Category: IPAs and Pales

Stone Brewing – 18th Anniversary IPA Review

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Stone 18th AnniversaryAll You Need to Know

Brewery: Stone Brewing
Style: Brown IPA
ABV: 8.5%
Cost: $11 (24oz)
Glassware: Tulip, Pint
Temp: 45°F
Availability: Limited (One and done)
Purchased@: The Fridge

Quick Take: Impressive malt and lemon/orange body the rampages through your mouth to the delight of this IPA lover…at first. Your mileage will vary depending on how intense you like the lemony sweetness of your beer and your feelings towards West Coast IPAs. Not really a bitter is better crowd beer either as the bitterness is along for the ride when this lemon comet of a beer takes off across your taste buds. I’m glad to have tried it, but the one bottle is enough for me this year.

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Westbrook Brewing – One Claw Review

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Westbrook One ClawAll You Need to Know

Brewery: Westbrook Brewing
Style: Pale Ale
ABV: 5.5%
Cost: $2.50 (12oz)
Glassware: Becker (Pint)
Temp: 45°F
Availability: Year-Round
Purchased@: ???? (Gifted)

Quick Take: The drinkability of One Claw is strong, making for a great session beer that is full of flavor and rides the line between overindulgence and a watery bore. This beer is a success because of the toasty rye and biscuity finish that makes you want to go back for more, but an appreciation of mild dank is a must. This may not be bold enough for some, but an easy recommendation for me as a go-to session beer.

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Shipyard – XXXX IPA (Bourbon Barrel-Aged) Review

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Shipyward XXXX IPAAll You Need to Know

Brewery: Shipyard Brewing
Style: Imperial IPA
ABV: 10.4%
Cost: $12.99 (24oz)
Glassware: Tulip
Temp: 55°F (or current temp in hell)
Availability: Limited
Purchased@: Some where in Maine, possibly purchased from the Devil
Barrel-Aged: 100 days

Quick Take: Clearly, some people must like this or it never would have been released and good for them, but this bruiser of a beer demonstrates why most IPAs shouldn’t be bourbon barrel-aged. If you want to try a successfully bourbon aged IPA, Founder’s Doom is pretty damn good and worth seeking out.

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Episode 13 – Southern Tier – Fuse Box

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Episode 13 of Drew’s Brews Reviews is here! The beer review show you never knew you wanted and no one needs. I mix it up this episode by trying the “concept case” from Southern Tier called the Fuse Box. Southern Tier is essentially repackaging three of their standard beers and asking its customers to blend them together to create various concoctions. The cynical among us might see this a marketing gimmick, but I toss that aside and put my taste buds on the line by mixing an IPA, Ale, and roasty Porter with tasty results. And yes, I freakin’ nailed that pun about “mixing it up” before you even knew it was a pun. BOOM!

Ep 14 — Firestone 17th Anniversary Beer (Maybe — Footage is Blurry)

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Evolution Brewing – Lot 6 Review

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Lot 6All You Need to Know

Brewery: Evolution Craft Brewing
Style: DIPA
ABV: 8.5%
Cost:  $3.29 (12oz)
Glassware: Tulip
Temp: 55°F
Availability: Various Times
Purchased@: Brass Rail

Quick Take: I would place this firmly in the average category. That nice, toasty resin aroma is delectable and the taste is balanced, but it isn’t enough to overcome this pedestrian DIPA’s shortcomings. The lack of assertive qualities or identity makes this a boring beer. Nothing for the fresh hop heads or bright citrus pine nuts out there to get excited about, but you can do far worse.

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