O'Hara's Hop Adventure Series: Sorachi Ace

Hi everyone, it’s been a long time since my last post and I apologise for the large gap in time.

Things have been really busy, however we are now back. Some exciting progress is being made in relation to the new launch of the GenuineBeerBlog.com , which will hopefully be up and running in the next few months.

 

Now I mentioned we were back and back with a great new beer to the market.

O’Hara’s have launched a new beer that focuses on a single hop variety. They have called this the Hop Adventures Series, with the hop of choice this time around being the ‘Sorachi Ace’ from Japan. This hop variety originates from Hokkaido, Japan making it very unique in comparison to other hops that are used more mainstream in most western beer varieties.

The amount of speciality malts used in this beer were reduced in an effort for the hop aroma and flavour to take centre stage and be at the forefront of this beer. This light golden beer has a strong lemongrass aroma, giving it that citrus feel. There is also a subtle coconut aroma that develops over time.

The flavour of this beer is something very unique, with every mouthful of this beer a new, intriguing flavour develops, being built upon every time you take a gulp. There are strong zesty notes of lemongrass, which take centre stage until the subtle coconut comes in, along with some herbal notes, such as coriander.

This is a really light beer, that you can take your time drinking as its really is something different and special. There are good levels of bitterness without being overpowering and has a nice dry finish.

I was really surprised at the flavour of this beer as it was so different to the other varieties of beer that O’Hara’s have on offer. I am a big fan of other O’Hara’s beers, however this one really is in a different category all together, in relation to its flavour profile. The light, crisp nature of this beer makes it perfect for the hot summer months, to be enjoyed out in the sun with a BBQ, perfect with chicken or salmon dishes.

On the whole I was really impressed with this new Hop Adventure Series, and an adventure you really will get. I look forward to the next in the series, if this one is anything to go by, we are in for a real treat.

The O’Hara’s Hop Adventure Series ‘Sorachi Ace’ comes in at 5% ABV and is currently available in select bars, independent off-licences and retailers now and has an RRP of €2.99 per bottle.

I encourage you all to go out there and try something different

 

 

*Gifted Item

  

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Widmer Brothers Brewing Company - Hopside Down IPA !!!

Hey Everyone, 

Sorry it's been a while things have been crazy busy recently; but we're back. 

Today's beer review is a must try beer, one that you should go out and get ASAP as you really won't regret it. Today's beer is from Portland, Oregon, United States of America; hope you all enjoy :D

Beer Name:
Hopside Down IPA - Rotator IPA Series

Brewery:
Widmer Brothers Brewing Company

Brewed and Bottled:
929 N Russell Street,
Portland,
OR 97227,
United States
http://widmerbrothers.com/

Alcoholic Percentage:

6.7% Vol

Measure:

355ml

Taste:

Strong Hops, Slight Bitterness, Deep Full Flavour, Crisp, Smooth

Colour:

Light Orange

Odour:

Strong Hops, Slight Citrus

General Thoughts:

Widmer Brothers Brewing Company's Hopside Down IPA is a light, crisp beer with the characteristics that you would expect from a lager/pilsner style of beer, however it packs the deep, full flavours of a great IPA. Hopside Down IPA is light in colour with a deep, rich hops flavour that you would come to expect from a traditional IPA. There is a real hard hitting punch of hops that I love in a beer and is something that I would certainly be looking for in an IPA. There is a slight bitterness to this beer with a mild citrus note, this gives the beer a real moreish quality; making you want to go back for more and more. The overall feel of the beer is a smooth, light, well rounded beer; balanced with the strong hops flavour, giving the bitter notes, but with a slight sweet edge to give an overall well balanced beer. Hopside Down IPA also backs a punch when it comes to Alcohol Percentage, coming in at 6.7% ABV. This however isn't a problem for this beer as it doesn't feel like you are drinking a beer that is that strong in alcohol, which is a great attribute. Overall Hopside Down IPA is a really well balanced IPA with bitter notes and a strong, developed hops flavour. This beer will not leave you disappointed and I recommend going out and getting yourself a bottle as it is a truly fantastic beer. All in all I think that Hopside Down IPA is a must buy beer and one you can enjoy anytime.

Price:

€2.79 (Avg Price - from Super Quinn)

Shane

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Odell Brewing Company: IPA !!!

Hey Everyone, Hope you've all been enjoying some fantastic beers over the weekend in the sun, Today's beer comes in from the USA, I hope you all enjoy !!!

Beer Name:
IPA

Brewery:
Odell Brewing Company

Brewed and Bottled:
800 East Lincoln Avenue,
Fort Collins,
Colorado,
CO 80524
USA

Alcoholic Percentage:

7.0% Vol

Measure:

355ml

Taste:

Strong Hops, Smooth, Slight Sweetness, Bitter After Taste

Colour:

Light Orange

Odour:

Strong Hops, Slight Citrus

General Thoughts:

IPA by the Odell Brewing Company is a fantastic, smooth beer with real full developed flavours. This beer is deep in flavour, strong in hops and also has a nice malt note to it. There is also a slight sweetness to this beer which helps to balance out the strong hops flavour that you get in this beer. This slight sweetness helps to mellow the bitterness from the hops giving an overall, smooth, developed flavour. IPA does have a slight bitter after taste, however I think this is a great attribute in a beer as it makes you want to go back and drink more and more of the beer. One of the surprising things about IPA from the Odell Brewing Company is the real balance in alcohol flavour. This beer comes in at 7% ABV, however this beer is so well balanced you would never think it was that strong. This beer really doesn't taste as strong as it is which is a real bonus. All in all IPA from the Odell Brewing Company is a great, all rounder that is well balanced in deep hops flavour and also allows for a slight sweetness to round the whole beer off. If your looking for a good example of an IPA then this is definitely a beer you should try. I would really recommend this to you all as it is a really nice, smooth drinking beer.  

Price:

€3.00 - €3.50 (Based on Average)

Shane

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Southern Tier 2 x IPA !!!

Hey Everyone, Today's beer review is from the Southern Tier Brewing Company. Hope you all enjoy !!! Also looking to read some other beer reviews why not check out The Beers page !!!

Beer Name:
2 x IPA

Brewery:
Southern Tier Brewing Company

Brewed and Bottled:
Southern Tier Brewing
Company,
Lakewood,
New York,
USA

Alcoholic Percentage:

8.2% Vol

Measure:

330ml

Taste:

Strong Hops, Refreshing, Citrus, Bitter After Taste, Smooth

Colour:

Golden / Amber

Odour:

Strong Hops, Slight Citrus

General Thoughts:

2 x IPA is a great beer, light, refreshing and smooth, with a strong hops flavour. This beer has a high hops flavour giving it a slight bitterness, however this is well balanced with a slight sweetness, giving this beer an overall pleasant feel. One of the best things about this beer is that it doesn't taste overly alcoholic, which is a big surprise considering it comes in at 8.2% ABV. This may not be a beer that you could drink all night as it is very strong, however it is a beer that you can enjoy with your mates on a special occasion or as a final beer of the evening. 2 x IPA is also surprisingly light considering its strength, this again goes in its favour, in my eyes making it a great beer. There is little to no carbonation to this beer, giving it that moreish quality, which is helped along by the slight bitter after taste that you get from the hops flavour of the beer. This beer doesn't taste overly bitter either compared to other IPA's that are out there, so if you are an IPA fan but looking for something that is strong in hops flavour, with a slight sweetness, balancing the whole beer out then this is the beer for you. On the whole  2 x IPA is a brilliant beer, light, refreshing and bursting with full, deep flavours, making you want to go back for more and more. This is a beer that I would really recommend to anyone that is an IPA fan as it ticks every box in that beer style, if your new to craft beers, then this may be a good transition as it is not overly bitter, which you can get with other IPA's. All in all a fantastic beer that I would highly recommend.

If your interested in a little history of the IPA and some reviews and comparisons of great IPA's then check out this post Here.

Price:

€3.00 - €4.00 (Based on Average)

Shane

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IPA: The Origins and Beyond !!!!

Hey Everyone, it's Saturday and the long awaited weekend has arrived. Today I thought I would do something a little different and give a little bit of history behind my favourite beer style and then give a comparison between two beers in that style, one exceptional one and one that I didn't enjoy as much.

So the beer style that I have decided to look at today is:

IPA (India Pale Ale)

There are a huge variety of IPA's out there on the beer market, which is great for someone who loves IPA as much as me, this also means that there is a lot of competition amongst breweries and brewing companies to try and make the best IPA that they can. Today's post will only be looking at standard IPA's rather than Black IPA's which I will cover at a later date.

A Brief History:

http://frothnhops.com/images/IPA/hodgson.jpg

Pale Ale was a beer that was being made in England, United Kingdom for a long time, an early example of this was in the late 18th century by a brewer by the name of George Hodgson from the Bow Brewery. The term pale ale originates from the use of the pale malt that was used in the brewing process to make these beers, however this then changed over time and the term pale ale was more attributed to the pale colour of the beer that you would get from the malting process by the way that this was used.
    The pale ale that was being made was becoming such a hit that it was being shipped over to India where it was also well received and a high demand for the beer was achieved  This is where the term India Pale Ale comes from. Some companies over the years have got rid of the India aspect of the name and have just stuck to the Pale Ale name, however the process that they would use would be the same as what was used in the IPA's. IPA's took off everywhere and different countries started to make their own variations of the classic.

http://blog.newsok.com/thirstybeagle/files/2011/08/Hops.jpg

America, Australia and Canada are to name a few that have taken the IPA to a whole new level with innovation and experimentation to make some exceptional beers over the years. American IPA's tend to focus on a specific hop or mixture of hops that originate from America, for example Chinook, Simcoe and Amarillo, whereas an English IPA would focus more on their hop varieties, for example Fuggles and Golding.

For me some of my favourite and best IPA's come from America. I  feel that America has really perfected their IPA's and produce some amazing and innovative beers. The main thing for me is the strong hops flavour that you get in a American IPA, this is a fundamental quality in a great IPA for me.

Here are two IPA's that I have reviewed in the past, both from America, but both so different from each other. One of these IPA's is a really exceptional beer and one that I would drink all day long, the other is a nice beer but has a very unique flavour to it that didn't appeal to me as much, however it is still a great example of an American IPA.

Comparison:

Raging Bitch IPA: Flying Dog Brewery

 
This is a really exceptional IPA, with a slight citrus note to it. This IPA is deep, rich, full of flavour, with a fantastic refreshing quality to it. This beer is strong in hops flavour and has a brilliantly balanced feel. This beer comes in at 8.3% ABV, however it is so well balanced that it doesn't taste overpowering in alcohol at all.



Yellow Snow IPA: Rogue , Oregon Brewing Company

This is a really interesting IPA, again with a slight citrus note to it. This beer has a slight sweetness to it, which is then rounded off with a bitter after taste. Again this beer has a strong hops flavour to it, however this beer has a kind of metallic aftertaste that I didn't enjoy. This beer is also refreshing and smooth with an overall nice flavour to it. The ABV of this beer is 5.8%, which again is not something you pick up on from drinking the beer.


(For the full beer reviews, just click on the names above)

My Thoughts:
The reason that I enjoy IPA's so much is down to their strong hops flavour and bitterness that gives the beer a moreish quality, making you want to just go back for more and more. I really do recommend trying an IPA to anyone that may not have, they really are fantastic and you will never go back to lager after drinking one of these.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this and whether you like IPA's or maybe a different style of beer. Equally I would love to hear your suggestions for other IPA's that I should give a go. Leave you comments in the comments box below.

Hope you all enjoy the post, and most of all get out there and enjoy and IPA :) !!!

Shane

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Southern Tier IPA !!!

Hey Everyone, Hope you all had a great Australia Day and had a load of great beer, would love to hear about it, share your experiences of the day (use the comments box below), Today's beer comes from good old New York, Hope you all enjoy !!!

Beer Name:
Southern Tier IPA

Brewery:
Southern Tier Brewing Company

Brewed and Bottled:
Southern Tier Brewing Company,
Lakewood,
New York,
USA

Alcoholic Percentage:

7.3% Vol

Measure:

355ml

Taste:

Strong Hops, Light, Refreshing, Smooth, Slight Sweetness

Colour:

Golden / Amber

Odour:

Strong Hops, Citrus

General Thoughts:

Southern Tier IPA is a really great, light, refreshing beer, with a strong hops flavour. The hops flavour in this beer isn't overpowering, its perfectly balanced with the bitterness from the hops and then the subtle sweetness, just helping to balance the whole beer out. There is little carbonation to this beer and a slight bitter after taste. Southern Tier IPA is a really light, smooth beer that you could find yourself drinking many of as they are easy drinking and delicious. The most outstanding thing about this beer is that it doesn't taste in anyway overly alcoholic or strong, which is a real achievement considering it comes in at  7.3% ABV. On the whole I was really impressed with the Southern Tier IPA as it has the nice strong hops flavour that I look for in an IPA but also balances the bitterness that comes with those hops, to produce a really well balanced, smooth beer that doesn't fell like its going to knock you for six. I would definitely recommend this beer to you all and would advise getting out there and giving it a try, I promise you will not be disappointed. All in all Southern Tier IPA is a fantastic, well balanced, easy drinking IPA, that all can enjoy. 

Price:

€2.50 - €3.50 (Based on Average)

Shane

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Crew IPA !!!

Hey Everyone, Sorry there hasn't been a post in a couple of days, Been really busy, however I am now back and bring you a Great beer review this evening, I hope you all enjoy :) !!!

Beer Name:
Crew IPA

Brewery:

Crew 

Brewed and Bottled:
Crew AleWerkstatt GmbH,
Fraunhoferstrasse 9,
D - 80469,
München,
Germany 





Alcoholic Percentage:

6.4% Vol

Measure:

330ml

Taste:

Strong Hops, Citrus, Slight Bitterness, Full Flavour, Smooth, Refreshing

Colour:

Dark Orange, Slight Cloudy

Odour:

Strong Hops

General Thoughts:

Crew IPA is an absolutely fantastic beer, with its deep, full flavours and high hop content. This is a beer that has a strong hops flavour, bringing with it a great bitterness, however this beer is not overly bitter and has a slight sweetness to balance it out. The flavour of this beer is not overpowering at all, its just bursting with character and flavour. There is also a slight citrus note to this beer, which helps to give it that refreshing quality that is a great attribute in my eyes for a beer. Crew IPA is a really smooth beer, with little carbonation. If you are a lover of IPA's or other strong hopped beers then this would definitely be a beer that I would recommend to you.  This is a seriously good beer, packed full of rich, deep flavours. There is also a slight bitter after taste to this beer, which gives it a moreish quality, making you want to go back for more and more. I cannot recommend this beer highly enough, on the whole a really fantastic beer, bursting with flavour. This is definitely one to try, so get out there and buy yourself one, I promise you won't be disappointed.

Price:

€2.50 - €3.50 (Based on Average Price)

Shane

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Raging Bitch IPA !!!

Hey Everyone, Today's beer is all the way from the USA and the Flying Dog Brewery. I would also love it if you would all share your Christmas Experiences here. Hope you all enjoy !!!

Beer Name:
Raging Bitch IPA

Brewery:

Flying Dog Brewery

Brewed and Bottled:
Flying Dog Brewery
Frederick
Maryland,
USA






Alcoholic Percentage:

8.3% Vol

Measure:

355ml

Taste:

Strong Hops,Really Citrus, Slightly Sweet, refreshing, Smooth

Colour:

Golden, Amber

Odour:

Strong Hops, Light Citrus

General Thoughts:

Raging Bitch is a really delicious beer, deep, full flavours, everything that I look for in a great beer. This beer is really refreshing as well as having a slightly sweet, citrus note to it. There is a strong flavour of hops to this IPA also, which is something I really love in beer and this beer definitely doesn't disappoint. There is very little carbonation to this beer, but the most outstanding attribute of this beer is the well balanced flavour. You would expect a beer with an 8.3% abv to taste really alcoholic, however this beer doesn't at all, it is very well balanced and before you know it your looking for your next bottle. Raging Bitch also has a moreish quality to it, making you want to go back for more after every mouth full, which to me just makes it a fantastic beer. On the whole Raging Bitch was a huge surprise as it packs a real punch, yet is so well balanced. This is an outstanding beer and one that I would certainly recommend to everyone and would buy on a regular occasion. Great tasting, fantastic flavour, all round great beer. A big congratulations needs to go to the Flying Dog brewery, really great beer.

Price:

€2.50 - €3.50 (Based on Average Price)

Shane

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Yellow Snow IPA

Hey Everyone, so its Friday which is GREAT NEWS!!! This can mean only one thing, good beer and reviews to go with them. So tonight's beer review is on a beer from the USA. Hope you all enjoy : ) !!!

Beer Name:
Yellow Snow IPA

Brewery:

Rogue

Brewed and Bottled:
Oregon Brewing Company
Newport
Oregon 97365
USA

Alcoholic Percentage:

5.8% Vol

Measure:

355ml

Taste:

Bitter, Smooth, Citrus, Refreshing, Really Bitter After Taste, Metallic Quality

Colour:

Slightly Cloudy, Light Orange / Yellow

Odour:

Slight Hops, Slight Citrus

General Thoughts:

Yellow Snow IPA is a really interesting beer. This beer starts off with a slightly sweet taste with a hint of citrus, which then moves quickly to a bitter taste that fills your mouth and gets the taste buds on the side of your tongue going. Finally this beer ends with a metallic after taste. This is a refreshing beer, smooth in texture with very little carbonation. There is one thing about this beer that I don't enjoy and that is the Metallic after taste. I am very keen on beers that are bitter on the after taste as it leaves you wanting more, however this beer leaves a kind of metal taste that to me is unpleasant. Apart from this negative I think this is a nice flavoured beer, with a refreshing pleasant start, which ends on the metallic notes. In terms of IPA's it isn't one of my favourites, but on the whole a nice beer.

Price:

€2.00 - €4.00 (based on an average price) Bought in Probus Off Licence on the 23/11/12.

Shane

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