Beer #3: Double Dog IPA

Brewery: Flying Dog

Style: Imperial IPA

Alc %: 11.5

IBU: 85

Location: Colorado, USA

I've had this beer before... and I loved it! Got this in Flying Dog's "Canis Major" 4-pack, comprised of all strong / great beers. This one is the Double / Imperial IPA, and is certainly a handful. This is evidenced by both the IBU's (a solid 85) and the alcohol (a beautiful 11.5 percent). After having this beer once again (but judging it this time), it is just as good as the first time.

On the pour, you can immediately tell this is no ordlinary IPA, and really looks quite handsome, even for an Imperial. It pours a very appetizing burnt orange, with a nice fluffy light tan head that has decent staying power. Aroma wise, it certainly draws you in. Right off the bat you smell a sweet citrus hops. It quickly blossoms into a floral hoppiness, with some tangerine (or possibly peach?) highlights.

Tastewise, this is one of the better brews that I have tried. It's sweet, but extremely hoppy at the same time, with definite citrus and floral tastes to it. The hefty alcohol amount is actually pretty tame and subdued, and the beer has just enough malts to effectively balance the insane hoppiness. Double Dog has a pretty thick body, but anything less would really hurt the beer and leave it more or less crippled. The finish to this one is a very clingy bitterness, but also has a nice subtle sweetness that counters it.

After having this brew for the second time, it is still one of the top ten beer that I have ever had. It is very hoppy and bitter (as expected from an imperial IPA), but somehow has a very nice balance of subtle malts and citrus that not only makes it a great beer, but also makes it extremely drinkable. Still, it does dry out the mouth a bit, so it is by no means a session beer. This is exactly what I want in a good beer.

Rating: 93/100

Beer #2: Rastafa Rye Ale

Brewery: Blue Point

Style: Rye Ale

Alc %: 7.3

IBU: 48

Location: New York, USA



Picked up this beer having already tried a few other Blue Point offerings that were quite good. I was not as impressed with this one however. It poured a dark amber color with a healthy, almost yellow head. The aroma wasn't anything special, mostly just smelling sweet, with some accompanying hints of hops, rye, and caramel. After tasting it, I was left somewhat unsatisfied. The sweetness at the front of the aromas was certainly present, combining with a definite maltiness. That is about where the tastes ended. It seemed that it was all on one level and not very deep at all. One thing I found a bit interesting was that it was a very dry sweetness, but the beer was rather light and did not dry out the palate at all. The aftertaste was a pleasant smooth sweet and bitter combination.

Overall, it was a decent beer, but there was just something lacking. There was no depth to it, and while the tastes and aromas were positive they weren't very complex at all. A hint of alcohol could be detected both in aroma and taste, and while it certainly didn't detract from the beer, it didn't add anything either. I can't help but feel that a heavier body would have turned this into a much nicer beer. As it is, it's a one and done in my book.

Rating: 63/100

Beer #1: Rare Vos

Brewery: Ommegang
Style: Belgian Ale
Alc %: 6.5
Location: New York, USA



I chose this beer to be my test subject for the blog, as I had been eyeing it for quite some time, but never got around to tasting it. It poured a dark orange with trace amounts of sediment and a seemingly unending cascade of bubbles within. It had a very large fizzy head, similar to what you would find with a soda. The nose was relatively typical of a belgian ale, but not as pronounced as most. Very sweet overtone with spicy and fruity notes underneath, most notably banana. The taste is malty with sweet fruitiness and spiciness. I thought I could particularly taste some orange flavors along with a noticable yeastiness. Medium bodied, with a bit of carbonation. As the beer began to warm, more alcohol aromas came out, yet the only time I noticed it flavorwise was a slight warming in the finish.

I thought this beer was quite pleasant and enjoyable, but really nothing special for the style. It was light enough where you could suck down the large bottle pretty quickly. Rare Vos actually reminded me a bit of several of Unibroue's offerings both in aroma and palate. Bonus points for not tasting like the fox it was named after (Rare Vos is Flemish for "sly fox"). Who ever said you can't learn things from beer?

Rating: 74/100

Mets and Beer

This blog will follow my two favorite things - the New York Mets and good beer. When combined, one would in all probability end up with this:

Yes, it's a glorious sight. Maybe the Mets should just start drinking heavily in the dugout between innings. Who knows, it might make them play better baseball (it cant possibly make them worse).