Tag Archives: tropical IPA

Fruitallica collaboration by Beavertown, Garage Project and Stone brewing

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Rating: 5/5
 
Fruitallica collaboration by Beavertown, Garage Project and Stone brewing is an 8% ABV Double India Pale ale brewed with Yuzu, Kiwi and Habanero.
 
Label:
==Introduction==
Obtained this one at Stone brewing store. The recent release of their latest collaboration which has the name inspiration from Metallica. This beer intrigued me mainly due to the ingredients use. A tropical IPA with special fruits is always awesome. I have homebrewed an IPA with Kiwi before and the flavors do tend to stick out a bit. Which is really awesome for what they are going for. The habanero addition definitely makes for something that I’m sure will definitely kick ass. The last habanero beer I had was the Sulpin Habanero and that thing was really hot. I usually eat spicy foods but that habanero was really present With the use of Yuzu and Kiwi I’m sure would make for something that would calm that heat. Let’s take a look, Cheers!
 
Aromas:
Floral, hoppy, grapefruit, herbal, grassy and earthy hops, rich tropical fruit medley, stone fruit, guave, berries, peppercorn, habanero spicy hints, citrus fruits and banana hints.
 
Flavors:
Rich tropical fruit goodness, pineapple, passion fruit, mango, dragon fruit, papaya, yuzu, jack fruit, banana hints, kiwis, oranges, lemon peel, blue berries, cherries, Strawberries, cranberries, tangerine gummies, herbal, grapefruit, dank, grassy, piney hops, mild earthy habanero spice, stone fruit peach hints, floral hibiscus, peppercorn hints and guava notes.
Aftertaste:
Finishing rich with tropical flavors, herbal, garlicky, dank, grapefruit, grassy and piney hops, stone fruit notes and mild earthy spiciness. No alcohol in the taste, hazy medium body, smooth, crisp, refreshing and effervescent. A moderate to sipping kind of beer.
 
Overall:
A nice perfect IPA. The tropical fruits do come forward and the habanero is more hinted than heat creating a mild spice that can appease those that were not looking for a hot and spicy burning beer. Granted you feel it a bit in the throat near the end but is immediately washed away. A very nice balance of hoppy, spiciness and sweet. Definitely worth seeking for!
Anime Corner:
Lacey Shadows from The Modifyers was used in this pairing mainly for the colors that complement the beer well. While she seems more punk than goth or metal, she seems close to it. She is also very so that covers the Habanero part of things. Regardless, the colors she has seem to go well with some of the flavors as well. Overall, I think she fit the part nicely.

 

 

KING JJJULIUSSS by Tree House Brewing

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13710568_10103423801990330_4600272701424037331_oRating: 7/7
KING JJJULIUSSS by Tree House Brewing is an 8.4% ABV World Class Double India Pale Ale.

Label:
N/A

==Introduction==
13767235_10103423801985340_2949337300366128056_o
Released in cans for the first time at Tree House. I had heard many great things about the up and coming New England Style of IPAs especially since the trend of the Heady Toppers with their unfiltered deliciousness. Tree House has made a good amount of unfiltered beers that are literally “Juice” IPAs. Basically like drinking Orange and a citrus variety of juices. As crazy as the styles have been, I have not seen a homebrew recipe for those but once can only experiment as the majority are West Coast Styles. Anyways, this brew was released to be one, if not, the best New England Style IPA so the fact that I had an opportunity to give this a shot, I had to bring it to the site. The other thing too is that it is hard to get these New England Styles so I hope with the coming years, we will see them more. As for this one, let’s see if this is the best. Cheers!
Aromas:
Full fragrance of citrus and mixed tropical fruits like oranges, orange juice, mango, dragon fruit, passion fruit, guava, tangerines, lemon candy, limes, honey dew melon, papaya, grapefruit juice with pulp, orange juice with pulp, strawberries, pomegranates, wild flower honey, stone fruit peach, apricot, lychees, kumquats, kiwis, dank floral and grassy hop notes, agave and cane sugar as well as Danish cream hints.
Flavors:
Sunny Delight, limes, lemons, lemon candy, Tropical fruit mango, passion fruit dragon fruit, strawberries, kiwi, prickly pears, pomegranates, honey dew melon, papaya, cherries, guavas, tangerines, mandarins, lychee, kumquats, oranges, grapefruit juice, orange pulp, grapefruit pulp, sweetened condensed milk, orange bang, cane sugar, agave nectar, wild flower honey, orange honey blossoms, tropical, grapefruit, mild dank and floral hops, stone fruit apricot, peaches, raspberries, almond notes, biscuit bread, Danish cream, pears and orange gummy bears.

13725040_10103423801825660_8133291192375626178_o
Aftertaste:
Super dry with hints of Sweet tropical fruit and super citrus orange juice, earthy dank tropical hops and grapefruit gummies. No alcohol in the taste, Cloudy Golden Honey colored full body, Smooth, frothy, crisp, refreshing and juicy mouthfeel and very easy to drink.
Overall:
Straight up Sunny-Delight! I have never had an IPA that was super juicy with the dank bitterness from grassy aspect dancing around the supreme Orange and Tropical fruit juice. This beer is super different from even the best west coast IPAs I have had. Even next to power plant it is definitely something else. I think these New England IPA styles of unfiltered IPAs are really taking off. I don’t often get to try them and the last one I had was Heady Topper but even this is better than that one. It is hard to put in a category of Tropical/Citrus/Herbal IPAs as it fits mainly the super citrus and tropical IPA aspects but really, is this even beer?! Holy shit, what are they doing over there in the East coast, This beer is like dry hopped orange and tropical juice it is insane. If you can somehow get this fresh, definitely go for it and it is definitely a bucket lister.

13735050_10103423801830650_4240805108659278942_o
Anime Corner:
KOS-MOS/ELMA from the Xenosaga/Blade series were chosen for this pairing as I wanted to represent the next King in IPAs as being this brew. The New England style of beer especially the stuff that’s coming from Tree House is worthy of using one of my favorite characters in such a pairing. While Elma is a tribute to KOS-MOS, the gold and black colors pair well with the label of the beer but since I was going to use Elma for this, I wanted to bring in KOS-MOS as she has similar colors of black, gold and silver. So being that one of my 4 favorite anime characters, I carefully selected her for this one as this beer could very well be the next Pliny killer.

13659168_10103423801835640_8676236592552901347_n
Sources:
http://nillarz.deviantart.com/art/Kos-Mos-Ver-3-500373421
http://www.zerochan.net/full/389419
http://abload.de/img/xcx-alt02oyyk0.jpg
https://67.media.tumblr.com/c1143e22b9cc18a248a415aaf936dba4/tumblr_o89eldmxuI1u9b98uo1_500.jpg
http://urw.deviantart.com/art/Xenoblade-Space-Elf-579205626

Hop Squeezed Tropic Hunter by Nubis Sanctum Ales

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11209405_10102705674518540_6521462536723157215_n 11701078_10102705675566440_2156771401235513723_n 11705364_10102705676769030_5161456622611351380_nRating: 4.95/5

Hop Squeezed Tropic Hunter by Nubis Sanctum Ales is an 11% ABV Double (Triple) India Pale Ale brewed with Mango Puree, Arizona Wild Flower Honey, Citra, Mosaic, Amarillo and Simcoe.

Label:
The Last Mango is in Captivity. The Galaxy Hops, are at peace… as they were not harmed in the making of this beer…

Tropic Hunter S.A.M.U.S (Savor Analyze Monitor Unite & Save)
Log OG:1.100 FG:1.020…
Login METROIPA…Accepted…
Transmitting Data—->
“My name is SAMUS. I first encountered the Mango-troid colony on their home Planet Citra Zest. It was there that I was introduced to the rich delicious Nectar these creatures produced. These creatures though harmless had offered me something I’ve never seen in all my visits through the Galaxy of Barley way. The Mango-troids, after pollination which would involve squeezing sugars from fruits and hops, would then leave behind a secret bitter sweet liquid that was gold in color and aromatic like the tropical fruits of the Planet 4U2EAT. My mission… To collect a sample of this ambrosia and present it to the lab for analysis. Here is what this liquid is composed of:

Ingredients: Water, Malts, Amarillo, Simcoe, Mosaic & Citra Hops, Freshly made Mango Puree, Arizona Wild Flower Honey, Candi Sugar and San Diego Super Yeast.

As I completed my mission, a Mango-troid followed me back to my ship. I think it is a baby. So it seems I was able to produce enough of the ambrosia with the help of the Mango-ling that I am providing some for your research as well!

SAMUS Over And Out… Cheers and see you next mission!”
End Transmission…

==Introduction==
11226214_10102578385147460_5955177454859176997_o

Project#9 is my attempt at brewing a tropical double IPA and an inspiration from El Segundo’s Power Plant as well as the Sure Bet Double IPA from Pipeworks is this beer right here. While studying a good recipe for a couple months and buying ingredients bit by bit, I finally was able to create my first ever IPA in the similar recipe to tribute to some of my favorite tropical/leche nestle Triple IPAs out there. I have no idea if my beer can even top the Pliny the Younger but I hope it can beat the elder atleast. Either way, it was a lot of work, a great learning experience and one damn great beer I was very proud to make. Cheers!

Aromas:
Mango hints, Wild flower hints, rich citrus, rich pine needle, herbal, floral, grassy and grapefruit hops, tropical fruits like guava, prickly pears, papaya, passion fruit, dragon fruit, lychee, pineapples, apricots, stawberrries, raspberries, cherries, tangerines, tuna fruit, stone fruit peaches, creamy vanilla, caramel, agave notes, sweetened condensed milk, tangerine gummy bears, citrus peels, grapefruit peels, coconut hints, marshmallow and tres leches/3 milks cream hints.

Flavors:
Rich Mango, Wild flower honey, agave notes, tropical fruit like dragon fruit, papaya, kiwi, honey dew melon, strawberries, passion fruit, prickly pear, papaya, guava, piney, grassy, grapefruit hops, citrus, tangerine oranges, orange peel, grapefruit peel, sweetened condensed milk, caramel, toffee, vanilla, stone fruit apricots, banana hints, raspberries and cream hints, orange gummy bears, mild coconut hints, tres leches/3 milks cream hints, almonds and macadamia nut hints.

Aftertaste:
Lots of Orange peel, Grapefruit peel, Mango hints, Wild Flower honey hints, caramel, gummy bears, tangerines, tropical fruit hints, and stone fruit hint with left over piney hop goodness that pops for a bit. Slight alcohol in the taste, Golden Amber Honey full body, silky, syrupy, crisp and refreshing mouthfeel and a moderate drinkability

Overall:
While I give it 5 stars for the rich flavors I still was disappointed slightly that my carbonation was definitely not on par. There is a slight amount of head but not a lot of carbonation. Call it beginners foil but also a great learning lesson. Don’t get me wrong, I really love this beer it is damn scrumptious but with the carbonation it would have been way better. Either way, I know for next time and surely, next time I make an IPA and do secondary, definitely pitching some extra yeast to compensate for the high ABV but also the yeast viability after those several weeks after fermentation finished. A perfect yet “semi flat” yet super tropically delicious masterpiece.

Anime Corner:
Samus Aran from Metroid was used in this pairing as I wanted to give representation of the whole tropical colors and flavors as shown in the label by the metroids being the mangos and Samus squeezing them extracting this very IPA. The idea was solid and I lived it. I give more details in the label description but the shine of the beer in its strength, love, passion and dedication to making one of the best tropical IPAs I could. The lil’ metroid baby sure loves to help out Samus(Squeeze)! But I digress. Maybe the condensed milk like hints were… nah it couldn’t be 😉 …

Sources:
http://genzoman.deviantart.com/art/Metroid-259341497
http://planetgameboy.de/images/db/58621.jpg
http://orig09.deviantart.net/4d4e/f/2015/045/d/1/metroid___samus_be_my_valentine_by_genzoman-d8i0z23.jpg

Great Lei by Belching Beaver

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11754360_10102702345225470_6559022880061832533_oRating: 4.95/5

Great Lei by Belching Beaver is a 6.6% ABV Pineapple Colada India Pale Ale

Label:

Ivan made a cask called Pineapple Colada IPA. I could not believe how great it was. So Troy came up with a commercial recipe and brewed it . I thought, “Wow!” Lets call this the “Aloha Beaver” and we came up with this cool Hawaiian label. Well Thomas didn’t like that name so I had to change it. (Brewers can be a real pain) Mark had put a really cool lei on the beaver and I thought, “That’s a Great Lei!”. We’re not that imaginative so “Great Lei IPA!” it is. Thomas wanted “Good Lei” but he is not allowed to name beer anymore.

Cheers,
Tom

Ingredients: Water, Malt Natural Flavors Hops and Yeast

==Introduction==

I first had this one when visiting Belching Beaver while visiting San Diego. Having first enjoyed the peanut butter milk stout, I was sold on them to try much much more. They had the Horchata on tap as well as the Coconut Milk stout and the awesome Me So Honey beer. When trying the Great Lei, it seemed pretty good on tap but I did not really analyze it as I was most likely drunk and sold from the other beers there. Now that they released it to the market, all bets are off and it is time to review this and see just how this beer stands when I take my time with it. An honor to bring their beers to the table here at animebeers.com Cheers!

Aromas:
Good amount of tropics like Pineapple, toasted coconut, rum hints, dragon fruit, passion fruit, lychee, citrus, mango, guava, papaya, honey dew melon, mandarin oranges, vanilla, grapefruit, piney, grassy and citrus hops, tangerine gummi bears, prickly pears, Sweetened condensed milk, toffee, flan, Cocada Mexican Coconut candy, Strawberries, cherries, raspberries and biscuit bread.

Flavors:
Rich Pineapple, Malibu rum hints, toasted coconut, Sweetened condensed milk, toffee, flan, Cocada Mexican Coconut candy, Strawberries, cherries, raspberries, exotic dragon fruit, passion fruit, lychee, citrus, mango, guava, papaya, honey dew melon, mandarin oranges, tangerine gummi bears, prickly pears, vanilla, grapefruit, piney, grassy and citrus hops, biscuit bread, sangria and blue curacao hints.

Aftertaste:
Pineapple, grapefruit, grassy hops, vanilla, sweetened condensed milk, coconut, exotic fruits and toffee. No alcohol in the taste, Gold light to medium body, creamy, crisp, refreshing and chewy mouthfeel and easy to drink.

Overall:
The best beer of the summer! Or at least way better than I have ever had if from the tap. That begs the question, is it better because I took my time to analyze it or was I just too buzzed at the brewery to realize its greatness? Either way, a second time or even third times a charm. This beer is definitely worth having many many times and is an extremely well made IPA. I need to find this again!

Anime Corner:
Vocaloid Hatsune Miku was used in this pairing as I liked her tropical design in this with the whole pineapple and being at the beach. The colors paired nice and the fruit cocktail on a summer vacation getaway was definitely what triggered the feels in this pairing. Such a great pairing for such a refreshing and tropical IPA.

Sources:
http://e-shuushuu.net/images/2010-09-16-324704.jpeg

Hammerland by El Segundo brewing

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11095395_10102484309066680_2697562078447622239_o 10268506_10102484309880050_5191189305225633724_n
Rating: 5/5

Hammerland by El Segundo brewing is an 8.6% ABV Double India Pale Ale.
Label:

Bright, Clean Crisp, Blueberry dankness… exactly what you expect with a hop bill of Mosaic and Simcoe. Get your nose in the glass and the aromatics will overwhelm you like the double-overhead closeouts down at Hammerland.

==Introduction==

Obtained this guy from El Segundo brewing recently as I wanted to see what this one was all about. A double IPA with a lot of talk behind it. From the makers of power plant triple IPA, I did not expect anything less than awesome, or so I hope. While I would love to compare this one to the already awesome Power Plant, they are different categories of IPA. So let’s see how this one goes. Cheers!

Aromas:

Lots of grassy, citrus, herbal, piney, grapefruit, floral, and dank garlicky hops, biscuit bread, honey, gummy bear hints, peach hints, blueberry and cherry hints, tropical fruit notes like dragon fruit, mango, guava, prickly pear, kiwi, honey dew melon, passion fruit, cantaloupe, lychee fruit and tangerines.

Flavors:

Piney, citrusy, grapefruit, floral, herbal, grassy and danky garlicky hops along with honey, rich tropics such as pineapple, strawberry, blueberry, cherries, dragon fruit, passion fruit, mango, guava, prickly pear, kiwi, honey dew melon, orange peel, biscuit bread, cantaloupe melon, lychee fruit, tangerines, gummi bears and peach notes.

Aftertaste:

Dank piney, herbal, citrus and garlicky hops linger, tropical fruits, biscuit bread, gummi bear notes, strawberry and blueberry hints and peach hints. No alcohol in the taste, easy to moderate drinkability, crisp and refreshing mouth feel as well as a clear golden body.

Overall:

A perfect IPA indeed. This reminds me of some of the hybrid IPAs where it does not lean toward one direction or the other but certain balanced of bitter herbal hops with tropical fruit and malty citrus notes. I can kinda see why this one turned out to be a fan favorite for many. It is is not as complex as Power Plant nor is it it at that Sure Bet IPA level but for being of the best reps for the west coast style, it is surprisingly delicious and well deserving of that gold medal. Get this one where you can find El Segundo stuff like Ramirez Liquor in Boyle Heights for example.

Anime Corner:

Gunner version of Yuna from Final Fantasy X-2 and just for the heck of it, Lucy (Wyldstyle) from the Lego movie were used in this pairing to represent several aspects of the beer. To show case the tropical aspects of the beer, Yuna’s dress shows a patter that almost looks like waves as they approach an island. In this case, her and the aspect of Hammerland goes with respect to the barrel and hammer of her dual guns (Double IPA). The background represents the face of the hammer as it faces the bullet with what seems to be a never ending tunnel as the bullet travels down the barrel. The colors do work with the berry aspects of the beer which reminded me of Wyldstyles highlights and gold body representing the IPA in general. She is getting ready for the beach and with these two girls, they make up the double IPA.

Sources:

http://static.minitokyo.net/downloads/13/04/12713.jpg?1625883245

http://40.media.tumblr.com/9031a91fe550eaa58841468f90f9220b/tumblr_ncd1lydC7O1r3gwo9o1_1280.jpg

Sure Bet by Pipeworks brewing

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10504987_10102414844688850_6179940178280750143_oRating: 6/5

Sure Bet by Pipeworks brewing is a 9.5% ABV World Class Double India Pale Ale brewed with honey and mango puree.

Label:
Just the mere thought of the talk of a Citra and Mosaic hopped IIIPA brewed with honey and mango fills the Unicorn with too much joy and happiness for one horn to handle. The closest The Unicorn has come to this level of joy was when once, while skipping over rainbows, he encountered a cloud shaped like a rainbow! The Unicorns #1 favorite food is sunlight, but his #2 and #3 are honey and mangos respectively, and this brew has ’em both! The only thing that The Unicorn loves more than keeing something for himself, is sharing! So pour yourself a glass, because this beer’s a SURE BET!

==Introduction==

I obtained this beer through my online resources. I was unable to find this at any online shop. Seeing as this was a rarity and a highly rated beer, I really wanted to try it and bring it to the site. This is an IPA that can compare with some of the best IPAs out there and the fact that it has mango puree and honey. Well that just speaks tropical heaven to me. Let us see what this beer has to offer and see if this one is worth the buzz. Cheers!

Aromas:
A bouquet of rich tropical fruit fills the nose reminiscent of Power Plant and other awesome Tropical IPAs I have had before. Mango, Guava, Passion Fruit, Dragon Fruit Lychee, Papaya, Pineapples, Apricots, Strawberries, Prickly pears, raspberries, cherries, tangerines, tuna fruit, peaches, creamy vanilla, agave nectar, piney grassy, grapefruit, floral, herbal and dank garlicky hops, Sweetened condensed milk, tres leches cake, flan, caramel, gummy bears, citrus, orange and mango preserves, coconut hints and marshmallows.

Flavors:
Ridiculous amount of tropical fruits from all over the spectrum such as oranges, grapefruit, lychee, apricots, mangos, guava, papaya, dragon fruit, passion fruit, honey dew melon, strawberries, prickly pear, tuna fruit, raspberries, cherries tangerines, apples, peaches and cream, agave nectar, piney, grassy, herbal, floral, earthy, dank oniony, garlicky and grapefruit hops, sweetened condensed milk, tres leches cake, mango flan, caramel, gummy bears, citrus and mango preserves and orange preserves on rye bread, toffee, butterscotch, blue basil, peppercorn hints, lemon candy, coconut hints and marshmallows.

Aftertaste:
Very rich tropical fruits, variety of citrus fruit, rich mango, honey, dank piney, garlicky oniony, grassy, floral, earthy and herbal hops linger. No alcohol in the taste, golden medium body, creamy, crips, refreshing and silky mouthfeel and an easy to drink beer despite the ABV.

Overall:
Talk about rare GEMS no one knows about. Supremely righteous of tropical gods! This Double IPA blew me away into the stratosphere. I have to agree that addition of mango and honey dynamically changes the beer from its highest potential on its own. This is why Power Plant by El Segundo brewing can be the best triple IPA in the world to me, but this one is beyond that with the addition of the ingredients that take it to the next level. Holy Shit! This beer is like the absolute Trifecta of the IPAs. Meaning, you get a huge balance of the herbal, the orange malty and the rich tropical aspect found in many IPAs. If I find the right recipe for this, I will have to make this one for sure! For now, you better make DAMN SURE BET that I will recommend this to the masses! The Pliny and Heady killer of the midwest.

Anime Corner:
Twighlight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash from MLP were used in this pairing to pair two of the best sides of an IPA. The malty sweet side represented by Twilight sparkle and the citrus and tropical fruit flavors represented by Rainbow Dash. Since this beer has a unicorn and has so many colors representing the flavor spectrum of the delights that is this beer, the ponies were the right choice to compliment the beer and label. That and this is the most bad ass I could find these characters.

Sources:
http://i.imgur.com/EW4mNmZ.jpg
http://nyuuchandiannepie.deviantart.com/art/Rainbow-Auditore-da-Firenze-303474835
http://nyuuchandiannepie.deviantart.com/art/Diablo-3-Twilight-304708395

NightTime by Lagunitas

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1924329_10101956052117840_7190569960310551737_nRating: 5.05/5

NightTime by Lagunitas is an 8.2% ABV Black India Pale Ale.

Label:
Fear The Dark

There are two kinds. There is the DayTime kind, which is bright and welcoming and then there is the NightTime kind, which should never be confused with the DayTime. NightTime is dark and deep and may take you to unexpected places, places that the DayTime cannot. But then, the NightTime is not suited for ordinary life and ordinary tasks. In fact, NightTime may be the answer for that sort of thing, meaning that those sorts of things may never get done. Things take time in the NightTime, things slow down and you can pause (you have to, actually) and investigate carefully to find that level of objective detachment that is only possible under the spell of the NightTime. Seek the Day, but fear not the Night.
___

Got this one at craftshack.com at a very low price. I have heard many people talking about how great his beer was and how it was unlike usual Black IPAs because it was more like a regular IPA than most. I have had similar beers that changed perceptions in the past, mainly Black Racer from Bear Republic. So I figured I give this one a go and see what was up with the commotion. This one should be readily available where ever they sell Lagunitas beers. Cheers!!

Aromas:
Lots of Tropical fruits, guava, papaya, prickly pear, dragon fruit, peach, pineapple, mango, chocolate, piney grassy, rich grapefruit and earthy hops, anise, molasses hints, citrus, dank garlic and onion notes, brown sugar, citrus, lemon peel, hints of vanilla, tangerine, gummy bears and passion fruit.

Flavors:
Very much tropical fruits for a Black IPA. Mango,papaya, pineapple, passion fruit, guava, peaches, cherries, strawberries, dragon fruit, dark chocolate, caramel, biscuit bread, brown sugar, citrus, hints of anise, molasses hints, hints of vanilla, cola notes, floral notes, hints of smoke, dank garlic and onion notes, tangerine, gummy bears and lemon peel.

Aftertaste:
Earthy hops, chocolate, smokey hints, rich tropical fruits like pineapple, papaya, and guava hints .No alcohol in the taste, black as night appearance, easy to moderate drinkability, crisp and refreshing despite the appearance with a full mouth feel.

Overall:
This beer does not drink like Black IPA, it drinks like a very delicious double IPA with Black appearances. This beer is freaking amazing. Lagunitas really knows their stuff in the IPA department. Tropical beers are my thing and like Black Racer, this one was just like that one but this one had a lot of tropics to it despite being a dark IPA. If you were to smother a bit of chocolate sweetness unto a plentiful tropical punch with ofcourse the IPA grassy bitterness, you would be close to what this beer has to offer. NightTime is freaking insane. Appearances can be deceiving but in this case they are doing it in a great way.

Anime Corner:
Original Character by dj.adonis was used in this pairing for several reasons. I paired this beer with the character because I wanted to show the aspect of NightTime and the colors of the label partially. As you can see, many sleep in the night (closed eyes), but this character with the night time background and the crimson bloody moon represent that fruit punch tropical aspect you get this this beer. Her weapons shown only make that more dangerous. As I have said before, about looks being deceiving, you should definitely “Fear The Dark” as stated in this bottle because you will be mesmerized by her beauty only to be deceived but experience bliss before your downfall…

Sources:
http://e-shuushuu.net/images/2014-07-13-660632.jpeg

Robert & Ryan / Rip Current / Stone R&R Coconut IPA

by tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

76035_10101316762155050_928126366_n 46375_10101316761037290_1434459790_n 1004846_10101316760233900_1743591119_nRating: 3.8/5

Robert & Ryan / Rip Current / Stone R&R Coconut IPA Collaboration is a 7.7% ABV India Pale Ale brewed and flavored with coconut

Label: 
This collaboration beer is a celebration of the homebrewing spirit and an example of counter-intuitive thoughts coalescing beautifully into something exceptional. Case in point is the seamless marrying of toasted coconut and a hop bill brimming with tropical fruit notes. Longtime homebrewers Robert Masterson and Ryan Reschan teamed up to enter this beer in our annual American Homebrewers Association-sanctioned brewing competition and, though it was the first beer they’d ever brewed together, they sailed past the competition like a tropical ocean breeze on a pleasure cruise bound for India. After winning, the duo reached out to their friend, highly decorated homebrewer and 2011 AHA Ninkasi Award winner Paul Sangster of the newly opened Rip Current Brewing Company, to assist in dialing in the recipe. Together with Sangster’s skilled partner Guy Shobe and Stone Brewmaster Mitch Steele, Masterson and Reschan present fellow craft beer enthusiasts with a most delicious and original style of IPA. Open, enjoy, rest, relax and repeat as needed.

“On the nose, you get lots of tropical fruit—mango, passion fruit, pineapple—with some sweet orange and stone fruit from the hops along with toasty coconut sweetness.” Ryan Reschan /I Winning Homebrewer 1 love the tropical spin that Robert and Ryan added to an already great IPA recipe.” Mitch Steele II Brewmaster, Stone Brewing Co. “The true lest of a beer like this is the balance between the fruity hop and the coconut flavors and, with this one, you feel like you’re drinking a tropical drink on the beach.”

Paul Sangster // Co-Founder/Brewer, Rip Current Brewing Co.
___

Aromas of this beer are a very nice mix tropical and hoppy. Mango, grapefruit, kiwi, dragonfruit, apricot, pineapple, grassy, floral and piney hops and some coconut notes

The flavors are very tropical and hoppy as well. The break down is more tropical than hoppy though. Leading in with some prickly pear, mango, citrus, pineapple, grapefruit, hints of toasted coconut, piney and floral hops.

The after taste leaves hoppy and tropical as well but instead of more tropical in the end, it fades out with citrus and grass hop goodness with minor coconut hints. 

This beer is pretty good but it is somewhat fair in terms of finding the coconut. While it is hinted, I think I got more coconut as I drank more but the coconut is consumed by the hops. Not a bad thing at all as I really like tropical and hoppy IPAs but in terms of coconut it is only hinted slightly more than other IPAs. I remember watching the video about the collaboration (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqPDASoFJDA) and they specified that this was like a piña colada in a bottle. The truth is that it is true, but only to a minor to moderate extent. This beer does not boast lots of coconut and piña colada flavors but the notes are definitely there. Do not get your hopes up and expect a head on piña colada tasting beer but do expect an IPA that does have hints here and there of the flavors and aromas.

Overall, the beer does a pretty good job and bringing some very nice tropics to the scene and some nice hints that would not be found in some other IPAs. Either way, it is a pretty good beer and should still be tried. Maybe you can find more flavors than I can’t 🙂

Café Racer 15 by Bear Republic

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1010393_10101308962420780_820626949_n 643973_10101308962919780_1939417553_n 524311_10101308961263100_1438719848_nRating: 5.25/5

Café Racer 15 by Bear Republic is a 9.75% ABV Double/Imperial India Pale Ale

Label: 
Café Racer 15™ features aromas of bright citrus and resinous pine from the generous use of Citra, Amarillo, Cascade and Chinook hops which are complimented by a dry malt finish. The result is a high revving Double IPA that is loud and assertive, much like the rebellious street racers who inspired it. Never ride alone…
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Just in time for IPA day, this version of their double IPA is supposed to be more west coast (more hoppier due to the greater variety of hops as stated above) than the Racer X which was more English tradition plus hops. This beer won the Great American Beer Festival Silver award in 2012.

Aromas are very hoppy and tropical. Grapefruit, mango, kiwi hints, citrus, prickly pear, pineapple, floral, dank, piney and grassy hops, lemon peel, biscuit bread, honey notes and caramel

The flavors are awesome as well. Lots of flowy, oily, dank, piney and floral hops, grapefruit, pineapple hints, mango, honey dew melon, kiwis, passion fruit, papaya, peach and apricot notes, dragon fruit, blood oranges, lemons, caramel and biscuit bread with tangy mandarin jelly

After taste lingers in the tropics. Almost like I just got drinking some type of hoppy bitter fruit punch. Kinda hard to find the alcohol in this one as well. It is also very refreshing, surprisingly smooth and well balanced both in the hop, malt and tropical aspects. 

Just like Racer X, definitely as close to Heady Topper, maybe closer. I honestly think the difference from the 2 IPAs is that Cafe 15 is way more tropical. Simply amazing and gets more tastier with every sip. Seems to be way better than Racer 5. I am sure this beer will soon be coveted, so if you find this savor it!! It really is an amazing IPA. Happy IPA day everyone 🙂

Lagunitas IPA

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945913_10101230397265980_1402534153_n 994790_10101230397964580_2133816704_n 1006169_10101230398249010_2042266440_nRating: 4.75/5

Lagunitas IPA is a 6.2% ABV India Pale Ale

Label: 
This is our unique version of an ancient style. A style as old as the ocean trade routes of the last centuries Great Ships. Not as old as the equator they had to cross twice enroute, nor as old as the 10,000 or so miles of Di-Hydrogen Oxide and Sodium upon which they sailed, but older than the Circulithium-4 Lentloid that binds the Lupulin Quartnate onto your taste buds. Weird. Think about it. Now stop. OK, go again, now stop. Think again, and stop. But we digress. Made with 43 different hops and 65 various malts, this redolent ale will likely float your boat, whatever planet you’re on.
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I have had this beer many many MANY times. To think I never sat down and just did a review of this. It is crazy. Really crazy to no do one of such a great beer.

Aromas of nice grapefruit hops, citrus, pine, some decent amount of tropics like mango, papaya, passion fruit, pineapple, apricot, some caramel, biscuit bread, honey and floral hoppy notes.

The flavors are of grassy, herbal and grapefruit hops along with nice tropics of lemon and orange peel, apricots, pineapple notes,mango, sweet caramel, honey, biscuit, passion fruits, papaya, pine needles and nice spicy breadiness. The after taste leaves with a nice refreshing bitterness and really nice tropical taste.

I’ve had my fair share with this one and you really can’t go wrong here. It is a great tasting IPA with not a lot of overpowering bitterness and is a great example that shows that even if you don’t go with a double IPAs, even the regular one like this will still enough pleasing tropical goodness. IF you like tropics over overpowering hop bitterness. It has enough hoppy bitterness to make this really good as a great example of the West Coast Style. There are only a handful of really outstanding IPAs and this is no exception. The good thing about this one is that it is more common than some other IPAs. So even if there is no other alternative, this one sure fits the bill of Great IPA.