The latest hip happening IPA sub-style is the champagne dry Brut IPA. With most are not in wide circulation, Drakes may be able to take advantage with their 12oz offering.
Video Beer Review – Drakes Robusto Porter
The second and final porter review for February is the Robusto from Drakes in the Bay Area…..
And here is the 411 on the beer from their website, “Drake’s Black Robusto Porter is a deep, dark “Robust Porter,” a beer style known for being darker, fuller-bodied, and higher in alcohol by volume than a standard Brown Porter. Our Black Robusto goes down smoothly with flavors of bittersweet chocolate an slight roast from Crystal and Chocolate malt. A touch of spicy, herbal hop character from Willamette hops balance out the finish.”
Hops + Drakes =
….Two new hoppy offerings!
First up from Drakes is….
“Large amounts of American two-row malt and English pale malt are combined with Vienna, Rye & Crystal malts, then balanced with German magnum, Simcoe and Chinook hops. Then, of course, more hops! — as we dry hop it with additional Simcoe and Chinook. Finally, this deep orange monster is loosely filtered to keep the integrity of the malt and hops in tact. Enjoy the massive aromatic revelation and prophetic hop flavor of this beer, now and forever after.”
Second is….Hop Salad
“Hop Salad is an aggressively hopped Double IPA that is fruit forward with a salad of pine, citrus, and floral aromas and bitterness. Medium carbonation levels with a slightly yellow head. Don’t expect to get by putting a small amount on your plate (…your palate), this one’s an all-you-can-eat buffet of liquid alpha goodness (we used loads of Magnum, Simcoe, & Summit hops). Loads of two-row barley and a small amount of Caramalt make up the grain bill. I’ll keep you updated on when this beer will be out and ready for a lunch date!”
UPDATE: I recently sampled the 2010 Jolly Rodger from Drake’s and it is really good. Even better than Denoggizer in my humble opionion. Big hop burst at the outset, followed by a large dose of malt that really balances things out.