New Brews is good News!

Figured I'd update quickly on some beers I've recently had, how they are and how they rate.

1.  This one isn't a new one, but one of my favorites and it only comes out this time of year.  Tyranena's Scurvy, this American IPA is brewed with Orange peel to give a nice citrusy, bitter flavor.  Aroma is a little less citrusy than one would think having been brewed with orange peel, but the flavor is amazing.  Great hops that dominate the flavor, though enough malt in the background to not make this Hop Water.  The balance of this beer changes as it warms up, so if at first it seems too bitter, let her sit a bit and the malt will come through.

Overall Rating: 7.5/10

2.  This was a new one I've never had before out of Salt Lake City, UT,  Epic Brewing's Imperial IPA.  It weighs in at giant 9.9% ABV, IBUs unknown at a moderate price of $6.99 a bomber.  The cool thing about this beer it is one of Epics Exponential Series beers.  Beers in this series are brewed  and released in batches with each batch being slightly different than the previous allowing Epic to fine tune their recipe, improving the brew with every batch.  The beer I had was batch #4.  

Here's the release notes on batch #4: Imperial IPA Release #4

Brewed on April 18, 2011. For release four we lowered the added mass amounts of Simcoe hops. The Malts Briess 2-Row Brewers Malt and Muntons Carapils. The Hops Columbus, Simcoe, Centennial, and Amarillo. ABV 9.9% 

 

This beer was enjoyable, aroma-wise this beer smelled like an Imperial.  Hops present, slightly earthy and citrusy, slight caramel malt aroma detected.  Flavor-wise the hops were slightly more present than the malt, but not a bitter bomb. This imperial started slightly bitter, but ended very sweet and malty.  Alcohol was surprisingly subdued for 9.9%, probably due to the lingering sweetness.

Overall Rating: 6.5/10

 

3.  Stone's Imperial Russian Stout (2009).  I know, not your usual summer beer, but who can resisting drinking this bad boy, especially when it's not yours!  Recently attended a nice tasting at a friends house and this beer was the final act. This beer was freakin amazing!  Pours black as oil with a nice thick dark brown head and excellent lacing.  Aromas and flavor are all that you would expect, roasted, toasted, chocolate, coffee, caramel, toffee etc.  Just cannot say enough about this beer as it is just so damn delicious.  Careful though,  you may be tempted to down a bottle of this on your own, note that the bottle states a 10.5% ABV, Stone might as well have said "DON"T MAKE ANY F$%KING PLANS".   Damn good beer and there's no way this bottle would have lasted in my cellar for 2 years.

Overall Rating: 9.999/10

 

Slainte`

Brady's Orange IPA / Belgian IPA experiment

It's been a while, but hey whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do when they come for you..........

Here's to it.

Brady's Belgian IPA/Orange IPA

American IPA

Type: All Grain	Date: 7/3/2011
Batch Size: 10.00 gal	Brewer:
Boil Size: 12.00 gal	Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 60 min	Equipment: My Equipment
Taste Rating(out of 50): 45.0	Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00
Taste Notes:
Ingredients
Amount Item Type % or IBU 20.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 90.91 % 1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM) Grain 4.55 % 1.00 lb Caramunich II (Weyermann) (63.0 SRM) Grain 4.55 % 2.00 oz Summit [17.50 %] (60 min) Hops 59.6 IBU 1.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] (30 min) Hops 17.0 IBU 1.00 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] (30 min) Hops 11.1 IBU 1.00 oz Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] (10 min) Hops 5.2 IBU 1.00 oz Summit [17.50 %] (10 min) Hops 10.8 IBU 1.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] (10 min) Hops 8.0 IBU 1 Pkgs Denny's Fav 50 (Wyeast #1450) [Starter 50 ml] Yeast-Ale 1 Pkgs Belgian Ardennes (Wyeast Labs #3522) Yeast-Wheat
Beer Profile
Est Original Gravity: 1.060 SG	Measured Original Gravity: 1.061 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.014 SG	Measured Final Gravity: 1.013 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.92 %	Actual Alcohol by Vol: 6.2 %
Bitterness: 111.8 IBU	Calories: 43 cal/pint
Est Color: 11.0 SRM	Color: Color
Mash Profile
Mash Name: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge	Total Grain Weight: 22.00 lb
Sparge Water: 7.77 gal	Grain Temperature: 66.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F	TunTemperature: 72.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: FALSE	Mash PH: 5.4 PH
Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge Step Time Name Description Step Temp 60 min Mash In Add 27.50 qt of water at 166.8 F 154.0 F
Mash Notes: Simple single infusion mash for use with most modern well modified grains (about 95% of the time).
Carbonation and Storage
Carbonation Type: Corn Sugar	Volumes of CO2: 2.4
Pressure/Weight: 7.6 oz	Carbonation Used: -
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 60.0 F	Age for: 7.0 days
Storage Temperature: 52.0 F
Notes
Created with BeerSmith You may notice from the Recipe that two different strains of yeast were used in this recipe, I split this batch into 2 - 5 gallons primaries. Pitched Wyeast 3522 on one batch and 1450 on the other batch and fermented at 63 degrees. Transferred the 1450 batch to secondary and added sweet orange peel and 1oz. Amarillo.  Trying my best to recreate Tyrennena's Scurvy. Transferred the 3522 batch and dry hopped with 1oz. Amarillo. Both of these beers are by far one of my best, but the batch pitched with the Belgian Ardennes 3522 strain was amazing.  I will re-brew this again as a 10-gallon batch very soon!  Rating: Brady's Blegian IPA:  42 Brady's Orange IPA:  40 Slainte`