Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA

Tasted Wednesday 1 April 2010. 330 ml bottle. 7.2% Alc/Vol

California, USA

Ahh, now this is a beer for serious hop heads; no-holds barred assertively hopped American IPA. What makes this fantastic is that it is well balanced and easily enjoyable. You have to like the style though. It is bright traffic-light amber in colour with a thin off-white head. The aromas are powerful and aggressive giving huge fresh pine scents, fruity notes of passionfruit, orange rind, biscuit, backed by a faint herbal/peppery character.

The palate is well balanced and the beer surprisingly easy to drink. It is medium in body and big on flavour, like a fat man on a moped. There is a lovely malty middle palate with fruity tones of ripe peach, pine resin, pepper, biscuit and caramel. The malt carries the extreme bittering hops, driving front to back, incredibly well for a while before unleashing them on the back palate leaving a mouth-watering yet cleansing bitter hop finish that lasts for ages. Whole hop cones are used in this beer as well as a revolutionary Hop Torpedo system that is a unique way of dry hopping the beer to capture essential oils and resin. The result is a beer big on flavour and extreme in hop character, just way a true hop addict likes it.

Bitterness Units – 65

Malts – Two-row Pale, & Crystal

Bittering Hops – Magnum

Finishing Hops – Magnum & Crystal

Dry Hopping – Magnum, Crystal & Citra

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Bridge Road Brewers Galaxy Hop IPA

Tasted Thursday 18 February 2010. 330ml bottle, 4.8% Alc/Vol

Australia

The Galaxy hop is a nouveau hop variety being grown in Australia. It imparts beautiful citrus and passionfruit aromas and intense bitterness. This hop is showcased well in this beer. The beer itself sort of sits in the background letting the hop take centre stage. As an IPA style it fell a bit short, lacking palate weight and alcohol. However as a beer overall it is very nice and could be described as a session-style hoppy ale.

It pours a murky orange/yellow with a thin short lasting head. Fragrant blossom, bright citrus zest and passionfruit bounce out of the glass. This beer has a light body showing caramel maltiness, fruit hints and some initial sharpness. It then softens out and is overhauled by big lasting hop bitterness. There is an attractive freshness and summery feel to the beer that makes it perfect for warm afternoons with intelligent company.

Purchase from Purvis Cellars website

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Mountain Goat Limited Release IPA

Tasted Saturday 30 January 2010. 640ml bottle, 5.7% Alc/Vol

Australia

Ahh, splendid. A much anticipated small batch release from the boys acting the goat. This beer does not disappoint. Being a hop head (yes i’ve said it again)  it put a smile on my face and a frown on my liver.

It pours a murky orange brown colour with a smallish head that doesn’t hang around too long. Big hop aromas greet the nose, showing fragrant and intense stone fruit, nettles, tomato leaf, pepper spice, and toffee. The flavours are full, and soft with low – medium carbonation. It hits the palate bang on  middle filling the sides and back with rich and sweetish toffee, some tingly acidity, tropical fruit, ginger, and apricot then seemingly dying off before a wave of pleasing fresh hoppy bitterness that attacks and loiters with intent. I’m  saddened that this beer is only a limited release. However support our local craft brewers by purchasing, enjoying, and fondly remembering beers like this, wherever you may get it. Well done Cam and Dave.

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Stone Brewing Oaked Arrogant Bastard

Tasted Tuesday 10 December 2009. 355ml botlle, 7.2% Alc/Vol.

USA

This beer is about as subtle as its title. In fact the back label is as interesting to read as the beer is to drink and it certainly makes no secret of the brewers opinion of commercial beers. This is the “regular” Arrogant Bastard made with American Oak wood chips and it is designed to challenge and excite.

This pours a deep red colour with orange edges and a thick fluffy head. There is big malty aromas, pine scented hops and distinct spicy wood smoke. The flavour packs a punch. It has a solid body and massive flavour. As I chewed my way through this beer it began with lots of sweet malt, molasses like, character carried upon a wave of powerful hops. Aggressive and brawny, dark and toasty, vanilla bean and subtle chariness, there was also a smoothness allowing a measure of approachability. Hops and malt combine perfectly like the meanest biker on a Harley. This beer has a dry and seriously bitter finish that lingers long after.

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Red Hill Brewery Bohemian Pilsner 2009 Edition

Tasted Wednesday 18 November 2009. 330ml bottle, 5.9% Alc/Vol

Australia

The fine folk at Red Hill Brewery are not shy in packing flavour and character into their beers.
This is an unfiltered beer that is quite golden in colour. Big spicy, piney hop aromas with subtle banana, malt and yeasty characters greet the nose.
Fat Czech style maltiness (without being overly heavy) and a rich, slightly viscous texture (probably the 5.9% alc) roll lazily around the mouth. The hops extract themselves providing a dry, cleansing, long and fresh, bitter finish. Not really a “session” beer, rather it is something you can have two or three of, but requires your full attention.

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Great Divide Brewery Hercules, Double IPA

Tasted Wednesday 28 October 2009. 355ml bottle, 9.1% Alc.Vol

USA

“An extreme style with flavour that is hell-bent on palate destruction….“

I’m a hophead. Thought I’d make that clear, although many of you would have figured that out by now.

Hearing that this beer was available again got me salivating – quite disgustingly so…….

And yes it has lived up to my expectations and it’s been a number of years since trying it last. Quite simply this is full on – malt and hops jostling for attention but I feel that the malt dominates the most. Big sinus clearing, pine scented hops bounce out of the glass with toffee apple and malt extract.
The palate offers a big malt character again, rich and full. Molasses/golden syrup-like, oily alcohol that tries to rear its head but is battered back down with the said malt and building hops. While the hops build and extract themselves and crash on the rocky shores of my tongue leaving a pleasant wake of bitterness, I feel the malt needs to be toned down some.

Nevertheless it is an extreme and challenging beer that is strangely addictive. A big thumbs up from me.

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Great Divide Brewery Belgica, Belgian-Style IPA

Tasted Wednesday 28 October 2009. 355ml bottle, 7.2% Alc/Vol

USA

“Rated as one of the world’s best breweries, Great Divide Brewery is not afraid to push the boundaries. These beers are a must for hop heads…..”

This beer will divide (no pun intended) beer folk. What is a Belgian-Style IPA anyway?
To me this tastes like a massively hopped Duvel. A strong golden ale on steriods this pours a suspicious bright yellow colour. Big fruity notes leap out of the glass – lemon and peach with pine needles, fresh hay and malt.

Lively, light bodied yet full flavoured with a glycerol/oily texture giving a fuller impression. Citrus flavour generously spreads itself throughout with some sweet malt, spicy hops that build in intensity and leave a wake of bitterness on the finish. An oddly refreshing beer, with bite.

While I do believe that this is a good beer, my overall impression is that the flavours are not harmonious, they work a little against each other rather than flowing seamlessly.

Some will like this, some won’t.

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Epic Armageddon

Tasted Saturday August 1 2009. 500ml bottle, 6.66% Alc/Vol.

New Zealand.

Thanks to my sister who brought this over to me while visiting from Wellington, NZ. Quite simply this was worth the wait. This is a beast of a beer, a palate destroyer. While there are big hop characters to this beer there is a pleasing refreshing “light” element to the palate. Colour is good, clear and deep honey amber. Powerful pine scented hop aromas dominate initially then some lovely passion fruit, tropical notes and toffee maltiness come through. Very malty on the palate with hints of caramel and grapefruit with dried citrus rind, smooth toasty biscuity malt and that massive hop bitterness driving full throttle the line and length of my palate leaving lingering bitterness in its wake. This is a beer for hop heads only and those who desire to be challenged. Available at Purvis Cellars soon!

Note the alcohol level…..:)

Extra notes from Craig, Adam and Chuck.

A clear, attractive orange/copper colour and a smalloff-white head. Very, very, very hoppy. Nutty, citrus (mandarin), burnt orange  cinnamon, and clean tasting. Alcohol not noticable suggesting a well balanced beer. Smooth with malty back palate and heavily hopped front palate. Too hoppy for Craig but he agreed that it will suit IPA fans.

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Holgate Hopinator Double IPA

Tasted 29 July 2009. 330ml bottle, 7.0% Alc/Vol

Australia

It’s been a while since I tried this beer and now I’m wondering why. This is arguably their best beer and in my opinion the best example of its style in Australia.

Dark amber colour. Big whopping piney hop aromas and caramel malt that gets the mouth watering. The palate is evenly flavoured and full, soft and smooth. Big malt and hops character again. Subtle citrus and roasted nuttiness appear along with hoppy spice. The bitterness is well distributed and very intense. A soft creamy malty character helps sooth the beasty hops that linger pleasantly well afterwards. An excellent double IPA.

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Nøgne Ø #100 Imperial IPA

Tasted Friday 15/5 2009. 500ml bottle, 10% Alc/Vol.

Norway.

A super duper beer. Very dark brown colour. Smells of molasses, dark roasted nuts, coffee bean and hops. Very rich and warming to drink. Really mouth filling and malty. There are some slightly charry stout-like flavours too. Exotic spice, toasted nuts and sweet toffee. The sweetness is pulled back nicely by the seamless hop infusion interwoven through the line and length of the beer. The finish is long, lingering and hoppy. Just fantastic……..and soul satisfying. The 500ml bottles are a perfect size for this kind of beer. Drink at around 8-10 degrees for best flavour results.

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