May I have a beer May 20th Harpoon Black IPA

In recent days I have tried Harpoons Rye IPA and White IPA well lets continue that trend with a Black IPA. It is said that the darkside has cookies well they do have a creamy IPA full flavoured and tasty but it is also aromatic. This beer held a head and is has good lacing.From what I can tell it is only available in bottles in a mix pack that seems silly and sad. Harpoon let this one loose in a six pack.

Now the official word:

This beer was originally brewed in 2011 as the 40^th offering of our 100 Barrel Series.  The inspiration behind the original was our enduring love for the IPA style and our brewers’ enjoyment of experimentation.  We loved the 100 Barrel Series Black IPA…but after it was gone, we realized we wanted more.  So we brewed it again.  It’s just one of the perks of working at a brewery!

A specialty malt called Midnight Wheat gives this beer an almost stout-like appearance without the overly roasty attributes often associated with traditional dark malts. Chinook, Simcoe, Cascade, Amarillo, and Centennial hops provide a fruity aroma to complement the earthy, spicy bitterness of this dark ale.

TASTING NOTES

• Appearance: dark, almost stout/porter-like
• Aroma: fruity, citrusy, juicy
• Mouth feel: smooth, yet bitter, juicy
• Taste: bitter and fruity
• Finish: fruity, sweet malt flavor

May I have a beer May 19th Great Lakes Chillwave Double IPA

Disclaimer Chillwave Double IPA is one of my favourite IPA's. Very cloudy in appearance my wife describes the colour as orangey I thought more reddish.Decent lacing modest head, These are not the important parts.Discussing these things when talking about Chillwave is like talking about the colour of  a sinking boat. Not the important part people. Thefact that the bot is sinking should be addressed. Taste in  this case is the important factor. If colour is more important in your beerthan flavour, might i suggest you crry food colouring with you. Sadly the taste is better when the beer is on draft. However that is also not important because even not on draft it is still far superior to most beers available to the world of beer drinkers.

Official word:

CHILLWAVE® DOUBLE IPA

VIEW LABEL DETAILS

Inspired by the North Coast’s dedicated (and sometimes chilly) surf community, our Double IPA will melt the ice in your beard and never lose its balance.

FLAVOR

Earthy, tropical Mosaic hops ride frontside here, followed by a deft cutback of sweet honey malt

PACKAGING: 

• 4-pack
• Draft

ABV

9.0%

IBU

80

PAIRS WITH

Grilled lamb, sweet desserts, and dawn patrol

BEER AVAILABILITY: 

• February

May I have a beer May18th Harpoon White IPA

Yesterday we did Harpoon rye Ipa today White IPA This one is lower in Alcohol only 6.2 ABV and has a very definite citrus flavour better lacing on the glass. The citrus would most likely cut through a summer thirst better. Both could be enjoyed in different circumstances. the important thing to take from  this is that both can be enjoyed!



Now the official word:

It’s been almost three decades since we brewed our first IPA, and we’ve continued to experiment with new interpretations of a beloved style. For The Long Thaw we wanted to brew a beer that could carry us through the January cold while hinting at warmer days ahead. A favorite beer at the brewery, Harpooners made it clear we wanted this one in the Harpoon 30-Pack.

The Long Thaw White IPA style blends the spiciness of a Belgian Wit and the American hop character of an IPA.  

TASTING NOTES

• Appearance:  light colored, hazy, thick white head
• Aroma:  very citrusy, floral, and spicy from the ground coriander
• Mouth feel: soft mouth feel with a clean finish.  Light to medium bodied. 
• Taste:  Medium bitterness, fruit and citrus flavors from the hops and orange peel, and spicy from the coriander.  A little bready / biscuity malt and wheat character.
• Finish:  fruity, spicy, a little bitter, but clean and refreshing.  

AVAILABILITY

• Bottle: 6-packs, 12-packs, cases
• Draught: Widely Available from January - March
• Can: 12-packs, cases

May I have a beer May 17th Harpoon Rye IPA

Harpoon do a pretty good range of beers I liked Rich and Dan's Rye IPA but it was kind of one note to me however it was a good note so I will forgive it.
It is 6.9 ABV so Not a session beer but not too high to enjoy in as they say moderation. It did leave flavour in my mouth but not a strong unpleasant one like some IPA's get the reputation of doing. Yes Dan an Rich keep doing what you are doing. Beer is an art and you are artists. I may not always like all of your art but I respect your talent and to be honest most of your work is very tasteful.



Official word:
This beer is brewed with hops, a variety of malts, our proprietary yeast – the same yeast we’ve used since first brewing Harpoon Ale – and more hops. A lot more hops. Centennial and Chinook, and the dry hop addition of Falconer’s Flight add a multidimensional hop character, and the combination of Pale, Rye, Caramel 60, and Vienna yield a complex malt body that stands up to the spiciness of the rye and the pronounced hop flavor.  

TASTING NOTES

• Appearance:  hazy, deep orange with a reddish hue
• Aroma: citrus, fruity aroma with an underlying spice note
• Mouth feel:  medium-bodied, slightly chewy
• Taste: the spice from the rye is balanced by the malt blend
• Finish: dry, distinct hop finish

AVAILABILITY

• Bottle: Available in 6-packs & 12-packs
• Draught: Widely available

May I have a beer My 16th The BREW kettle Winter Warmer

It is not winter, but I am as usual for me in the summer, thirsty. A flavourful beer like this hits the spot. I could do a boring watery beer, but why?with honey cinnamon ginger and citrus peel flavour to brighten my day. Only problem with drinking this in the summer when I have heightened thirst... It's gone already.  Try it sometime.


Now the official word:

A Spiced Ale

A Christmas Ale packed with the spices of the holidays; cinnamon, ginger, orange & lemon peel, and a sleigh load of honey. A beer thats loaded with holiday cheer!

8% ABV 24 IBUs

May I have a beer May 15th Red Hook out of your Gourd Pumpkin Porter

First thing I noticed was a dark brown colour the second was it not being able to hold a head. Due to the lack of info on redhook.com I looked at other reviews they seem to vary between it having a rich golden brown head in one case to not much head in another. My experience was slight head that vanished shortly after pouring. It might be due to it's age mine was from last years brew. I expected a lot more from this beer because unlike most "Pumpkin" beers this one actually contained pumpkin not just pumpkin spices. Sadly the flavours did not excite me as much as  I had hoped I will again cut it some slack due to age but Red Hook out of your Gourd Pumpkin Porter was inferior to some other pumpkin beer I  have tried.


Now the Official word:
OK so I couldn't find anything on redhook.com
Porter · 5.8% ABV

Out of Your Gourd Pumpkin Porter is a dark ale brewed with pumpkin, spices and maple syrup

May I have beer May 14th Sierra Nevada Otra Vez

Otra Vez is a light golden colour with a strong aroma and a very cloudy appearance. The first taste came off what I thought was very citrus y. Turns out that is the cactus and Grapefruit I did  not  identify the coriander either. After several tastes the grapefruit seems to become more identifiable. I like IPA's a lot. This one not so much so. It could be a good one for cutting through an extreme thirst. As I always advise judge for yourself if  however we are out drinking together I think I will try something else. Such as Sierra Nevada Torpedo now there is a good taste sensation.
Since Otra Vez translates from Spanish to "again" I will say No otra vez.




 Now the official word:

Cactus adds a twist to the traditional gose style.

On our search for the perfect warm weather beer, we wanted something light bodied and thirst quenching, yet filled with complex and interesting flavors. We stumbled across the fruit of the prickly pear cactus, native to California. This tangy fruit is a great complement to the tart and refreshing traditional gose style beer. Otra Vez combines prickly pear cactus with a hint of grapefruit for a refreshing beer that will have you calling for round after round. Otra Vez!

OVERVIEW

• ALCOHOL CONTENT 4.5% by volume
• BEGINNING GRAVITY 11.0° plato
• ENDING GRAVITY 1.8° plato
• BITTERNESS UNITS 5

INGREDIENTS

• YEAST Ale yeast
• BITTERING HOPS Experimental variety
• FINISHING HOPS Experimental variety
• MALTS Two-row Pale, Wheat
• OTHER Cactus, Grapefruit, Coriander

FOOD PAIRING

• CUISINE Thai or Vietnamese noodle dishes. Grilled Mahi. Pickled watermelon salad
• CHEESE Fresh tangy goat’s cheese
• DESSERT Grapefruit and mint sorbet