Blonde Fatale

Thanks to Scott of Peace Tree Brewing Company for giving me a bottle of this to review. I've seen and tasted it often, but never had a chance to jot it down. Tasted Monday afternoon while watching the movie 50/50 off tubeplus.com.
8.5% ABV

Appearance: Gold in color with a relatively good clarity. Carbonation is persistent and strong, but fine. There isn't much by way of a head, let alone a foamed ring. Yeast looks to be stripped from the beer, as there are no dreggs present at the bottom of the bottle
Aroma: Yeasty and quite estery. Clove phenols emerge at the end, and perfume from the glass with a vengeance. Honey sweetness which is also complemented with a white wine/ grape scent.
Taste:  Upfront, the sweetness is pretty neutral, but perhaps one can draw a honey quality from it. Pilsner malt? I don't really get any grainy qualities, except maybe in the very finish. Some banana in the back half of the flavor with a minute undertone of clove spicing at the very end. Even some apricot. Yeast is present, but overall the beer tastes extremely clean.Alcohol is well masked, but sensed in the afterbreath, taking on more of a mead or campaign yeast character. Phenols run low, while fruity esters are prominent
Mouthfeel: Lighter body, with a swift acidic bite to it. Watery mouthfeel The carbonation is low, but adequate with a minute bite at the very end. The finish is dry to the tip of the tongue, probably from the phenolics or ethanol.
Overall Impression: A big flavor for a light textured and colored beer. The complexity is very inviting, because it draws from the contradiction that "light" doesn't always mean flavorless. The Belgian yeast comes through especially strong, but complementary to the beer. Esters run rampant, phenols finish it off. For such a high ABV, this beer is actually refreshing!

Hop Sutra Double IPA

Thanks to Scott of Peace Tree Brewing Company for giving me a bottle of this as well as Blonde Fatale while we were hanging out in the unfinished building of what's to become Back Pocket Brewing Co. We literally set up draw table and chairs upon a gravel floor while the brewers flooded in with samples of their products. We stayed for a couple hours conversing and drinking, and I'd have to say, I had a fantastic time!
Reviewed Sunday afternoon after getting back from Iowa city, and running.
9% ABV

Appearance: The pour is brilliant and clear, and within the glass it takes on a nice ambered hue. There isn't much of a head, except for a trace of foamy white bubbles. Carbonation is persistent as it frequently rises from the base of the glass. Lacing is wet
Aroma: Right at the pour I got an immediate scent of orange peel and citrus. Overall, rather fresh smelling, with subtle hints of pineapple. The malt bill is complex, primarily biscuit and caramel, but there permeates a rich scent estery byproducts of fermentation. Some notes of soapiness, in accompaniment with lemon and more citrus zest from the hops.
Taste: There is an interesting interaction between the malt sweetness and what comes of that. Caramel upfront, as well as a clean 2-row backbone. The midtaste (along with the introduction of the carbonation) begins to introduce a very apparent character of esters and other tropical-esk fruit flavors. The finish is overtly dry with a piney bite and approaching a soapy/grassy bitterness. The warmer the beer becomes, the more alcohol is exposed, leaving the finish overly bitter and dry. The fruitiness and pine complexities quickly fade into a near woody flavor with a very tannic finish. 

Mouthfeel: The body is heavy, and is encouraged by a carbonation that brushes the tongue with a very fine and mild textured carbonation, leaving a smooth soft feel on the tongue. The end is thinner, which is drawn from the initiation of the alcohol, but finishes very dry.

Overall Impression: The flavor from this beer is dominant in esters, and carries through until the drying pine resined snaps the palate and obliterates all other flavors. I'd presume this beer was fermented warmer than others, especially from the rich esters that blossom through the malt base. The last time I had "this" beer was back in 2010 at the MUGZ homebrew club Christmas Party. There, where I received a bottle to review from Justen Parris, back when I was hand writing each review. I found the beer to be a lot more earthy, and unfiltered/bottle-conditioned. I'd have to say, I liked that one better.

Black River Gumbo Ale

Thanks to Justen Parris for bringing this bottle to the Russian Imperial Stout racking party a couple Saturdays ago. Having brought 2 bottles, he shared one with the group and let Jen and I take one back to rate, Nice!
Tasted with a black bean puree' soup with onions peppers and Indian spices as a topping over organic brown rice.

Appearance: Pour looked soft and thin. Dark brown black in color. Poor head retention or existences for that matter, like most peace tree beers. Still some light can get through around the edges, but nothing active can be seen (aka carbonation).
Aroma: Very roasted and very burnt. Some licorice comes through along with coffee and some basic caramel malt smell. I think the Belgian yeast makes this stout smell a lot different than most other stouts in a manner I cannot describe aside from...a Belgian smell. Maybe some tartness at the finish.

Taste: Less burnt in the flavor and more so illuminating a strong roasted malt presence both in the foretaste to midtaste. There are likewise some mild candied malt sugars that really pronounce this beers sweet midtaste. The finish is unique in that it takes on a dry and spiced character from the yeast while at the same time complementing the roasted chocolate malt flavor. Finally there is somewhat of a tart astringent sensation at the immediate exit of down the throat. Hops are more or less negligible in the beers
Mouthfeel: Nicely carbonated, though more on the higher end. Medium bodied but and mild texture. The texture itself has somewhat of a chalky element to it which definitely contributes to the overall feel of this beer. Not in the slightest tacky.
Overall Impression: A very interesting beer at that. I think it really brings an interesting combination between the elements of Belgian yeast and the overly roasted flavors brought through by the malt. Overall it is a very sweet stout once the palate adjusts to the roastiness. Malt backbone is thinner and tartness was a deterrent. I still give props to the interesting combination.


80/100

Red Rambler Ale

Tasted this following our Augustana Open Indoor mile race. I hit 4:33.4 making it technically a personal record, but not really. Anyways I came back home in between races (I also did the 4x400) to study some parasitology and crack open a beer.

Appearance: A shady, muddy red with a bronzed brown tint. Quite cloudy an turbid. Minimal head, but what does emerge is a subtle indistinct foamed ring around the edge. Lacing present. Carbonation still visible

Aroma: Sweet and fruity but replied with a nice citra hop aroma to balance the smell. Definitely some sweet orange peel but also dark fruit and toasted malt. Some graininess and earthy characters emerge when the glass is swirled
Taste: A short lived malt foretaste resembling toasted and biscuit malt. The beer immediately then transitions into a grassy, fruit zest flavor with a finishing inner grapefruit peel taste (bitter). Mild caramel emerges under the complex layering of malt in this beer. Somewhat metallic tasting, but more natural than mistake. Dark fruit present as well as a dry alcoholic and resinous finish. Aftertaste is long and drawn out reminiscent of grass and leaves.
Mouthfeel: Light refreshing body with a medium carbonation that presents itself with mico bubbled fizz against the top of the tongue. The hop resins and the alcohol round the beer out with a dry sandy texture.
Overall Impression:  Definitely a drinkable complex beer. Red ales always interest me for their nice balance of interesting malt and drying semi-fruity hops.


85/100

Hop Wrangler

Tasted at the Reis' house mid afternoon Saturday after drinking almost a gallon of tea. Tasted for the first time at Deadwood bar with Luke for his birthday at 1:00 AM in Iowa City. Thanks to Justen Parris for introducing this fantastic brewery to me!

Appearance: A beautiful golden orange with a touch amber. Not much resembling a head, except a few clusters of bubbles atop the beer. Tasted within a New Belgium globe glass. Clouded in clarity but still some visible carbonation rapidly rising to the surface fueling a central congregation of foam in the center of the surface.

Aroma: Very tropical and grapefruit smelling with a very aromatic zestiness. Some grassiness initially upon the nose but easily develops into a citrus zest character. Orange peel and sweet. Some pine can be made out as well. Definitely some yeast notes buried under the bouquet of tropical pine aroma.
Taste: A lot more grassy than the aroma led me to predict. Some mild toasted and caramel malt in the foretaste but immediately transitions into a high alpha acid flavor from a fast midtaste and then long draw on out through to the aftertaste. Still some grapefruit and pine can be made out, but definitely very subtle and following the grassy bitterness. Gradually by the end of the beer, my palate suggests that I'm drinking a glass of orange zest juice with a splash of grapefruit sweetness. Long drawn aftertaste. Some candied sweetness develops by mid glass.
Mouthfeel: Smooth texture with a medium body and mild carbonation that sticks to the top of the tongue with a subtle spike. Very dry and resinous which leaves a residue on the roof of the mouth.
Overall Impression: Harsh in the beginning by means of outrageous bitterness, but I really enjoyed experiencing the development of this beer. The complexity of the hops and other flavors really start to expose themselves by mid glass. I really like the combination of American hops, English malt and Belgium yeast. For the Hop heads if you can find it. Definitely a lot more bitter in the glass than on tap.


87/100

Rye Porter

Tasted while staying at the Ries' house for the weekend in Iowa City. I bought a mix and match six pack of this brewery and another since I'm not able to get these in the QC. Tasted midday Saturday while writing my philosophy paper.

Appearance: Very dark, almost black looking. Minimal off white/tan foamed head. Quick dissipation leaves a thin film. Some carbonation visible. Wet, but sticky lacing

Aroma: Coffee is the initial sensation of this beer, followed by robust chocolate malt and roasted barley. A nice spicing settles the finish of the beer. Sweet and malty. Rye spicing and dryness complement the end.

Taste: Mild roasted malt with a bit of a burnt tinge at the end. Less chocolate in the flavor but still some residual caramel malt makes its way through. The rye spicing is a nice complement to the finishing dryness from both the Belgium yeast and the roastiness of the grains and their tannins. Lacking the sweetness in the general flavor. Aftertaste leaves a bit of fruitiness that when you swallow, really reveals itself. Perhaps some honey-like sweetness can be drawn out in the foretaste sweetness. Some smokiness is also a consistent characteristic in the finish.
Mouthfeel: Sharp carbonation sparks over the tongue. It tends to loosen the body and make it a lot lighter than it really is. More soda textured than a porter. Very dry.
Overall Impression: Not really what I was expecting. Still flavorful but generally unbalanced. I liked the combination of malt and Belgium yeast bu I guess I would have liked more rye (of course!). Nevertheless this is more of a bitter porter.

 
80/100

Cornucopia Farmhouse Ale

Thanks to Justen Parris for bringing these to the MUGZ (Quad-cities homebrewing club) Christmas party. Accompanied with a range of other hand crafted productions (I brought Kombucha and an 8 month aged apricot mead) and delicious food and inviting company. Bottles are short stout 12 FL Oz vessels similar to the Jamaican Stripe lager. This is a local brewery out of Iowa that I haven't heard of before.

Appearance: Straw color with complete unfettered transparency with no visible carbonation or particles drifting. Head looks very light and soapy creating a loose bubbly film with no lacing to speak of.

Aroma: Very sweet and sugary with light tropical tartness at the nose. Straw and hay undertones are emitted along side an accompanying corn sugar note.

Taste: Very delicate and buoyant with a pilsen-malt flavor and a crisp alcohol finish. Slightly starchy with a splash of citrus and lemon zest. Complementing this are insubstantial notes of apricot and peach diacetyls that further enhance the drinkability of the beer. The only thing I can think of by way of bitterness are perhaps the additions of the corn husk and the tannins the produced along with a grainy earth flavor.

Mouthfeel: Mouthfeel is light but doesn't take away from the robust flavor. A nice fizz carries the flavor on through the palate. Finishes relatively clean. Body is airy like a lager.

Overall Impression: Definitely an interesting beer, far out from the stouts and IPA's I've come to be so acquainted with. I enjoy the unique combination of a light lager based malt with a Belgium ale yeast and the corn husk addition really helps contribute something unique to this beer, while maintaining a really palatable and refreshing flavor.


85/100