Mike’s Beer #8—Dock Street Rye IPA

There are two major benefits to long airport layovers: 1) time to read a good book and 2) a chance to try new beers.

Living in Ithaca, NY, my chances of flying directly to any given destination are pretty low (by the way—how come “slim chance” and “fat chance” mean the same thing?). So when I flew alone to Florida last weekend, I had several decent chances to chill with a book and a brew. It turns out that one big beer was all I needed for a three-hour layover in Philly—Dock Street Rye IPA. I’d rate Dock Street pretty high as far as rye beers go—it had all the qualities I’d look for in this style: it was malty and sweet with a skunky undertone and it packed a serious wallop. I had to slow myself down and order a burger before the words in my book started spinning. The only downside was a slightly sour aftertaste, something that my taste buds seem to be especially sensitive to.

Adam's Beer #6 - Ballast Point Sculpin IPA

In a post a couple of weeks ago I listed a few personal regulations when it comes to drinking beer, but I also have a few rules that I never break:

1) Try any beer once, even if it was made with Blueberries. That does not mean I will buy it, but if given the opportunity to sample who can say no?
2) If going to a new city I will try to find the local brewery to fill a growler. The most recent was Middle Ages Brewing in Syracuse – Yum!
3) If a beer is on the Beer Advocate Top Beers on Planet Earth or Rate Beer’s Best Beers in the World lists, and locally available, I must purchase it.

While touring Valley Discount Liquor in Ansonia, CT (yes, I said Ansonia) I came across the Limited Edition Ballast Point Brewing Sculpin India Pale Ale. Currently ranked #40 on RateBeer.com and #14 on BeerAdvocate.com (recently pushed from the #13 spot by Cantillon Blåbær Lambik) it fit into my rule book flawlessly.

Jim and I parked ourselves at his dining room table and opened the bottle over a conversation of our usual beer nonsense. Once poured the talking turned to sniffing, it was hard to make out what was going on in our noses. The fruits were so distinct that you seem to be able to pinpoint them all on their own. Grapefruit, apricot and other citrus aromas were tuning their instruments waiting to be discovered by our pallets.

I have to come clean that at first sample I did not really get the hubbub, but fast-forward a couple of days later to bomber #2 and I realize what we had was something very extraordinary. When you knock back a beer with a high I.B.U. (International Bittering Unit) you expect to be all pucker with no flavor (see Moylan’s Hopsickle Imperial,) but not the case here. The fruit and hops work so well together I would say that they are the Joe Montana and Jerry Rice of beer. I have read often of drinkers tasting a pine taste, but I think the hops and citrus are too dominate for other flavors to materialize.

Overall I give the Sculpin a 9/10 – it is right up there with Pliny the Elder as one of the best IPAs I have had the pleasure of drinking. Not a beer I could drink everyday, but it makes for one hell of a night.

Adam's Beer #5 - Poperings Hommel Bier

When it comes to beer, I love surprises…this is the reason I like to make my selection based on the label alone. Using this method I have come across Imperial Stout Trooper, Hop Rod Rye, Old Rasputin and this week’s beer of choice Poperings Hommel Bier.

Even as I jot this down I am unsure of my position towards this Belgian IPA. Drinking this beer was like strolling through the Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory, around ever corner seemed to be a new flavor waiting to jump on my senses.

As I pop the cork on the 750ml I am struck with the beautiful perfume brought on by the freshest of hops which I expected since the label is a spectacular landscape covered in my favorite flower.

Around the next corner of my factory tour my tulip glass filled with a magnificent honey haze below full foam that, once dissipated, left lacing throughout the entire glass. I had to take in the scent once more before rounding the next turn knowing I was falling into a trap.

These snozberries did not taste like the snozberries I was expecting. A nice symmetry of malt and hops usually reserved for a Tripel – I should have known this was coming after the large amount of carbonation on the pour. As with most of my experiences drinking a Belgian beer the first taste that hits my mouth is a large metallic tang. I am not sure if it is the combination of spices, but it soon gets lost in the citric finish I was anticipating from the hops on the label.

I give this beer a 7.5/10 - Being an extreme hop fan it was on the mellow side for my IPA taste buds, but I will not hesitate buying another bottle. I would like to find more Belgian IPAs to weigh against the Poperings Hommel Bier.

Adam's Beer #3 - Dogfish Head Squall

Let me start off by stating that I do not like Dogfish Head beers. I do enjoy a 90 minute as often as Scorsese wins the Best Director Oscar®, but that's about it. Something about the flavor combinations that turns me off, but I have never been able to pinpoint one thing alone. I knew eventually my travels through 52 breweries would make a stop in Delaware so I figured that there was no time like the present.

Just like every other beer conceived by Dogfish Head, the Squall IPA did not blow me over. Being that this is completely bottled conditioned it was smoother than the ordinary 90 minute, but just like the rest produced by DFH it has an uncontrollable sweetness that is trying its best to hide behind the use of six different types of hops.

The best part about this beer is the aroma...filled with beautiful, flowery, citrus scents that can only be enhanced through perfect dry hopping. This is a characteristic that I have tried to emulate in my home brew but never got the results that matched my expectations.

I give the beer a 6/10 - though it was not the perfect IPA, bottle conditioning made it as smooth as the sweet sounds of Yacht Rock (look it up)

I have just realized that I have lied to you in paragraph #1; No, I still do not like a majority of DFH beers, but there is one that I am a HUGE fan of and I happen to have one in the fridge to cleanse the pallet - Palo Santo Marron. I may not have enjoyed my beer of the week as I hoped, but at least I can end the evening on a high note. Cheers!