NT, What Beer Do You Drink?

IMG_1592.JPG
IMG_1617.JPG
IMG_1615.JPG



Visiting the DMV this weekend. Made it to Max's tap house last night and had samplings of RAR brewing's recent release and they were all great. Thanks crumps brother crumps brother for the recommendation.Visited Aslin today for a release, picked up two of their new offerings and they had some of this sensei ddh triple ipa left over from a recent release. For 11.1% it drinks like an 8-8.5%, very impressed so far. Looking forward to trying the others. Going to the new Bruery location that opened up here tomorrow. Cheers everyone.
 
Last edited:
Some quick mid-week reviews for everyone:

IMG_2073.jpg

Sand City x Greenport Harbor Strictly 80's Joel. 8% IPA brewed with Galaxy, Motueka, and Denali. This one was actually strange in the fact that it tasted a little harsh on the front-end but finished really nicely. That harshness seemed to fade as I got through the can. Nice beer, can't say it's one of the more memorable Sand City collabs though.

IMG_2074.jpg

Sand City Soup Du Jour Vic Secret. 7% IPA brewed exclusively with the aforementioned hop. This one was fairly tasty. Big citrus and stone fruits in this. You don't see Vic Secret as a single-hop offering that option, so this was a nice change of pace.

As promised for Wally:
IMG_2075.jpg

Hudson Valley Apotheosis. 6% Sour IPA brewed with raw wheat, malted oat, milk sugar, almonds, cinnamon, vanilla and hopped with Citra lupulin powder. A strange combo, but Hudson Valley made it work flawlessly. Incredible to actually be able to smell the almonds in this beer. Tastes like mix between a sour, an IPA and a horchata in the best way possible. Infinitely creamy with just enough tartness to cut through and balance it out. The vanilla, cinnamon, and almonds just add another dimension to the flavor of this beer. Incredibly complex, yet incredibly drinkable. The first words out of my mouth after the first sip were "Jesus Christ," and that enthusiasm didn't fade throughout.

IMG_2078.jpg

Hudson Valley Babylon. Basically same base as above, but instead the only adjunct in this is blood orange and it's hopped with Galaxy. A much simpler, straightforward beer. Creamy, tart, citrusy, with some tropical notes and dankness from the Galaxy. Not as much the culinary experience as Apotheosis, but that's not exactly the worst thing. Preference would boil down to what I was looking for from the beer I wanted to drink at the given moment. Both equally delicious, just in different ways.

The hype is very real with Hudson Valley. They've essentially become some of the most (if not the most) sought after cans out there at the present moment and for good reason. I wish I didn't live so far away because this would be my go-to spot if it was within reason to make my way up there regularly. Very much worth seeking out if you haven't already.
 
^ Isn’t Sand City in Suffolk? I know I’ve been to their brewery and have their pint glass somewhere.

If memory serves me correct (which it usually doesn’t when breweries are involved), it’s a cool little spot where people bring their dogs and hang with some good beer.


As for me. I usually just pound some PBR’s but my beer collection is pretty nice. Big fan of Ommegang and Boulevard but also like that westcoast stuff like Rogue and Lagunitas. Always have some Bourbon County ready to go.

Just haven’t been drinking much beer in the new year. Need a break lol.
 
IMG_1619.JPG


IMG_1618.JPG
Cracked in to these today. Aslin is solid, happy I made the visit. D.C doesn't really have much to offer beer wise. I visited the bruery, picked up a bottle So Happens It's Tuesday and from there went to Right Proper Brewing CO. The beers were ok, not too impressed. Everyone was recommending breweries in VA or MD.
 
20180209_202337.jpg


Found a 2016 bottle at my local shop the other week, decided to crack it open tonight.

Very good and obviously extremely sessionable at 3.1%. Bready and very lightly tarted. I'm a sucker for the sour stuff
 
Stone-Loral-Dr.-Rudi’s-Inevitable-Adventure-Double-IPA.jpg


Pretty good...kind of taste like juicy fruit gum...

Houston finally got cigar city..tried the citra pale ale ast weeked and jai alai this weekend...jai alai might be my new go to ipa...
 
^ Isn’t Sand City in Suffolk? I know I’ve been to their brewery and have their pint glass somewhere.

If memory serves me correct (which it usually doesn’t when breweries are involved), it’s a cool little spot where people bring their dogs and hang with some good beer.
Yep. Sand City is in Northport. Tasting room is currently closed indefinitely due to some building code violation regarding the walkway/the town making it pretty clear that their presence in such a high-traffic area isn't welcomed. Wouldn't be surprised at all if they ended up moving and expanding pretty soon.

Funny story: I was at a bar last night for a Root & Branch event and the whole Sand City crew was there. I got to talking with one of the dudes and for whatever reason I mentioned the 90s sitcom Soul Man (the one with Dan Akroyd as the priest that rode a motorcycle :lol:) during the conversation. It got him thinking and he told me that he was gonna suggest that as a name for their next IPA. I suggested a hop bill of Citra, Simcoe, Galaxy, and Motueka. I'm not sure if this is actually gonna come to fruition, but I'll **** bricks if it does :lol:.

Stone-Loral-Dr.-Rudi’s-Inevitable-Adventure-Double-IPA.jpg


Pretty good...kind of taste like juicy fruit gum...
Interesting...is it a hazy beer? A lot of people say Tree House Green tastes like juicy fruit gum and they attribute it to the yeast strain they use.
 
Homie came through with this week's Tired Hands release
20180211_184024.jpg

aviary-image-1518392572639.jpeg

Started off with the Soft Sphere. Tired Hands calls it a Tropical Parfait IPA. Brewed with coconut oil and coconut flesh. This was really good. Well balanced sweetness and bitterness due to Tired Hands opting for the fruity notes from the hops, rather than the addition of actual fruits. Coconut oil makes it ultra smooth, nice tingling mouthfeel. Reviews of the Pineal and Oblivex to come.
 
Let me tell you about this pile of hot garbage right here:

unnamed.jpg

Hypeslam, Maltslam...whatever you want to call it this has not stood the test of time. I picked up a single of this at the grocery store in the interest of science and let's just say I over-bought. Every year this beer gets worse and worse to me. Hard to tell if it's the actual quality of the beer or the fact that there's such stiff competition out there these days. This isn't even a knock on the craft brewers with larger distro. Hell...I still hold the opinion that Two Hearted blows this out of the water. Two Hearted is actually a good beer though.

Another beer of a similar ilk:
unnamed-1.jpg

I've always considered this a direct competitor with Hopslam. Two double-digit ABV IPAs that are released yearly around the same exact time. While this one is no prize, it's certainly better than Hopslam. Much fruitier/juicy. Still boozy and malty, just nowhere near the mess that Hopslam is. I regret buying a full 4-pack of this, but I'll drink this any day of the week over Hopslam.

Instinct told me not to bother with either of these beers, but I figured it would be a worthy experience to revisit some old beers that were fawned over before the explosion of hazy/New England-style IPAs. The only lesson I learned from this was to trust my gut.
 
Two Hearted forever GOAT. Will always be my favorite, especially when you can get pint cans for $2.99.

After drinking and supporting so many local microbreweries, it's hard to give my money to some of these bigger guys anymore. I'll have my favorites but at the end of the day, my preferences will always be with a fruity or NE style IPA. Which the bigger guys can't get right imo.

Ill always be a Troegs stan though since it's a central PA staple :lol:
 
I want to say the tides are turning away from malt and bitter IPA bombs but I was just reading an article about a local brewery (santa Fe) who has the best selling IPA in the state (30% growth is big for them. They've been around awhile. I find them mostly mediocre. But someone's drinking them). It just so happens to be more of an English style IPA. Just straight malt and pine. Some West coast influence. But it's shocking how many still like that style.

Even my favorite local IPA is losing some luster for me. Elevated IPA. More malty and bitter over the years. My senses still can't get used to it if I take more than two weeks off from it. Some batches juicier than others. I love it when the batches have the fruit edge. Why can't they always do that?


I too revisit them often but I'm gradually scoffing at the prospect of overly bitter beer. Like I just don't get it anymore. I sometimes ask how or why I even liked bitter bombs to begin with.

Two hearted even feels too malty. But hopslam just feels like an amped up two hearted. So the price point was a no go for me.

You know an IPA is old school or mediocre when it's less than two weeks old and has zero aroma. A lot of beers still aren't dryhopped enough or at all

Released around this time every year (and in October sometimes) , a local brewery Bosque released their Scale tipper IPA this past week.
2C415D9F-DB24-42CA-B47A-04FD093D15F0.jpeg

Usually in bombers, since they are expanding to a new location, no bottles this time. Went with what almost seems like an overly priced growler. $28 for 64oz. 6.5%. Two time national IPA challenge winner. Brewed and dry hopped with some of my favorites all together! Bombers used to range from $10 to $12. 13 oz pours were $6.50. So in the smallest sense, I'm saving $4-$7 bucks.

West coast meets NE. Juicy aromatics from El Dorado, Simcoe, citra, and mosaic. Beastly costly lineup right there.

Dry finish and slightly bitter backbone has the roots of a west coast style IPA with some newer hops. I'm quickly reminded why I like West coast ipas.

I do wish they went 8% and smoothed out the beer and made it hazy. But I'm also reminded that clear beer can be juicy.

A true gauntlet of flavors. Slightly grassy,piney,berry like fruit flavors, and sort of dank. Berries come out the most to me.
 
I tend to stay away from higher ABV beers due to them being super malty. There have been a few I've had that were done well though (OH All Green Everything comes to mind). SF Beer Week started on Friday and there are a ton of events going on all over the Bay Area. Didn't have a chance to hitup any this weekend but definitely will this week! Anyhoo, it's been a while since i've posted anything. Here's what I had this the past few days.

Alvarado Contains No Juice DIPA single hopped with Citra. Used to be my favorite from Alvarado but it's a close second to Cool Runoffs. This was canned on 2/6 and still somewhat green. Juicy citrus throughout and very easy to drink for the ABV.
IMG_4382.jpg

Revision Sparkle Muffin IPA. Revision makes really solid NE style IPA's especially for the price point. Most breweries out here are charging $20-24 for a 4-pack while Revision is usually $15-$18. Their cans are more widely distributed which makes it a plus. Not sure what the hop bill is but getting juicy oranges and grapefruits. Very low bitterness. Mouthfeel is thinner than what i've had previously from them but solid nonetheless.
IMG_4383.jpg

New Glory Galactic Worms IPA brewed with Citra, Amarillo and Galaxy fermented with their expressive ale yeast. Really digging this one! Tropical fruit juiciness with just enough of a malt backbone to balance it out. Delicious!
IMG_4387.jpg
 
Two Hearted > Hypeslam all day every day. Unrelated, Creature Comforts milk porter Koko Buni' is really good.

For the Atlanta heads... when you get that quality fresh Basement IPA though:
 
Two Hearted > Hypeslam all day every day. Unrelated, Creature Comforts milk porter Koko Buni' is really good.

For the Atlanta heads... when you get that quality fresh Basement IPA though:

You going to the triple dry hopped release feb 24th?
 
aviary-image-1518480764892.jpeg


Pineal by Tired Hands

Oat and Honey IPA. Dominated by the added grass and floral notes of the hops. Quite refreshing in the dry sense. Glad I got to try but not something I would buy again outside if this 4 pack I have. Think this one needs to settle a wee bit, I'll come back to it in a week or two
 
aviary-image-1518574356041.jpeg


Oblivex by Tired Hands

Imperial IPA (9.2%). Brewed with Citra and Amarillo with the Tired Hands staple of oats. Notes of peach and melon

This one is creamy as all hell. Love the use of oats in IPAs, can't get enough of it. Bready, peachy smell. Bursts of melon on the initial pour. Creamy on the mouthfeel but has a nice bitter citrus bite at the end. ABV is extremely well hidden.

I love Tired Hands. Definitely biased because it's Philly but can't get enough of their stuff. Their use of oats is just my preference when it comes to achieving a creamy IPA
 
Back
Top Bottom