     Hop Stoopid vs Pliny the Elder (Beer Battles: Double/Imperial IPAs)
A true battle of hop heavy weights. Both contenders weigh in at 8% and almost the same IBUs and are loaded with hop power. These two California bred hop bombs are regular releases that have both earned lots of acclaim from hopheads from far and wide.
The Contenders Lagunitas Hop Stoopid Ale (Petaluma, CA) - "So Hoppy that it threatens to remove the enamel from one's teeth." 8% ABV & 102 IBUs
Russian River Pliny the Elder (Santa Rosa, CA)- "Pliny the Elder, the beer, is brewed with 40% more malt and over twice the amount of hops as compared to our already hoppy IPA (Blind Pig IPA)." 8% ABV & 100 IBUs
BJCP Style Outline: Imperial or Double India Pale Ales have intense hop bitterness, flavor and aroma. Alcohol content is medium-high to high and notably evident. They range from deep golden to medium copper in color. The style may use any variety of hops. Though the hop character is intense it’s balanced with complex alcohol flavors, moderate to high fruity esters and medium to high malt character. Hop character should be fresh and lively and should not be harsh in quality. The use of large amounts of hops may cause a degree of appropriate hop haze. Imperial or Double India Pale Ales have medium-high to full body. Diacetyl should not be perceived.
Let's get it on... Pour Hop Stoopid - Pours a super sweet bright gold color. Lots of little happy bubbles float to the top and unite to form a very delicate yet dense mass of foam. A seriously thick head and a ton of lacing on the inside of the glass
Pliny the Elder - Pours a glowing orange color, super bright and juicy looking. Topped off with a nice big fluffy white, sticky head. Looks like liquid gold and pretty much is.
Aroma Hop Stoopid - Imagine this, you are shrunk down to the size of an ant and you find yourself on the outside of a hop, now go inside the hop and inhale deeply, taking in all of the fresh citrus notes. That is what this is like. Its a big blast of pine, grapefruit, lemon, lime and maybe a few sour patch kids thrown in as well.
Pliny the Elder - Ahh the aromas of a fresh bottle of Pliny the Elder (if only it was an air freshener)! Tons of grapefruit and piney goodness come floating out of the glass and make my nose very, very happy. Fresh hops galore. Its an all out intense blast of everything that should come from a great hoppy beer (pine, tropical fruit, fresh citrus, grass etc...).
Taste Hop Stoopid - One hell of a hoppy beer. Its a tongue numbing, tooth tingling, mouth drying pleasure to enjoy. Lots of those grapefruit and pine resin flavors assault your taste buds leaving you wondering if you'll be able to take on the rest of this burly beer, but you will because you are a hop sadist, just like me.
Pliny the Elder - One sip and you are taken away into a humulus lupulus dreamworld. Resiny piney flavors mesh with pineapple, orange, lemon and a good dose of malt sweetness to back up the bitterness. Well balanced yet plenty of fun for the hop fanatic.
Overall Hop Stoopid - This is an amazing beer and the price tag just makes it that much more enjoyable.
Pliny the Elder - It doesn't get much better than a fresh bottle of this beer. An instant classic that both lives up to and is deserving of all the hype.
Winner - Pliny the Elder It was not an easy choice for the judges. Both contenders fought hard. In the end Pliny was a little more balanced but it was certainly close. These are two big, hoppy IPAs that deserve to be near the top of the ranks. Cheers!
Posted by Russ Labels: Beer Battles |
  Liquor de Malt vs Tap and Die (Beer Battles: American Malt Liquors)
The Contenders Dogfish Head Liquor de Malt (Milton, DE) - "The world's only bottle-conditioned Malt Liquor, brewed with red, white and blue gourmet corns (released in time for Independence Day!). Each 40-ounce bottle comes with a hand-stamped brown paper bag." 7% ABV
People's Pint Tap and Die (Greenfield, MA) - "More than just drinking instructions, this fine brew is homage to the industry that put Greenfieldon the map and to the plethora of malt liquors that helped raise our brewers. This high gravity lager is hand-crafted with pride to bring you a memorable experience. Brewed and bottled in Greenfield, MA, home of the biggest tools in the world." 7.5% ABV
BJCP Style Outline: American Malt Liquor was removed as a style in 1999. Sad but true. However, in 1998, this was how the style was described:
"Roughly similar to other American lagers, but higher in alcohol from the addition of sugar to boost the original gravity. That and short lagering times often give the beer a rough edge. Gold to amber in color with little to no hop bitterness, flavor, and aroma."
Lets get it on... Pour Liquor de Malt - dark golden in color, the carbonation has gotten a bit weak as this forty has been open for a bit. It still looks decent in the glass apart from the dead yeast sediment that has gathered at the bottom of the glass.
Tap and Die - golden and viscous, defintiely some high gravity involved in this harmless looking pour. Thin head with decent looking carbonation levels.
Aroma Liquor de Malt - very sweet, like corn syrup or even cherry Kool-Aid a bit. Very interesting smells coming from this pour.
Tap and Die - corn syrup, sweet malt, white sugar along with a bit of apple cider.
Taste Liquor de Malt - very rich and sweet. Someone called it a "light barleywine" and I can see the resemblance. Its very malty with a sweet but not too cloying finish. Its definitely got a bit of a kick to it and has some strong resemblances to a strong Euro lager.
Tap and Die - a little syrupy up front but this gives way to a very solid malt flavor with just the right amount of CO2 to make it crisp and refreshing. Not a lot of depth but still a great malt liquor. As it warms a bit some nice apple, pear and even peach flavors come out along with just a slight hint of herbal hops.
Overall Liquor de Malt - this stuff isn't too bad considering its been "aging" in the back of someone's fridge for quite some time. Its got a lot of flavor and a nice clean finish.
Tap and Die - a very good malt liquor. Well balanced and drinkable without any off flavors or aromas. A nice high alcohol lager that is crisp and refreshing.
Winner - Tap and Die I'd have to say that overall Tap and Die was a more enjoyable beer. It was sweet, malty, well carbonated and had some very nice fruit aromas and flavors. Nice work from a small little brewpub in Northwestern Massachusetts. In a weird twist of fate, Greenfield, Massachusetts is the town that Dogfish Head founder Sam Calagione grew up in. Cheers!
Note: a small amount of each beer was poured out "for my homies". Posted by Russ Labels: Beer Battles |
  Golden Monkey vs Tripel Horse (Beer Battles: American Tripels)
When you think of strong, golden-colored, Belgian-style Tripels you think of New Jersey and Pennsylvania right? Well, maybe not. However, these two heavyweights are some of the best Tripels on offer from the mid-Atlantic states. Can the monkey beat the hippo? We will see...
The Contenders: River Horse Tripel Horse (Lambertville, NJ) - "Tripel Horse has a big body and rich mouth feel and finishes mostly dry with only a touch of sweetness. If you shy from some of the sweeter Belgian ales, we think you will enjoy this one. The palate improves with age, so keep some on hand and you can ride Tripel Horse down a new path with each opened bottle." 10% ABV Victory Golden Monkey (Downington, PA) - "Strong and sensual, this golden, Belgian-style ale glows with goodness. The richness of German malts and Belgian yeast are tempered by a sparkling approach and overall light body. Considerable depth of character with abundant herbal, fruity notes make this one to savor." 9.5% ABV
BJCP Style Outline: Belgian Tripel Overall Impression: Strongly resembles a Strong Golden Ale but slightly darker and somewhat fuller-bodied. Usually has a more rounded malt flavor but should not be sweet. Comments: High in alcohol but does not taste strongly of alcohol. The best examples are sneaky, not obvious. High carbonation and attenuation helps to bring out the many flavors and to increase the perception of a dry finish. Most Trappist versions have at least 30 IBUs and are very dry. Traditionally bottle-conditioned (“refermented in the bottle”). History: Originally popularized by the Trappist monastery at Westmalle. Lets get it on... Pour Golden Monkey - Golden orange in color, almost the same shade as a pineapple. Lots of bubbles streaming upwards and creating a half inch of stark white head. Looks like some serious stuff sitting in this glass. I better be careful.
Tripel Horse - Comes out pretty viscous, this stuff has legs. Color is a deep, dark golden with an ultra foamy, pure white head that leaves plenty of lacing.
Aroma Golden Monkey - Earthy, yeasty and spicy in that order. Lots of that fruity, estery Belgian yeast smell comes out along with a nice earthiness. Very aromatic.
Tripel Horse - Sweet, spicy, vanilla-ey and yeasty. The major trademarks of the tripel are present and accounted for and making my nose very happy.
Taste Golden Monkey - Big yeast flavor off the bat, you know the one, its sort of like banana mixed with sweet citrus along with some earthy flavors thrown in. There is some nice spiciness thrown into the mix as well. If you've had some tripels from Belgium this might taste a little more crisp and refreshing. I'm not sure what it is but its got a certain freshness that I really enjoy.
Tripel Horse - Very smooth and the ever-present alcohol warms the stomach almost immediately with this one, 10% is a pretty warming number. The sweet, sugary goodness of the tripel flavors comes out nicely and with it some of the spiciness as well. The unique Belgian yeast flavor is also present and everything seems to mesh damn near perfectly.
Overall Golden Monkey - Very drinkable and quite quenching despite the high alcohol percentage, which does make the stomach warm on cold winter night. This is an excellent night cap and a 12 oz. bottle does wonders for your insomnia.
Tripel Horse - Impressive! I really enjoy this beer and commend River Horse for doing a great job and a very difficult style to both make here in the US as well as market.
Winner - River Horse Tripel Horse It was a very tough choice between these two solid Belgian-style tripels but I really feel like the Tripel Horse was just a little smoother and more delicate. I was very impressed by the Tripel Horse and although the Golden Monkey is an awesome beer, I felt that it was just a tad bit better. Definitely a tough call though. Posted by Russ Labels: Beer Battles |
