The Drunken Polack

Why hello there.  I’m back from a rather fun weekend.  I got to take a little trip to Atlantic City, NJ.  Do some gambling.  Go up 200 dollars, go down 200 dollars.  Come home and go to a party Saturday night.  Fun filled weekend.  But I did end up drinking some crappy beer while at the casinos. Miller Lite anyone?  You know the beer that is triple hopped =)   I need to open up a casino that serves craft beer or something.  Anyhow.  When I got home I opened up a bottle of Cascazilla from Ithaca Beer Company. They claim this is a American Red Ale  but to me it’s bordering on IPA.   I’ve had it a few times in the past while visiting a couple of brewfests and for some reason I really couldn’t get into it.  But when I saw a bottle of it at a store up in Pennsylvania I figured what the heck,  I’ll give it another try and to my surprise this bottle of Cascazilla hit the spot.

Cascazilla poured a clear light amber color with a frothy crater filled head that laces the glass throughout.  The smell is full of sweet caramel and biscuit type malt. piney and citrus hops.  The taste is pretty much more of the same.  Great mixture of the caramel malt and piney hops.  The simcoe hops come through nice.  Up front the hops attack your tongue giving a bit of a rough feeling but it has a smooth and bitter ending.  It’s really a easy drinking beer and when I was done with the bottle I wanted another.  To bad they don’t distribute down here.  Like I said above this is bordering on an IPA and if you didn’t tell me this was a red ale I would probably think it’s a IPA.

Found: A store in Penn State main campus
Price: 2 dollars a bottle
Website: http://www.ithacabeer.com/
What the company says: The name CascaZilla is a play on both the name of our local Cascadilla Gorge and the monster amounts of Cascade hops in this beer. This red ale gets its distinctive color from a healthy portion of caramel malt, which also lends some body and sweetness to the beer. The predominant flavor and aroma of this beer, however, is brought to you by the fresh American hops. If you haven’t done so yet, treat yourself to Ithaca Beer’s new monstrously hoppy Red Ale.
ABV%: 7.00%
Other beers to try from this brewery: Ithaca Apricot Wheat, Ithaca Flower Power
Other beers to try within the same style: Otto’s Red Mo Ale, Troegs Nugget Nectar
Rating: B+

Anderson Valley holds a little piece of my heart when it comes to craft brews.  When I first started experimenting with the world of craft brews one of the first beers I picked up was Hop Ottin, their fantastic IPA.  That and Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA really got me into the style of beer.  What we have here is their 20th Anniversary beer and it just so happens to be a Imperial Double IPA.  Of course it’s a one time release so pick it up if you see it at your local store.

This brew poured a bright orange color with a big fluffy head.  Lacing throughout.  If you’re looking for a huge hop bomb of a beer don’t look here.  The aroma is balanced nicely.  A good balance of caramel malt, floral hops, grapefruit.  The taste is just as good.  Nice juicy grapefruit taste followed by the caramel malt background with a hint of more fruit thrown in.  The ending is a little dry and bitter.  Small compared to other West Coast IPAs.  It’s medium bodied and a pleasure to drink.  To me this beer is stuck in the middle.  It’s not small enough to be called an IPA but I don’t think it’s big enough to be called an Imperial IPA.  Doesn’t matter though, it’s just good.

Price: 6-7 dollars a bottle
Website: http://www.avbc.com/
What the company says: Nothing on the site about this brew
ABV%: 8.70%
Other beers to try from these breweries: Anderson Valley Hop Ottin, Anderson Valley Winter Solstice
Other beers to try within the same style: Russian River Pliny the Elder, Three Floyds Dreadnaught
Rating: B+

Found: Grape and Gourmet
Price: Around 5 dollars a bottle
Website: http://www.avbc.com/
What the company says: A bright dry aroma tops off this deeply complex Belgian-style beer that has over tones of malt, fruit, and freshly mown fields. The intensity of the higher alcohol is rounded out by the deep richness of the malt and the light hop flavors. Light and pale in color, a nice malt backbone holds up the highlights of spicy hops intermingled with yeast esters and aromas. The triple (or “tripel” as the Belgian’s call it) is a medium-bodied strong Belgian-style beer, with just a touch of mild malt sweetness and a dry finish on the palate.

The comparatively light body of this beer is achieved by substantial additions of candy sugar in the kettle and medium-high carbonation level. The hopping has been kept low, with the use of classic European hop varieties to give just a hint of spiciness.

What I say:  I really haven’t had to much from AV but so far what I have is pretty good.  There Hop Ottin IPA scored high and Brother David’s Double Abbey Style Ale did rather good also.  This one is not to shabby but I wanted more from it.  It’s hard to explain.  Read below for more!

The Look: Burnt orange color with very little head. 

What the nose thought: A very nice floral hop smell.  Bready malt with a bit of a wheat smell and to round it off a good amount of apple and pear. 

And the tastebuds?: Now this really isn’t a bad beer at all.  I actually would recommend anyone to try it.  But during the taste something just seems to be missing.  It happens at the end.  Just missing a little bit of a aftertaste.  What I was most impressed with is the taste up front.  Nice hoppy taste, spices, and a good amount of a fruity taste.  It’s a sweet tasting beer with a nice amount of a bready malt taste but the end of the beer fails a little bit.

The feel: Very light.  Easy to drink.  For being 10% ABV the alcohol really doesn’t hit you to bad.

Would you drink more?: Yes.  It’s a joy to drink if you are looking for something light on the palette.

Ending notes: Right up there with their Double for being a decent brew.

Rating: B

Found: Local Beer Store
Price: 6 dollars a bottle
Website: http://www.avbc.com/
What the Company Says: Rich mahogany appearance. Firm and substantial head that slowly fades to dry fruit aromas including apricot, figs, raisins, as well as malt and spice notes. The full body of this Belgian style ale supports initial fruit flavors that give way to malt notes and chocolate covered cherries, while suffused throughout with the distinctive flavor of the Belgian Abbey yeast. It finishes rather spicy and quite dry, with the warmth of its 9% alcohol. The flavors become more pronounced, blending and complementing each other as the beer warms. If you like Belgian beer, you owe it to yourself to try this American brewed Belgian-style beer.

The Intro: I’ve only had one beer from Anderson Valley before and that was there Hop Ottin IPA.  I was very impressed with that beer so I had to try another beer from them.  This time it’s their Abbey Style Ale

The Look: This one poured a nice dark ruby red color.  A tad bit of a head.  Whatever head was there quickly disappeared. 

What the Nose Thought: Very nice smell.  Like the description said you get the nice malt and spice smell with a variety of fruit.  Cherries, raisins, figs to name a few.  Very complex. 

And the Tastebuds?: Now the taste is where the beer might go a little tid downhill.  Up front it’s awesome.  You get all the fruits I mentioned above with some spices and caramel malts.  Once that is done the chocolate kicks in and it’s very evident.  Now the part I didn’t exactly like was the aftertaste.  I really don’t know to explain it but after both the awesome tastes of the fruits, spices, and chocolate it kind of went down hill just a little.  Still a nice complex taste.  The 9% alcohol makes a little bit of an appearance but not to much. 

The Feel: Medium bodied with a little bit of carbonation.  Very drinkable

Would You Drink More?: Yes. But I wouldn’t go out of my way to find it. 

Ending Notes: Their IPA was a better product overall but this is not a bad try at a Dubbel.  This beer was close to being fantastic but the aftertaste is what got me.  Overall not a bad beer.  They make a tripel that I picked up tonight.  Review coming soon.

Rating: B+

Found: Local Total Wine
Price: Around 2 dollars a bottle
Website: http://www.avbc.com/
What the company says: Hop Ottin’ IPA is as hoppy as they come. The name means “hard working hops,” in Boontling, and that tells it all. Generous additions of high-alpha Pacific Northwest hops added during a vigorous boil, plus traditional dry hopping, with whole hop cones, give this ale a delicious citrus aroma, and an intense hoppy bite. This IPA is a hop lover’s dream

What I say: Well I can add another good IPA to my list.  This is the first time I’ve ever tried a beer from Anderson Valley and if the rest are as good as this beer is they will be added to my list of favorite breweries.  Just a pleasant surprise.  Pours a nice golden color with a good amount of head.  Smells strong of citrus.  Probably one of the stronger smells of fruit I’ve ever smelled in an IPA.  But it’s not enough to kill all the other fantastic spice to this beer.  As with the smell, the taste has a nice amount of citrus to it.  Just fantastic.  Good beer from the beginning to the aftertaste. 

Rating: B+