Beer'd Brewing Company - Dogs & Boats

What: A Double IPA with Citra and Mosaic Hops [9.1% ABV]

How we Had it: Out of a can into a Beer'd Brewing Teku.

What we Saw: An inviting hazy tangerine orange color with a two finger width white foamy head.  Head settles to a light layer of foam shortly after pour and remains throughout, leaving a nice amount of lacing as the volume of beer decreased. 

What we Smelled: From the moment the can pops open a pungent hop aroma fills the air.  Sticking your nose in the glass, you're greeted by ripe tropical fruit, fruit candy (think starburst), and pine.  The beautiful bouquet of tropical fruit is backed by a robust earthy character.  Beautiful from start to finish.

What we Tasted: A mix of fresh squeezed ripe tropical fruit juices abound.  The flavors follow the aroma.  Notes of pineapple, mango, ripe papaya, passionfruit, and wild berries are present.  Again, a candy like quality is subtle but noticeable, reminiscent of Starfruit chews.  Resin and pine round out the juiciness and provide a "just right" amount of bitterness. The beer is dry and easily drinkable at 9.1%, yet maintains a subtle sweetness and substantial body, creating balance.

What we Thought: We love this beer.  Beer'd Brewing is producing high quality hop forward beers somewhat under the radar, and this is no exception.  It's what any hophead looks for - juicy, aromatic, resinous, and hop-forward; yet, blanched and approachable enough for those just coming to the style.  The 9.1% ABV is hardly noticeable and does not distract from the star of the show: the hops.  The aroma is just wonderful and stays with you throughout the entire glass.  Pop the can open and you are immediately excited for what's to come.  The beer delivers and exceeds expectations.  This one is definitely worth searching out!  

Casa Agria Specialty Ales - Faja de Oro

What: A mixed fermentation sour wheat ale [3.2% ABV].    

How we Had it: Out of a 750 ml bottle into a wine taster glass.

What we Saw: A pale yellow hay colored beer.  A light amount of white foam quickly dissipates to almost nothing; nonetheless, bubbles continued to rise from bottom of glass throughout.

What we Smelled: Beautifully inviting and refreshing nose.  Citrus predominates with lemon, and grapefruit at the forefront.  Reminiscent of sour patch kids.  A soft barnyard funk sits behind the citrus fruit creating a second layer to the nose and displaying complexity.  Notes of melon were present as well.  As the beer warmed the citrus became even more pronounced.

What we Tasted: Tart citrus was front and center as the aroma initially suggested.  The tart yet reserved sour character was very enjoyable.  As with other examples from the brewery, and even at 3.2% abv, the body of the beer was substantial.  This created a wonderful vessel for the tart citrus character of the beer. The noted flavors followed what was detected in the aroma of the beer in perfect order.  Balance and restraint really allowed the beer to shine.

What we Thought:  This beer was incredibly refreshing and enjoyable.  While only 3.2% abv, the mouth feel and body of the beer were substantial and created a beer that could be enjoyed by the pint on a hot summer day or with a nice dinner.  As with other beers I've had from Casa Agria, that mouth feel is silky and body heavy on the tongue.  In my opinion, this is fantastic.  In Faja de Oro, balance and purpose are key features.  The aromas are beautiful and the flavors play with each other in harmony.   The surprise for me was the presence of melon in the aroma and taste of the beer.  While not dominant, that melon character continued to present itself in the background throughout the entire glass.  Casa Agria has presented a wonderfully easy to drink beer which displays complexity on all levels.   For food pairings, consider oysters - the brine and salt would play nicely with the tart citrus of the beer.  

Firestone Walker Barrelworks & Wild Beer Co. - Violet Underground

What: A Cross-Atlantic Wild Ale - cuvee from Somerset Wild Ale w/ Candied Violets, a Golden Raspberry beer, and Cowbell. [Batch 1; Bottled 6/25/15; 5.5% ABV]

How we Had it: Out of a 375 ml Barrelworks bottle into a Firestone Walker Barrelworks Teku.

What we Saw: Golden orange - like the skin of a tangerine.  One finger of foam quickly fades to a ring around the glass.  Bubbles rise from the bottom of the glass and remain throughout the entire experience. An inviting beer.

What we Smelled: Tart berries and citrus jump out of the glass with a light funk in the background (which is reminiscent of wet earth and grass or hay).  A beautiful multi-layered nuanced aroma which evolves throughout the experience.  As the beer warms the berries become more pronounced with a slight brett funk rounding out the aroma.  

What we Tasted: Tart fresh raspberries on the front of the palette on a really sturdy and dry backbone.  A highly carbonated beer with a  medium body and a nice mouthfeel.  Incredibly refreshing and mouthwatering.  A nice progression occurs on your palette as you drink the beer - tart/sour turns to funk which turns to fruity berry and an interesting sweet citrus, like a tangerine on the finish.  An incredibly complex beer which evolves as the beer warms.  The tartness sensed up front lingers on the palette and livens the beer.  For me, it hit the sweet spot about ten minutes after being poured into the glass.  The fruitiness becomes more pronounced while maintaining a nice sour tartness at the forefront. 

What we Thought: This is a really interesting, refreshing, and complex beer.  What I love about well done collaborations is that the identity of each brewery comes through just enough to display the unique character and style of each.  There is definitely a different identity to this beer than the other Barrelworks offerings I've had the opportunity to try, yet that nice lactic sour character found in beers like Sour Opal let you know they had a part in creating this great beer.  While other Barrlelworks beers display an almost cheesy funk - this beer has more of a clean fruity sour character.  It's a great beer to enjoy alone as different aromas and flavor profiles will emerge throughout the experience.  There's also a really great balance between the different flavor profiles which really give a sense of purpose to the beer.  No one flavor or aroma outshines the other and the body of the beer is a perfect vessel for the different flavor profiles presented.  Well worth seeking this one out as only 380 cases were made.  Enjoy this one with a variety of seafood and some bleu cheese.  Really enjoyed this one!

The Tank Brewing Co. Abbey 10 - Quad

What: Quad [11.5% ABV]

How we had it: Out of a bottle in to a wine taster glass. 

What we saw: A really rich dark brown almost maroon hue.  Against the light, the edges of the glass appear to be a light brown and ruby (just look at the picture above).  A two finger caramel colored head appears after the pour which fades quickly leaving a nice amount of lacing and a thick ring around the glass.  The lacing remains throughout the entire glass.

What we smelled: Lots going on here.  Up front there's dark fruit , cherry, figs, dates, and toffee.  There's a hint of alcohol in the background which you can expect with an ABV of 11.5%.  As the beer warms, the sweet cherry notes become more pronounced on top of an earthy, caramel base.

What we tasted: All that fruit we smelled comes through on a really nice velvety and soft beer.  Raisins, plums, toasted bread, caramel, and dark fruit predominate while a hint of tobacco, raw honey, and and alcohol linger in the background.  A sturdy, sweet, and bready backbone hold up the high alcohol content of this beer which is seemingly downplayed by the high level of carbonation and the bone dry nature of the beer.  As the beer warmed, more of the really nice toasted bread, earthiness, and dark fruit character comes through and the alcohol becomes slightly more present. 

What we thought:  This is a really great expression of the style.  It's a beautiful looking and smelling beer and the taste follows through.  While being such a high alcohol beer, the carbonation, mouthfeel, and dryness really make this a drinkable and enjoyable beer.  The alcohol character comes through just enough to let you know this is a big beer and really adds a nice complexity to the already incredibly flavorful profile of the beer.  The velvety mouthfeel of the beer is really beautiful and marries well with the dominant flavors.  The dryness of the beer is one of the major high points for me - allowing a big beer to become incredibly drinkable.  The raisins and dark fruit are really the feature here but the less pronounced flavors add to the beer and elevate it.  Enjoy this one with some aged cow's milk cheeses (like gouda), and savory dishes like roast duck, braised short rib, or oxtail.  

Lord Hobo Brewing Co. Boom Sauce

What: Blended Imperial IPA or "hoppy ale" as per the can; 8% ABV  [blend of 3 separate IPAs]

How we had it: Out of a can into a Lord Hobo tulip snifter within one week of packaging

What we saw: Bright and opaque orange with a one finger white foamy head.  Head quickly dissipates to a light layer of foam over top and a nice thick ring around the border of the glass which remains throughout. Beautiful lacing on glass as well.  Really inviting beer to see in a glass and great head retention.

What we Smelled: An interesting combination of tropical fruit and pine.  A faint bready sweetness trails behind the pronounced resinous hop character of this beer balancing the aroma. The hop profile presents ripe pineapple, mango, earth, and pine, with grapefruit becoming more present as the beer warms. 

What we tasted: An immediate attack of hops.  A pleasant bitterness lingers on the tongue but does not overwhelm the palate - but this is a hoppy beer!  The tropical fruit first noticed on the nose follows suit up front of palate with the bitterness coming next.  A really nice malt presence holds up the hops and balances the flavor and bitterness of the hops.  In our opinion, this malt backbone is crucial to the balanced nature of the beer.  The malt backbone of the beer, accomplished by blending three of Lord Hobo's IPAs, allows the hops to shine while maintaining a flavorful vehicle for the bitterness and resinous nature of the 8 hops found in the beer.  At 8%, the ABV lends to the body of the beer but is not more than a faint character in the flavor profile which adds some more complexity to the beer.  Again, as the beer warms, the tropical fruit character gives way to the grapefruit which becomes the dominant flavor.

What we thought: From start to finish this beer displays balance and purpose.  It's a wonderfully crafted blend of three IPAs, blended to achieve that balance.  Along with that balance, the beer lends itself to the dinner table more so than most IPAs.  If you're looking for an IPA that is nothing more than a hop soda, this is not your beer - but if you're looking for a creative, balanced, and complex interpretation of the style this is a winner.  It's more than just hops and we appreciate it's reliance upon a proper and well crafted malt backbone.  Boom Sauce would go fantastic with heavily spiced foods, jerk seasoning, or Indian food (think hot tandoori chicken).  It's a unique interpretation of the style drawing influence from the staple west coast IPAs which brought the style to the forefront in the first place.  It is definitely its own beer.  Try it fresh and let it warm just a bit to allow the complexity of the beer shine.  

Odd Breed Wild Ales Beer Preview

Watch as we talk about some of the beers you can come to expect from Odd Breed Wild Ales.  Balanced and flavorful.  

J Wakefield Brewing Hazelnut Coffee La Nada

What: Russian Imperial Stout treated with Hazelnut Coffee

How we had it: On draft into snifter

What we saw: Pitch black motor oil pours thick in to the glass leaving a thin tan/brown head.  The head reduces down quickly in to a ring around the glass and a light tan haze on top of the beer.  Held to the light, the beer is completely opaque.  Very rich and inviting appearance.  A really nice looking stout.

What we smelled: You're immediately hit with a wonderfully sweet bouquet of hazelnut, nutella, dark chocolate, and coffee.  As the beer warms, the presence of coffee softens just a bit and allows the hazelnut to become even more prevalent.  A nice roast is present behind the sweet hazelnut throughout the entirety of the glass.  I found myself continuing to go back to get more and more of the aroma as it really adds to the experience of the beer and sets you for the next sip.   

What we tasted:  Balance.  Perceived sweetness up front followed by a sturdy, roasty, and slightly bitter character you expect from a high quality Russian Imperial Stout.  Again, the hazelnut dominates on the front of the palate giving that very sweet first impression.  The sweetness is balanced on the back of the palate by a roasted coffee, dark chocolate, and lingering bitterness on the tongue.  The mouth feel plays beautifully into the richness of the flavors by providing a viscous, creamy, velvety vessel for the layers of flavor and complexity.  As the beer warms the dark chocolate and roast from the coffee and base beer shine even more.  

What we thought:  This is a fantastic and well-balanced treated version of the JWB La Nada Russian Imperial Stout.  While the base beer is fantastic on its own, the hazelnut coffee treatment shines and adds to beer, which is great from start to finish.  The color and consistency are visually appealing coming out of the tap, as it sits in the glass, and on the tongue.  The aroma is inviting and complex.   JWB is producing some of the country's best stouts - always delivering big bold flavors while ensuring a quality base beer and balance.

Green Bench Brewing For the Mad Ones

What: Rye Sour Brown ale aged in Cabernet Sauvignon Barrels; 8.0% abv

How we had it: Out of a 500 ml bottle into a stemmed wine glass

What we saw: Beautiful brown tones with a hint of red/purple.  Crystal clear and very clean looking beer.  Very little foam and little to no lacing.  

What we smelled: Big wine notes are prevalent followed by some oak.  Very dry smell - like sticking your nose into a glass of a big cabernet sauvignon.  The sourness of the beer is also present on the nose - a crisp and refreshing character to round off the rustic wine barrels.

What we tasted: This is a very complex beer!  Up front, the cabernet sauvignon is present, followed by a huge amount of oak.  The beer changes throughout your palate, providing a different experience with the beer as you take each sip.  The big oaky cabernet flavors up front are reduced to a smooth, clean, sour (not too sour) finish.  The finish being so soft and smooth leaves you wanting another sip, while the sourness of the beer makes your mouth water. The pepperiness from the rye is soft and adds a subtle complexity and another layer to the beer that will hit you in the middle of your palate.  The brett is not present as funk and instead adds a nice layer of complexity and allowed for an incredibly dry finish to the beer.  Clean, complex, peppery, fruity, sour. 

What we thought:  We loved this beer.  It had so much to it that we found that every sip presented us with a different experience.  There was layer after layer of flavor and smell.  As it warmed, the cabernet character became more prevalent but the sourness, provided by the kettle souring process, gives a really refreshing back end to the beer that balances the very big, rich flavors that you first experience.  There's just so much to this beer - the immediate visual of the beer, clear and clean is off set by the massive oak and wine notes which are complemented by the rye, and then you are presented with a sour, dry finish that actually matches the visual of the beer in the glass.  Do not expect funk here!  This beer was never meant to be funky and we liked that about it.  For a full explanation of the beer, its name, the process behind how it was made, and a visual; watch our conversation with Khristopher Johnson, the head brewer at Green Bench - we talk about For the Mad Ones at ~30:00 in.

Side Project Brewing Blanc de Blancs

What: Side Project Brewing Blanc de Blancs (10% abv) [Batch 1 (released 9/24/14)].  A biere de champagne fermented in chardonnay barrels with chardonnel grapes.

How we had it: Out of 375ml bottle into a side project stemmed tulip.

What we saw: A hazy orange/gold color.  Little to no head on the pour and fades almost immediately leaving only a ring of white bubbles hugging the glass.  Held against a white back drop the color turns more to a straw yellow.  The beer screams farm to us.  It's a really pleasant beer to look at and get you excited to see what's coming.

What we smelled: Immediately you're hit with a really nice fruity tartness - so much so your mouth will begin to water.  The tartness is followed by a slight sweetness, presumably from the white grapes.  Just like a nice white wine, a slight minerality is picked up on the nose too; almost like a blend between a slight oak chardonnay and a sauvignon blanc.  A bit of oak comes through and as it warms just a bit, you'll pick up some funky cheesy notes.  A really nice nose on this beer and very complex.

What we tasted: Wow!  Immediate tartness refreshes your palate and makes your mouth water.  White grape is prevalent throughout, playing into the tartness up front all while providing a residual sweetness that balances the beer out.  Let the beer sit on your tongue a little while and get ready to grab that beautiful sour grape.  The beer seems to coat your teeth and tongue.  The body perfectly balances the flavors and leaves you craving another sip.  The oak comes through in the finish which reminded us of a really delicate dry champagne (hence the name).   Almost like drinking a funky, barnyard champagne - awesome!

What we thought: This beer is absolutely fantastic.  For those lucky enough to have gotten a bottle of this extremely limited release, count your blessings.  The best part about this beer was the complexity on every level, beginning with the look of the beer, the nose on the beer, and ending in the taste.  Each sensory experience topped by the next.  We drank it on its own to really experience the subtleties and nuances of this wild ale but could really see this as a beer you could drink with an assortment of cheeses.  Some cheeses we would recommend are a fresh goat cheese, a creamy brie or a funky Camembert.  The acidity from the beer would really cut through the fattiness of the cheese and play together nicely.  On that same note, this beer would go great with some very savory foods like caviar, lobster, scallops, foie gras, or curried dishes.  An all around beautiful representation of the style and worth the difficulty in getting a bottle!

M.I.A. Brewing Core Lineup Review

Watch as Michael Demetrus, brewmaster at M.I.A. Brewing, describes their core lineup as well as their taproom only sweet stout. Thank you to Christopher Alzati (alzaticon@gmail.com) for the video & editing. Thank you to Stages & Stereos for the music in our videos.

Cigar City Brewing White Oak Jai Alai IPA

What: Cigar City Brewing White Oak Jai Alai IPA (7.5% ABV; 70 IBU; year round release)

How we had it: Out of can into a pint glass.

What we saw: Beautiful orange/copper color with a frothy white head.

What we smelled: Vanilla and Oak prevalent on the nose, get some citrus to shine through next (it is jai alai after all) and a very light spice/herb note in the background.

What we tasted: What’s nice about this beer is the incredible balance between the sweetness, maltiness, bitterness, and fruitiness.  The vanilla and oak again play a major role in the taste and appear first on the palate.  This sweetness is followed by the citrusy hop bite expected from a Cigar City IPA, especially the Jai Alai.  Amazing interplay between the up-front sweetness and the slightly bitter and dry finish that refreshes the palate.  The oak seems to round out this beer and smooth the edges to make the drinking experience incredibly pleasurable. 

What we thought: This is one of our favorite beers here at Craft Commander!  If you haven’t had one yet, this beer is strongly recommended.  It shows Cigar City’s ability to push the limits of a beer and transform a staple like Jai Alai in to something, which in our opinion, is far better somehow.  This beer isn’t necessarily your “sit by the pool” beer, though.  Try this beer with spicy, jerk Caribbean food or Indian curries.  If not with food, this beer would pair nicely with a mild and medium-bodied Cigar – Try Oliva’s Serie G for a great pairing.  Go out and try this beer… Now.

Terrapin Beer Maggie's Peach Farmhouse Ale

What: Terrapin Beer Maggie’s Peach Farmhouse Ale (5.3% ABV; 22 IBU; Seasonal)

How we had it: Bottle poured into a pint glass

What we saw: gold/straw yellow beer.  Long lasting white head.

What we smelled: Peaches!  Sweet fresh picked Georgia Peaches.  Terrapin uses 1,000 pounds per 100 barrel batch!  Nice saison funk lingers in the background.  Did we say peaches?

What we tasted: Crisp refreshing farmhouse ale with a slight funk and ripe sweet peaches on the finish.

What we thought: Great summer release from Terrapin.  Perfect beer to have while at the beach or by the pool on a hot summer day.  Pair with creamy white cheeses, figs, crisp salads, and grilled chicken.   

Funky Budha More Moro Blood Orange IPA

What: Funky Buddha More Moro Blood Orange IPA (7.2% ABV; 80 IBU; Seasonal)

How we had it: On draft

What we saw: Semi-clear orange/red beer, foamy white head

What we smelled: This beer stays true to its name – smells like a fresh cut blood orange, citrus, grapefruit, tang, sweetness. 

What we tasted: Big sweet, fresh blood orange up front followed by citrusy grapefruit hop bite.  Hops are balanced by a nice sweet malt presence giving this beer a full mouth feel.

What we thought: Nice release from Fort Lauderdale’s own Funky Buddha Brewery.  Easy drinker at 7.2% ABV.  For those of you who like citrusy and sweet beers, this one’s for you.  Worth a shot if you find it on tap or can find a bottle!