Green Flash West Coast IPA

Green Flash West Coast IPA
Style: Double IPA

Alcohol Content: 8.1%

From: San Diego, California, United States of America

Purchased From: Great British Beer Festival 2014, Olympia, United Kingdom

http://www.greenflashbrew.com/home/

The Green Flash Brewing company was founded in 2002 by Mike and Lisa Hinkley. Originally based in Vista, California, the brewery soon out grew their premises and moved down to San Diego in 2011. Here the brewery has grown from strength to strength and now outputs circa 45,000 barrels per year. Always wanting to give a little back to the community, Green Flash are members of the “Brewing it Forward” campaign which encourages brewers to donate beer and merchandise to selected non-profit charities.  I always knew good beer can make a difference.

Earlier this year, Green Flash acquire the artisan Alpine Beer Company (whom are also based in San Diego). Commenting on the deal Mike Hinkley said “This partnership is win-win-win. Green Flash wins because we are teaming up with a truly iconic brewery. Alpine wins because they get to see their beers enjoyed by so many more of their adoring fans. But most of all, beer geeks everywhere win.” Sounds like good news all round then! The subject of this review is Green Flash’s flagship beer; West Coast Double IPA.

Colour: Pours a deep copper with a brilliant two finger deep white head. This soon dissipates down to a dusting of foam which laces the glass perfectly on every sip.

Aroma: Woho! A powerful hop howitzer will destroy your nasal passages as soon as you pop the cap. The perfect blending of five hops provides a myriad of different aromas. Pineapple, mango and citrus scents are provided by the use of Simcoe and Citra hops, whilst a delicate perfume of floral and pine notes are released from the Cascade and Centennial hops. Very powerful and extremely up lifting after a hard day at the office.

Body: A beautifully dense IPA that oozes quality from the first sip to the last. The denseness of  body followed by a subtle level of clogging ensures a very pleasurable drink experience that just begs you to drink more and more.

Taste: Now for the all important taste test. The base notes are full of biscuits and caramel flavours. This sweet underpinning becomes more pronounced as the drink warms and helps to add a real depth to this beer. This sweet base playful mixes with flavours of juicy grapefruit and mango and really elevates this beer onto another level. The finish is extremely dry with subtle hints of the resinous hops in the after-taste. My mouth feels like I have been licking my pet cat for days on end. Overall, I found this beer to be perfectly well balanced and I can certainly see why this is one of Mikkaller's favourite beers.

Flash Ahhhhh! Saviour of the Universe

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/oskar-blues-brewing-dales-pale-ale.html

Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/founders-backwoods-bastard.html

For the latest news on reviews follow me on twitter @beefsbrewery or like me on Facebook at Beefsbrewery

Fuller's Vintage 2012

Fuller's Vintage Ale 2012
Style: Barley Wine
Alcohol Content: 8.5%
From: Chiswick, London, United Kingdom
Purchased From: Noble Green Wines, Hampton Hill, United Kingdom

http://www.fullers.co.uk/

A little while back me and Kev attended the Great British Beer Festival, and some time that afternoon, twitter informed us that Fullers would be tapping their most recent vintage ale. I got all excited as my 3rd was poured and went into raptures as it slipped down a treat- a definite highlight of the day.
Today, as I was browsing in Hampton' Hill's Noble Green Wines, I was elated to spot this on the shelf: Fullers 2012 Vintage Ale. Judging by my previous experience at the festival I put it in my basket immediately! It's been brewed with three of 2012s finest hop varieties: goldings, sovereign and target, which have been combined with yeast and organic barley from Nelson Park Estate in Wiltshire.

And now for a description of a brewery that is very close to my heart; Fullers. Fullers reside in Chiswick, London (a mere fifteen minutes drive from my home) and have been brewing on the site of their Griffin brewery since the sixteenth century. Not only do they brew a fantastic range of beers, they also own 380 pubs with over 168 of these being located within the M25. In fact some of my earliest drinking memories involve drinking a pint of their London Pride in the Red Lion pub in Staines.

The Griffin Brewery now produces a range of 10 core beers which includes their flagship London Pride and their multi award winning ESB. As of 2013, the brewery produces 215,000 barrels of beer per annum and their biggest export market is Sweden (this is very interesting considering the Swedish Market is very heavily regulated).

Colour: Pours a clear deep amber, with low effervescence. The head quickly runs to the side of the glass. The bubbles emanate slowly from the bottom of the glass, and unless you looked for them, you'll think this beer had gone flat.

Aroma: Rum soaked raisins dominate the aroma, with a base of banana and walnut loaf. Smells like a rich fruit cake with a definite sweet edge. You can really get a good sense of the alcohol content from a good whiff too.

Body: Full bodied and clings to the back on the tongue- that low level of carbonation really tickles the mouth pleasantly. Lovely!

Taste: The smells translate in the taste. It's bold and rich, with a stodgy fruitiness, a bit like a dense stollen. Definite banana notes, and rum soaked raisins. The alcoholic content sits well within this beer, with its age coming through in whiskey tones. Notes of caramel and toffee are also present but come through more on the aftertaste: It's lovely and warming- a great one for bonfire night! The more I drink, the more my cockles warm, leaving a slight tingling behind on my lips. I have to admit that it does not live up to the 2014 vintage, but nor does it lag behind either. A solid effort, that is enjoyable in itself, especially on a winter's, blustery, dark nights.

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/anchor-brewing-old-foghorn.html

Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/sharps-quadrupel.html

For the latest news on reviews follow me on twitter @beefsbrewery or like me on Facebook at Beefsbrewery

Weird Beard Brewing Company Hit The Fairy Lights

Weird Beard Brewing Company Hit The Fairy Lights 
Style: Pale Ale

Alcohol Content: 4.6%

From: Hanwell, London, UK

Purchased From: Real Ale Shop, Richmond upon Thames, London, England

http://weirdbeardbrewco.com/

So, Christmas 2013 has come and gone faster than you can say Santa Claus. As per usual, I became a gluttonous monster, devouring cheese by the kilo and drinking wine by the gallon. Quite frankly, I was quite pleased to “halt the assault” on my bowel’s and take it easy. After a few days of “drying out”, my inner booze hound returned. After returning to my parents, my dad was kind enough to offer me his remaining Christmas ales. With glee I picked out a beer that I had never tried before; Weird Beard Brewing’s Hit the fairy Lights. Interestingly, this was a Pale ale rather than the generic (and somewhat boring) brown beer that is produced around the festive season. As this was slightly out of the ordinary, I decided to review it. But first a bit on the brewery.

Weird Beard Brewing company is based in Hanwell, West London. Like most brewers, the company’s founders, Gregg and Bryan, first began brewing beers in their kitchen’s. After winning numerous home brewing awards, the dynamic duo decided to up the ante and turn their hobby into a business. And before you ask, yes, Gregg and Bryan do sport some very impressive facial hair. Now as my best friend is moving into this area later this year, no doubt I will be popping in to check the beard’s and beers out for myself.

Colour: Pours a bright, marmalade orange toppled with a dusting of foam. As this drink is bottle conditioned, some yeast also dropped into the glass. Naturally, this caused the drink to become cloudy like a Belgian Wit beer, so it’s best to pour this drink slowly.

Aroma: Big, bold notes of bitter orange peel present themselves straight away. This dances playfully with peppery coriander, to fool you into thinking that it’s Christmas day all over again.  When these sensations die down, a very subtle sweetness will start to revel its self, which helps to take the edge off of the orange. A very well hopped beer in my opinion.

Body: Very Light and spritzy like a good pale ale should be. The zesty orange flavouring cleanses your palate on every sip, leaving a fresh, dry sensation in the mouth.  

Taste: During the boil, fresh oranges and star anise are added to the brew kettle, which helps to both perfume and flavour the beer. For the aroma, it works very well. However, for the taste, it misses the target slightly. Granted, there is a bitter orange taste, but it feels slightly watered down or manufactured. The use of star anise helps to create a warming spiciness which compliments the dry crisp finish. Although not without its faults, it’s a perfect refresher after a Christmas dinner  and makes a welcome change to the dull, brown ales normally drank at this time of year. With a little refinement, it would fit my palate perfectly. 

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/moa-brewery-blanc.html

Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/flying-dog-gonzo-porter.html

For the latest news on reviews follow me on twitter @beefsbrewery or like me on Facebook at Beefsbrewery

Siren Craft Brewing Liquid Mistress Red IPA

Siren Craft Brewing Liquid Mistress Red IPA
Style: Red IPA

Alcohol Content: 5.8%

From: Finchampstead, Wokingham, UK

Purchased From: Utobeer, London Borough Market, UK

http://www.sirencraftbrew.com/

Siren Craft Brewery is a relatively new comer to the beer industry. Set up in 2012 and named after characters in Homer’s (not Simpson) Odyssey, the brewery currently produces four core beers alongside seasonal specials. Based out of Finchampstead near Reading, the brewery is already planning for the future by brewing an Anniversary beer (barrel aged in 7 different oak barrels)  and a stout involving meal worms (not sure how much I enjoy that idea). Since Siren’s launch, there has been a great deal of buzz amongst the beer blogging community due to the quality of their output. After reading several articles, I was rather pleased to find my girlfriend had brought me Siren’s Liquid Mistress for Christmas.  With great excitement, I transferred the bottle straight to the fridge to have it later that night. So let’s see if I have found my next mistress.

Looking very tempting

Colour: Like a witches potion, this beer pours a murky dark red with a dusting of fizzy foam. The yeast from the bottle conditioning helps to add lighter red swirls to this thick, magical brew. It’s almost like the liquid mistress is beckoning  me into her lair of sin.  Could this be the Jessica Rabbit of craft beer?

Aroma: Big bold tropical notes of passion fruit mixed with subtle hints of peach. These are playfully mixed with a heady blend of sweet sugary caramel and dry German rye bread.

Body: Medium body with a slight clogging on the back of the throat on each gulp. The carbonation is very soft and reminds me of a fine champagne.

Taste: A delightful blend of invigorating pink grapefruit and lychee with after notes of biscuit and rum soaked raisins. These distinct flavour profiles juxtapose each other brilliantly. The citrus fruit will cleanse your palate before the malty depth of the biscuits comes into play.  All these flavours mellow as the beer warms, causing a sensation of honey tinted bitterness to reveal itself from the depths of the glass. Quite frankly, this drink is magical and could topple Meantime’s Yakima Red as my favourite beer. Well done Siren, Well done indeed.

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/stone-brewing-company-levitation-ale.html

Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/goose-island-honkers-ale.html

For the latest news on reviews follow me on twitter @beefsbrewery or like me on Facebook at Beefsbrewery