Tag Archives: IPA

November 12, 2013 · 7:24 pm

Ninkasi Maiden The Shade

Maiden The Shade is a limited release IPA from Oregon’s Ninkasi Brewing Company. It’s a clever name for a beer, it’s got a little pun action going on and everyone appreciates a good pun. The artwork on the label is pretty cool. There’s a Medusa-looking maiden sitting underneath a tree made of hops with a devil butterfly creeping up on her. It smells of citric hops, pineapple, grapefruit, mango, floral, and spice. It tastes of pine and citric hops with a slight bread malt flavor. Its bitterness is counterbalanced with subtle fruit sweetness. It’s got a 6.8% alcohol content, which is on the lower side of acceptable for a limited release microbrew IPA. All in all, this is a solid beer. But I wouldn’t go out of my way to get it again.

Critically Rated at 12/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

Leave a comment

Filed under Drinks

Tagged as , , , , , , , ,

November 8, 2013 · 8:48 am

High Water Brewing Hop Riot IPA

Hop Riot IPA is an India Pale Ale from San Jose’s High Water Brewing. It has a floral hop with hints of citrus and spices and malt. It has a bitter taste thanks to the grapefruit and pine hops, and it’s mellowed out by a malty backbone. There is a subtle orange flavor that gets stronger as you keep drinking. I don’t know why they call it Hop Riot IPA. You can taste the hops, but they aren’t rioting. It’s just your standard IPA, there’s nothing that really stands out about this beer. Its Alcohol by Volume content is a 7.3%, which is not that strong for a microbrewed IPA. This is High Water Brewing’s flagship beer, and it doesn’t get me excited for their other offerings. It’s alright. It’s decent. But you have made some major mistakes in life if this is your favorite beer.

Critically Rated at 10/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

Leave a comment

Filed under Drinks

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

September 21, 2013 · 9:48 am

Rogue Brutal IPA

Rogue Brutal IPA is a microbrewed India Pale Ale from Oregon. It’s hoppy, but more malty, and it only has 5.8% alcohol. And that’s not enough. Rogue is an overhyped brewery. They have a few good beers, but most of them are disappointing. Their Brutal IPA is pretty weak for an IPA. I suppose that it’s a good IPA for beginners, but I have a seasoned palate and each sip I take kills my buzz a little bit. I’ve had worse beers. But I’ve also had a lot of better ones. Like a lot of better ones. A whole lot of better ones, in fact. The only reason to try this beer is to say that you tried this beer. You might like it. I don’t really care for it. It’s too bland for my taste buds and the alcohol content is too low to make me forget about the blandness. It’s pretty meh for a microbrew with a decent reputation.

Critically Rated at 8/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

Leave a comment

Filed under Drinks

Tagged as , , , , ,

September 8, 2013 · 1:03 pm

Stone 17th Anniversary Götterdämmerung IPA

Stone Brewing Co. has a habit of making amazing beers that you fall in love with. Unfortunately, they also make a lot of limited brews that you can only cherish for a little while before they disappear. 17th Anniversary Götterdämmerung IPA is one of their limited batches, brewed to celebrate their seventeen years in business. It has a great name. Götterdämmerung. It sounds angry and delicious, and it rolls off the tongue with a poetic ring to it. It has a hoppy, peppery scent, with citric notes of lemon and grapefruit. It has a zesty, tropical fruit taste with a malty backbone, and peppery/earthy/wooden/herbal undertones. It’s very bold and strong, but it’s still very drinkable and slightly sweet. It has a 9.5% alcohol content, so you’ll be ready for a nap after a couple of glasses. It’s a very enjoyable beer; I only wish that it were available all the time.

Critically Rated at 14/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

Leave a comment

Filed under Drinks

Tagged as , , , , , , , ,

February 17, 2013 · 9:50 am

Triple Voodoo Inception Belgian Style Ale

Triple Voodoo Brewing is a microbrewery from Belmont, California. It’s a Belgian style ale, but they seem to want to stress that it’s not brewed like most Trappist ales and that makes it taste more like an IPA. And they also describe it as having California characteristics, whatever the fuck that means. “I’m loving these California characteristics, bro. It tastes like sunshine and homeless people, with a little surfer thrown in.” It’s a malty beer with hop varietals that gives it a clean finish. It’s nice and very drinkable. The most important thing is that it’s 8% alcohol and that it’ll get you drunk.

Critically Rated at 12/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

Leave a comment

Filed under Drinks

Tagged as , , , , ,

February 16, 2013 · 9:36 am

Talon Extra Select Double IPA

I like beer and I like strong beer. I want to be able to taste it. I like IPAs because it’s a strong beer. I like double IPAs because they are even stronger than regular IPAs. And so I had to try Talon Extra Select Double IPA from Mendocino Brewing Company. It is really hoppy and has a 10% alcohol content. That’s enough to make you grow some chest hair. One bottle is like three new chest hairs. Drink a case of this and you’ll be looking like Robin Williams in no time. Proceed with caution, ladies. I’ve had better craft beers, but I would still get this one again.

Critically Rated at 12/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

Leave a comment

Filed under Drinks

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,

October 22, 2012 · 9:40 am

Brew Free! Or Die IPA

Beer is good and microbrewed beer is even better. If you want to try a delicious craft brew, I recommend Brew Free! Or Die IPA from San Francisco’s 21st Amendment Brewery. They were one of the first breweries to put an IPA in a can instead of a bottle. It helps to preserve the flavor and it’s also better to take to the beach. It is malty and hoppy and delicious. Plus it has a 7% alcohol content so you’ll be feeling good after a few rounds. This is a good beer with a great name. Except I always want to call it Brew Free! Or Die Hard IPA. I blame Bruce Willis.

Critically Rated at 15/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

Leave a comment

Filed under Drinks

Tagged as , , , , , , , ,

August 26, 2012 · 9:18 am

Raging Bitch Belgian-Style India Pale Ale

Maryland’s Flying Dog Brewery makes some amazing craft beers and this is one of them. Raging Bitch Belgian-Style India Pale Ale is a very distinctive beer, from its taste to its awesome artwork. It’s also fun to go to a bartender and say, “Raging Bitch, please.” It has a nice alcohol percentage of 8.3%. It tastes good, looks cool, and it will get you drunk. What more do you want from booze?

Critically Rated at 15/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

Leave a comment

Filed under Drinks

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , ,

May 14, 2012 · 9:17 am

Lagunitas Maximus

The Lagunitas Brewing Company is known for their IPA. Their Maximus India Pale Ale has more alcohol and is hoppier. Wikipedia says it has a spicy finish with a lot of rose petal. Maybe my palate isn’t sophisticated because I don’t taste the rose petal. I think Wikipedia is lying. Anyway, 8.2% alcohol is pretty decent; it can definitely make you sleepy. Lagunitas is a great microbrewery. If you ever see it at the liquor store you should grab it. And read the label; they usually have a funny and random rant printed on it.

Critically Rated at 14/17

Leave a comment

Filed under Drinks

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,

May 4, 2012 · 9:47 am

White Hawk Select IPA

The fine folks at Mendocino Brewing Company of Ukiah, CA have crafted another delicious microbrew. White Hawk Select IPA in an India Pale Ale that has a decent amount of flavor and a decent 7.0% alcohol content. This isn’t the best IPA, but it’s one of the better cheaper microbrewed IPAs. Mendocino Brewing Co. has some pretty decent brews. If you see it, you should get it, you won’t regret it. And even if you do regret it, I don’t care. Never trust the internet. This is just a filler article anyway.

Critically Rated at 10/17

Leave a comment

Filed under Drinks

Tagged as , , , , , , , ,

April 23, 2012 · 9:51 am

Bear Republic Racer X Double IPA

Bear Republic is a microbrewer from Healdsburg, CA. Racer X Double IPA is a strong India Pale Ale. It’s malty and hoppy, and that makes me happy. The 8.3% alcohol content makes me even happier. If you like IPAs, Double IPAs are even better. And this is a good one to try. So try it if you can. I did, and I was glad that I got it. I’ll get it again too.

Critically Rated at 12/17

Leave a comment

Filed under Drinks

Tagged as , , , , , ,

March 31, 2012 · 8:48 am

Ninkasi Tricerahops Double IPA

If there’s anything better than a microbrewed IPA, it is a microbrewed double IPA. If there’s anything better than a microbrewed double IPA, it is a microbrewed double IPA with a dinosaur pun. It is super malty and super hoppy. It has a hefty 8.8% alcohol content, which is better than Nyquil for getting kids to sleep. Good strong beer with lots of flavor and a dinosaur pun for a name. It doesn’t get much better than this.

Critically Rated at 16/17

Leave a comment

Filed under Drinks

Tagged as , , , ,

March 30, 2012 · 10:02 am

Shock Top Wheat IPA

Anheuser-Busch presents Shock Top Wheat IPA. It’s a very refreshing IPA variant. It has a hefty 5.8% alcohol content, more than most wheat beers, but less than most IPAs. It’s unfiltered, which helps gives it more of a wheat beer taste than an IPA. It is a perfect hybrid of the two… if you aren’t sure if you want a Hefe/Blue Moon or an IPA, this is the beer for you. Decisions are hard to make when just wanna be drunk, so get this and start drinking.

Critically Rated at 13/17

Leave a comment

Filed under Drinks

Tagged as , , , , ,