Single Wide IPA… One Last Taste

Alright, so this is the 3rd and (hopefully) last time I am writing about Single Wide IPA. I’ve had it bottled once and on tap twice. I enjoy it. I like it on tap and everyone has been saying it’s better in the bottle (here’s a novel concept… how would it taste in a can???). I couldn’t tell much of a difference. If anything, it may have lost a little body/mouthfeel in the bottle for me, but I could just be imagining it. I still think this beer starts like Pale Ale and after about 5 sips builds into an IPA.

On the hops front, it definitely leans toward the piny, resiny side of the flavor profile and not so much the citrus/grapefruit end of things. In the beginning of the aftertaste if I expand my imagination a little I definitely get some hints of flavors that I wouldn’t be surprised to find in gin.

As far as the Boulevard lineup goes, this will pretty much knock Pale Ale out of the rotation. I like Pale Ale, but I like hops, so given a choice between Single Wide and Pale Ale, I’m going to go with Single Wide unless I’m trying to do something to pair it up with food. As an added bonus, none of my friends like bitter flavors, so I don’t have to worry about anyone mooching my IPA’s!

Now, if we could only get Boulevard to lead the midwestern breweries in a canning revolution we’d be in business.

Shiner Commemorator

Shiner is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year and in honor of this milestone released its Commemorator beer. I didn’t know anything about this beer when I picked it up on sale at Gomer’s in Midtown today, but I had a feeling that because of its “-ator” name it was a doppelbock. I was right, according to the company’s website this is a doppelbock weighing in at 6.7% ABV and only 17 IBUs.

Doppelbocks are an example of German “strong beers” or starkbier that were supposedly brewed by monks to act as a sort of liquid bread to sustain them throughout the season of Lent, when monks would fast. Doppelbocks are usually very malty with little or no hop bitterness or aroma. 

The Commemorator pours a very clear brown/tea color with red highlights and a thin head. Not much aroma was coming off this beer when I initially poured it. I disliked this beer for about the first half glass, but as it warmed toward room temperature (63°F) it improved immensely for me. Initially I was getting a lot of metallic aftertaste and not much good on the flavor. Once it was warmed up I was getting a bready maltiness with slight hints of caramel way back in the flavor. The aroma, also once warm, was similar, although with a slightly pee-like undertone that I didn’t go gaga for.

I don’t have much experience with doppelbock beers, so I have to admit I don’t have a whole lot to compare this to in order to really make a judgment about whether it’s good or bad. It’s very easy to drink, but suffers a little from a thin mouthfeel. Also, it was really pretty awful when it had been out of the fridge for only 15 minutes or so. At around 60° or so it was not bad. I wouldn’t be pouring any of this down the drain, but at the same time there is nothing here that is wowing me to much degree. I tend to like a little more complexity in my beer and this is very one-dimensional, but for that dimension it seems fair to midland.

Recent Acquisitions + a Note on Bigfoot

Just stopped in at Gomer’s in Midtown to see what I could spend some money on. I grabbed the last 6-pack of Single Wide (everyone is saying it’s different from the kegged version, and better… I like the kegged version a lot so I’m excited and I hope that “better” doesn’t mean less hoppy). I also picked up an on-sale 6′er of Shiner’s Commemorator. I think Shiner makes decent beers, nothing special, but nothing terrible, either. I liked another one of their special releases I can’t remember right off hand, so this seemed like a wise choice. Commemorator is to commemorate their 100th anniversary of brewing. It’s a “strong beer” or starkbier which is a traditional Bavarian style “liquid bread” to sustain monks through the Lenten season of fasting. Comes in @ 6.8% ABV and only 17 IBUs. I was thinking with a name like that it would possibly be a doppelbock, something I am pretty ignorant about. Anyway, look for more reviews soon! I’ve been slacking on my beer drinking!

Oh, and a note on the Bigfoot review… if you decide to cellar it, keep in mind that the hoppiness will mellow and dissipate with time, so in about 2 years there will be very little hops flavor or aroma left in the beer. Could still make for an interesting experiment, particularly since hops is not a normal characteristic of barleywines, but if you like it like I do because it’s so hoppy, you shouldn’t lay it down for too long.

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine 2009

I know I’ve been on a bit of a Sierra Nevada lovefest recently, but they make good great beers, so what can I say? My most recent taste of this breweries consistently nice beers is 2009′s edition of Bigfoot, Sierra Nevada’s seasonal barleywine. For a seasonal beer and a pretty high alcohol (9.6% ABV) one at that, Bigfoot is priced quite nicely at $8-$9 for a six-pack, so there should be nothing stopping you from buying 2-3 sixers of this and laying some down to age it. Because of the alcohol, in the right conditions barleywines do age nicely. 

There are really two types of barleywines, the English and the American. The original English style is going to be very rich and malty with lots of sugary types of flavors (caramel, toffee, etc). The American version tends to be… drumroll, please… hoppier! American brewers are obsessed with this cannabis cone and Bigfoot is no different. I have little experience with the barleywine style, so I was expecting something sweet, low in hops, and basically a malt bomb.

Well, Bigfoot couldn’t be any different. If I didn’t know what the label says, I would call this an imperial (double) IPA. The hops in this beer come at you like a manimal from the woods. Yes, there is some bready maltiness in there, too, but that’s just a backbone for the huge hop flavor and aroma to spring from. The aftertaste just keeps on going, too, reminding me of a good cigar in the way that you can have a puff every minute or two but the flavor lingers on and on and on and… you get the idea. Sierra Nevada’s website lists the beer at 90 IBUs!

I’ve commented in the past about being fairly disappointed fairly consistently by double IPA’s because they just don’t have the hops I’m looking for. To me, most double IPA’s are lower in hop flavor than a normal IPA, and they leave a sticky, sweet coating on my tongue. This 2009 Bigfoot, ironically, is exactly what I think of when I want a double IPA! It has some malt character, huge hops, and a pretty dry finish all things considered. It pours a gorgeous amber color with a nice head and it does well as it warms up. There is a lot of alcohol on the flavor, pairing nicely with a warmer drinking temperature, but the alcohols are not “hot” themselves.

Bigfoot is a beautifully crafted beer and I am going to put down at least one or two six packs of it and revisit a bottle every 6-9 months to see how it changes with age. 

Single Wide IPA… Second Impression

OK, after having reviewed Boulevard’s Single Wide IPA a while ago, I got a second chance to have it at the Peanut downtown on Saturday night before the roller derby (yep, you heard ALL of that right! lol). I just bought some Sierra Nevada Torpdeo recently, too, and reviewed that, and mentioned that I would like to do a head-to-head of several IPA’s sometime soon. I have some Avery’s IPA and Anderson Valley, too, in the fridge. Hmmm….

Anyway, my first impression of the Single Wide was that it was a pretty mild IPA. The Torpedo was like getting hit in the face with a nylon full of hops, but what I noticed about the Single Wide that is different from Torpedo is that the bitterness seems to start low and really build a lot throughout the pint. During my first few sips of the Single Wide this weekend I found myself thinking, “Is this really Single Wide? I wonder if they gave me the Boulevard Pale Ale instead?” But about 1/3 down the glass the hops really started building and by the second half of the glass I felt like I was drinking a bitter bomb.

So, definitely two different animals. If I get a chance I’ll try to do a sampling of the four IPA’s I mentioned in the same sitting, but I can’t make any promises. IPA flights are tough, too, because your palate can definitely suffer from hop fatigue, so maybe I will have to do one each day and take good notes.

Schlafly Saison

Schlafly of St. Louis has a nice presence here in Kansas City, and I have been a fan of their beers since I found out about them shortly after I moved here in ’07. In addition to a wide variety of year-round beers, Schlafly makes a lot of seasonals and special limited release beers, too. Looking at the website I was surprised to see how busy they are and what a wide variety of events and fun stuff they are up to!

Their Saison seasonal is released at the end of August, and while this may not be the most timely review, I just bought a six-pack not too long ago. Saison is a classic Belgian style of beer traditionally brewed at the end of the cool weather to be drunk through the hot summer months. As such, the beer had to store well, but still be light enough to quench a summer thirst. Generally speaking, Saisons have lighter body, moderate carbonation and are well balanced, neither hoppy nor malty. 

The beer pours a hazy dark orange color with a nice creamy head. On the aroma is that unmistakeable Belgian yeast as well as a little bit of the fruity aromas that remind me of a Belgian witbier, predominantly orange, although this beer is not spiced with orange or coriander as a wit would be. According to Schlafly’s website, their Saison has 22 IBU’s and is 6.2% ABV.

This Saison is definitely a thirst quencher. It has good carbonation, but is soft enough that it is easy on the tongue and throat when swallowed. It’s light in body, but not watery, and has a slight amount of peppery phenol flavor in the second half of the flavor. To my palate, there is a lot of orange in this beer. As Saisons should be, there is balance between the hops and malts, with neither one standing out in front of the other. Because of its neutrality, Schlafly’s Saison would be a great beer for someone new to Belgians and trying to get out of the macro beer routine. It would also be nice with light foods like grilled fish and vegetables or salads. On the other hand, the simpleness of this saison, along with its very neutral characters could be seen as a flaw by someone looking for a complex saison, so keep in mind that this is a good drinker, but if you’re looking for something to really ponder and concentrate with, this isn’t the beer for you.

Sierra Nevada Torpedo

Torpedo is Sierra Nevada’s first addition to their year-round lineup of beers in almost 10 years! It is billed as an “Extra India Pale Ale” and it just hit markets in bottles in the last couple weeks. I hit Gomer’s in Midtown as soon as I heard it was out. 

The name “torpedo” is in honor of the whole-hop system Sierra Nevada uses for all of its beers. Torpedo is also Sierra Nevada’s first use of their proprietary “breed” of hops called Citra. Only a small amount were available to use, so the company used them primarily as aroma hops, and even with minute quantities in the beer you can certainly tell. For my nose, that means a lot! 

The beer pours a nice dark copper color with a hint of cloudiness. In addition to the Citra hops used in the aroma, it also contains Magnum and Crystal hops. It weighs in at 70 IBUs and hefty 7.2% ABV. I purchased two six packs and a 6′er of Barons ESB that was on sale for $4 and walked out just over $20, so it must have been $7-$8 for a six pack of the Torpedo.

The Citra hop is supposed to be loaded with aromas of “soft fruits” like pineapple, peaches, etc. I caught some pineapple for sure on the aroma, but it died out quickly, so smell quickly or you may lose it! The beer has a huge hop bitterness on the flavor. There is a fair amount of malt in this beer, too, but the hops just ran my pallet over like a freight train! I love bitter drinks, so this is exactly what I was hoping for. The bitterness built a little as I drank, but didn’t get overwhelming. On one sip I caught flavors that reminded me a lot of softer gins, so the pine flavors and resiny character of some hops are definitely alive and well in Torpedo. 

Torpedo Extra IPA has instantly become my favorite IPA. I can’t wait to pick up some Single Wide and compare the two. From my own experience of having it on tap a couple months ago I think they are completely different animals, but a head-to-head will be interesting. Sierra Nevada waited 30 years to develop a year-round IPA, and I think it was worth it!

Sam Adams White Ale & Flying Saucer

After running to the Crossroads District to buy some Christopher Elbow chocolates (Chris was there today saying hi to people) I decided to have a light dinner and beer at Flying Saucer in the “dreaded” Kansas City Power and Light District. As much I hate KCP&L, I like some of the places that are in it, mainly Flying Saucer. Today’s “fire sale” beer was the Sam Adams White Ale.

White Ale is in the Belgian witbier or “white beer” style. “Wits” are traditionally light, moderately to highly carbonated and spiced with coriander and bitter orange peel to lend a unique flavor profile. Witbiers range from ridiculously spiced (Blue Moon, Southampton Double White) to almost no spice at all, which Sam Adams’ version definitely takes the crown for.

The White Ale is a good drinker on tap. Not overlay carbonated, light, and goes down easily. That said, I don’t think it’s a great representative of the witbier style because it’s so modestly spiced. There is a touch of coriander in the flavor along with the hops, both of which die early in the taste. Way in the back is a hint of orange, and the finish is definitely more malty than anything. I think this seemed a lot like a pilsener to me. About halfway into the glass the flavor of apricot hit me, and this beer reminded me of Magic Hat #9, something I had on tap a few times when I was in Buffalo, NY a few years ago. 

I had an appetizer of Flying Saucer’s chicken nachos for dinner. They were really yummy, with fresh salsa and a nice chipotle sour cream. Pretty zippy without being overly hot. The White Ale was a good accompaniment to the nachos, just because the carbonation and mild flavors really paired well with the food. I don’t think a stronger wit would have worked very well, so I was actually quite happy with my unintentional pairing.

Overall, Sam Adams White Ale is not a bad beer. It would make a fine “lawnmower” beer or gateway into other beer styles for the leery. But, it’s not a great witbier.

V-Day Kansas City Style

Just a little pre-V-Day report. Valentine’s Day is going to be pretty low key and easy this year thanks to a friend who is coming in from out of town. We’re actually going to the roller derby, which is always fun! lol I generally boycott V-Day, but that goes over like a lead balloon with the fairer sex, so I do my part and quietly dissent. 

Thanks to Sierra Nevada, I will have a gift for myself this year: Torpedo! I can’t wait to try this beer, particularly since it will be nice and fresh. Hopefully Gomer’s in midtown still has some. Then it’s off to Christopher Elbow for some chocolate. Elbow is being sold all over the place these days, but the original store is in the Crossroads District. For those who haven’t been there, it’s worth going and dropping a few bucks. They really are good, and while I don’t normally eat $2/piece chocolate, it’s super nice on occasions. They do a nice job wrapping the chocolates in a little gift bag, and it takes all the guesswork out of it. The only “problem” is deciding what to put in the box! 

They have a few new ones I haven’t tried, but based on previous experience it looks like the following are going to go to the girlfriend: Venezuelan Spice Caramel, Strawberry-Balsamic Caramel, Jamaican Rum, maybe a Citrus Caramel, Bananas Foster, Russian Tea, Fleur de Sel Caramel, Fresh Lime and for myself a Rosemary Caramel, Coffee Caramel and a turtle for the road!

Again, if you’re wondering what to do for your SO and you know she/he likes chocolate, you cannot go wrong with Elbow. Drop $16 on a box of 8 and don’t be afraid to try some of the more adventurous sounding ones. The Venezuelan Spice is a perfect mix of a little cayenne and chocolate, the way cocoa was meant to be eaten, so you have to try one of those. Yum!

Avery 14′er ESB

Avery Brewing Company is a Boulder, CO based brewery that has operated since 1993. They offer a wide variety of regular and seasonal offerings. For some reason I’ve always been prone to passing over Avery’s beers while at the bottle shop, but I recently bought some of their IPA (yet to be reviewed) and ESB.

ESB, or Extra Special Bitter, is a traditional English style of beer characterized primarily by good balance of hops and malt. Avery’s example of the beer is hopped with Bullion and Fuggle hops and uses two row caramel malt.

ESB’s tend to be a little on the malty side, but with enough hops to counter the sweetness that can accompany too much maltiness. This makes them very drinkable beers, when done right, although at 5.0% Avery’s 14′er is a little strong to be considered a session beer.

 

Avery’s 14′er pours a nice copper color, slightly hazy, with an average sized head. On the aroma I caught traces of raisin, which carried over into the flavor, too. Once I fixated on “raisin” as a flavor I had trouble pulling others out of the profile, but like a good ESB I found 14′er to be very drinkable and nicely balanced. 

14′er has a fair amount of bitterness in the flavor, but I noted very little of the more aromatic, citrusy notes that come with something like a pale ale. The hops were used almost entirely for bittering, not for aroma. This balances the malt out, which can be overly sticky and sweet when left alone. The bitterness built substantially while I drank this beer, but it was very enjoyable. Another winner from Avery!