Magic Hat Brewing Company - Encore American Wheat IPA

Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a plastic cup

After reviewing and enjoying the Hex Ourtoberfest by Magic Hat, I resolved to give the brewer another try and seek out some of their other offerings for the blog. First up is the Encore American Wheat IPA. The beer pours a radiantly hazy orange body with a light grapefruit-tinted inner glow. The head is a frothy, slightly yellowed foam, which fades slowly and leaves plenty of lace behind. The nose is slightly acidic. Highly citric hops on the nose lend a sweet and refreshing aroma combined with a mild floral component. Sweet wheat grains are prominent with a light spiciness.

The mouthfeel is very smooth with a lightly fizzing velvet carbonation. The crispness accentuates the floral sweetness and helps to tone down the beer's minor astringency. Hops are bitter and slightly drying. The citrus hop flavors play up defined orange peel and combine with the sweet and coarse wheat malts. Minor honey sweetness adds a slight waxy viscosity to the finish. Lingering vegetal elements remain with a mild dryness.

Final Verdict: B

21st Amendment Brewery - 21st Amendment IPA

Serving Type: 12 oz. can, poured into a plastic cup

With its fitting namesake, Amendment XXI of the U.S. Constitution, which repealed the eighteenth and thus prohibition, the 21st Amendment IPA is a classic American IPA dressed in tradition and history. The beer pours a crystal clear orangy amber with a shining glow. The off-white head is lightly frothy with softly cracking bubbles of carbonation. The nose is tight and malty with distinct sweetness. Hops are fresh with an of citric aroma and a distinct stickiness.

The beer is light and the mouthfeel is very crisp and refreshing. Bitterness seems strong up front, but fades to a sugary sweetness. Minor pine notes trade places with the citrus from the nose to define the light bitter profile. Malts show through forcefully on the mid-palate and into the finish. Crispness finishes with a hint of dryness and fading flavor. The beer is highly drinkable and refreshing, but considerably sweeter than expected.

Final Verdict: B-

Southern Tier Brewing Company - IPA

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a Twain pint glass

This India Pale Ale from Southern Tier pours a light golden umber with a mild haze and a large frothy yellowed head. The head retention is solid and leaves delicate lacing on the glass as the foam slowly recedes. The nose is somewhat plain with a mild dustiness and dry, simple hops.

The bitter hops on the foretaste are prominent, but not overly bold. The hops give the beer a very dry mouthfeel, almost dusty, that dominates the palate. Tea-like malts are semi-sweet and medium bodied, buoyed by velvet carbonation.

Final Verdict: B-

Trinity Beer Company - India Pale Ale

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into Twain pint glass

This Rhody IPA from Trinity pours a deeply hazy body that is nearly opaque. The orange-glowing amber has a large head of aerated, but frothy, foam. The retention is tremendous and the head leaves extensive, sticky lacing on the glass. The beer has a dank, sticky hop nose. Pine and citrus notes are pungent and tight. Minor earthy and vanilla notes are also apparent.

Off the bat the hop character is surprisingly restrained over a sweet caramel malt body. Hops are prominent, but somewhat mild and quite forgiving. The sweetness has a minor honey flavor to it that leaves a slightly waxy feeling on the palate. The hops are mildly bitter and come across very dry and firmly on the piney side. There's a minor resinous character on the finish with a very fresh malty edge.

Final Verdict: A-

Sierra Nevada - Southern Hemisphere Harvest Fresh Hop Ale 2011

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 650 mL bottle, poured into a Becker pint glass

Sierra Nevada releases a Fresh Hop ale twice a year, one for each harvest of the Northern and Southern hemispheres. The Southern Hemisphere Harvest prominently features New Zealand's Fall hop harvest (during our spring). The result is an impressive beer that pours an orange glowing auburn body with a slight chill haze. The head is massive and frothy with a yellowed-tan coloration. The lasting power of the beer's foam is impressive and its lacing is eye-catching. The nose features heaps of fresh grassy hops and a hint of mildly dusty yeast that helps illustrate the balance between citrus and pine notes.

Aromatic hop oils have a huge influence over the flavor of the beer and fresh whole cone hops seem to be bursting with flavor. The hop character accentuates layers of pine, minor grapefruit, and an almost tart bitterness. Minor caramel malt flavors provide a nearly invisible base to the beer. The malts aren't weak by any measure, they're simply upstaged by this hop-forward showing. The finish is at once somewhat dry and refreshing. Lasting hop characteristics round out this 2011 showing.

Final Verdict: A

Shipyard Brewing Company - XXXX IPA

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. twist-off bottle, poured into a tulip

The clear amber body of this double IPA from Shipyard reveals a tight, rising carbonation. The head is large and colored in a yellowy tan. The foam retention is solid and the lacing is sticky and clings to the glass in large swathes. Toffee-like toasted malts define the nose with cellary yeast, hints of vanilla and a mild booziness. There's a light fusel alcohol and the beer seems to have minimal hops on the nose, although those present have a pine edge.

The beer has a mouthfeel that seems immediately crisp and pairs with the very strong character. The beer's alcohol is prominent, but not off-putting. Toasted malts play well with the hops, which are higher on the aromatics and accenting flavors than on distinct bitterness. The character of the beer's Cascade hops seemingly take center stage. There are hints of sweet fruit on the mid-palate that subsides to a dry, boozy finish with light oak elements.

Final Verdict: B

Abita - Jockamo IPA

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a Mark Twain pint glass

The bright sparkling amber body from the Louisiana brewer, Abita, shines in the light. The medium sized head is a light tan with an almost soapy and sticky consistency. The head retention is moderate, but produces a consistent ring of lacing at the top of the glass. The biscuity malt nose is sweet with understated hops. It seems fragrant, but subdued.

The beer is very malty and shares the same base toasty malts found in the other beers from Abita. It seems the minerally water is also prominent here. It is floral with hints of hibiscus and a textured mouthfeel that departs with a grainy feel. The finish is sweet with a very light hop character. The beer is definitely on the lighter side of hops for a typical IPA, and it finishes with a dry, slightly unappealing, aftertaste.

Final Verdict: C

Cisco Brewers - Indie Pale Ale

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, says "3/4 pint", poured into a pint glass

The new Indie Pale Ale from Cisco pours a striking ruby-orange-tinted full amber body with a hazy and deeply colorful complexion. The head is a massive, frothy light tan foam with a slightly yellowed edge. The head retention is stellar and the beer produces a moderate, but flowing, lace on the glass. The huge hop nose is not exactly piercing, but to call it pungent may be an understatement. The hops are fruity, sweet, and aromatic with a clear edge of grapefruit.

The coarse graininess of the beer gives the mouthfeel some texture. Full-bodied grains are toasty with a caramel sweetness that tones down the beer's hops a bit. The hopping is big and dry with moderate citrus notes. A slight resinous pine component adds an extra layer of complexity to the bittering. The hops are quite strong, but are never overbearing. This is a clear East Coast take on a West Coast-style American IPA.

Final Verdict: A-

Boston Beer Company - Samuel Adams - Latitude 48 IPA (Revisited)

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a pint glass

I reviewed this beer some time back and thought it solid, but not remarkable. Upon revisiting it, after trying the five single-hop variations, it is safe to say that I appreciate it more. However, I'm still not in love with it.

The nuance and depth of each of the component hops is there, but the total package doesn't overwhelm me. The beer pours a deep amber body with a modest ruby glow. The light tan head is large and frothy with great retention and feathery lacing. The lacing is light along the top off the glass and slowly fades as the beer disappears. Bitter and tight hops define the nose with a hint of mineral water. Mild citrus makes up the brunt of the hop profile backed by a subdued, but present, pine with a resinous edge.

Sweet toasted malts underly the beer with a solid presence, however, they're not center stage. The sharpest, most pungent additions on the hops bill seem blunted and diffused by the more aromatic and subdued varietals. The Simcoe and Ahtanum seem to be knocked down in their strength by the Hallertau and Goldings. The mild citrus notes play off the resinous pine. The finish is slightly sticky with pine hops that produce a lasting aftertaste.

Final Verdict: B

Boston Beer Company - Samuel Adams - Latitude 48 Hallertau Mittelfrueh IPA

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a pint glass

The Hallertau Mittelfrueh varietal rounds out to the Latitude 48 hop bill and is the final single-hop beer in the Deconstructed variety pack. The same deep amber body pours with extra brown tones and a large, off-white-to-light-tan head. The foam is fluffy and sudsy in consistency with solid retention and large swathes of lace. The beer is sweet and malty on the nose with mild citrusy dry hops. Minor pine notes skirt the edges, but are far from prominent.

The mouthfeel of the beer is velvety and reveals and moderate, earthy hopping. The bitterness is mild and makes for very smoothy and easy drinking. The beer is closer to an amber ale than an IPA, but is not nearly as grainy on the malt side of things. Like the East Kent Goldings, this varietal seems to pair well with others, but doesn't stand its ground to produce a traditional IPA when it's done single-hop.

Final Verdict: B

Boston Beer Company - Samuel Adams - Latitude 48 Ahtanum IPA

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a pint glass

Ahtanum, fourth in the series, also pours a matching deep amber body with a large frothy head, colored light tan. The same solid retention is present here with a nice show of varied lacing on the glass. Pine shows immediately on the nose with minor hints of vanilla. The hops here are pronounced, but seem to carry a delicate aire.

The sweet malts balance the hops right off the bat and accentuate the fruity citrus elements of the Ahtanum hops. The hop varietal seems very fresh and floral, packing tons of aromatics and maintaining a very flavorful body. The hops, while strong, are not drying, acidic, or even very bitter. The finish here is mild as the hops subside and blend nicely with the body of the beer.

Final Verdict: A-

Boston Beer Company - Samuel Adams - Latitude 48 Simcoe IPA

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a pint glass

Third in the series, the Simcoe hop varietal Latitude 48 pours with the matching amber body with a large and healthy head of foam with a very frothy texture. The retention here is solid with varied lacing of layers both thick and delicate. Sharp piney aromatics come through on the nose with mild citrus. The pungent Simcoe hops completely dominate the malts on the beer's nose.

On the taste, the hops strike a balance with the malts. Hops are at the forefront, but work very well, complimenting the toasty malt flavors. Grapefruit is clear, but not overwhelming and works well with the distinctive pine elements. The hops are not harsh here, but commanding. The finish is tight, crisp and very refreshing. A true single-hop IPA.

Final Verdict: A

Boston Beer Company - Samuel Adams - Latitude 48 East Kent Goldings IPA

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a pint glass

Second in the Deconstructed series is the East Kent Goldings hop variety. The beer pours a deep amber body with a ruby glow, matching, almost identically, the first version. The head of the beer seems a bit lighter, more of an off-white than a tan. The size is medium with moderate retention and thick, but somewhat sparse, lacing. The nose is bigger on sweet malts than Zeus. A lighter hopping, here, is very feint and mild.

The softer hops are apparent on the taste and allow the beer's malts and caramel sweetness to take center stage. Slightly grassy, the hops are mild with some floral notes, much more on aromatics than bitter flavor. The texture of the beer is the same as the first version and packs some tight hops on the finish, but allows the beer's sweetness to define it throughout.

While technically and nominally an IPA, this beer doesn't seem like one. East Kent Goldings is a hop varietal that doesn't stand alone in creating the full IPA experience.

Final Verdict: B-

Boston Beer Company - Samuel Adams - Latitude 48 Zeus IPA

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a pint glass

First in the Deconstructed series, Zeus pours a deep copper body with a ruby glow, and almost purplish hints. The head is a healthy, medium-sized, light tan foam of large bubbles. The retention is solid and the lacing is light, but attractive. Earthy grains shine on the nose with prominent hops. The hop essence carries a lightly earthy edge with a mild, almost soapy, bitterness.

The mouthfeel is velvety and remains fairly crisp throughout. Pine notes are strong on the hop taste with a deep sappy resin. The bitterness is strong and just about overpowers the malts. A light toasty caramel sweetness rounds the malts and combats the prominent hops. However, the malts are far from the star in this brew.

Final Verdict: B+

Coronado Brewing Company - Islander IPA

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a Mark Twain pint glass

Coronado's Islander IPA pours a brilliant amber with gleams accented by the slope of the glass. The medium frothed cream head is off-white in color and speckled with yeast. The foam retention is solid and large chunky layers of lacing adorn the pint glass. The nose is tight and potent with abundant citrus hops. The beer seems very aromatic and sweet off the bat.

This IPA is very hoppy but clean. It remains crisp and refreshing from beginning to end, making it an excellent Summer-drinking beer. Citrus comes through with an oily orange peel edge. Lightly toasted malts are present, but understated. The finish is sweet and slightly floral with a slowly subsiding hop essence.

Final Verdict: A-

Weyerbacher Brewing Co. - Hops Infusion

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a pint glass

The Hops Infusion IPA from Pennsylvania-based Weyebacher pours a nearly completely opaque flat brown. The cloudy yeast infusion features a series of wispy strings of sediment floating just under the head of the beer. The head is a large frothy foam colored light brown with speckles of yeast. The beer's retention is solid and the lacing is moderate on the walls of the glass. A sweet hop perfume springs forth on the nose, backed up by toasty malts and a hint of sweet melon.

This IPA is interesting and different with powerfully floral hops and a backing waxy honey sweetness. Rough cracked grains seem to add depth to the mouthfeel and compliment the beer with a gritty down to earth appeal to balance the flowery sweetness of the hops. The finish is herbal with lingering honey notes. The beer doesn't exactly fit the bill of an IPA, but it is an excellent beer and an excellent pale ale, nonetheless.

Final Verdict: A-

Sebago Brewing Company - Frye's Leap India Pale Ale

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a pint glass

Frye's Leap pours a slick pale amber with a mild brown tint. While mostly clear, the beer has a slight murkiness. The creamy light tan initially fades quickly, but keeps a fine layer of foam for most of the life of the beer. Clean hops define the nose with slight vanilla hints. There's a slight perfume that mixes earthy tones with a floral bouquet.

The hops are very fruity and work well with a huge malt caramel sweetness. The texture is smooth and creamy with a slight carbonated crispness. Without the extra tinge of carbonation, the beer might have seemed a bit watery. The beer has an almost spicy character to it. It's not quite a cinnamon, but the same slightly powdery texture is apparent in the beer. The finish is big with leafy vegetation, graininess, and a mild mineral water flavor.

Final Verdict: A-

Mendocino Brewing Company - White Hawk Select IPA

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a pint glass

The White Hawk IPA from Mendocino pours a moderate-to-deep amber with a hazy light glow. The off-white head has a fluffy and frothy texture. The retention is moderate but the foam produces great, cascading layers of lacing on the glass. The beer is highly aromatic with pungent piney hops and biscuity malt undertones.

The mouthfeel is velvety smooth and full-bodied. The caramel malts are smooth and lightly bready. There's a light honey, almost syrupy, sweetness that rounds out the malt character. The hops are great with a floral essence and an even bittering. Very flavorful. The finish is high on the piney character from the hops with a long-lasting flavor.

Final Verdict: A-

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery - 60 Minute IPA

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a pint glass

Dogfish Head bills their 60 Minute IPA as their flagship and sessionable IPA. While I'd say 6% is right on the border, it's certainly the most sessionable out of the 60, 90, 120 Minute family of IPAs. The beer pours a light gold with a glowing straw hue to the body. The head is a generous, sticky foam that musters excellent retention and some varied and extensive lacing. The nose is super pungent with tons of hops. It's very earthy with a deep aroma and a sharp, piercing note of dry bitterness in the end.

The beer has a velvety mouthfeel that matches up nicely with the ever persistent and airy foam. The beer is crisp, but only light on the refreshing side. The 60 minutes of continuous hopping makes this beer very hoppy with a considerable level of dryness, but avoids going overboard on the bitterness. The beer is extremely well-balanced. It competes with West Coast hopping, but employs an even handedness that gives the beer a keen East Coast mentality.

Final Verdict: A

Victory Brewing Co. - HopDevil India Pale Ale

Purchased From: Harvest Fine Wines & Spirits
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle, poured into a pint glass

HopDevil, Victory's American India Pale Ale pours a deep copper with amber highlights and a very mild cloudiness. The head is a large creamy tan foam with great retention and solid lacing. The nose is quite hoppy and earthy. There's a slight visible hop oil sheen in the foam. The hops are verdant and fresh with a bready underlying malt. There's almost a hint of anise or licorice to the aroma as well.

The mouthfeel is initially silken, but the malts provide a more complex gritty texture. The hops are somewhat piney, but there's a clear focus on citrus. It's not the prominent grapefruit of other big hop AIPAs, but the citrus component is robust. Near the finish the hops develop a minor spiciness, tempered by a very mild honey sweetness.

Final Verdict: A-