Beer Tasting: CPA: Citra Pale Ale

Today's beer review is of CPA: Citra Pale Ale from Odd Side Ales.  Located on the west coast of Michigan in Grand Haven, Odd Side Ales opened their doors in 2010.  I have not seen this beer available in Western New York.  Lucky for me, many wonderful Michigan beers accompanied my brother-in-law during his last visit to Buffalo.  And I'm happy to be writing about CPA: Citra Pale Ale.

One of the most popular hops that beer drinkers enjoy is Citra hops (cone shown below) released by Hop Breeding Company in 2007.  Citra hops contain a fairly high alpha acid content, and thus this hop is predominantly used in crafting IPAs.  Brewed exclusively with Citra hops, CPA: Citra Pale Ale is the flagship beer of Odd Side Ales.

Here is a picture of my Odd Side Ales CPA: Citra Pale Ale:

Odd Side Ales: CPA: Citra Pale Ale

ABV: 5.75%

Style: American Pale Ale (APA)

Rating: 91/100 and #45 in style on Beeradvocate.com

CPA: Citra Pale Ale poured a slightly hazy pale orange with a long lasting creamy foam head that topped off the glass nicely.  The aroma of CPA: Citra Pale Ale is the predominant citrus and pine that Citra hops are known for.  CPA: Citra Pale Ale starts off sweet, followed by a cascade of fruit flavors including grapefruit, pineapple, lemon, and mango.  CPA: Citra Pale Ale leaves the palate with a pine taste and a dry crisp mouthfeel.  CPA: Citra Pale Ale is a very drinkable American Pale Ale.

Overall, this is great beer if you're looking to explore Citra hops.  You will be able to gather all the information you need about what Citra hops smell and taste like.  Odd Side Ales has done a good job matching up the correct malt for the job and the barley does not overpower the Citra hops. Instead, the caramel malts in CPA: Citra Pale Ale reinforce the citrus and floral flavors of the star of the show: Citra hops.

Beer Tasting: 2xOne

Have you been wondering why the 2015 seasonal version of Southern Tier Brewing Company's popular 2xOne tastes different than the 2014 version?  The 2015 single varietal series is made the pairing of a different type of hop and malt.  You might very well miss this distinction as the lettering on the label is fairly small and off to the top right of the front label.

2014 2xOne: Mosaic hops and special pale malt
2015 2xOne: Equinox hops and superior pale malt

Equinox hops are a very trending hops these days, and more breweries and starting to use this hops in their creations.  So what's the difference between Mosaic and Equinox hops?  Here's a quick comparison:

Mosaic hops:

     Alpha acids: 11.5-13.5%
     Beta acids: 3.2-3.9%
     Total oil: 1.0-1.5 mL / 100g

Equinox hops: 

     Alpha acids: 14.4-15.6%
     Beta acids: 4.6-5.1%
     Total oil: 2.5 - 4.5 mL / 100g

Interestingly, Mosaic, Equinox, and the very popular Citra hops all originate from Hop Breeding Company and Select Botanticals Group, with farms found within the Yakima Valley in Washington state.  Both Mosaic and Equinox hops are fairly alpha acid forward, but the big difference with Equinox hops is the total oil content.  This high total oil content will lead to a variety of complex flavors.  And notice the tight cone structure of Equinox hops ("Do you even know how to cone, bro?").  Both Mosaic and Equinox hops can produce a very bitter IPA due to the high alpha acid content.  However, differences in the total oils flavors is what distinguished these two hops.

According to the Hop Breeding Company website:
"Mosaic hops impart a complex array of tropical fruit, citrus, berry, herbal, earthy and pine characteristics."
"Equinox hops impart a pronounced aroma profile with citrus, tropical fruit, floral and herbal characteristics. Specific descriptors include lemon, lime, papaya, apple, and green pepper."

Here is a picture of my Southern Tier 2xOne (2015):

Southern Tier Brewing Company: 2xOne

ABV: 8.1%

Style: American Double / Imperial IPA

Rating: 88/100 with 20 ratings on Beeradvocate.com

2xOne poured a light gold with a spirited one-finger white head.  The aroma includes honey, pine, bubblegum, and bread.  The taste of 2xOne is floral, lemon, grapefruit, and green pepper.  The flavors do give way to a slight alcohol feel at higher temperatures, but at lower temperatures the alcohol is masked extremely well.  The mouthfeel of 2xOne is average and the carbonation is fine.

Overall, 2xOne is not as traditionally hoppy as one would expect.  By that I mean that there is no overwhelming bitterness.  Instead, 2xOne is flavorful in different ways.  I've never used "green pepper" as a descriptor on a beer before, but there is definitely a fresh and crop-like spice to 2xOne.  I've noticed a similar flavor with Mosaic but Equinox is definitely more "resiny".  At 8.1% you may only need 2 x 1 = 2 of these beers before you realize just how intoxicating yet smooth 2xOne really is.  Therefore, 2xOne gets high marks for drinkability.  But by no means is this single varietal lacking in flavors.

I'm hoping that this seasonal series by Southern Tier Brewing Company continues the trend of pairing a unique malt and hop in 2016.  2xOne is a very good beer produced with a popular trending hop.

Beer Battle: Valar Morghulis vs. Three-Eyed Raven

I am a bit behind on blogging, and also on Game of Thrones.  So this is the perfect time to catch up on both beer and lore and launch the first ever "Beer Battle" between two Ommegang creations: Valar Morghulis and Three-Eyed Raven.  Both of these beers have been inspired by the violent HBO series Game of Thrones, so what better way to rate these beers than to let them battle to the death!  So what does that mean?  Basically, a Beer Battle is where both beers are reviewed and a winner is selected at the conclusion of the review.

Valar Morghulis: "All Men Must Die"

In the Game of Thrones world of Westeros, the phrase Valar Morghulis means "all men must die".  An ominous logo for a no-nonsense abbey dubbel style beer.

Here is a picture of my Valar Morghulis:

Brewery Ommegang: Valar Morghulis

ABV: 8%

Style: Dubbel

Rating: #20 in style

Valar Morghulis poured a murky dark orange to brown color with a substantial ecru head that showed significant retention.  Valar Morghulis smelled predominantly sweet and malty with plum and caramel.  The taste of Valar Morghulis is much like the smell, with malt taking the forefront followed by blending fruit flavors.  The deep plum and pear flavor of Valar Morghulis is complicated by spice such as cinnamon and clove.  The syrupy sweetness gently acquiesces to a signficant alcohol burn on the palate.  Belgian yeast are present but not overwhelming.  Mouthfeel is medium and carbonation is appropriate.

Three-Eyed Raven: "From the darkness I watch you.  All of you, all of your lives, with a thousand eyes, and one."

This dark saison is a tribute to the deceptive character on Game of Thones called the Three-Eyed Raven.  This beer is rightfully billed to straddle styles between a saison and a dark beer.

Here is a picture of my Three-Eyed Raven:

Brewery Ommegang: Three-Eyed Raven

ABV: 8%

Style: Saison/Farmhouse Ale

Rating: 87/100 with 205 ratings on Beeradvocate.com

Three-Eyed Raven pours an opaque black with a thick khaki head.  The smell of Three-Eyed Raven is sweet and malty and the roasted malt smell is noticeable.  Three-Eyed Raven delivers a bitter and rich taste, with roasted malt and spice blending.  Three-Eyed Raven has a pronounced Belgian influence from the yeast choice.  There are also some saison-type flavors at work in Three-Eyed Raven, including some subtle funkiness that gets buried in the black.  Mouthfeel is sticky and yet light and the carbonation is low.

So who is the winner of this Beer Battle?  Make no mistake: these beers are both extremely well crafted and far superior to many beers.  But the decision of a victor was not a tough call in my opinion.  Valar Morghulis is packed with deep fruit and sweet malt and spice notes.  Three-Eyed Raven is a lighter but roastier style-straddling dark saison.  Three-Eyed Raven doesn't quite do the job of bridging a saison and a dark ale, and Valar Morghulis is comprehensively a better beer.  Therefore, the winner of this Beer Battle is....

Valar Morghulis!

Beer Tasting: Pantius Droppus

That's right, this review is of Ellicotville Brewing Company offering Pantius Droppus.  Quite the clever name for this Imperial IPA.  I actually ventured to Ellicottville Brewing Company today with my family.  I was not there to do a beer place review, but merely to get the family out of the house on a rainy afternoon.  I am planning a return visit sometime over the summer to devote a full afternoon for a beer place review.  But at least I had the opportunity to see where Pantius Droppus was made - as the brewing operation is intimately exposed on the pub side of the brewery - and I enjoyed a delicious brisket sandwich.

Ellicottville Brewing Company resides in Ellicottville, NY, and is about an hour south of Buffalo.  Ellicottville is a very popular destination during ski season and certainly during the fall festival that takes place every October, when the entirety of Western New York descends upon this tiny village.  Here is a copy of Ellicottville Brewing Company's beer release schedule.

Here is a picture of my Pantius Droppus:

Ellicottville Brewing Company: Pantius Droppus

ABV: 10.6%

Style: American Double / Imperial IPA

Rating: 88/100 with 64 ratings on Beeradvocate.com

Pantius Droppus poured a clear amber with a cream-colored light tan head that showed retention.  The smell of Pantius Droppus was sweet malt and citrus.  Citrus notes such as grapefruit and orange can be detected.  The taste was even more malty and bitter than expected from the smell.  Pantius Droppus possesses a very strong malt presence.  And Pantius Droppus is not lacking in the bitterness department either; a strong cascade hop presence is evidence once your palate gets past the malt wall.  There are also orange zest tones that attempt to balance off the malt and hops, but I'm not sure the citrus flavors complete their task.  The mouthfeel of Pantius Droppus is medium and maybe a bit sticky and carbonation is average.

Overall, Pantius Droppus would accomplish the task of making pants drop in about 2-3 beers, as this beer is very convincing at 10.6% ABV.  Pantius Droppus is a powerful sweet and bitter beer with slight citrus tones.  I look forward to returning to the Ellicottville Brewing Company sometime in the near future and trying Pantius Droppus on tap instead of in a bottle.

Beer Tasting: Ryan and the Beaster Bunny

Happy Easter!  The only "Easter-themed" beer I could find was from Evil Twin Brewing entitled Ryan and the Beaster Bunny (I haven't seen Pretty Things Fluffy White Rabbits around here, yet).  I picked up a 4 pack of this farmhouse style ale from Premiere Liquors.

Evil Twin Brewing is based out of Denmark, but brewed by Two Roads Brewing Co in Connecticut.  I have been impressed with many if not all of Evil Twin Brewing's beers, including Biscotti Break, Molotov Cocktail, and Yin and Yang.  I did not hesitate to pick up Ryan and the Beaster Bunny for a tasting.

Apparently, Ryan and the Beaster Bunny was conceived Fanø, an island off the west coast of Denmark.   Evil Twin contracts out breweries in the United States to brew some of their beers.  Just so happens that Two Roads in Stratford, CT is the location for production of Ryan and the Beaster Bunny.  

Here is a picture of my Ryan and the Beaster Bunny:

Evil Twin Brewing: Ryan and the Beaster Bunny

ABV: 7.0%

Style: Saison / Farmhouse Ale

Rating: 86/100 with 473 ratings on Beeradvocate.com

Ryan and the Beaster Bunny poured a clear golden color with a two finger foam head that slipped away gracefully.  Not much lacing to speak of.  The aroma of Ryan and the Beaster Bunny is lemon and citrus with some hints of herbs.  There is a very earthy smell to Ryan and the Beaster Bunny.  The taste of Ryan and the Beaster Bunny is almost Brett-like, with sour mixed in with funky herbs and floral notes.  The flavors of Ryan and the Beaster Bunny are difficult to lock down, but are definitely farmhouse and include banana, caramel, bubblegum, pepper, vanilla, and tartness.  The mouthfeel of Ryan and the Beaster Bunny is smooth to a bit on the carbonated side.  There is an ever-so-slight alcohol undertone but at 7.0% really not bad at all.  Overall I feel that Ryan and the Beaster Bunny is a solid farmhouse offering.