New Brew Thursday: 'Ghoulschip' from Allagash Brewing Company

Recently, I was lucky enough to venture up to Portland, Maine where I was able to visit some of my favorite breweries and no trip to Portland is ever complete without a stop at Allagash Brewing Company. There, I was able to pick up one of my favorite Allagash beers ‘Sixteen Counties’ but I was more curious about their coolship beers. Now, for the uninitiated, coolship is a brewing technique where hot wort (unfermented beer) is poured into a long, shallow pan so that the beer will cool down and during this process wild yeast from the air will mix with the wort to cause wild fermentation. It is an interesting process that deserves its own blog entry, but it produces fantastic sours. While I have had one to two coolships in the past I was turned onto something interesting, ‘Ghoulschip.’ A beer made and poured into the coolship on Halloween night made with pumpkin, toasted pumpkin seeds, and molasses. While pumpkin beers are not a favorite of mine this one was way too interesting to pass up and let me tell you, this beer is spooky good.

‘Ghoulschip’ pours into the glass a cloudy, straw-colored yellow with a small white head. However, after rolling the bottle and getting the sediment out, you are rewarded with a much darker yellow and an even cloudier result. It has strong notes of toasted pumpkin seeds and molasses that blend together almost seamlessly. The taste is fantastic. The initial sweetness from the pumpkin and molasses gives way to an unrelenting sourness that lingers far after the beer is gone. Coming in at a respectable 7.7% ABV, this beer won’t haunt you as the night goes on. ‘Ghoulschip’ is a unique beer in that each batch is different due to the wild yeast the collects during the coolship process and while this is my first ‘Ghoulschip’ it will not be my last.

New Brew Thursday: 'Landscapes With Haystacks' from Fiddlehead Brewing Company

As most of you know, I was lucky enough to visit Vermont a few months back and was even luckier to make a stop at Fiddlehead Brewing Company. Now, while I have had their flagship IPA a few times I was relatively unfamiliar with their other offerings and let me tell you they did not disappoint. So, when looking at the ‘to-go’ options and seeing an American Wild Ale with a fun name. I knew I had to give it a shot.

‘Landscape With Haystacks’ pours into the glass a clear, straw-colored yellow with a small white head that disappears relatively quickly. It has notes of lime and a distinct funk from the Brettanomyces used in the brewing process. The taste is amazing. The lemon, lime, and brett funk each battle each other for supremacy with neither being able to gain the upper hand for long. With a light mouthfeel this American Wild Ale packs a devastatingly sour punch, that coats the entire tongue starting from the back and lingers well after the beer is gone. Clocking in at 5.9% ABV this bottle will keep you happy while still leaving room for another.

New Brew Thursday: '55 Funk with Key Lime and Coconut’ from Greater Good Imperial Brewing Company

We are officially in the dog days of summer folks. That means trips to the beach, cook-outs, and day drinking. While it can be difficult to find that perfect summer beer I am here to tell you that ’55 Funk with Key Lime and Coconut’ from Greater Good Imperial Brewing Company is the perfect beer to kick off your drinking day.

’55 Funk with Key Lime and Coconut’ pours into the glass a cloudy, golden-yellow with a nice white head. It has sweet notes of coconut with just a little hint of lime to round things out. The taste is amazing. The initial sweetness of the coconut gives way to the tartness of the lime within seconds of the first sip with that tartness lingering on the mid-tongue just long enough. Building up with each subsequent sip. With a light, yet creamy mouthfeel and clocking in a whopping 8% ABV this one will sneak up on you if you’re not too careful. ’55 Funk with Key Lime and Coconut’ is an awesome sour is great for all seasons but PERFECT for the summer.

New Brew Thursday: 'Middle Aged Genius' from Trillium and Bissel Brothers

I recently made the trip back to one of my favorite breweries in the world, Trillium. Now, while I was able to visit the Fenway location a few months back I had not been to the new Canton location and let me tell you it didn’t disappoint (thanks Freddy Foreshadowing for the next post) as it was beautiful. I made the trip so I could not only visit this amazing brewery but so I could also try the newest collaboration between Trillium and Bissel Brothers, something I look forward to each year and this year with ‘Middle Aged Genius’ it was another smash success.

‘Middle Aged Genius’ pours into the glass a hazy yellow with a small white head. it has notes of sweet tropical fruit that battle each other for nostril supremacy with none able to gain the upper hand that leads to a rich, sweet, and citrusy aroma. The taste is fantastic. While it has been awhile since I have had ‘Baby Genius’ it’s significantly older counterpart amplifies everything I loved about it. ‘Middle Aged Genius’ has a rich mouthfeel that coats the entire palate with a rich, creamy, and citrus flavor with a sliding scale of bitterness that starts at the tip of the tongue and mellows to the middle. Clocking in at a respectable 7% ABV you’ll be able to finish the glass and open a second… or third.

New Brew Thursday: 'Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler' from Pivotal Brewing Company

On my recent visit to Pivotal (check out that blog HERE) I was lucky enough to pick up some cans to go and with Mardi Gras wrapping up I was instantaneously intrigued by ‘Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler’ which is listed as a King Cake Stout. Now for the uninitiated, king cake is a cake served during Mardi Gras. It is typically frosted and is somewhat similar to a pound cake with some spices in it. There is often a baby inside the cake and whoever finds the baby is blessed with good luck the next year, and also has to buy the cake next year. While there was no baby in my beer, it was definitely a sweet treat.

‘Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler’ pours into the glass a jet black with a light brown head. it has rich and sweet notes of chocolate, coffee, and vanilla that blend together in the most perfect way and is akin to taking that first step into the bakery. The taste is fantastic. The initial wave of chocolate give way almost instantly to sweet flavor that coats the entire palate with the perfect hit of spice. Now I am not the biggest fan of spiced beers but it is just subtle enough to warm and then linger on the middle of the tongue. Even though it is listed as a pastry stout on Untappd it has a curiously light mouthfeel and clocking in only at 5.6% ABV it will certainly allow for you to let the good times roll.

IFKYK.

New Brew Thursday: 'All Simcoe Everything' from Other Half

This past weekend I made it back to Bayberry Beer Hall in Providence. Now not only is this one of the best beer halls in the state due to their incredible tap/can list but they have amazing food and cans/growlers to go. As I was leaving I saw a few beers from Other Half that I was very intrigued with, one of them was ‘All Simcoe Everything.’

‘All Simcoe Everything’ pours into the glass an almost neon-yellow color with a thick white head. it has notes of tropical pineapple and mango that blend together into a nice sweetness at the end. The taste is fantastic. Coating the entire palate with a thick and luxurious mouthfeel it hit you with an initial juiciness that effortlessly transitions into a slight bitterness that starts at the back of the tongue and lingers ever-so-slightly. Coming in at an impressive 8.5% abv it is not overly boozy and it will not start to hit you until you’ve realized the glass is nearly empty. ‘All Simcoe Everything’ is another fantastic Imperial IPA from Other Half so if you like IPA and Simcoe hops you’ll love this one.

New Brew Thursday: 'Jjjuiceee Machine' from Tree House Brewery

Happy New Year everyone! Or Hoppy Brew Year if you please. One of my new years resolutions (aside from the usual one of losing weight) was to write more. Not only because I love to blog but because there are dozens of new breweries to visit, new recipes to experiment with, and new beers to try. So, when I saw that Tree House had brewed a new batch of ‘Jjjuiceee Machine’ a beer that I have been dying to try I knew I had to trek up to Canton for some cans and let me tell you two things. 1. Going to Tree House on random weeknights after work for a pour and cans is one of my new favorite things and 2. This beer is insane.

‘Jjjuiceee Machine’ pours into the glass with a deep and hazy orange with a nice white head. It has complex notes of orange, mango, and tropical citrus that battle each other for nostril supremacy and the nano-second one gets the upper hand the other two pounce to take it back. The taste? Sublime. Now, to be fair, ‘Juice Machine’ is one of my favorite offerings from Tree House and I am a little biased but this beer is insanely delicious. The initial pillowy-soft taste of mango perfectly transitions to a big, juicy, hoppy bitterness with a subtle taste of orange and tropical fruit. It then gives way to a long bitterness that lingers on the middle of the tongue.  With a thick and luxurious mouthfeel the coats the entire palate you’ll be able to taste every part of this beer. Clocking in at a dangerous 8.6% ABV you’ll be at the bottom of the glass before you start to feel it. ‘Jjjuiceee Machine’ is nearly the perfect DIPA in every way and quite possibly not only my new favorite from Tree House but one of my top favorites overall!

TL;DR: ‘Jjjuicee Machine’ from Tree House? Yeah, it’s alright.

New Brew Thursday: 'Bigger Peach' from Tree House Brewery

 Aside from walking their picturesque grounds and picking up my cans, one of my favorite things about visiting Tree House is their draft offerings. Not only because of how good Tree House is on draft but because they are constantly adding offerings that add variations to their classics. Whether it is adding guava or pineapple, adding oreo or marshmallow these are the things that make visiting Tree House all the better. Now, with them adding dried fruit to their IPAs and other additives you can take those rare delicacies home and there is no finer example of this than ‘Bigger Peach.’ A variation of ‘Very Hazy’ with you guessed it… Peach.  

‘Bigger Peach’ pours into the glass with a soft orange color and a nice white head. The sweet notes of peach hit you right away and hit you with wave after wave of their sugary sweetness with the slightest of hints of candied orange on the very back end. The taste? Exceptional. While I am a little biased as ‘Very Hazy’ is one of my absolute favorites ‘Bigger Peach’ takes the peach flavor of the Haze line-up and cranks it to 11. The sweetness of the peaches hits you right away but then gives way to a slight bitterness that lingers ever-so slightly on the middle of the tongue. With a thick mouthfeel it coats the entire palate with sweet peach and a soft bitterness. Clocking in at a dangerous 8.6% ABV you’ll be 90% though the glass before it you start to feel it.

‘Bigger Peach’ is a dangerously delicious beer, and you NEED to try it.

New Brew Thursday: 'Lazarus' from Proclamation Ale Company

For as long as I have enjoyed craft beer I have always been a fan of “weird beer.” Meaning that, anytime I see a new style, or a style with odd/unique ingredients I generally have to give it a try.  Now I say “generally” because to me, not every brewery has earned the right to go rogue because I have been burned before and have had my fair share of drain pours. However, when I come across a brewery I trust, I am always down to try something weird. Proclamation in Warwick has ALWAYS been a brewery I trust and they are constantly pushing the boundaries. This was undoubtedly true when they brewed ‘Lazarus’ a bourbon barrel aged sour porter.

‘Lazarus’ pours into the glass a dark brown with a small and light brown head. It has notes of chocolate and sour cherries that both delight and confuse the nose. The taste is as awesome as it is confusing, as delightful as it is complex. ‘Lazarus’ has a light mouthfeel and an initial taste of dark chocolate that then fades and changes to a long and lingering sourness that sticks to the tongue long after the beer is gone. There is a subtle hint of the bourbon barrel which I am always a fan of as well. Despite clocking in at 9.5% ABV it is not overly boozy and with the long and lingering sourness it is the perfect nighttime sipping beer.

‘Lazarus’ is not something everyone will love but if you enjoy stouts, sours, and weird beer it is a must try.

New Brew Thursday: 'Black Cat Sees All' from Long Live Beerworks

Personally, I am a big fan whenever breweries amp up or combine two of their featured beers. Obvious examples are 25% of Tree House (King Julius, Gggreennn, Super Sap, Very Hazy, etc.) and my favorite beer, ‘HeavyMettle’. However, when I was finally able to get my hands on Long Live’s ‘Black Cat Sees All’, a combination of the amazing ‘The All Seeing Eye’ and ‘Black Cat’, my expectations were high. Not only did this live up to those expectations, it is my new favorite beer from Long Live.

‘Black Cat Sees All’ pours into the glass a hazy, almost fluorescent yellow with a thick and bright white head. It has soft notes of melon, pineapple, and tropical fruit that all build off one another to delight the nose. The taste is exceptional. With a rich and luxurious mouthfeel that coats the entire palate it has a big juicy flavor profile with a soft, but building, bitterness that lingers on the front of the tongue after each sip. That bitterness then compounds with each subsequent sip. Despite clocking in at 8.5% ABV it is not overly boozy and you’ll be nearly done with the glass before you’ll start to feel it. ‘Black Cat Sees All’ is the perfect Long Live beer in every sense of the word.

New Brew Thursday: 'Indigo Sunrise' from Dorchester Brewing Company

Last month when I visited Boston the first stop was to Dorchester Brewing Company. While I had never been I had always heard good things and I was not disappointed as the beer was absolutely fantastic. While I will go more into the visit in a future post (thanks Freddy Foreshadowing) when I was there, I saw this awesome looking light purple beer but was not able to try it. When I got my to go cans I saw that it was actually indigo and that it was called ‘Indigo Sunrise,’ and man do I wish I grabbed a pour of this when I was there.

‘Indigo Sunrise’ pours into the glass a cloudy indigo color with a light pink head. It has strong fruit notes of blueberries and plums with a soft tangerine note at the end which adds a slight sweetness. The taste is awesome and textbook kettle sour. The blueberries and plums are heavily featured with each sip with just a hint of tangerine, it finishes with the perfect amount of mid-tongue tartness that lingers ever-so-slightly after each sip. Often times, kettle sours are not very tart but ‘Indigo Sunrise’ nails it with the perfect amount of tartness for those who really enjoy sours. With a light mouthfeel and ABV of only 5% you will be nearly done with the glass before you realize it, but you will not be feeling it.

New Brew Thursday: 'Inner Crazy (Strata)' from Electric Brewing Company

Since starting the Instagram account that goes with this blog (follow The Drinking Lawyer on Instagram) I have entered dozens of giveaways. I had never won one until last week when I won a giveaway from @IPAlot. Not only did I get a new glass and t-shirt but a sweet four pack of two Triple IPAs that he collaborated with Electric Brewing Company with. I was told that these beers were awesome and tonight’s #NewBrewThursday did not disappoint. Especially because it features a hop that I am really starting to love, Strata.

‘Inner Crazy (Strata)’ pours into the glass a hazy yellow with a nice white head. As far as I know, I have never had a triple dry hopped IPA and I have to say that I am a BIG fan. It has heavy notes of sweet melon from the Strata hops that linger ever-so-slightly. The taste is fantastic. With a thick, yet soft, mouthfeel that coats the entire palate before delivering a big juicy punch of Strata. The other hops play nicely to support the Strata and it is just delightful with a slight bitterness that lingers just so on the tongue. Despite being a Triple IPA with an ABV of 10% it is not overly heavy and boozy. But be warned, it is super drinkable and you’ll be three-quarters done with the glass before you know it.

In all, the only downside to this beer is that I only have one more left.

New Brew Thursday: 'I See You' from Finback

Way back when, in mid-March, when I received my New York City Brewer’s Guild beer week case I was filled with happiness. Due to my hectic schedule I knew there would have been NO way for me to attend in person and when I first heard about the case (shout out to IPA.fan on Instagram) I new I had to have it. Now that I am down to my last beer I only have one thought. I cannot believe this case lasted so long and that I left this absolute beauty from Finback for the end.

‘I See You’ pours into the glass a hazy yellow with a thick white head. It has soft notes of melon that do not overpower the nose, just subtly whispering into the nostrils (that might be one of the most pretentious sentences I have ever written). The taste is phenomenal. The label promises cantaloupe and boy does it deliver on that promise. While I have never had an IPA with Belma or Blanc hops they definitely play a supporting role to both introduce and round out the Mosaic, as the beer has the juicy and thick mouthfeel of a classic hazy Double IPA. A slight bitterness lingers on the back of the tongue to punctuate each sip. Despite having an ABV of 8% it is not overly boozy and you will be three-quarters through the glass before you start to feel it.

In all, when it comes to this beer, this case, and the New York City Brewer’s Guild Beer Week I go with an old standby quote: Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.