The name is a touch too on point and the wavy hyper colorful label ain’t my favorite but…
Cold IPA seems to be sticking around longer than the Brut IPA as Karl Strauss and Sierra Nevada have this new collaboration out.
Two Cold
Re-Review – Japanese Green Tea IPA from Stone Brewing
Heading back to the BSP blog vault to see what I thought of the Stone Japanese Green Tea IPA collaboration back in 2011.
Stone has gone into their vaults to un-retire beers and this was the one that I wanted to try again the most, so let’s see what I think of this re-release ten years later.
Getting a matcha type nose to this initially, then that first sip is a punch of it and a punch of alcohol. I can sense that their are hops underneath but the ABV is covering it well. The tea is solidly second place throughout. I get a tiny squeeze of lemon as well to add another dimension. Glad this is in a 12oz can for sure.
Colder than Cold
The cool cat from Party Beer Co. has traveled to the ’90s. A time without Cold IPA for a collaboration with Hop Secret Brewing, Cool as Ice.
“this IPA is fermented cold with famous Weihenstephan yeast and Idaho Gem, Cashmere & Talus hops. One sip will transport you back to the 90’s while delivering notes of tangerine, lime and red cherry.”
Review – Beach Run IPA from AleSmith and Pizza Port
More goodies came from AleSmith recently so it is time to take a walk on the beach, I am not one for running.
This time Pizza Port was brought in to partner on Beach Run IPA.
This DDH IPA has Enigma, Cashmere and Sabro hops an pours a bright lustrous yellow. And it does pack a bitterness punch. I get a little bit of catty, a little bit of fruit punch and a little bit of pine as well. No coconut from the Sabro which I usually get. There is a bit of alcohol heat as well which is kinda weird for a beer below 7% ABV. It is smack dab in classic pre-2010 West Coast IPA territory.
The next AleSmith collab IPA will be with Revision Brewing, Split Aces in a red checked can.
BarrelHood
Hood River meets Buellton as two iconic breweries in iconic towns go in on a Saison together…
Firestone Walker and pFriem aren’t going fancy. Unless you count the bottles. Just a barrel-aged Saison
Native Land
Don’t know how I missed it but in addition to the Black is Beautiful and Brave Noise beers, there is also the Native Land project . It too is a national collaboration. The beers done for this project aims to acknowledge the contributions and history of Native American People in the United States. It is the brainchild of New Mexico brewery, Bow & Arrow who announced the project on Indigenous Peoples Day back in October. “Each brewery who chooses to participate is asked to acknowledge whose ancestral land they are located on and recognize the tribe on the label, while committing to donate proceeds from the beer sales to Native organizations whose work focuses on ecological stewardship and strengthening Native communities.”
Bow and Arrow founders Shyla Sheppard who is part of the Mandan, Hidatsa & Arikara Nation, and her wife Missy Begay of the Navajo (Diné) Nation started the project and I hope like the others, the beers get people talking.
Below is the Ruse Brewing version…
Knock on the Door
A NorCal / SoCal hop collaboration between Indie Brewing and Alpha Acid Brewing from Belmont, CA brings the little green hops to your door with fan favorite hops Citra and Mosaic plus up an comers Eureka and Comet.
Review – 2 from AleSmith
Two new releases hit my doorstep courtesy of AleSmith Brewing and I couldn’t choose which to review, so I chose both!
Here are the brewery details on the latest Speedway Imperial Stout variant, “We used the comforting trio of Mexican dark chocolate, sea salt, and Mexican coffee to give the beer delectable notes of cacao and dark fruit, a subtle touch of cinnamon, and a kiss of roasty earthiness.”
The Tower of Flower is described thusly, “We’ve teamed up once again with our good friends at Beachwood Brewing to make this behemoth west coast-style India pale ale that has been double dry-hopped with Galaxy, Cashmere, and Nelson hops. This monstrous hop blend gives this beer intense notes of passion fruit, citrus, peach, and melon.”
On to the reviews…
The Tower of Flower pours a medium yellow shade. Initial thoughts are that it is crisp and bright, almost like an IPL. The dominant flavor for me is Concord grape. The four fruits listed in the description elude me. I also get a grasy bitterness as well. And that really sticks.
I expected more from the Speedway. Chocolate, coffee and sea salt are big flavors. I didn’t get much of a hit of that trio. Slightly like a milk chocolate covered espresso bean but really toned down.
Stone Society
Or should I say Stone and Societe.
I am kind of surprised that the old school and new school San Diego breweries hadn’t collaborated before. But since they are, I am glad they are going the West Coast IPA route.
Strata Webs
California doesn’t see the fresh hop bounty that Oregon and Washington does but the occasional glimmer appears. Just look for the spiderweb to get a Strata Fresh Hop Arachne from Ogopogo Brewing and Three Weavers.