Plus / Minus

Thanks to Mr. Justin Brooks for bringing this, as well as several others (and some homebrew) to a small tasting I hosted at my house before the BucketHead weekend. Unfortunately this, and many of the other beers remaining in my fridge will not reach my lips. Instead, Jen reviewed this while I was spending some time in Chicago seeing family before moving to Holland.

Appearance: Pours hazy, on the verge of chestnut brown with a ruby tint when held up to the light. Frothy off-white head, keeps a filmlike layer of good consistency throughout the whole tasting.
Aroma: A very light aroma, a little difficult to distinguish characteristics. Presence of sweet chocolate malts that are complemented by biscuit and caramel undertones. Noticeable presence of musky and earthy aromas too.
Taste: Very simple and mild. The preceding aroma sets you up for it. Overall malt sweetness reminiscent to mild chocolate, followed by certain toasted nutty flavors. Finishes with a musky and slightly metallic aftertaste that I notice is disappearing with each sip. Slight bitterness to the finish, but the hops were not overly prominent.
Mouthfeel: Slightly watery and thin, low carbonation but decent amount that complements the flavors to some degree.
Overall Impression: It was really drinkable thanks to the mild flavors, low alcohol and the amount of carbonation that complemented the flavor profile. I just found myself wishing something surprised me, a stand-out flavor or something.

-Jen

Blind Faith IPA

Thanks to Joe Wietlispach for giving me this beer last weekend as we were hanging out as his house for the football game and enjoying some Hors d'oeuvr's and touring his "home brewery." Reviewed after random running while watching the Midwest regional XC meet at Saukie Golf course.


Appearance: Glowing coppered orange with a juicy hue. The carbonation is high, as a large accumulation of bubbles cling to the sides of the glass. Head is ample, characterized by a soapy cream colored foam. Lacing looks to be stick. Overall, the beer is just borderline of complete cloudiness. No yeast at the bottom of the bottle.

Aroma: Pine and tropical fruit skin emerge from the beer with a touch of ester pepperiness. A biscuit malt backbone uphold the rich aromatic hop complexity. Some stale grapefruit smell is present as well.
Taste: With a malt foundation like that and an earthy character, this beer falls more in the category of English or the European IPA. Nevertheless, the spicy pine and grapefruit are well incorporated to parallel and equally rich biscuit malt base. Peppery at the finish with a bite to compliment followed by orange zest and an undertone of mustiness. The very finish is dry and very grassy tasting once the malt and aromatic hops have subsided, leaving only the bittering to do their work on the leftover flavors. Somewhat of a metallic flavor. Sweeter as it warms.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a lingering stickiness around the lips and at the roof of the mouth. The bubbles at the end are re-inforced by a bitterness of leafy/grass like character, as mentioned earlier.
Overall Impression: Good for an English, but I'm unsure what to think of whether I actually enjoyed it. I did like the grapefruit and pine, but some of what characterizes an English IPA are worth getting used to.




82/100

Vinyl Lager Spring Seasonal

Tasted on a Thursday night following a stir fry dinner of all the veggies in the Misewicz refrigerator. Bought from the single bottle bin at the Binny's in Plainfield.

Appearance: Bubbly head that poured about a 1/4 an inch thick and quickly dissipated. Color is a deep red copper and clarity is at its max, allowing for thin streams of carbonation to be seen. Lacing forms on the glass when you take a sip.
Aroma: Malted barley and toasted bread make up the nose. There is an underlying aroma of a sweet honey and fruit along with a bouquet of floral hops. A slight hint of oxidation can be detected in the smell along with a musty scent
Taste: The flavor begins with a kick of malted sugars and sweetness that is followed by a toasted bread-like taste. There is an appearance of caramel and possibly brown sugar, but the finish is dominated by a slight bitterness from floral hops. Also, Tim detected a ginger and earthy flavor in the finish. As it warms, the flavor takes on a buttery taste/texture that I believe is partially influenced by the medium body.
Mouthfeel: Medium body with assertive carbonation that makes the beer finish crisp. There is a slight aftertaste that lingers for a few seconds.
Overall Impression: Being on somewhat of a porter and stout kick, it's nice to change it up with a lager. Good beer to transition from heavy, spiced, and high alcohol beers of the winter to the light, fruity beers of the summer. Overall this Vinyl Lager is pretty refreshing although for a lager, it was hoppier than I expected.


Tim: 83/100
Jen: 85/100

Circus Boy

Tasted during the first fifteen minutes of "I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell." Tim and I then joined my parents for some cheese and crackers before starting "Minority Report" for the rest of our Thursday night. We've been on a movie kick lately thanks to the convenience and affordability of the local Plainfield Family Video. 2 movies for $1!

Appearance: Color is that of a golden (and slightly orange) hue. Definitely cloudy. Off white frothy head that slowly disappears except for a thin film. Some carbonation can be seen streaming up the side of glass.
Aroma: The smell is a mixture of wheat, yeast, and a slight phenolic aroma. Probably the most noticeable factor is a light citrus aroma, mostly that of tart, sour lemon. Little bit of sweetness from honey possibly.
Taste: Definitely the presence of citrus in the taste originating from lemons and oranges. Yeast is a strong contributing factor to the flavor. Hint of pepper spice near the finish. There is definitely a pungent flavor that envelops the palate and leaves a slightly tart aftertaste in the mouth, specifically on the tongue. Slight bitterness near the end of the finish from the hops used, seems to be made apparent by the carbonation.
Mouthfeel: Medium body that is broken up by the moderate use of carbonation
Overall Impression: Circus Boy is a pretty drinkable beer that is suitable for the summer or even as a good beer to have between boozy beers (recovery beer). The pepper is an interesting component that provides a balance to the wheat, yeast, lemon flavors. Still, compared to other wheat ales we have come across, it finishes a bit flat. Good to drink but nothing special.


76/100

Magic Hat #9

This was Jen's favorite beer this summer, we tried it for the first time at the Bier Stube down in Moline. I've had several opportunities to try it since then including on tap at RIBCO as well as bottled in the winter craft pack. Jen even made a #9 replica with real apricots. It tasted fantastic even though each bottle had a detonation date on it (literally). Finally it 1,000 views for the month, big step.

Appearance: Golden amber with complete clarity. Minimal head dissipates into a clean white film across the top of the beer. Aggressive carbonation fills the liquid. Very visually appealing.

Aroma: I definitely smell the apricots and other tart fruit sensations. It smells like a campaign but without the pungent aroma. This beer is a lot cleaner to the nose. I cannot draw any distinguishing malt characters under the fruitiness.

Taste: Very sweet but not as sour as the aroma would have otherwise dictated. Here I can distinguish light malted barley as well as a mild hop/grass finish amongst what is left of the tart apricot flavors. The yeast imparts some citrus notes as well with a dash of wheat flavor. Similarly the combination of bitterness and sweet foretaste gives the perception of fresh oranges and zest. Breadiness and some yeast come through the mix of fruity bitterness. Still quite palatable and tasty, but more on the sweeter side. Taste is also somewhat reminiscent of a cheap lager that's developed some estery characteristics from oxidation, but nevertheless this isn't a deterring thing especially for the beers ingredients.
Mouthfeel: Light body with a more than expected smooth texture. Carbonation is overbearing but on the medium side, which only helps the beer blossom into a fruit tannin/zest aftertaste. Very drinkable and refreshing.
Overall Impression: Definitely a summer beer at heart. It's like wheat character along with the fruit and crisp finish account for a refreshing hot day drink. Be careful when replicating this beer, you gotta account for the slow fermentation of the apricots which really help the bottles to explode.


83/100

ODD Notion Series Winter 10'

Tasted following a practice of 3 miles worth of tempo within 8 miles of running. Enjoyed with leftover pizza and served within my Merrill Lynch glass.

Appearance: Copper colored with a slight haze, yet still allowing for some visibility. Carbonation quickly bubbles to the surface but leaving a minimal head in its wake.
Aroma: Piney and sweet with a touch of ginger and orange peel. Some yeast notes follow a malt caramel undertone. Some iron, and metallic smells to it.
Taste: Floral flavors with a bit of earthiness. Reminiscent of ginger ale with a spicy finish. Within the sweetness the hibiscus makes a minor appearance, but just enough to incorporate additional flavors. I find finishing spices of coriander and ginger as well as a bittering orange peel. Hops seem non-existent, but I know they impart some additional assistance towards balancing the sweet malt fore and mid taste. finishes dry and bittered, but refreshing. Tea and dryness finish the sweetness midway and transition to the spicy finish and aftertaste.
Mouthfeel: Bubbly like a soda with a spike to the tongue. Lighter body and more of an aggressive texture. Goes down nicely once the spike dissipates.
Overall Impression: An interesting beer, but needs more of a malt sweet backbone to make a real impression on me. Gradually the bitterness takes a dominating character and leaves little to the body and malt. Nice flavors and all, but missing those two components.


71/100

Encore IPA

Tasted with Thomas Christian and Jen on a quite night, that would eventually expand into a in depth conversation of politics and religion with none other than Mr. Joshua Schipp.

Appearance: Quite hazy with the look of grapefruit juice. Mostly amber in color while retaining a poor head with little retention. Otherwise the head remains as thin ring around the glass. Poured correctly (of which I regrettably did not the first time) the beer exhibits a beautiful head, peaks and all.
Aroma: Fruity maintaining a strong bittered nose. Some citrus finishes off and otherwise pale malt barley sweetness. A bit of floral character accompanies a nice refreshing grassiness.
Taste: The flavor is quite grassy with a strong grapefruit flavor - mostly of the zest and bitterness kind, and lesser of the actual sweetness. Some floralness and little malt to be distinguishable. A bit of a drying alcohol and grass finish. Overall I think there is some strangeness to the bitterness that I cannot put a description to. Perhaps something synthetic.
Mouthfeel: Carbonation spikes the tip of the tongue and pulls the bittersweetness through to its end. There is ease to drinking this and nothing really thick about it. Still refreshing to taste. Sustained aftertaste.
Overall Impression: Decent, but nothing I would probably buy again. I didn't think it really had the profile to fit with an IPA particularly because of its off balanced nature, tending more towards the hops and less to sweetness and malt.


79/100

Howl Winter Lager

Tasted last night with a nut cracker and an assortment of nuts. Served cold in a beer snifter.

Appearance: Extremely dark but when held to the light reveals a rubied glow. Foam tan head that is quick to dissipate entirely. Lacing is sporadic.
Aroma: Sweet and spicy. I smell chocolate and toffee with a gingered finish. The beer is full in malt character followed by a nice nutty twist
Taste: Chocolate fulfills the flavor profile. Some roasted flavors but mostly toasted and caramel malt. The beer maintains a strong malt base along with some bitter sweetness to finish. I find some subtle undertones of licorice and molasses, but finished with some holiday spicing, perhaps cinnamon and nutmeg. The beer is well balanced between the voluptuous malt and the ending spiciness. Generally it is the chocolate that is most pronounced.
Mouthfeel: Perhaps too carbonated, leaving an aggressive spike on the tongue, but this isn't too deterring, as it loosens up what would probably be a low attenuated beer. Medium body. No tackiness.
Overall Impression: This is a great holiday ale. I was thoroughly impressed with the character of this beer. It establishes itself not only as refreshing and full bodied, but also with a unique, but entirely balanced flavor profile with no taste running astray and dominating.


88/100