The Kick Box - On Hip!

Discussion in 'Random Thoughts' started by Kick Frenzy, Jan 30, 2015.

  1. Pressed_Rat

    Pressed_Rat Do you even lift, bruh?

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    Just got back from the beer store. Tonight they were releasing three beers from Grimm, one of which was previously released, and the other two of which are new releases.

    1) In Mid-Air: A brand new double IPA brewed with Mosaic, Columbus, Wai-ti, Citra, and Simcoe hops

    2) Sumi Zest: A brand new imperial stout which is the non barrel-aged version of their Sumi Ink, this time brewed with orange zest.

    3) Color Field: A previously released but reformulated dry-hopped sour ale brewed with hibiscus, rose hips and chamomile.

    There was a two can limit for the In Mid-Air, and a one bottle limit for both the Sumi Zest and Color Field.

    They were also releasing two beers from Westbrook. One was their Two Claw Rye IPA which you see in the picture below, the other which they forgot to give me at the counter when I asked for it, and I didn't realize it until I got home and now am fucking pissed, but it was their Hazlenut Chocolate Imperial Stout. Oh well, I guess I saved a little bit of money, and I am not the biggest fan of imperial stouts anyway. But still, it was Westbrook, so for that reason alone I am a little pissed.

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  2. Pressed_Rat

    Pressed_Rat Do you even lift, bruh?

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    So here is the Color Field from Grimm. Again it is a dry-hopped sour ale brewed with hibiscus, rose hips and chamomile. Grimm released this for the first time back in early 2015 to rather mixed reviews. This is the second release of this beer, bottled in late December and just released this week. It has been reformulated and is different from the first batch in that it is hoppier, less funky and saison-like, and bears more influence from the hibiscus, rose hips and chamomile.

    4.7% ABV.

    Pours a pinkish cherry-red color with a fairly aggressive light pink head that lingers for a bit before gradually fading away.

    Aroma is of lemon zest, melon, tart cherry, black pepper, earthy hops, some herbal notes from the hibiscus and some floral notes from the rose hips, as well as some slight funk. There is a slight soapy quality to the nose as well.

    Flavor of this beer is nicely tart with a sour bite at the front of the tongue. I am getting lots of sour lemon and tart cherry flavors combined with lots of nuanced herbal and floral tones, as well as perhaps a slight amount of sweetness. You can also taste the hops, which provide less in the way of bitterness and more in the way of a dry, earthy, floral character.

    Mouthfeel of this beer is light, crisp, and very refreshing with a moderate to high acidity. Very drinkable. In my posting for this beer on Untappd, I mentioned that it would make for an excellent summer beer.

    Overall rating: A-

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  3. Pressed_Rat

    Pressed_Rat Do you even lift, bruh?

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    Now moving on to In Mid-Air which is also from Grimm. This is a double IPA brewed with Mosaic, Columbus, Wai-ti, Citra, and Simcoe hops.

    8% ABV.

    Canning date: 12/28/16

    Pours a hazy, nearly opaque orange-gold color with lots of floating sediment when held up to the light.

    Aroma is of sweet tropical citrus, namely passionfruit, pineapple and grapefruit, which is met with an equal amount of dank and resinous character. I am getting lots of candied pineapple and orange, some floral notes, as well as a good dose of earthy hops, with some sweet, bready malts in the background.

    Flavor is well balanced between sweet, juicy tropical hops, and dank, resinous hops. I am getting flavors of candied orange and pineapple, grapefruit rind, some pine resin, and some sweetness and bready flavors from the malts.

    Mouthfeel is medium, creamy, and very smooth, with a soft, fine carbonation.

    Overall one of the best new IPAs I have had from Grimm. I like the complexity of this beer, and that fact that it's extremely well balanced in its hop profile.

    Overall rating: A+

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  4. deleted

    deleted Visitor

  5. Pressed_Rat

    Pressed_Rat Do you even lift, bruh?

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    I like the artwork on Flying Dog's bottles by Ralph Steadman, who did illustrations for Hunter S. Thompson's works.
     
    3 people like this.
  6. pensfan13

    pensfan13 Senior Member

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    Flying dog does great dark beers and not great pale beers. There are better dark beer makers but not always available around here. So I still might buy them but not if I had a regular selection.
     
  7. Pressed_Rat

    Pressed_Rat Do you even lift, bruh?

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    I am now drinking Two Claw from Westbrook -- a rye IPA brewed with oats.

    7% ABV.

    Pours a super hazy cloudy orange-gold color with a finger's worth of creamy head.

    Aroma is a beautiful combination of rye and juicy, tropical hops consisting of orange, pineapple, guava and mango. There is a hint of white pepper, as well as some herbal and floral notes. I am getting some sweet caramel malts and some resinous notes, too.

    Flavor is of juicy citrus consisting of primarily pineapple, guava, grapefruit and orange zest, biscuity malts, rye, and peppery spice, along with some grass and dank pine needle.

    Mouthfeel is medium, crisp, and with a soft carbonation.

    Overall rating: A

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    1 person likes this.
  8. deleted

    deleted Visitor

    day 2 of Flying Dog Winter Warmer,, still tasting ginger ... roof is wet and pleasing, comes down with a cola flavor for just a moment, but somehow this ginger is all I taste fully afterwards. Is that weird to have a flavor that is not part of the ingredients .. nobody on BA mentions ginger either.. low rating on this brew..

    I will grab a flying dog imperial porter before I pick anything else.. especially this one place I go to, better off buying the heaviest beer for the price, or a Brooklyn Chocolate Stout.
     
  9. Pressed_Rat

    Pressed_Rat Do you even lift, bruh?

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    Now drinking Sidecar Orange Pale Ale from Sierra Nevada.

    5.3% ABV.

    Bottling date: 12/16/16

    Pours a translucent copper/orange-gold color with a decent amount of head.

    Aroma is of orange zest, along with some floral hop notes and bready malts.

    Taste is of earthy hops, orange peel, bready malts and and honey.

    Mouthfeel is light-medium with medium mouthfeel, moderate carbonation and a mostly dry finish.

    Overall rating: B

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  10. pensfan13

    pensfan13 Senior Member

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    Brooklyn chocolate stout was in my top 5 beer for years. Eventually I just had so many that I was bound to find more good ones.
     
  11. pensfan13

    pensfan13 Senior Member

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    Drinking "A moment on the lips" by Parkway brewing
    Out of Salem VA. It's a chocolate orange stout. At 7% abv
    Bottle says
    This smooth balanced milk stout with the tastes of the holidays, brings on mouth watering thoughts of chocolate covered orange slices,rich in holiday memories and anticipation! Brewed with sweet orange and cocoa.

    Yeah I just wrote all that because I poured to fast causing a big head. Waited for it to go down. Now that it did....
    The Orange is light so dosnt overwhelm but like orange chocolate candy slices I just don't like the Orange in there. The chocolate flavors are amazing though. I would love to see what they did if they got rid of the Orange. The drinkability of a Guinness with the chocolate flavor of Hershey chocolate milk.
     
  12. deleted

    deleted Visitor

    Sam Adams variety pack was only 12$ for 12beers.. nothing in it thats amazing, dont really feel like drinking all that much tonight anyways.. Winter Lager .. and the Chocolate are ok, Lemongrass was blah, the spicy one is well blah.. btw Ive drank 6 already. lol.. I can still function pretty good.. weaksauce..
     
  13. pensfan13

    pensfan13 Senior Member

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    Local store had flying dog on sale. 10 bucks for a 12 pack. Got 12 of the raging bitch.
    They also had a variety pack which I would normally get but it had that numero uno. Or whatever the fuck it is.
    All I know is it is in the top 5 worst beers I ever had. And being there was none that really looked great in that pack I was happy with an 8.3% abv beer that is decent tasting.
     
    1 person likes this.
  14. deleted

    deleted Visitor

    uno is ok after you cut the grass in the summer.. they trying for a corona with the lime. only FD i like is the imperial porter..
     
  15. Irminsul

    Irminsul Valkyrie

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    Can of Woodstock. :)
     
  16. pensfan13

    pensfan13 Senior Member

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    Well being Corona is the mass produced beer I hate the most it's no surprise that I don't like uno.
     
    1 person likes this.
  17. Pressed_Rat

    Pressed_Rat Do you even lift, bruh?

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    Drinking Sumi Zest from Grimm; an imperial stout brewed with orange zest and vanilla. This is made with the same base as the Sumi Ink I reviewed a few weeks ago, but this time brewed with orange. This one is also not barrel-aged like the Sumi Ink.

    11.5% ABV

    Pours a dark black with a small amount of tan colored head.

    Aroma is of sweet, dark roasted malts, dark fruits (plum, raisin), coffee, vanilla bean, chocolate and orange. There are some boozy notes as well, but nothing out of the ordinary for 11.5% ABV. It smells very much like a "chocolate orange ball" as mentioned on Grimm's website, which this beer was apparently inspired by.

    Flavor is sweet and boozy with some roasty malts, espresso, and semisweet dark chocolate bitterness. The vanilla and orange becomes more pronounced as the beer warms up, though are pretty subdued overall. The orange translates to a somewhat medicinal flavor when coupled with the booziness, though not enough to be a detracting factor.

    Mouthfeel is medium, sticky and slick with moderate-light level of carbonation.

    Overall very good, though I believe the addition of orange does not add much to the original Sumi Ink.

    Overall rating: A

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  18. Pressed_Rat

    Pressed_Rat Do you even lift, bruh?

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    Lookie what I've got!!

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    1 person likes this.
  19. YouFreeMe

    YouFreeMe Visitor

    Did you take a trip to VT? I've heard that the Focal Banger is actually the best one.
     
  20. Pressed_Rat

    Pressed_Rat Do you even lift, bruh?

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    Nope, somebody here in Rochester hooked me up via a group on Facebook.
     
    1 person likes this.

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