Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA

Why I tried this: As per Paul's recommendations at the UCF World of Beer I have continued to try Sierra Nevada beers and they continue to be great. When I saw that they had an IPA I knew that I had to try it.

Smell: subtle scent of citrus and piney hops.

Taste: Well Sierra Nevada pretty much impressed me again with their IPA, the Torpedo Extra IPA. This beer was pretty hoppy tasting but it was balanced very well with the citrus and sweet flavors. The hop flavor is definitely at the forefront of the flavor but it's nothing that makes the beer too bitter or un-enjoyable. The sweet malt flavor is present yet barely noticeable, pretty much exactly as I prefer it to be in an IPA. The hops and beer as a whole are very crisp and enjoyable.

This is a very good beer and between this and the others I have pretty much decided I love the Sierra Nevada Brewery. This is probably one of the breweries that I really look forward to hopefully one day having a brewery night at World of Beer. This beer receives an empty glass since it is an IPA I will drink again and again. I played pool with my little brother on Monday at Surfers Pub in Cocoa Beach while drinking this beer.



--Jon

Terrapin Hopsecutioner

Why I tried this: DID YOU SEE THE NAME OF THIS BEER?!??!!?!? By now you should know I love IPAs!  That being said how could I pass on a beer called Hopsecutioner.  Especially a "Hopsecutioner" that has some hops laid out on the guillotine.  Pretty much enough said, no point going into any more detail.

Smell: citrus scent with some floral in the scent.  Slight malt in the scent that seems to round it out and make the hops less pungent.

Taste: Well not quite as hoppy in flavor as I would expect a beer called "hopsecutioner" to be.  The hops are there and noticeable but not nearly as strong as I had been hoping for or planning.   A bit more of syrupy malty flavor then I would of expected.  I didnt detect much of the citrus scent at all in the flavor.  The caramel malt flavor blending with the hops rounded this beer out a bit more then I would of wanted.  Dont get me wrong I liked this beer, in fact I have a 6 pack of it in my fridge right now, but I would definitely consider it a much more mild IPA.

Overall I would give this beer a rating of a quarter glass left.  It is a beer I will enjoy time to time when I go out.  This beer had a very good flavor and is enjoyable however I wish the hops were a bit stronger in the flavor and make themselves more pronounced.  I would suggest this beer to someone that is interested in trying IPAs before I brought out the big guns of delicious hop tea IPAs.



--Jon

St. Peters India Pale Ale

Why I tried this: Continuing along my IPA run I saw an interestingly shaped bottle by St. Peters on the shelf. I noticed they had an IPA so I figured I could use another good IPA. I decided to give the St. Peters IPA a shot to see if I could keep what has been a great run going.

Smell: Not the hoppy scent I had hoped for, but malty.

Taste: Well this is officially the worst IPA I think that I have had to date, and I really really like IPAs. I probably will never drink or recommend this beer in my lifetime, wait...... not probably, definitely will not. It had a distinct flavor I can't describe that took over the whole flavor for me and I can't even really define it. It was a mostly stale cidery flavor or something. I really dont know how else to describe the flavor of this beer other then I did not like it at all.

I would give this beer a rating of a full glass. I never want a sip of this beer ever again. If it wasnt for the Old Speckled Hen and the Eerie Smokebender I would say this is the worse beer I have had at World of Beer since going.





--Jon

World of Beer UCF outing number 10 million

I had a lot of fun on this particular outing .....I think.  I dont really recall anyones name.  Off to a great start...  The girl in the white dress had just graduated...  The guy to her left is her boyfriend.  The guy all the way to her right is her dad.  I remember stealing their pizza(hahaha) and suggesting good beers to her dad.  He enjoyed them as I recall so that makes him pretty awesome in my book.

All in all it was fun and they did a great job of putting up with me and enjoying my beer recommendations so what more could one ask for.  Her mom came in for a later picture but those came out really really blurry, since Im in the picture I know its not my fault...

The girl all the way on the left is supposedly the graduated girls sister but they might of been messing with me Im not too sure.  If they were props are due for such an excellent troll.  If not, I am a genius.



--Jon

Boulder Mojo IPA

Why I tried this: Continuing on my IPA journey since it has been the beer style I have been in the mood for lately, I stumbled across the Boulder Beer Company Mojo IPA. The beer sounded and looked great so I decided to give it a try, plus my waitress also recommended it to me. My waitress's name was Marielle (sp?) and she also loved IPAs, so in addition to this IPA she made a few other suggestions that also turned out good.

Smell: Smelt like a more floral, citrusy, IPA. Hops present in the scent but this beer's scent was more notably citrus

Taste: This is probably one of the best IPAs that I have ever had. The blend of the floral tasting hops with the citrus flavors was fantastic. It made for a very smooth tasting IPA. I know smooth and crisp somewhat contradict each other but this beer had characteristics that made the flavor stand out in all the right areas. After the initial strong flavor of hops and citrus is in your mouth and you swallow the sip, it isn't an overly bitter hop flavor that remains. The remaining flavor is a pleasant blend of slight citrus hops that makes you want to sit for a second before you take your next sip.

This beer receives a rating of an empty glass. If I am in the mood for an IPA and I see this beer out somewhere I would most definitely order this beer. The flavors complimented each other very well and it made for a great tasting beer. I would absolutely recommend this beer to any friend that enjoys IPAs. This beer makes me excited to see what else Boulder Beer Company offers in beer selection.



--Jon

Great Divide Hades Ale

Why I tried this: This beer was recommended to me by one of the bartenders. I don't really remember which, as I was under the influence of Great Divide and several other breweries. I have had a few beers by these guys and the only winner for me so far was their IPA, the Titan IPA.(clicky click for review) Lets hope this will be a repeat of the mighty Titan.

Smell: Earthy, grassy scent, sweet smelling. It becomes apparent this is going to be belgianish, tasty..

Taste: The first flavor on your tongue with this beer will be the strong malts and sweetness. Not too overpowering but very pleasant. The earthy and citrusy flavors that follow are much more mild then the up front strong malt flavor. This beer is a bit more sweet then most other Belgian beers but not unpleasant. You would absolutely not think this beer was 8%.


Overall I would give this beer a rating of a quarter glass left. It was a good beer and I did enjoy it but I don't think I would get it again. There are many other beers of this style I would prefer, there are probably only a few situations that I would be in where I would get this beer. This and the Titan have made me pretty happy with this brewery, though, since the first few I had by Great Divide I did not like at all.




--Jon

Ridin' Dirrrty @ World of Beer UCF

250 we are coming for YOU!  Jeff and I continue to keep ridin dirty up the World of Beer list.  

"When they see us ride by they can see the glean, my shine on the deck and the tv screen.  Ridin' with a new chick, she like hold up.. Next to the playstation controlla is a full clip and my pistola."

--Jon

screen shot taken 5/5/11

Samuel Smith India Ale

Why I tried this: This was the same day that I had the Hitachino Nest Classic Ale, and I was in the mood for an IPA among the others I had that day so I decided to give Samuel Smiths a try. I have had a few Samuel Smith beers before and they were pretty good, nothing amazing but they were pretty enjoyable, notably the stouts. With the arrival of this beer I was looking forward to being in sweet sweet hop heaven.

Smell: subtle earthy caramel scent. Not a strong smell at all.

Taste: The hop flavor does not expand into what I had hoped for at all. It was a surprise that was neither good or bad, just unexpected. The mild hop flavor made room for the sweet malt flavor that had notes of caramel and butterscotch. There was another flavor that came into this beer that was not too pleasant at all and I can't really define it, I just didn't really like it when it made itself apparent. This beer was mediocre and extremely mild for an IPA in my opinion.

I would give this beer a rating of a half full glass. This beer was mediocre and not real enjoyable but it didnt taste bad either. I would of liked to get more hops from the flavor or something else that would have given it a more full flavor. The flavor that lingers in the background that I can't define really dragged this beer down and took away from how smooth it could have been.




--Jon

Hitachino Nest Classic Ale

Why I tried this: After enjoying the Hitachino Stout so much I decided it was time to try another beer from Japan's Hitachino. I was in an Ale kinda mood so when I came across the classic ale on the menu my mind was almost made up. I asked Greg about this beer and he said it was great so what more convincing would I have needed?

Smell: Less hoppy then expected. There was a stong malt scent that covered most of the hop scent. Caramel scented.

Taste: Not what I expected at all but still good. I went into this beer expecting a lighter mostly floral hop flavor and thats not what you get at all. This beer has a deep dark malt flavor that reminds you of a woody flavor and caramel. The flavor is pleasant and enjoyable. There is a slight hop flavor but it absolutely is not the defining characteristic of the beer, it's just a backup support actor to the malts.

I would give this beer a rating of a quarter glass left. This beer was great tasting but it did not taste anything at all like what I expected going into it which is not a bad thing. The malt flavor of this beer is smooth and delicious and this is probably a beer I would order again if I saw it out somewhere.

--Jon

Great Divide Titan IPA

Why I tried this: IPA's are one of my favorite beer types, IPAs are just one of the couple differences Jeff and I have in beer preferences.  While Jeff doesnt enjoy IPAs much I love them, especially when Im not in the mood for a heavier beer.  Great Divide has been a brewery I havent had much of an opinion on.  Ive had a few of their beers before and they were OK not good but not bad either.  While looking at the list I saw Titan IPA by them thought it was a cool name so I decided to give another Great Divide a chance.

Smell: This beer had a great scent to it.  The hops had a floral citrusy scent.  Had a sweeter scent to it as well that Ive found pretty typical of Great Divide.

Taste: This beer overall had a pretty good taste to it.  The hop flavor was not as strong as I would typically expect from an IPA.  The flavors of the sweet malts played a pretty big part in balancing out the hops a bit.  The beer gives you a great hop flavor then you start to sense the sweetness of the malts and as you arrive at the end of your sip you get a finish of some dry hops, but not really overly dry at all.  At 7.8% I really didn't taste much of the alcohol at all which is always a plus.

This beer will receive a rating of 1/4 of a glass left.  I haven't liked much of Great Divide too much but I really did enjoy their Titan IPA.  This beer had a good fresh hop flavor blended nicely with the sweet malt flavor.  If you are into either Great Divide as a brewery or IPAs in general this would probably be a good beer to try.



--Jon

Orlando Loyalty List top 10 @ World of Beer UCF

Another update to the world of beer website shows that as you can see Jeff M and I (Jon R) are climbing our way up the list.  Hitting 250 is just around the corner.

here is the link to the online list I took this screenshot from http://ucf.wobusa.com/Promos/TheLoyaltyCard.aspx

--Jon

Samuel Adams Summer Ale

My Canon DSLR put to good use...

Why I tried this: I have loved my good friend Samuel and most of his beers for a pretty long time now. I love picking up the samplers at each season from the store and I am always excited when I see a new Samuel Adams that I haven't had yet. Whenever I go out to a bar with a potential customer or boss I always order a Sam Adams so I look legit like in the commercial.

Smell: Summer. Scents of citrus, earthy hop scent, a relaxing refreshing scent.

Taste: The flavor starts out as a citrusy flavor that seems composed mostly of lemon and grapefruit ..mostly. There is a very good wheat flavor that is pretty subtle and very enjoyable. After you get past the citrus it has the typical hop flavor finish that I enjoy and expect with each of the Samuel Adams beers. The flavor is blended nicely and all of the flavors complement each other nicely.


This beer receives the quarter pint left rating. It is a good beer but there are plenty of other Samuel Adams beers that I enjoy much more then this one. I love trying all of the Samuel Adams beers and there are certain seasonals I always cant wait for when it gets close and unfortunately this is not one of the ones I will impatiently be waiting for. This beer is still very good but, Ive had better from Mr. Adams, and there are plenty of others I cant wait for.


--Jon

Summit Winter Ale

Why I tried this: Once again, this is another beer that Jackie gave me. I was pretty happy to see it since typically I am a fan of winter ales, especially the Sam Adams one. When the bottle opened I could not wait to try Summit's version.

Smell: Caramel and a slight roasted malt scent. A pleasant smell.

Taste: Floral and earthy hop flavor as I would typically expect. The hops are not at all overpowering and make this beer very pleasant to drink. There is a slight roasted caramel malt flavor that blends together nicely with the hops. There is a slight spice flavor but this beer is a very smooth easy drinker. I wouldn't mind one of these at all right now.




This beer receives a quarter filled pint rating. I did enjoy this beer very much and it was very smooth however this beer is not something that I would go out of my way to look for. If I saw it on a menu I would possibly order it depending on what else was on the menu. At a place like World of Beer I probably wouldn't get this again but somewhere with only 10-15 beers I'm sure I absolutely would. Its smooth delicious flavor is what earns it a quarter pint left. A great winter ale for sure.




--Jon

Terrapin Hop Karma Brown IPA

Why I got this: I have enjoyed a few of the Terrapin beers from this brewery so when I saw this beer I figured it would absolutely be worth trying. I like IPAs but am not a huge fan of brown ales, and I have no idea what a brown IPA is, so here we go.

Smell: Malty scent with a crisp hop flavor. This beer has a pretty pleasant scent to it.

Taste: Right up front I got a crisp fresh hop flavor that was very pleasant. In my opinion the hop flavor of this beer is not overpowering at all, they are smooth and very consistent. After an enjoyable brief encounter with the hops, this beer slides in to the smooth malt flavors. The caramel malt flavors are fairly mild and there is a "toasty" flavor you can sense with the malts. Once you swallow the sip of beer you are left with a mild taste of the crisp hops.

Overall I would give this beer a quarter pint remaining. This beer was great and I really liked it, but it's not in my top favorites. I have gotten this beer several times when I went out to other bars and even recommend it to people that I think would enjoy it. I look forward to trying some more of the Terrapin beers at World of Beer UCF, they seem like a great brewery that makes some fantastic brews.




--Jon

Victory Donnybrook Stout

Why I tried this: What's this?!?! A new stout on tap that I haven't had yet?! This is fantastic. In this long journey to champion 500 beers, sometimes it's hard when your options are dwindling for a favorite beer type. Stouts are one of my favorite types and it's been hard lately for me to find one I haven't had yet. Whenever a new stout goes on tap at World of Beer UCF, it's pretty much an early Christmas present, or in this case early easter egg I guess.

Smell: Roasted malt/coffee flavor. Not very strong. There was another scent there too that would probably be best described as the smell when it's about to rain.

Taste: This beer was probably one of the oddest tasting stouts I have ever had. When you take your sip the first flavor you get is pretty watery. The water flavor isn't soft or bad, it's crisp like a good bottle of water. The difference in the water flavor is like the difference you would notice drinking Fiji water over bottled drinking water at the grocery store. It's a bit more crisp and refreshing. If you don't agree with me nobody cares what you think, you're wrong. Anyway, the beer flavor is odd because the best way to describe it is a watered down stout, that sounds a lot worse then it tastes in this beer's case. The crisp watered down flavor is pretty refreshing but all of the malty flavors and roast flavors you would expect take the back seat, a far back away seat, like in the back of a limo.

Im giving this beer a ranking of a half full beer glass. While this beer's watery flavor made it fairly refreshing and crisp, thats not what I want when I order a stout. I would possibly get this beer again but only in very specific circumstances. It has a pretty good flavor, it's not a beer that I had to force down or anything, in fact the watery flavor made it a quick easy drink. I would probably only suggest this beer to someone that told me they would like to drink a stout but the roasted malt flavors are too strong for them.


--Jon

last day of Starr Hill BoGo @ Publix

Today is the last day at Publix that you can get 6 packs of Starr Hill buy one get one free.  Starr Hill brewery make some pretty good beers including one that we have reviewed Starr Hill The Love.

--Jon

Top 10 Loyalty list @ World of Beer UCF

newest update over @ World of Beer UCF puts both Jeff and I cruising up the top 10 list.

click here to view on the WoB website

I see how it is WoB spell out Jeffs last name, Mailhot, but not mine, Rutishauser. :D

Jon and Jeff cruising up the top ten!

updated World of Beer UCF loyalty lists

click her to see the new lists!

Jon (left) and Jeff (right) with the newest printouts!

Beered up at World of Beer UCF w/ Edwin

On another trip to World of beer UCF I bumped into one of the bartenders, Edwin, out of his class A World of Beer uniform. We ended up hanging out and enjoying some awesome beer.

Later on in the night after alcohol impaired my judgement, Edwin lied to me and told me a beer was only 5.5% so I ordered it and was told it was 11% ..what a nice guy. His side of the story is that he was talking about the next beer but everyone should know that's just a lie. I guess I can't hold it against him too much for all the good beers he's recommended to me.

Jon (me) and Edwin

--Jon

Bell's Kalamazoo Stout

im an artist, what an artsy picture

Why I tried this: I wanted a stout. I had been avoiding this beer for a while because apparently it's brewed with licorice and I hate licorice. Yah, on a side note that means I hate Jager too, that stuff is the worst. Anyway, a few beers later and eventually my desire for a stout outweighed my hatred for licorice.

Smell: Coffee and chocolate scent with a slight roasted scent.

Taste: Before I took that first sip, I was a bit concerned. I blankly stared at the bottle for a while because of how much I really hate licorice. After some hesitation and thoughts of regret I decided to go for it and tackle the beast. As I flinched expecting a licorice beat down the flavor opened and it was very pleasant. The roasted flavor is noticeable and strong but is balanced very well by the other flavors of this stout. The chocolate and coffee malt flavors are superbly blended, there is also a syrupy sweetness to this beer as well. I didn't really notice any licorice flavor or maybe I just didn't mind it because of how blended in it was, either way it made me pretty happy.

After completing this beer and loving every drop this beer gets an empty glass rating. The flavors were great together and this beer was a very enjoyable smooth drink. This is a beer I would absolutely get again and again and like it every time. If you don't like licorice don't let that stop you from getting this beer. If you do like licorice, what's wrong with you? It's terrible. In that case you'll love this beer, especially since you can stomach and enjoy licorice.

--Jon