dark fruits and oak bourbon vanilla heaven.