Cognac barrels. Rye Whiskey barrels. Lemon peel and for a final touch some absinthe barrel action are part of the regimen for the upcoming cocktail beer from Firestone Walker.
You can also read about two tequila beers HERE.
Sazarac Style
Best Beers of June 2021 + IPA Standings
Time to unveil MY best beers of the month…
Honorable Mention goes to all of the New Zealand hopped beers that I tried from Firestone Walker’s Propagator. All were quite unique and showcased each different hop well.
Runner Up was High Water Brewing and their Break Apart Cream Ale which was just so different than most of the other beers tasted. That creamsicle orange flavor was great.
The Grand Winner came from Radiant Brewing in Anaheim. Mind Gardens Pilsner was made with Riwaja hops and it was both hoppy without taking anything away from the pilsner aspects of the beer.
The IPA standings remain unchanged for the second straight month.
Third – Crooked Stave Idaho 7 IPA
Second – Indie Brewing Quintette IPA
First – Offshoot Beer Co. DDH Visions
NZ Hopping + Firestone Reviews
Time to review New Zealand hopped beers via Paso Robles and Firestone Walker.
Let’s start with Nelson, a West Coast IPA. It pours a dark orange color. I get grape must and a slight tannic quality on the first sip. A little cat pee in the aroma. Further sips reveal a Concord grape note. There is a good hit of bitterness. Finishes with a combination of herbal and spicy.
Elenna is a hazy and a higher ABV than most FW beers which usually land in the 5.6% range. It pours a murky yellow color in keeping with the style. Aroma is forest like. Quite soft on the palate. Little bit of a cream texture. At the end I get a mixture of cherry and citrus.
Beer Before Glory Podcast
We can always use more beer podcasts before we reach peak hops. Now a new ear venture from The Brewing Network and Firestone Walker is here, Beer Before Glory.
I have downloaded the first two episodes. The first being on the origins of IPA and the second on the haze craze. FW knows hops and barrels in equal measure so I look forward to listening and learning.
NZ Hopping
Thanks to the generosity of NZ Hops and Firestone Walker, I learned some new information and got to rub some New Zealand grown hops yesterday.
The headliner being the new-ish Nectaron hop. Let’s backpedal a bit though. NZ Hops is a hop co-op that has bine roots stretching back 150 years. The group is comprised of 27 farms with 18 hop varietals sone of which are organic. They have connections with the Plant & Food Program Hop Division and their hop rock star Dr. Ron Beatson, which wraps us back to Nectaron which is slyly named after him.
We have been enjoying New Zealand hops in our beers for some time now but this latest innovation push and increased usage by notable brewers like Firestone Walker means, we will be seeing more of their hops. The photo above shows three of four current beers from FW that feature their hops.
In my one adjective findings Nectaron pellets – Pineapple, Nelson – lemon and Motueka – earthy. In the two beers that I tasted, the Nectaron came through as watermelon plus nectarine and the Nelson was white wine grape. It amazes me that brewers can take one aroma in pellet form and create something new in a beer. Gotta love bio-transformation.
I will review the Elenna and 18th (can you believe it) iteration of Luponic Distortion later this month to round out the NZ hop experience.
Nitro Dolce
I am actually kinda surprised that Firestone Walker hasn’t brand extended their Nitro line from Paso Robles to Venice by now. CD sounds like a good interplay between spice and creaminess.
Two New From Venice
Firestone Walker – Citra IPA vs Double Mind Haze
Time to play catch-up on releases from Firestone Walker…
Firestone Walker Propagator Citra – very light on the palate almost like a session IPA. Getting grapefruit first and foremost. Getting a bit of Meyer lemony notes as well. Hazy yellow in color. They certainly know how to keep it murky.
Double Mind Haze – another FW hazy appearing masterpiece. This is a rather odd beer to me. Has a cheek warming amount of alcohol and a bit of a bite to it. Texture is there but the flavor leads more to buttery or barely blood orange.
Wasn’t super jazzed about either to be honest but I would take the Citra if forced to choose.
Talking Beer Before Glory
Below is the first brewers line-up from the first of a limited series from Firestone Walker and The Brewing Network…..
Darn good start to talk beer with Evan from Green Cheek and Jeremy from Lagunitas. Add this podcast to your rotation and I bet you will learn about beer.
The Barrel Mule
Off to Kentucky for the next cocktail inspired beer from Firestone Walker…
If the lime and ginger peek through substantially then this could have the making s of a really good beer version of the classic drink.