Blind Tasting Reveal Time!

For the last five Fridays I've been featuring unnamed blind taste tested session beers, and now it's time to reveal which one was which. Did I guess any correct? And more importantly, which one did I and the rest of the group think was the best?

Beer #1 - We all enjoyed this one, it had a good grapefruit note to it and a solid amount of bitterness. I scored it a 71, compared to the group score of 67.25, and I took a guess, based on the grapefruity profile and high IBU level that this was the Stone Go-To IPA... it turns out that beer #1 was... the Founders All Day IPA! I'm 0/1 so far, but I've been drinking a lot of All Day IPA this football season, so I'm glad to know I scored it well even drinking blind.

Beer #2 - Another good one, but we all scored this one a little lower than Beer #1. I had it at a 67, compared to the group score of 64.5. My guess for this one was the Terrapin RecreationAle, being the only "pale ale" in the group of IPAs... and I was right! That makes 1/2 so far, but three more to go.

Beer #3 - This was the first of two that we didn't enjoy much, with a pungent and funky flavor that didn't hold up to the hops in the first two brews.  I scored it a 50, and it had a group average of 53.75.  I guessed at the Southern Tier Farmer's Tan, mostly because it was one that I didn't know much about and hadn't tried before. Beer #3 actually was... the Sierra Nevada Nooner. This was a bit of a surprise, I really expected better from the good people at Sierra Nevada.

Beer #4 - This is the one we all agreed was the best of the 5, with powerful grapefruit hop bitterness throughout. I scored it a 77, and it had a group average of 71.25. My guess was that this was the Founders All Day IPA, but we now know that that beer was #1, so I'm down to 1/4, and Beer #4, the winner of the day, was actually the Stone Go-To IPA. So, congrats to Stone Brewing! 

Beer #5 - And that leaves Beer #5, one that I thought was a little on the sweet side and a little boring.  It scored a 55 on my sheet, and a 57.5 with the group.  Process of elimination leads to the Southern Tier Farmer's Tan, but I had incorrectly guessed that this was the Sierra Nevada, leaving me 1/5 on the day.  

Most important though, our blind taste test ranks:

1. Stone Go-To IPA (71.25)

2. Founders All Day IPA (67.25)

3. Terrapin RecreationAle (64.5) 

4. Southern Tier Farmer's Tan (57.5)

5. Sierra Nevada Nooner (53.75) 

I'm not surprised that we picked Stone #1, but I am a little surprised at Sierra Nevada bringing up the rear. That's why we tasted them blind though, to eliminate that prejudice and judge solely on the beer. 

Feature Beer Friday! - Terrapin RecreationAle

Alright alright alright, Terrapin Brewing is back up on Feature Beer Friday! for the second time. About a month ago we featured the Terrapin Hopsecutioner, their flagship IPA, and it received generally good scores, with a 77 from yours truly. Terrapin has been one of my favorite additions to the Louisiana market in recent years.  I find that their year-round beers are all worth buying and I've for the most part enjoyed their seasonals and special releases.

Up today is their RecreationAle, which they describe as a "Session Ale" without labeling it as an IPA or pale ale.  I guess it's really up to you as to how it fits, but I'd consider it a pale ale personally. Most importantly, it's only 4.7% abv, which is ideal for tailgating season! In fact, I think it's become my tailgating beer of choice, with affordable 12-packs of cans available around Baton Rouge.

Enough blabber, let's review...

Reviewers: Eric Ducote (BR Beer Scene), Brenton Day (The Ale Runner), Chuck Pierce (Me And My Big Mouth), and Buddy Ethridge.

Serving: 12 oz. can.

Appearance: Deep golden, a little more hazy than Hopsecutioner I think. Hopsecutioner probably gains a little clarity through a longer secondary dry-hopping? Just a guess...

Aroma: Hoppy, with grapefruit and citrus dominating.

Taste: More hoppy, with those grapefruit notes still coming through. There is a little malt base sweetness, but at only 4.7% there really shouldn't be too much.

Mouthfeel: Ridiculously easy drinking.

Overall: An excellent session pale ale/IPA. I imagine this being in my tailgating rotation for years to come.

Overall Rating: 72.5
My Rating: 78

Feature Beer Friday! - Terrapin Hopsecutioner

And now some more hops, but this brew is available in Louisiana these days, the Terrapin Hopsecutioner. Terrapin is a brewery out of Athens, GA that has been available in Louisiana for a little while now.  They can be found on tap in several places around town and in bottles at any store with a good selection.  Plus they have cans of their session pale ale, RecreationAle, available in 12-packs.  We'll be visiting that brew on a coming Feature Beer Friday! so be sure to check back. 

Hopsecutioner is the strongest of Terrapin's year-round selections, although their seasonal and special releases also make it to Baton Rouge from time to time.  Hopsecutioner is at 7.3%, so like last week's Jai Alai, it's toeing the line between IPA and DIPA, but I see nothing wrong with that.  They list it at 71 IBU, with Warrior, Chinook, Centennial, Amarillo, Simcoe, and Cascade hops.  That's quite the list, I expect it to be dank with those hops... let's see how it is for real...
 
Reviewers: Eric Ducote (BR Beer Scene), Brenton Day (The Ale Runner), Chuck Pierce (Me And My Big Mouth), and Buddy Ethridge.

Serving: 12 oz. bottle.

Appearance: Deeper amber than the Jai Alai but still in the same color range, appears to be filtered, less hazy for sure.

Aroma: Earthy and citric, Brenton picked up some pine notes, but Buddy found the aroma a little thin and weak.

Taste: A little sweet, but I still thought the hops all came through and worked very well together.  

Mouthfeel: Easy drinking, very similar finish to Jai Alai, another smooth IPA. 

Overall: Another excellent IPA, although we all scored this one a little lower than Jai Alai, if we came back another day that might change. Taste, especially for hops, can be so subjective, but consider this a great locally available and southern-brewed IPA.

Overall Rating: 65.75
My Rating: 77

Ten Breweries I Want To See In Louisiana!

Normally I'm a fan of staying local, but with craft beer these days, expansion is inevitable.  Some craft breweries (Sam Adams, Sierra Nevada, Shiner, even Abita) are almost nationwide while others have a huge reach spanning both coasts.  Several breweries have recently opened up second locations, or are in the process.  Oskar Blues, Sierra Nevada, New Belgium, and Lagunitas are in that group where they were growing so fast they decided to open up a second brewery in a different part of the country rather than keep expanding.

So what breweries would I most like to see make it to Louisiana?  First off, a few rules... it has to be a realistic choice.  We're not any time soon getting 3 Floyds, Russian River, or The Alchemist, or even something like Night Shift Brewing out of Boston.  We tried some Night Shift beers at the Beer Bloggers Conference, and they are fantastic, some of the best sours I can remember, but they aren't coming to Louisiana anytime soon.  If ever.  So... keep it realistic.  I'm also excluding a few that I know are on the way... SweetWater, Ballast Point, Santa Fe... that means you guys.  You're off the wish list and onto the watch list.

So... the ten breweries I want to see heading this way... in reverse order.

10. Alaskan Brewing Company - Two words: Smoked Porter.  Some more words: also a really good Black IPA, and above average session beers in their Amber and White.  I'd like to see them here for the Smoked Porter alone, and the rest are just bonus.  Odds of them coming?  Moderate, they distribute to Texas already and are the 16th largest craft brewery, but they haven't yet hit a lot of bigger markets than LA.

9. Oskar Blues - Great beer, in cans.  We need more good canned craft beer and Oskar Blues would fill that niche expertly.  Dale's Pale Ale, Deviant Dale's, Old Chub, G'Knight, Gubna, Ten Fidy, etc... great beer, canned.  Perfect for outdoor activities!  Odds that we see these cans?  Decent, I'd say... Oskar Blues is one of the breweries with a second production facility open in North Carolina, so Louisiana might be on the list.

8. Cigar City Brewing - Too low?  Maybe... they were ranked #5 recently in a poll of "The 25 Best Craft Breweries in America" put on by The Daily Meal, and they have a huge following among South LA beer geeks due to the popularity of Florida panhandle vacations.  I'll be honest though, I find their regular releases to be a little overrated.  Just a little though, still worthy of my list, but not top 5.  If we were guaranteed some Hunahpu and other limited releases they would jump up. As far as the odds that we see Cigar City anytime soon, I'd have to say they're low.  The brewery is getting huge and I have a feeling the East Coast will be on their radar before we will be.   

7. Bell's Brewery - Bell's is an example of a brewery that pulls out just about everything exceptionally well. I'd love to have Two Hearted Ale available in bottles and on tap around BR, but that's just scratching the surface. Good stouts, good session beers, and good special releases... Bell's has them all.  They already reach into Alabama and Florida, but not into Texas... so here's hoping we don't get skipped over when Bell's decides that a new market is in order.

6. Founders Brewing - Similar to Bell's, Founders is just an all around good brewery.  Their standouts include the Founders Breakfast Stout, and its big brother, the Kentucky Breakfast Stout.  Founders has also started packaging their All Day IPA in cans, and I'm not opposed to more good canned craft beer in the state, especially one designed as a Session IPA.  Founders can already be found in TX, AL, GA, and FL... they're close.  

5. Terrapin Beer Company - The second Southern brewery on my list, Terrapin hails from Athens, GA.  Athens is of course home to the University of Georgia, and... uh... Terrapin.  That's all I've got. I do know that Terrapin puts out some great beer, year-round, seasonal, and special releases.  Terrapin has expanded their distribution to 10 states in the South and East... it's not too big of a reach for them to follow SweetWater and distribute our way.

4. Boulevard Brewing - Dark Truth Stout, Double-Wide IPA, Saison Brett, Rye On Rye, Tank 7 Farmhouse, Bourbon Barrel Quad... I could keep going.  Boulevard's Smokestack series is what craft beer is all about.  Boulevard was the 12th largest craft brewery in 2012, and already has a large presence in Texas.  In addition, they distribute to Arkansas, Alabama, and according to their website, one place in Mississippi? I think that gives us decent odds of Louisiana being in the future.

3. Firestone Walker - Boulevard was #12 in 2012, but Firestone Walker wasn't too far behind at #20. Hailing from California wine country (even their name sounds more like a winery), Firestone Walker makes some of the best IPAs around, and they don't stop there, with some fantastic stouts as well.  I haven't gotten into their regular lineup much, but if their bigger beers are any indication, I wouldn't be disappointed. They recently expanded to Texas, so Louisiana isn't out of the question. Side note: I've passed a few hundred yards from their Buellton Taproom and didn't stop... I fail at life.  

2. Great Divide - I might be playing favorites a little here, but Great Divide has long been a staple of any beer run I made to Texas.  It was extremely unlikely that I would be returning without a Yeti or two or three in the car.Or maybe some Hercules... or Old Ruffian Barleywine... this is of course assuming I didn't just drink them all while I was there.  The only strike is that Great Divide recently announced they were going to collaborate on some beer-inspired dill pickles.  What a waste of beer... fucking pickles... if we see Great Divide in LA anytime soon, I hope they leave the pickles behind!

1. Dogfish Head - This one is a no-brainer for me.  Surprisingly Dogfish Head was only the 13th largest craft brewery in 2012, behind #12 Boulevard and #7 Bell's that appeared earlier on my list.  I would have guessed they were larger, considering they seem to be everywhere, well everywhere except Louisiana. I'd have DFH in my fridge at all times if they were available... mostly 90-Minute but it's not their only worthy beer, not even close.  Odds they make it here?  I'd say it's going to happen eventually... craft beer keeps on growing and DFH is one of the front-runners.  They recently brought their beer back to several states, hopefully that means expansion is on tap next.

 
And there you have my top 10 breweries I want to see in Louisiana.  Feel free to disagree, curse me, call me an idiot, tell me I have terrible taste, or preferably, tell me what YOU would have picked instead.  Just try to play by the same rules, I know we'd all love to have Heady Topper cans available, but it's not going to happen.

Review: Terrapin Hopsecutioner IPA

Time for a quick beer review Saturday... I hope you are all grabbing a beer of your choice later tonight!  Or this afternoon, that's cool... I'm not judging.  This featured beer was brought back to me from Pensacola by Jay of Bite And Booze.com, so thanks to him for hooking a brother up!  

 

This stunning beer pictured to the left is coming to you from Terrapin Beer Company (@terrapinbeerco) out of Athens, GA.  Yeah, they may suck at football up there, but they do have some pretty good beer.  I've had a few Terrapin beers before including the So Fresh & So Green, Green ale, and they almost always are winners.  (#WINNING)  This one is their Hopsecutioner IPA, a standard year-round offering although a little strong at 7.2% abv.  Sounds good to me, I like strong beers.

This one pours a clear orange color, from a 12 oz. bottle into an RSAK pint glass. It has a decent sized bubbly head with good retention and lacing.

The aroma is a nice blend of grapefruit and pine hops with a little underlay of sweet caramel malt. A very nice, model IPA aroma.  The flavor is dominated by the bitter and slightly sour grapefruit hop flavors. It's a little harsh and not as well balanced as the aroma, but still pretty damn tasty.

It's very well carbonated and medium body mouthfeel, with a little hit of a lingering bitter aftertaste.

Overall a good IPA. Definitely in the upper half of my IPA range.  Next time I'm passing through Georgia or Florida or even Alabama I believe, I might have to pick up a 6-pack of these.

 

My Rating: B+

BeerAdvocate: B+

India Pale Ale (IPA)

Review: Terrapin So Fresh & So Green Green

This is another from the beer run to Gainesville a while back... turns out 30 beers goes a long way!  Terrapin Beer Company is a brewery out of Athens, Georgia that has a pretty loyal following.  I first had their beers after a trip to Alabama a few years back, and try to grab a few whenever I'm towards the East and can find them. 

 

This one came in a bomber... poured into an imperial pint glass. It's a deep orange color, darker than a typical IPA. There's an impressive head with good retention and lacing.  Very appetizing looking beer!
 

The aroma is hoppy... very hoppy. It's a more floral hop note with a little bit of sweetness to it. It's got a pretty good aroma really.  The flavor is just more of the same... hoppy, but not a lot of balance. It's good but not great on the flavor, I'd really like to see a little more balance in the hop profile or a little malt sweetness to mellow the beer out.

The mouthfeel is good, despite the dominant hops there really isn't a bad aftertaste at all.  It's not a bad IPA, but not one I'd reach for again with other IPAs on the shelf.  This one might be a better choice for a real hop-head but I'm more about a little balance in my beers.

My Rating: B

BeerAdvocate: B

India Pale Ale (IPA)