Dark Horse Smells Like a Safety Meeting

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As we continue cleaning out our secret stash (read: beers we purchased to review but life shit got in the way and prohibited us from doing so), what else to review except an IPA that references a secret stash. This was released last year on 4/20, we missed last year. This year, it was released on draft around the same date, and in bottles shortly after. We picked up a 6 pack of bottles. The artwork beckons questions of what goes on in the mad genius mind of W. Ralph Walters, along with why haven't we drank with him yet? We're artists as well as beer consumers/reviewers/home brewers. My personal artwork is Ralph Steadman influenced. Here's an example of a pen and ink drawing:

Nowhere near the detail or talent of W. Ralph Walters, another reason I want to sit down is to talk art, not just beer. But speaking of beer, I seem to be missing the point of this, this is for a beer review, not art review.

This has sat in our stash for a while, as previously mentioned. With each one from our stash, we hope, nay, pray to Hopsus that it's the same as when we purchased it. We've had some that were and others where we were smacking ourselves for letting the hops die. We checked this into Untappd when we first drank it. I gave it a 4.5 star rating (probably because Untappd does intervals of .5 stars). I initially said:
"Nice citrusy aroma... flavor matches the aroma.... full review coming soon on behind the tap's blog"

Well, that was May 16th. It may not have been soon (see note above), but it did happen. At this point, I'm just hoping the citrus notes are still there.

This pours a nice, clear amber color with a small amount of white head, looks to have decent carbonation, judging by the happy little bubbles that are making their way to the top. The aroma on this is caramel, citrus, pine and earthy notes. This smells more like the only thing on my criminal record (read: 2006, it shouldn't keep coming back to haunt me) than it did back when it was fresh. The initial sip is caramel heavy with some earthy notes, mango, peach, and fading into slight tinge of grapefruit. It's not as citrusy as I remember, a little more dank at this point (hence the name, I'm sure). This has a medium body that goes well with the 8.5% ABV. It finishes with a sticky mouthfeel from the hops, which come out more and more with each sip.

So, with this being aged nearly 5 months:

4.5 caps (apparently, the rating hasn't changed)

-Nathan-

Since Nathan is going to go all fanboy on the fantastic label art that W. Ralph Walters creates, I am not afraid to go a little fangirl on Dark Horse. Congratulations, Wiggs, on the nuptials. If you will recall, I went to college a few miles down the road from Dark Horse, and I love their beers in general. I have recently battled my fangirldom for so many brewers, and Wiggs is one, in particular, who I adore. If I weren't already thoroughly enamored with Nathan, I might snivel. Just a smidge, though. Sincerest congratulations and much happiness to you both for many, many years to come.

In incandescent lighting, this appears almost a garnet color. In front of the monitor, however, it's more of a reddish amber. The aroma is citrus, caramel, tropical fruit, pine, and a little freshly baked bread. This has developed into a danker version of its original, but six months later, it's still tasty. Nathan described the taste quite well, except there's almost a toast flavor toward the back end that caught me off-guard. There are a ton of tropical fruits in this toward the front. And then, just when you think you had quit the habit, a ton of dankness lashes the tongue to remind you again why you did. And then, way later, there is a note of apricot nectar that reminds me of Christmas mornings with my parents (my mom used to serve apricot nectar with her ham and cheese casserole as we were preparing to open gifts. As a child, the waiting game was pure torture). This has developed into a rather lush mouthfeel that leaves just a bit of stickiness on my lips, not from hop resins, but more from caramelized malts.

Last week we reviewed a Double Crooked Tree that had aged for several months. This one isn't quite as old, but I'd be intrigued to see how it stands the test of time (even though it's technically not an imperial, weighing in at 8.5% ABV). It's hung in there quite well, even for letting it sit for a few torturous months.

4.2/5 caps

-Jennie

Food Pairing: Green Thai curry, especially if made by my former Thai chef in Hilton Head, Anan.
Cheese Pairing: Cheetos, preferably the cheddar jalapeno variety
Music Pairing: "Santeria" by Sublime

Founders Dissenter IPL

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Like your worst nightmare from a bad 1980's movie, we're baaaaaaaaack. We sure have missed you, and we promise to start working our way through our stash of yummy craft beers. Not that we haven't been drinking good craft beers while we've been on hiatus... I could only let the session IPAs sit for so long before they started to stale! And that, my friends, should be a capital crime. And speaking of 1980's movies, I'm totally loving Throwback Thursday on AMC tonight: Breakfast Club followed by Sixteen Candles? Yes, please (although it would probably be better to watch both on Netflix, so as to avoid commercial interruption)!

Tonight we bring you Founders Dissenter, an Imperial Pale Lager. This is a relatively new style to the craft beer scene, taking a lager and hopping it to IPA proportions. Last Winter, Sam Adams did an IPL, and I believe we picked up one in Illinois that was unavailable here in Ohio. Both were tasty. I love that Founders opted for this style in their Backstage series. I have high expectations from Founders, after all; they are a solid brewery who ranks highly in my top 5. This is especially remarkable considering they haven't made a lager in several years (15, I want to say?). And at 8.7% ABV, this should do the trick... impressive for a lager, even with the Imperial label. Shall we?

This came in a 750 mL bottle, AKA a wine bottle. I like those for sharing, which I sometimes struggle with, as an only child. It pours a beautiful, crystal clear golden color, just a tinge darker than most American fizzy yellow piss lagers. It had about two fingers of bright white foam when I initially poured it and that dissipated very quickly, as you can see from the photo (taken at pouring). Let's get into this aroma, because I'm pretty blown away by the couple of sniffs that I've taken. My olfactory nerves are assaulted with pine, grapefruit (zest especially), a little apricot, a lot of floral and grassy notes. What is really impressing me with this is how bright and fresh the aroma is. There is just a hint of cracker and bread in there, but ever so faint; this is (hopefully) going to be a hop showcase. It reminds me a lot of their All Day IPA, but the cracker/bread notes associated with the malt characteristics are even fainter. As I take my first sip, I'm tantalized by a fantastic lager that has been very well made and thoughtful hop additions that lend so much character to this beer. Now that it has warmed quite a bit, the maltiness of the brew really comes through at first. Initially, I taste a German-style lager, and then the hops start to shine. The same notes attributed to the aroma come through loud and clear on the back end of this. I'm tasting Centennial and Amarillo hops primarily, and I'm certain there are plenty of other hop strains in here. At the very end, there is a little warming, boozy kick to this. It's not remotely off-putting, but rather a welcome addition to my palate. It is  perfectly carbonated, and the maltiness leaves a pleasant stickiness on my lips.

Overall, Founders, as usual, knocked this out of the park. Well done, gents, well done.

4.7/5 caps

-Jennie


This has had time to warm up while Jennie took lead on this (and I enjoyed Sixteen Candles). The color is deeper, as Jennie mentioned. At this point, there is just a small ring of white foam, struggling to make its presence known after 'breathing' for a while. The aroma on this beckons Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dancing while "Cheek to Cheek" plays in the background (opening lyrics of "Heaven, I'm in heaven, and my heart beats so that I can hardly speak"). It's a refreshing blast of hops (see above for Jennie's description, because just like a picture on the wall, she nailed it). The aroma makes me drift off into a fantasy world where I'm riding a giant hop that's leaping over fields of grapefruit zest, pine trees, peach/apricot orchards, and the occasional grassy meadow.
But then this flows into the mouth with the greatest pleasure. Oh, Hopsus, thank you for blessing me on this day with this elixir you've graced your presence upon! There's a nice lighter Grape Nuts and biscuit combo for the malt backbone, but it doesn't distract from the glory of the hops. There is so much going on from start to finish, it leaves the mouth longing for more. A blast of apricot initially greets the taste buds, opening the door to the quick rush of friends it has brought along. The pine, grass and lemon flavors rush in, livening up the party. As the party starts to fade, good old grapefruit is there, lingering around until long after the party's over. Much like a good friend, he's there to help you clean up and plan the next one. There is a slight boozy note toward that back end that makes you aware this isn't your typical American piss lager.
This drinks smooth with a bitter, stickiness on the back end, letting you know there are copious amounts of hops used in the brew.  With each and every sip, I don't want to put down the glass, in fact, I wish this was a year round brew, as I could see this being a go-to beer.
As I haven't had too many IPLs, this beer saddens me, only because, from here on out, every IPL will be judged against this.

 4.85/5 caps

-Nathan-


Food pairing: Burgers, salmon, and corn on the cob on the grill
Cheese pairing: A grassy local farmer's cheese
Music pairing: Bob Marley, "Three Little Birds" -- because every little thing will, indeed, be all right after drinking this.

Knee Deep Belgo Hoptologist

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So, unfortunately, we must get straight to the point on this review. Normally we do our little banter and what have yo, but Drunk History starts shortly and there is a storm rolling in.

This choice was not made by the World Cup of US vs Belgium today, it was more of a 'huh, sounds good' choice. This 102 IBU, 9% ABV behemoth might actually be the thing to ease the pain of the soccer game.

This pours a nice amber color with a decent amount of off white head. The aroma on it is bliss. piney, citrus, spice, lemon and caramel all come rushing in, attacking your olfactory senses like an assassin in the night, leaving you wonder, what just happened, but in a good way. The flavor on this is HOPSUS BE PRAISED! The caramel flavor blends with the slight Belgian notes from the yeast up front, then a bus load of hops slams into your tongue doing 90 mph. A pungent blast of pine and bitter and citrus comes crashing into your taste buds, leaving them appeased, yet slightly assaulted. This finishes dry with some lingering hop stickiness to it. Not a big fan of Belgian IPAs, but this is one that all others should be rated against.

4.75/5 caps

-Nathan

Ah, at least the United States put up a good fight today. The game was definitely a nail-biter. Heart-wrenching, but Tim Howard is a beast.

Normally, I don't particularly care for Belgian IPAs. They can be done well, but few are. Count this among those that are good. My partner-in-zymurgy nailed the appearance and aroma. The Belgian yeast lends more of a peppery spice flavor than the banana and clove esters that I often don't prefer. There is a lot of caramel present in this, both in the aroma and the flavor. It's a complex beer, and the flavors work well together. It's a little sweeter than I care for, but it's still well done.

The one thing I'm surprised about is that Nathan didn't compare it to Flying Dog's Raging Bitch, his other favorite Belgian IPA. This is now readily available in Ohio, and coming soon to North Carolina (and possibly other markets; Knee Deep tripled their brewhouse capacity last year).

4.6/5 caps

-Jennie

Music pairing:"The Sound of Silence" by Simon and Garfunkel
Food Pairing: beef enchiladas
Cheese Pairing: Queso Quesadilla

Brooklyn Sorachi Ace

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It's been a rough day, but I'll spare you the boring details of caring for my father and the minutia that is taking care of my favorite cancer and dementia patient. Both collided in spectacular fashion today. Nathan and I reside in one another's head enough that we both had in mind to drink the Sorachi tonight, without speaking to one another about it previously, as well as to share with you our opinion of the beer. We haven't done a lot from Brooklyn, and that is nothing but sheer oversight on our behalf. We enjoy their brews, and we do have one more special one stashed, so look for that review to come soon. We also just happen to love the Sorachi Ace hop strain; it's featured in our award-winning homebrew, Sourpuss. It stands apart from other hop strains because of its fantastic lemony and lemongrass-y qualities. When you brew with lemongrass, like we do, it's a natural addition. 

Let's get to Brooklyn's interpretation with this hop. This beer comes with a lot of hype. It's a saison or farmhouse style beer (currently very trendy in the beer world), that features the Sorachi Ace hop. Hell yeah. It pours the color of straw with a large, pillowy, white head. It is fairly hazy, which is expected in a saison. The aroma on this is very faint; I pick up tones of lemon, lemongrass, and straw in the nose, alongside some faint esters from the Belgian yeast strain. One thing I enjoy about many saisons is that they drink a little cleaner than a witbier or hefeweizen, with fewer esters clogging my taste buds and overwhelming my olfactory nerves. In other words, the banana and clove are much more understated in such a style. Taking a healthy sip (there may or may not be some residual head on my nose from accidentally dunking my schnoz into it -- huh? I wonder if beer will clear up that pimple that's growing on my nose?), this is a complex beer that is going to take me a few minutes to deconstruct. There is a strong lemon presence throughout the taste, weaving in and out of notes of cracker, straw, grass, and an ever-so-faint clove-tinged earthiness from the yeast. This is an exceptionally light drinking beer, despite it's 7.6% ABV. It has great carbonation and the body is quite light. It would make a fantastic lawnmower beer, but for its moderate alcohol content and that it's a small batch beer. 

Overall, this is a very good offering from Brooklyn. If you can find some, please do yourself a favor and pick up a bottle. The lemon and the saison yeast work very well together in this. It's a very well-built beer. I've had my eye on this for awhile now, and with some pushing from Jay at Wine & Brew Emporium, I'm very glad we purchased this.

4.7/5 caps

-Jennie

So, reading Jennie's description of this, I'm more intrigued than I was from the get go. I'll keep this short and sweet instead of my initial game plan (because Klansman Jennie won't let me use 'water heads' and 'spastic mongoloids' as descriptive adjectives about my work day. Good job there, Hitler. The sheer dumbstruck look of the nitwit coworkers is one of the reasons I wanted to escape in both beer and literary adventures). 

This has a cloudy straw color with a strong, thick, foamy stark white head. An interesting aroma of straw and lemongrass with backbones of typical Belgian yeast esters (clove and spices). The flavor on this is interesting. Smooth, balanced with the yeast esters with lemon. There's also hints of straw (having worked on a horse ranch, by straw, I also mean the sweet smell of it). The rest of the flavor, Jennie has nailed (hehehe, that's what she said). For a 7.6% brew, this drinks smoother than most American Adjunct Lagers. A creamy mouthfeel with low carbonation makes this a great warmer weather brew. There's a slight stickiness that I notice on the back end that I've only had with Sorachi Ace, it's hard to describe. It's a slight stickiness blended with a light numbing from the oils. Interesting how it pairs with the saison style. And, yes, spell check, saison is a fucking word. 

4.6/5 caps

-Nathan-

Cheese pairing: A block of queso quesadilla

Food pairing: Ceviche

Music pairing: A sassy Latin salsa dance tune