Arcadia B-Craft Black IPA

 This came on tap at 8th St. Grille last week. It took me a while to getting around to reviewing it as black IPA's aren't my cup-O-tea. In anycase, I'm familiar with Arcadia and know of their beer making skills, so this was worth the taste. 4 Oz sample served

Appearance: First impression was the large puffy dark cream colored head with strong retention and dense consistency. The color was dark (obviously) but not to the extent that it didn't entirely blot out the light. Dark brown  - a-typical of most of the "Blakc IPA's I've found on the market. Still, the color makes visibility and acknowledgment of what is happening within, difficult.
Aroma: Pine and tropical deciduous fruit make up the majority of the scent profile. Pineapple and toasted barley are extremely faint. Primarily, the aroma is quite simple, revolving around the fruity based pines and hop contributed character.
Taste: The start is brief and sweet, with notes of bread and caramel. The flavor swiftly morphes into a bit from Citra based hopps with an acidic bite and a tropical taste. In conjunction, there is even notes of chocolate that reign through lightly on to the finish. Byproducts of tart berry fruit and pineapple make up the majority of this acidic, hop based bitter character that dominates the middle of the beer. The finish is faintly of pine, but quick to leave the palate. As the beer warms, hints of licorice and molasses are subtle to emerge after the palate has been numbed to the rich flavor.
Mouthfeel: Lighter bodied and fluid, especially with the addition of the hops, which encourages a very light texture. Carbonation is on the lower end, and if allowed, briefly tickles the front of the tongue.
Overall Impression: As it warms, I feel the beer develops more of a balance. The hops mellow, the malt emerges and the acidity dies into a familiar, palatable sweetness. Drinkable with a note of alcohol at the end.

Sky High Rye

This was the six pack I got when Henry Lapka and I hung out last Thursday. We played some PS# and headed over to Josh Schipps to check out the place (I’m living there now). Reviewed Sunday morning in order to catch up on my logging over the past few days.

Appearance: Golden straw color that remains quite cloudy after the dregs from the bottom of the bottle was added. Bubble and fizzy carbonation reveals itself initially, but dies down as the beer sits a little. Head isn’t worth mentioning, aside for a small conglomeration of film that resides in the middle.  Small particulates flocculate within.
Aroma: Sweet with a spicy rye kick to it. There is an underlying pale malt biscuit backbone along with some fruitiness to it. Nevertheless it is the floral hops and rye spicing that dominate the scent of this beer.
Taste: Starts with a basic and very well neutral sweetness.  By the midtaste it transcends into a fantastically herbal, but rye spiced flavor that deepens as the beer goes. It vaporizes in the back of the throat and you can almost breath the rye out from there. The hops add a bit of grassiness as well as some pine that is present but difficult to acknowledge over the strong rye presence.
Mouthfeel: The beer is a nice light body with a crisp and refreshing Mouthfeel. Some cloying aspects are left to the back of the mouth and a bit to the lips. Carbonation adds a nice crisp character to the beer.
Overall Impression: Does the Rye dominate? For sure. Is it overwhelming? Just maybe. However I do
enjoy how they combine a pale ale with a bit of the extra characteristic to make this beer few and far between. As you may know, I love rye! Whiskey is not my thing, but I really enjoy it in my beer. Would I get another six pack of this? Maybe, if I had someone to split it with. This beer certainly acknowledges the extent the craft beer industry can experiment. Perhaps next year they can go slightly lighter on the rye and they’ll get my vote!

This beer was $9.49 / six pack

Jaw Jacker

Another tasting following practice, enjoyed with some curried squash and homemade oatmeal flax cookies

Appearance: Pint poured. Got all the yeast out of the bottle so it was quite hazy, pure copper color. Unable to see through the medium brown frothy filmed head. It looked like it poured thick.

Aroma: Smells slight spice but a hearty wood aroma as well as maybe some hints of yeast and cinnamon.

Taste: Allspice and nutmeg are first to come through in this beer with a remaining aftertaste that is slightly uncomfortable. Though I do find more pumpkin flavors in this beer than most, the finish is still extreme. Slight caramel flavors but are still mostly masked by a spicy finish.Woody and metalic undertones. Eh.
Mouthfeel: Thick but not tacky, more so foamy.
Overall Impression: At the last sip I found little ball-like coagulation in the bottom of the glass...perhaps yeast? Unimpressed yet again. I guess it's all relative and every pumpkin ale I've come accross is up against Southern Tiers Pumking..

Whitsun Ale

Tried on 9/12/2010, following a delicious dinner prepared by Tim of portabello mushrooms topped with goat cheese/quark cheese, tomatoes, onions, and flax seeds, and a spaghetti squash.

Appearance: Strong and perhaps ridiculous head of foamy white bubbles that slowly dissipated = difficult pour. Copper clouded amber that is anything but clear, even on the edges.

Aroma: Smells of orange peel and funk with coriander at the nose.

Taste: Strong and fruity foretaste that finishes with somewhat of a hot booziness. There really isn't any distinct fruit sweetness let alone maltiness per say, but the spiciness is highly apparent. There is a bit of resinous bittering running rampant through to the finish. Hints of wheatiness but little yeast flavors which is surprising.

Mouthfeel: Creamy and frothy from the complementary micro-bubbles that really help lighten the body and texture of the beer
Overall Impression: An interesting beer to say the least.