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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Arrogant Bastard Ale !!!

Hey Everyone, hope your all having a great weekend so far, today's post is an exceptional beer, one that I wish I could get my hands on more of, Today's Beer is from the Stone Brewing Company. Hope you all enjoy :) !!!

Beer Name:
Arrogant Bastard Ale

Brewery:
Stone Brewing Company

Brewed and Bottled:
1999 Citracado Parkway
Escondido,
California,
CA 92029

Alcoholic Percentage:

7.2% Vol

Measure:

650ml

Taste:

Deep, Rich, Smooth, Strong Hops, Slight Bitterness

Colour:

Light Brown / Slight Red Tint

Odour:

Slight Hops, Slight Malt, A Little Sweetness

General Thoughts:

Arrogant Bastard Ale is a fantastic beer, one of the best beers that I have ever had the pleasure of drinking. This beer is deep, full of flavour and really moreish. This beer has a strong hops flavour, mixed with a great level of malt flavour and a slight sweetness. There is a bitterness to this beer from the hop content of the beer, however this is a pleasant bitterness and one your glad is there to balance out the little sweetness to the beer. Arrogant Bastard Ale is a strong beer coming in at 7.2% ABV, you would expect a beer of this strength to not only taste really strong in alcohol but also to be overpowering. Due to some exceptional brewing this isn't the case at all with this beer, this beer doesn't seem overly alcoholic at all and is so well balanced and deep in flavour you won't find it overpowering either. This for me is a beer that I wish I could get more easily and would drink more often if I could, unfortunately it isn't easy to get which will make it all the better and more special when I can get my hands on it. The other plus point to this beer is that it comes in a big bottle so you get much more for your money, making this a win win situation. On the whole Arrogant Bastard Ale is one of the best beers I have ever tasted and really have to commend the Stone Brewing Company for making an exceptional beer. Deep, Rich, Full flavoured beer, perfectly balanced, with that moreish quality making you want to return time after time. All in All an exceptional beer, Thank you Stone Brewing Company !!!  

Price:

€3.00 - €4.00 (Based on Average)

Shane

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Honker's Ale !!!

Hey Everyone, Its mid week and probably about now that were all wishing for the weekend, well why not have a midweek beer to help bring the weekend a little closer. Today's review is from the Goose Island Brewery, Hope you all enjoy !!!

Beer Name:
Honker's Ale

Brewery:
Goose Island 

Brewed and Bottled:
Goose Island Beer Company
Chicago, 
Illinois,
USA

Alcoholic Percentage:

4.3% Vol

Measure:

355ml

Taste:

Light, Refreshing, Slight Bitterness, Slight Hops

Colour:

Slight Cloudiness, Dark Orange

Odour:

Slight Hops

General Thoughts:

Honkers Ale is an interesting beer, light and refreshing with a slight hops flavour. This is a very easy drinking, palatable beer, one that you could enjoy many of. There is a slight bitterness to this beer coming from the hops, which also leaves a slight bitter after taste, this helps to give the beer that moreish quality, making you want to go back for more. Honkers' Ale is a subtle beer with subtle flavours, there are no out there flavours, that burst onto the scene, making this any different from other beers out there, however saying this it is still a very enjoyable beer. This beer is also mellow in character, therefore its not overly heavy in flavour or overly rich, you kind of know what you getting with this beer, a nice easy drinking beer with all round nice, slightly hop flavours. There is little to no carbonation to this beer, which helps make this beer so easy to drink. All in all Honker's Ale is a nice all round, mellow, refreshing beer, with slight hops flavours and a slight bitterness. This beer is easy to drink, however doesn't stand out from the crowd, therefore if your looking for a "Wow" factor beer, this wouldn't be it, but if your looking for an easy drinking beer that you could have mid week to take the edge off the week, then you would not be disappointed. Overall a nice beer, that you could find yourself drinking many of, but not a beer that really packs a punch.

Price:

€2.50 - €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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The Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout !!!!

Hey Everyone, Hope your having a great week so far. Today's beer review is from the Brooklyn Brewing Company. Hope you all enjoy !!! Also looking to read some other beer reviews why not check out The Beers page !!!

Beer Name:
Black Chocolate Stout

Brewery:
The Brooklyn Brewing Company

Brewed and Bottled:
The Brooklyn Brewing
Company,
Brooklyn,
New York,
USA

Alcoholic Percentage:

10.0% Vol

Measure:

355ml

Taste:

Very Chocolaty, Rich, Smooth, Slight Bitterness

Colour:

Black

Odour:

Slight Chocolate, Slight Coffee, Really Malty

General Thoughts:

The Brooklyn Brewing Company Black Chocolate Stout is a really smooth, deep, full flavoured stout, with a strong, rich chocolate flavour to it. If you are a chocoholic then this may well just be the beer for you. There is a slight bitterness to this beer, but no where near as bitter as I was expecting, if anything this beer has a very slight sweetness, making the overall taste and feel of the beer very smooth and palatable. There is little to no carbonation to this beer, which helps with its smooth texture on the palate. Black Chocolate Stout also has a warming quality to it as it is rich and also has a high alcohol percentage, coming in at 10% ABV, however the really pleasurable and pleasant surprise to this beer is that it doesn't taste overly alcoholic at all. This beer also has a real moreish quality, I found myself not wanting to put it down or stop drinking it, just make sure you have a couple sitting in the fridge getting nice and cold. This is an extremely well made beer, a lot of time and effort has gone into making sure that this beer is really well balanced and not so strong that you feel like you can't drink a whole one, if anything this beer makes you want to have one after another. On the whole Black Chocolate Stout is a fantastic, well balanced, deep, rich, smooth, full flavoured stout that will tick every box. This is a perfect winter beer and unfortunately is seasonal, however it is well worth the wait and you should stock up while you have the chance. All in all this is a fantastic beer, one of the best beers I have reviewed this year and I would recommend this beer very highly indeed.

Price:

€2.50 - €3.50 (Based on Average)

Shane

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Anchor's Liberty Ale !!!

Hey Everyone, The weekend is here and it's time to sit back, relax and enjoy. Today's beer review is from the Anchor Brewing Company. Hope you all enjoy !!! Also looking to read some other beer reviews why not check out The Beers page !!!

Beer Name:
Liberty Ale

Brewery:
The Anchor Brewing Company

Brewed and Bottled:
Anchor Brewing Company
San Francisco
California,
USA

Alcoholic Percentage:

5.9% Vol

Measure:

355ml

Taste:

Light, Slight Citrus, Bitter, Slight Bitter After Taste, Refreshing

Colour:

Light Orange, Slight Cloudiness

Odour:

Slight Citrus, Slight Hops, Fresh

General Thoughts:

Liberty Ale is a really nice, refreshing, light beer, with a slight citrus feel to it. There is a slight hops nose and taste to this beer which is great, bringing a slight bitterness to the beer. There is also a slight sweetness to this beer which brings the whole beer together, making it really well balanced and giving the person drinking it an all round taste and feel in the mouth. There is a slight bitter after taste to this beer also which I think is a fundamental attribute to a great beer, making you want to have sip after sip. Liberty Ale is a really enjoyable beer, that is extremely palatable and easy to drink. There is little carbonation to this beer also adding to it's easiness to drink it. Another great attribute to this beer is that it doesn't taste overly strong in alcohol, which considering its 5.9% ABV is a great achievement. If you are a fan of Anchor's Steam Beer, then you will definitely be a fan of this Liberty Ale. It has similarities to the Steam Beer, but in my eyes is a much nicer, more developed flavoured beer. On the whole Liberty Ale is a really nice, light refreshing beer, with nice developed flavours, with a slightly bitter, citrus after taste. All in all I would recommend this beer highly as one to go out there and try, you will all really enjoy it i'm sure of that.  

Price:

€2.50 - €3.50 (Based on Average)

Shane

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Brooklyn Brown Ale !!!

Hey Everyone, Here is tonight's beer review, Today we are back at the Brooklyn Brewing Company. Enjoy !!! Also looking to read some other beer reviews why not check out The Beers page !!!

Beer Name:
Brooklyn Brown Ale

Brewery:
The Brooklyn Brewing Company

Brewed and Bottled:
The Brooklyn Brewing
Company,
Brooklyn,
New York,
USA

Alcoholic Percentage:

5.6% Vol

Measure:

355ml

Taste:

Smooth, Light, Malt, Chocolate, Rich, Full Flavoured

Colour:

Dark Brown

Odour:

Slight Hops, Roasted malts, Slight chocolate

General Thoughts:

Brooklyn Brown Ale is a great, light, refreshing beer with a slight hops aroma to it. There is also a roasted malt flavour to the beer, along with a slight taste of chocolate. This gives this beer a deep, full flavour, something that I really look for in a beer, something that is going to make me want to go back for more. This beer is surprisingly light, which is a great attribute as I was expecting it to be a little on the heavy side, due to its high malt content, however I was pleasantly surprised, as this beer was extremely light and refreshing. Brooklyn Brown Ale has all the flavour that you would expect from a deep, rich stout, however has this light quality to it, making it a real easy drinker and a beer that you would happily keep going back for more of. This beer has little carbonation, which helps add to its smooth texture and gives the beer a moreish quality. There is also a slight bitter after taste to this beer, helping with the moreish quality described above, however there also comes a slight sweetness, giving this beer an overall really well balanced feel. On the whole Brooklyn Brown Ale is a really nice, deep, full flavoured beer, light and smooth in texture, but packing all the flavour profiles you would find in a deep, heavy stout. This beer was a lot better than I was expecting and would definitely recommend this beer to you all as a must try. All in all a really nice beer that wont leave you disappointed in the slightest.

Price:

€2.50 - €3.50 (Based on Average)

Shane

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