Tag Archives: Pale Ale

Homebrew: From Seamless to Shameless – American Pale Ale

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Today I brewed up a batch of American Pale Ale for team Seamless. They asked me if I could brew them an easy-to-drink and flavorful ‘team beer’, so I chose to brew an American Pale Ale featuring a simple malt bill and hopped with Cascade. The brewday went quite well, but had some small problems with the pump (which had jammed) in the beginning of the mash. I also didn’t quite reach the intended original gravity of 1.055, as the wort remained at 1.051, but instead gained 1.5 litres of extra wort. Seems like the cold weather (was brewing outdoors) affected the intensity of the boil. The beer will ferment for 2 weeks, after which I will keg it along with dry hops and force carbonate it for 2 more weeks. You can find the recipe and pictures from the brewday below.

The crushed grain along with the salt additions:

Closing in on the mash temperature:

Testing mashing with a nylon bag:

Weighing up the hop additions:

Adding the bittering addition:

Sanitizing the plate chiller during the last 15 minutes of the boil:

A little over 22 liters of wort ended up in the fermenting vessel together with a pouch of US-05:

The custom-designed crown caps with team logo:

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Omnipollo Mazarin

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  • Brewery: Omnipollo (Brewed at De Proefbrouwerij)
  • Country: Sweden
  • Style: American Pale Ale
  • ABV: 5.6 %
  • Size: 330 ml
  • Bought from: Barley Wine, Copenhagen
  • Beer Advocate
  • RateBeer

 

Omnipollo, aka Henok Fentie (the brewer) & Karl Grandin (the designer), are Swedish gypsy brewers that debuted in 2010. Their beers have just recently become available, and I bought home their Leon (a Belgian Pale Ale brewed with Amarillo & Simcoe, and fermented with champagne yeast) and Mazarin (American Pale Ale) from my recent trip to Copenhagen. Mazarin is a hop-bursted Pale Ale, that has been hopped with Amarillo, Chinook, Citra, Columbus and Simcoe to an IBU of 48, which borders to IPA territory. Sounds like my type of beer. The label is simplistic, and features only a sketch of a melting wax candle. Let’s see how it tastes.

[easyreview title=”Omnipollo Mazarin” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer pours with a slightly hazy golden-orange color, and a fluffy white head is formed. The head collapses quite quickly, but it leaves patches of lacing along the glass.” cat1rating=”4″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The aroma is dominated by a citrusy (mostly grapefruit and lemon), resiny, grassy, and tropical fruit-like hoppiness, that is joined by a light caramelly sweetness.” cat2rating=”4″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The flavor begins with a very light toasty and caramelly maltiness, that gets overtaken by a floral and grassy hoppiness that features tones of grapefruit, peaches and resin. The hop flavors stay in the mouth for a long time, and they finish in a smooth and quite dry bitter finish. The flavors are very well balanced, but feels the flavor is still missing something. Still very tasty.” cat3rating=”4″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”This beer was also very easy to drink and refreshing, with its balanced flavors, medium-light body and medium-high carbonation level. Perhaps a bit too high carbonation level for my taste, but otherwise a great mouthfeel.” cat4rating=”4″ summary=”Overall, a very nice American Pale Ale, packed with hoppy goodness, but still remaining very balanced. I really liked Omnipollo’s Leon as well, and will be looking forward to trying more of their beers in the future. A shame that these aren’t more available in Finland. A great beer!”]

PS. Thanks to Manker Beer and Henok for sending me an Omnipollo t-shirt. Of course I had to wear it while reviewing the beer.

Beer Tasting

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A couple of weeks ago (yes, I have really postponed writing this), me and two friends gathered to drink some beer after work, and at the same time I could ‘get rid of’ / taste through some of my evergrowing beer stock to make place for more. We had nine beers on the agenda, with one of them being Lovecats, the homebrewed blonde ale, and many being beers I had tried before. The whole line-up from left to right was: Firestone Walker Double Barrel Ale, Alesmith X, Port Brewing Shark Attack, Hopfenstopfer Jahrgangsbier, Lovecats, Green Glash Hop Head Red, Lindemanns Faro, William Bros Kelpie and Dark Star Espresso Stout.



 
We began by tasting Lovecats (left in picture below), Hopfenstopfer Jahrgangsbier (center in picture below) and Firestone Walker Double Barrel Ale (right in picture below). Lovecats poured with the usual hazy orange color and quickly-collapsing white-colored head. The aroma was citrusy, grassy and also featured tones of tropical fruits, and compared to the other two beers in the lineup (and actually also compared to the hoppier beers tasted later during the evening), it became evident that Lovecats has a really strong hop aroma. The flavor began with a slight maltiness, which was joined by a grassy and citrusy hoppiness, that lingered on to a bitter and slightly tart finish. The beer had a light body and quite high carbonation. Overall, Lovecats is an okay pale ale, have brewed better though.

Hopfenstopfer Jahrgangsbier is  German Pilsener, apparently brewed with homegrown malts and hops. The beer poured with a crystal-clear golden-yellow color and a fluffy white head. The aroma was very mild, but featured sweet, malty, and perfume-like tones. The flavor was also quite sweet, with malty and bready tones dominating. There was almost no hoppiness nor bitterness present in the flavor. The beer had a light body and medium carbonation level. Overall, I didn’t really like this one. Very bland and boring.

Firestone Walker’s Double Barrel Ale is an English-style Pale Ale, fermented in oak barrels. The beer poured with a clear copper color and a fluffy off-white head. Nice looking beer. The aroma contained some herbal and earthy hops, combined with tones of oak, caramel and the slightest fruitiness. The flavor was similar to the aroma, with a caramelly and bready maltiness dominating together with a oaky woodiness and a herbal hoppiness. The finish was dry and quite astringent. The body was smooth and medium-full, and the beer had a medium carbonation level. Overall, a strange beer, but the oakiness went together quite well with the caramel and hops.



 
After this we moved on to the darker and (the only) sour beer: William Bros Kelpie (left in the picture below), Lindemanns Faro (center in the picture below) and Dark Star Espresso Stout (right in the picture below). Kelpie, which I have had a small taste sample of before, is a dark traditional ale that has been brewed with fresh seaweed in the mash tun. The beer poured clear and dark brown, almost black, with a quite long-lasting cream-colored head. The aroma was dominated by toasted and roasted malts, with slight coffee tones. There is also a minimal fruitiness present in the aroma. The flavor is also dominated by the toasted and roasted malts, and these are joined by a herbal hoppiness, and a minerally and dry finish. The beer has a quite light body and a medium carbonation level. Overall, I was not really fond of this beer, as the flavors were a bit strange and the beer felt a little light. I couldn’t really detect any seaweed, but there was a saltiness present.

Next up was Lindemans Faro, a beer in a style that was new to me. Faro Lambics are lambic (i.e. spontaneously fermented sour beers) blends which have been sweetened with (usually brown) sugar. Bottled versions are usually pasteurized, to prevent bottle-fermentation of the added sugar. The beer poured slightly hazy, with an amber color, and almost no head. The aroma was sweet and sour, with a combination of candy, sugar, a cherry-like tartness, and some funkiness. The flavor featured sweet caramel blended with a citrusy and cherry-like tartness and acidity. The flavor reminded me of some kind of sweet and sour candies I’ve eaten as a kid. The finish was slightly dry, while the body was a light and the beer had a medium-high carbonation level. Overall, a very strange beer, that I found surprisingly enjoyable I must admit. I’m not a fan of sour beer at all, but this was surprisingly drinkable (probably thanks to the sweetness).

Dark Star’s Espresso Stout is also a beer I’ve had before, and it is a stout brewed with ground arabica coffee. The beer pours pitch-black, portraying slight red tones when held up against the light, and a tan-colored head is formed, that leaves lacing as it collapses. The aroma is dominated by coffee, but there are some roasted malt and caramel tones present as well. You can definitely tell coffee has been used when brewing this. The flavor featured tones of roasted malt, coffee, ash, and some chocolate. The finish is quite dry and astringent, and I’m left wishing for some more body to back up the roastiness. The beer has a light body and a medium carbonation level. Overall, a very coffee-dominated beer that is a little light on the body. Would really benefit from some more alcohol and rest sugars.



 
We finished off the evening with the hoppy beers, tasting through Green Flash Hop Head Red (left in the picture below), Alesmith X (center in the picture below) and Port Brewing Shark Attack (right in the picture below). I had tried two of the beers before, but Alesmith’s X was new to me. Green Flash Hop Head Red poured with a clear dark amber-copper color and a cream-colored head, that collapsed leaving drapes of lacing along the glass. The aroma has lots of hoppiness featuring floral, citrusy, fruity, and pineapple-like tones. There are also some tones of dark fruits and candy-like sweetness present. The flavor features tones of caramel, toasted malt, and a resiny and grapefruit-like hoppiness, that ends in a semi-dry and moderately bitter finish. The beer has a medium-full body and a medium carbonation level. Overall, a nice beer, featuring some nice hoppiness (especially the aroma) and balance.

The next beer was Alesmith X, which is an American Pale Ale by the infamous San Diego-based brewers. The beer poured with a clear golden-yellow color and a white head, that collapsed leaving some slight lacing along the glass. The aroma was hoppy, featuring floral, citrusy, and grassy tones. The aroma also featured some mild caramel tones. The flavor featured a light maltiness coupled with a citrusy hoppiness, that finished in a dry and bitter finish. The beer had a medium-light body and a medium carbonation level. Overall, a better-than-average pale ale, but nothing very special. The hop tones were nice, but felt like the beer was lacking something.

The final beer of the evening was Port Brewing’s Shark Attack, previously tasted here. The beer had a very similar appearance to Hop Head Red, with a dark amber color and a cream-colored head. The aroma featured tones of dark fruits, raisins, red fruits, floral and citrusy hoppiness, and slight alcohol. I definitely remembered this being a lot hoppier and the last bottle I had was even much older (this one was only 3 months old). The flavor featured tones of caramel, dark fruits, malts, and a grapefruit-like hoppiness. The flavor finishes semi-dry and quite bitter. The beer featured a medium-full body and a medium carbonation level. Overall, a nice imperial red, but this was a lot maltier and less hoppy than I remembered. Still very enjoyable and a nice end to the evening.



 
All in all it was a good evening, with some really nice beers. The last three beers were among my favorites of the night, and something really surprising was that Lovecats had the most hoppy aroma of the lot.

Mikkeller K:rlek

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  • Brewery: Mikkeller (Brewed at De Proefbrouwerij)
  • Country: Denmark
  • Style: American Pale Ale
  • ABV: 5.5 %
  • Size: 355 ml
  • Bought from: Online
  • Beer Advocate
  • RateBeer

 

Mikkeller’s K:rlek is a concept beer brewed in collaboration with Swedish craft beer importer Brill & Co and first released in April 2012. This version of K:rlek (an American Pale Ale) is brewed for the spring and summer of 2012, and the next version (with a new recipe) will be released for the autumn and winter of 2012. I’ve liked the majority of beers produced by Mikkeller, so this beer sounds really interesting. The beer has been brewed with Pale Ale, CaraHell, Pilsner, Flaked Oats and Wheat Malt, and hopped with Centennial, Citra, Columbus, Nelson Sauvin, and Simcoe to an unknown amount of bitterness. Based on the hops, I’m expecting a fruit salad combined with some resin in both aroma and flavor. Let’s see what it tastes like!

[easyreview title=”Mikkeller K:rlek” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer pours with a slightly hazy golden-orange color, and a fluffy white head is formed. The head collapses quite quickly, but leaves huge patches of lacing along the glass.” cat1rating=”4″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The aroma features a combination of both bready malts and some fruity hoppiness, with tones of citrus, apricots and mango. The aroma isn’t very strong, but what is present is nice.” cat2rating=”3.5″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The flavor begins with a lightly bready and sweet maltiness, that is joined by a citrusy, grassy and resiny hoppiness, that draws on similar tones as the aroma. The flavor finishes quite dry and with a lingering bitterness, that stays in the mouth for a long time. The flavors are well balanced, and the hop flavors and bitterness are slightly higher than I would expect from an American Pale Ale. The hops are well backed up by the maltiness, that doesn’t feature the typical caramel tones usually found in many beers of this type.” cat3rating=”4″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”This beer is dangerously easy to drink, and features a medium-light body and a medium carbonation level. The flavors are well balanced and the beer is really refreshing. Great beer for the summer!” cat4rating=”4″ summary=”A really refreshing and (for the style) hoppy beer, that is easy to drink and features some great flavors. The mix of five hop varieties go together quite well, and even though it didn’t feature the fruit salad I expected, the citrusy, grassy and resiny flavors worked well together with the malt and bitterness. I wish this beer was easily available in Finland, and I can only be envious of the Swedes and how much better service and selection is available at Systembolaget compared to Alko. Another great beer by Mikkeller!”]

Beer Tasting Evening

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I organized another beer tasting event together with a couple of friends (Kimmo, Marcus L. and Marcus N.) yesterday, and this time we tasted through a total of 21 different beers (we had 24 beers total, but didn’t taste through them all). Out of the 21 beers, 8 were homebrews (one of my own, two from Marcus L., and five that our Swedish friend Ingo had sent us; Thanks for them!). Most of the beers were fantastic and we had a great time. We also had some tasty homemade hamburgers and potato wedges to fill out stomachs between the beers (thanks Marcus L. and Marcus N. for making them!). Here is a picture of the whole line-up:

The line-up included:
Back row, left to right: Cigar City Jai Alai, St. Feuillien Saison, Black Isle Goldeneye Pale Ale (not tasted), La Trappe Witte (not tasted), Southern Tier Iniquity, Green Flash Imperial IPA, Bear Republic Big Bear Black Stout, Southern Tier Backburner, Norrebro Pacific Summer Ale, De Molen Hemel & Aarde, Brewdog IPA is Dead – Galaxy, Brewdog IPA is Dead – Challenger, Brewdog IPA is Dead – Motueka, Brewdog IPA is Dead – HBC, Brewdog Hardcore IPA (not tasted), Brewdog DogA.

Front row, left to right: “1 AM” – British Yeast, “1 AM” – American Yeast, Citra IPA (mine), Slinka V IPA, PMX II – Sällskapsporter, PraktPretto II – Ale, Slinka V IPA (again), Zum Zum, Grabthar’s Hammer – Imperial India Pale Ale.

We began the evening by trying out Brewdog’s IPA is Dead series:

The beers poured with a similar golden-amber color and a slight white head that left some lacing. The Galaxy version was slightly hazier than the rest of the bunch. The Challenger version featured an earthy, grassy and slightly citrusy aroma, that pulled my mind towards ‘English’-style ales directly. The flavor was the least hoppy of the bunch, and you could get tones of caramel, toasted malt and red berries, along with the earthy and herby hoppiness. The Galaxy version had an aroma featuring tones of mango, passion fruit and grapefruit. The flavor was similar, featuring strong tones of grapefruit, citrus, resin and some tropical fruits. The bitterness of the Galaxy version felt the harshest and most present. The HBC version also featured tones of tropical fruits (mango) in the aroma, but had more of a grassy feel. The flavor felt the sweetest of the four beers, and featured tones of citrus, currants and some grassiness. The Motueka version featured tones of dill and lemon in the aroma, and it reminded me a bit of the tones you get from the Sorachi Ace hop. The flavor contained some tones of tropical fruits alongside the lemon which was present in the aroma already. The beers all had a medium body and a medium-low carbonation level. My favorite of the bunch was the Galaxy version.

Next up was a foursome of homebrews (My Citra IPA, and Ingo’s Slinka V IPA, Zum Zum and PraktPretto II):

Again the beers had a similar appearance, all being slightly hazy, having colors in the golden-amber range and having white to off-white heads. The Citra IPA featured tones of passion fruits, lychee, mango and some alcohol in the aroma. The flavor began slightly sweet, with honey-like tones, which are joined by hop tones of tropical fruits. The finish is quite smooth and with some bitterness. The beer had a medium body and medium carbonation level. Slinka V IPA featured tones of caramel and ‘fruity bubblegum’ in the aroma. The flavor was quite different, moving towards resiny and earthy hop flavors, and a bitter finish. The beer had a medium body and low carbonation level. Zum Zum was a little strange, as according to the label it should have been a beer with a low IBU but loads of hops (I was expecting a beer in the style of an American Pale Ale), but it felt more like a Hefeweizen. Both the aroma and flavor was dominated by spicy phenols, some banana and yeastiness, which are typical of the Hefeweizen-style. The beer had a light body and a medium carbonation level. I wonder if this was infected? PraktPretto II (an English Ale, hopped with EK Goldings, 5.9%, 30 IBU, 1.055->1.010) featured earthy and grassy tones in the aroma, and it felt very true to the style. There was some cherry in the aroma as well. The began with a sweet maltiness, that was joined by some earthiness. The flavors were well balanced. The beer had a medium-light body and a medium carbonation level. This was my favorite of these three Ingo beers.

After this it was time to try two of Alko’s summer beers, St. Feuillien Saison and Norrebro Pacific Summer Ale, and Marcus L.’s two homebrews (the same Amber Ale base, but fermented with S-04 and US-05):

The saison poured golden-yellow with a fluffy white head. The aroma was mostly spicy (Belgian yeast tones), with some slight citrus. The flavor was quite light, with the same spicyness from the aroma and a dry finish. The body was light and carbonation level was medium-high. Refreshing summer beer. The Norrebro Pacific Summer Ale poured golden-amber, with a minimal white head. The aroma contained tones of caramelly malt, honey, and a slight fruity hoppiness. The flavor was similarly malt-dominated, with bready and caramelly flavors dominating, with a slight grassy hoppiness in the background. The finish was quite dry with not much bitterness. The body was medium-light with a medium carbonation level. The “1 AM” ales were amber colored, with slight off-white heads and a oily texture. Both beers had a caramelly and malty aroma, with the British version having some red berries in the aroma as well, while the American version had some ‘dishcloth’ tones as well. Both beers were quite bland in flavor, featuring mostly maltiness and some sour undertones. Both beers had a light body and medium carbonation level. Both were probably passed their prime unfortunately.

After this we started to get hungry, so we cooked up some burgers and potato wedges. While cooking we enjoyed Cigar City’s Jai Alai IPA (unfortunately no picture or tasting notes, but see this post from when I tried it last), full-packed with citrusy hoppiness. After dinner we moved to the heavier beers, and poured up Ingo’s Grabthar’s Hammer (9%, 101 IBU, 1.086->1.018, Amarillo, Riwaka, Cascade, Chinook, and Summer hops), Green Flash Imperial IPA, Southern Tier Iniquity and Southern Tier Backburner:

Grabthar’s Hammer poured with a hazy amber color and a white head. The aroma featured tones of sweet tropical fruits, citrus and slight alcohol (the aroma was similar to his Slinka V IPA). The flavor began with a sweet maltiness, that is joined by tones of tropical fruits and citrus. The finish is quite sweet with a huge bitterness. There are slight solvent tones present as well. The beer has a medium body and medium-low carbonation level. Green Flash Imperial IPA poured with a golden color and a really fluffy and large white head, that collapsed leaving tons of lacing. The aroma featured a sweet citrusy and herby tone, that felt really familiar, but that none of us could pinpoint. Maybe it was tangerine, which Summit hops are known for. The flavor was dominated by hoppy tones of resin and lemon, and the finish was quite sweet and bitter. The beer had a medium body and medium carbonation level. Southern Tier Iniquity (Black IPA) poured very dark brown (almost black), with a off-white head. The aroma contained tones of roasted malt, spices and a slight hoppiness. The flavor began with some roasted tones and caramel, and it was joined by some resiny hop tones and a bitter finish. The beer had a medium body and medium carbonation level. Southern Tier Backburner (Barleywine) poured with a dark amber color, and a slight off-white head was formed. The aroma was nutty, malty and caramelly, and the flavor was similar. The flavor was dominated by very sweet caramelly tones, together with a nutty maltiness and a slightly bitter finish. The beer had a full body and a medium-low carbonation level.

The final beers of the evening were the Imperial Stouts and Porter. Brewdog’s Dog A, De Molen Hemel & Aarde, Bear Republic Big Bear Black Stout and Ingo’s PMX II Sällskapsporter (6.8%, 30 IBU, Magnum, EK Goldings, 1.062->1.010). Fortunately I had read warning notes on the internet about opening the Hemel & Aarde, as when we opened it in the kitchen sink, 75% of the contents came out in a beer fountain.

Dog A poured pitch black with a minimal tan head. The aroma featured tones of roasted malt, coffee, chocolate and some fruitiness from the chili. The flavor was intensive, featuring roasted malt, coffee, caramel, chocolate and some warming chili tones. The beer had a full body and a surprising amount of carbonation (medium level). It was very drinkable already, but I think it will improve with some aging. Hemel & Aarde was a bit hard to comment on, because of the small amount of beer that remained for tasting. It was also pitch black and no head was formed during pour. The aroma was full of smokey whisky tones and some roastiness. The flavor was similar. The beer had a full body and low carbonation level. Shame about the gusher, since it would have been nice to try more of this beer. The Big Bear Black Stout poured pitch black with a cream-colored head. The aroma was quite light compared to the previous two beers, and it featured tones of roasted malt and coffee. The flavor was also surprisingly light, with roasted tones of coffee and chocolate. A slight tartness was present as well. The beer had a medium body and medium carbonation level. The Sällskapsporter also tried to come out of the bottle when opening, so it poured with a black color and a massive cream-colored head that collapsed quite quickly. The aroma was quite light, with some roasted malt and coffee, together with a slight sourness. The flavor was mostly roasted malts, with a very dry finish and slight bitterness. The body was medium-light with a medium-high carbonation level. I wonder if this was infected as well?

Overall I’m very happy with the evening, as there were some fantastic beers. Personal favorites were Brewdog IPA is Dead Galaxy, Cigar City’s Jai Alai, Green Flash Imperial IPA and Brewdog Dog A.

Hopfenstopfer Citra Ale

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  • Brewery: Häffner Bräu
  • Country: Germany
  • Style: American Pale Ale
  • ABV: 5.1 %
  • Size: 330 ml
  • Bought from: Berlin Bier Shop, ? (maybe 2-3) euro
  • Beer Advocate
  • RateBeer

 

Here is a bottle I dragged home from my recent Berlin trip. It was bought from Berlin’s best beer shop: Berlin Bier Shop, which is run by the friendly and knowledgeable Rainer. The Germans are not known for heavy experimentation with their beer, and the majority of the consumed beer are brewed to traditional styles and recipes. It is nice to see that German craft breweries are arising as well! I didn’t find much information about this beer, but I assume it is a single hop Citra Pale Ale brewed with pilsner malts. Let’s see how it tastes!

[easyreview title=”Hopfenstopfer Citra Ale” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer pours with a hazy golden-orange color, and fluffy white head is formed, that collapses quickly leaving drapes of lacing along the glass. The haziness can probably be somewhat attributed to the beer only standing a day in the fridge after travelling home from Berlin.” cat1rating=”3″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The aroma is sweet and features typical Citra tones of lychee, grapefruit and gooseberries. There is a slight tartness in the aroma as well. The aroma could be slightly more powerful.” cat2rating=”3.5″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The flavor begins with a slightly sweet maltiness, and moves on to similar fruit tones (lychee, citrus, mango and gooseberries) as in the aroma. The finish has a slight bitterness and a semi-dry feel, contributed by some honey-like tones. Again there is a slight tartness present, but nothing that bothers too much (I suspect it could be from suspended yeast). The beer is quite well balanced, but I wish the Citra hop flavors would be a bit more present.” cat3rating=”3.5″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The beer has a light body and a medium-low carbonation level. It is very easily drinkable, and this would make a great beer for the summer.” cat4rating=”4″ summary=”I was pleasantly surprised with this beer, as it was well put together, and featured pleasant tones from one of my favorite hops. The hop flavor could have been a bit stronger, and the body a bit fuller, but otherwise it was nice! I am looking forward to trying the other Häffner Bräu beer I brought home. If you can get your hands on this beer and like fruity, light and fresh beers I recommend it!”]

Juhani’s Columbus APA (Homebrew)

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  • Brewery: Juhani’s Homebrewery
  • Country: Finland
  • Style: American Pale Ale
  • ABV: 5.6 %
  • Size: 330 ml
  • Bought from: Gift
  • Not on Beer Advocate
  • Not on RateBeer

 

I traded some homebrews with my neighbour a couple of weeks ago, and the first one I will be trying is Juhani’s Single Hop Columbus APA (batch #33), which he brewed using POLKU‘s equipment. It has been brewed with a malt bill consisting of 90% Pale Ale and 10% Crystal 150 malt. It has been hopped with Columbus to an IBU of 45. Seems very promising!

[easyreview title=”Juhani’s Columbus APA (Homebrew)” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer pours with a clear amber color, and a long-lasting fluffy off-white head is formed, that collapses leaving drapes of lacing along the glass. Very nice appearance!” cat1rating=”4.5″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The aroma is dominated by hoppy tones, drawing towards the floral, earthy and citrusy spectrum. A slight malty sweetness can be detected. The aroma is overall very clean, with only the slightest solvent-like tones which could be detected while opening the bottle and pouring, and some minimal yeasty tones in the aroma. Aroma suits the style well, but from personal preferences I wish it could be slightly stronger.” cat2rating=”4″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The flavor starts very hoppy straight from the beginning, with earthy, resiny and bitter hop flavors dominating all the way to the aftertaste. There are almost no malt tones present in the flavor. The aftertaste continues being bitter and is also quite dry. Somehow feels a lot more bitter than 45 IBU. I feel the beer could use a little more maltiness and maybe slightly more hop flavor to balance out the quite harsh bitterness. On the other hand, the beer has only been in the bottles a couple of weeks, so it is probably still young, and the bitterness will fade with time.” cat3rating=”3″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The beer has a quite light body and medium carbonation level. It is quite easily drinkable, but the bitterness takes away somewhat from it.” cat4rating=”3.5″ summary=”A nice American Pale Ale, that either was a bit young or had slightly too high bitterness. The aroma was nice and not ‘homebrewy’ at all, and it reminded me a bit of Stadin Panimo’s Simcoe Pale Ale. A good beer that probably will become much better with age! Suggestion to Juhani: maybe mash the beer a tad bit higher next time, to get some more body, and maybe move some of the bitterness hop additions to flavor additions.”]

Thanks Juhani for the bottle!

Stadin Panimo NZ Pacifica Pale Ale

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  • Brewery: Stadin Panimo
  • Country: Finland
  • Style: American Pale Ale
  • ABV: 4.5 %
  • Size: 330 ml
  • Bought from: K-Citymarket, 3.95 euro
  • Not on Beer Advocate
  • RateBeer

 

Saw a couple of new Stadin Panimo beer (NZ Pacifica Pale Ale, Nugget Pale Ale and Witbier) in K-Citymarket a couple of weeks ago, and now I finally have time to try one of them. Stadin Panimo have been brewing a series of single hop pale ale for a couple of years now, and this is an extension to the series. I haven’t tried anything hopped with NZ Pacifica (at least that I know of), but the hop is known for orangey citrus notes, so it should be interesting. I have no more information on the ingredients used, but the beer should have a bitterness of 35 IBU and it has been aroma-hopped using hopback technique. Tomorrow I’m heading to Amsterdam with my girlfriend for a one-week vacation. I’m really looking forward to some time off school and work, and will hopefully be able to try some nice beers on the trip as well. Will at least try to head to De Bierkoning (unfortunately Cracked Kettle has closed), Beer Temple, ‘t Arendsnest and In de Wildeman.

[easyreview title=”Stadin Panimo NZ Pacifica Pale Ale” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer pours with a slighty hazy golden-amber color, a white-colored head that quickly collapses leaving minimal lacing along the glass.” cat1rating=”3.5″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The aroma is hoppy, with floral and fruity tones. I can’t pinpoint the exact fruits, but there is some citrus (though not much orange), peach and maybe mango? There is as a slight sweetness present as well.” cat2rating=”3.5″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The flavor begins with a slight caramelly sweetness, which is joined by a citrusy and fruity flavor, similar to what was present in the aroma. The flavor ends quite dry and with a slightly bitter finish. Quite light, but the flavors are well balanced. The aftertaste is plagued by a vegetable-like off flavor, that sticks to the top of the mouth.” cat3rating=”3.5″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The beer is quite light-bodied and has a medium carbonation level. The beer is refreshing, but feels a little thin.” cat4rating=”3″ summary=”A good pale ale, similar to the other beers in Stadin Panimo’s single hop series. It had some nice fruity aroma and flavors, but the strange off-flavor draws away some points. A bit light in body, but still nice for a <4.7% beer."]

Evening with Stone Brewing and other goodies!

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Olutravintola Pikkulintu have recently imported a batch of 10 different beers by Stone Brewing, and yesterday they were released at both Pikkulintu and a number of pubs around the country, including The Gallows Bird in Espoo, where I myself headed yesterday afternoon, in hopes of tasting these praised beers. The beers available are: Levitation Ale, Pale Ale, IPA, Ruination IPA, Oaked Arrogant Bastard, Belgo Anise Imperial Russian Stout, Double Bastard, Old Guardian Belgo, 15th Anniversary Escondidian Imperial Black IPA, and 11.11.11 Vertical Epic Ale. So yesterday, me and a group of friends headed to The Gallows Bird to try through the list of Stone beer. When we came to the bar we were informed that we would have to wait a couple of hours for the Stone beer to arrive, so I tried some Danish beer in the meanwhile.

 




 

First up was Hornbeer’s Black Magic Woman, an Imperial Stout brewed with smoked and peated malt. The beer had a pitch-black color and slight tan-colored head. The aroma was very roasty, featuring tones of burnt malt, coffee, licorice, dark chocolate, caramel and some alcohol. The flavor was similar, with tones of coffee, chocolate, ash, licorice and roasted malts dominating. The flavor ended with a slightly bitter aftertaste, and I thought the beer was quite well balanced. The beer was quite full-bodied, with medium-low carbonation and a smooth finish. I thought this was a really tasty and well balanced Imperial Stout, getting a grade of 4/5.

 




 

Next up were Evil Twin’s Yin and Yang, an Imperial Stout and Imperial IPA brewed to complement each other. The label even recommends trying a mix of them, which I also did. I began with Yang, an amber-colored beer with a fluffy off-white head. The aroma was extremely fruity, with tones of mango, passion fruit, citrus and resin. There was also some caramel in the aroma as well. The flavor began with some caramel as well, but was quickly joined by lots of tropical fruit flavor from the hops. There were tones of mango, passionfruit, grapefruit and orange. The flavor ended with a sweet and bitter aftertaste. The beer was medium bodied, with a medium-low carbonation level. I liked this a lot, even though the fruitiness was a bit over the top. This one also gets a grade of 4/5.

 

Yin poured with a pitch-black color and a minimal tan-colored head. The aroma was full of roasted tones, featuring coffee, chocolate and some roasted malt. The flavor is similar, with tones of chocolate, cocoa, and coffee dominating, together with some caramel and roasted malts. The beer has a smooth and full body, and a low carbonation level. I thought the beer was quite well-balanced, a overall I found the beer tasty. The chocolate and coffee tones were especially strong in this one. Yin gets a grade of 4.5/5.

 



Yang to the left, Yin to the right, and the mixture in the center

 

When the two were mixed, a dark brown beer was formed, with a fluffy cream-colored head. Lots of the fruitiness from Yang’s aroma was still left, and it was coupled by a slight roastiness. The flavor on the other hand was dominated by the chocolate and coffee tones from Yin, making for an interesting mixture. The mixture was nice, but liked the beers more on their own.

 




 

While we were drinking Yin and Yang, a courier showed up outside the bar, and boxes full of Stone’s beer were loaded into the bar, hooray! It was probably a bad idea to start the day with the strong (both in flavor and alcohol content) Danish beers, since the list of Stone beers included some ‘lighter’ ones, but we did our best to neutralize the taste-buds with some water and salty snacks. We began the Stone tasting with their Pale Ale. The beer poured with an amber-orange color, and a fluffy white head. The aroma was mostly caramel, and not at all as hoppy as I was expecting. There were some slight tones of grapefruit. The flavor began with some bready maltiness, that followed with a slight fruity and citrusy hop flavor. The aftertaste was bitter and slightly dry. The beer had a medium body and carbonation level. Overall, this was my least favorite beer of the evening, and felt it being quite bland. Maybe it was because I had such strongly flavored beers before this. Still it was a drinkable Pale Ale, just nothing special. I give this one a grade of 3-3.5/5.

 




 

Next up was Stone’s Levitation Ale, which is an Amber Ale with 4.4% ABV (you can find it in Kesko’s larger supermarkets, e.g. K-Citymarket Sello and Iso Omena, as well!). The Levitation Ale poured a dark amber color, with an off-white head. The aroma was a lot fruitier than the Pale Ale to my surprise, and it featured tones of caramel, citrus, mango, and resin. The flavor begins with some sweet malty tones and caramel, and this is joined by the citrusy and slightly resinous tones from the hops. The aftertaste is bitter, and I felt the beer is well-balanced for such a low-ABV hoppy beer. The beer has a nice medium body and a medium carbonation level. I definitely thought it was better than the Pale Ale, and overall a tasty well-balanced package. I give this one a grade of 3.5-4/5.

 




 

Then, it was time for Stone’s Oaked Arrogant Bastard, which I have reviewed earlier. The beer pours with a dark amber color and an off-white head, and the beer has a very similar appearance to Levitation Ale. The aroma has tones of wood, dark fruits, malt and some resiny hops as well. Can’t find much of the vanilla, which I remember from the last time I tried it. Also remember that there would have been slightly more hoppiness in the aroma the last time I had it. The flavor begins with tones of caramel and just a slight roasted maltiness. This is joined by an earthy, citrusy, bitter and woody flavor from the hops and oak. The aftertaste is quite bitter. Couldn’t recognize any vanilla in the flavor as well. The beer has a medium body and carbonation level. I liked it, but felt it was a bit different compared to when I tasted it the last time. The atmosphere and tasting conditions are of course very different, which probably explain the differences in taste. I give this one a grade of 4/5.

 




 

The following beer was Stone’s India Pale Ale, an American IPA featuring 70+ IBU. The beer pours with a light golden-yellow color and a fluffy white head. The aroma is hoppy and floral, with tones of grapefruit, resin, pine and mango. The flavor begins with a slight sweet maltiness, that is quickly overtaken by a resiny and citrusy hoppiness, with tones of pine and grapefruit. The flavor finished with huge bitterness. The beer has a medium-light body and a medium carbonation level. The beer is quite well balanced, with the slightly sweet malt backbone backing up the bitter hoppiness. A nice IPA, but was hoping for something ‘more special’. I give this one a grade of 3.5-4/5 (leaning towards the 4).

 




 

The following beer was one of the bigger bottles: The Vertical Epic 11.11.11. This year’s Vertical Epic is a Belgian-style Ale, brewed with Anaheim Chilies and Cinnamon. The beer pours with a hazy amber-orange color and a slight off-white head. The aroma has tones of banana and spices (cloves and a slight hint of cinnamon), together with a slight maltiness. Can’t detect much of the chili. The flavor is similar, beginning with a slight caramel maltiness, together with some spicy belgian yeast tones (cloves and pepper) and some banana. The beer has a smooth and medium-full body, and a medium-low carbonation level. Makes a great sipping beer, and I quite liked it, even though I’m not a great fan of Belgian-style ale. Couldn’t detect much of the chili though. I give this one a grade of 3.5-4/5.

 




 

Then it was time for another beer I’ve had before, Ruination IPA, which I reviewed a couple of months ago. Last time I really liked it, even though it was a bit on the bitter side. This time the beer pours a golden-yellow color with a white fluffy head. The aroma is very hoppy and floral, with tones of resin and citrus. The flavor begins with a slight maltiness, but it is evident that this is a very hoppy and bitter beer, with resiny and citrusy (grapefruit) taking over and dominating the palate. The flavor ends with a dry and huge bitter aftertaste. The beer has a medium-light body and medium carbonation level. I liked the hop flavors in this one, even though they were not as strong as I remember (could have been the tasting conditions again), but felt the beer was slightly too bitter. I give this one a grade of 4/5.

 




 

Next up is Stone’s Double Bastard, a stronger, maltier and hoppier version of Stone’s Arrogant Bastard. This beer poured with a dark amber color and a fluffy cream-colored head. The aroma is malty, with tones of caramel and dark fruits (raisins), and citrusy (from the hops). The flavor begins malt forward, with tones of caramel, bread and raisins, which is joined by a earthy, resiny and citrusy hoppiness, that ends in a sweet, spicy and bitter finish. The beer has a medium body and carbonation level, and since the flavors are very strong in this one, it seems a bit unbalanced. I liked this one, but it was a bit heavy. I give this one a grade of 4/5.

 




 

The following beer was the 15th Anniversary Escondidian Imperial Black IPA, which is one of the first Black IPAs I’ve ever had. The beer pours a black color, with a fluffy tan head. The aroma is hoppy, with resin and citrus dominating. There is a slight caramelliness, roastiness and alcohol presence in the aroma as well. The flavor has a bit more roastiness, with some tones of coffee, but the hops are very prevalent here as well, with tones of resin and grapefruit. The aftertaste is bitter. The beer has a smooth medium body with a medium carbonation level. This was an interesting blend of an IPA and a stout, that I thought worked quite well. I give this one a grade of 4/5.

 




 

The second last beer of the evening, which was also probably my favorite of the Stone’s, Belgo Anise Imperial Russian Stout. This Imperial Stout has, as the name implies, been spiced with anise and oak chips, and has been brewed with a Belgian yeast strain. The beer pours with a pitch-black color, and a slight tan head is formed. The aroma is dominated by lots of licorice and anise tones, but there are some tones of coffee, roasted malts, and a slight salmiakki. The flavor is roasty, with tones of licorice, coffee, chocolate and salmiakki. There are some slight hop flavors as well, and the flavor finishes quite bitter with anise in the aftertaste. The body is full, and the carbonation level is low. Felt the beer was quite well balanced, but this was definitely a slow-sipping beer. I like licorice, so this suited me fine, but I understand that people not liking licorice would find this beer quite unpleasant. Great flavors in a nice package. I give this one a grade of 4.5/5.

 




 

The final beer of the evening is the Old Guardian Belgo, a Barleywine brewed with a Belgian yeast strain. The beer pours with a clear dark amber color, with an off-white head. The aroma is sweet, malty and has some fruity tones from the Belgian yeast. The flavor is sweet and malty, with caramel and dark fruits, and is some hop flavor present as well. There is only a slight presence of the Belgian yeast in the flavor. The flavor is slightly boozy as well, but the alcohol is quite well hidden behind the sweetness. The beer has a full body and a low carbonation level. It was a little too sweet for my taste, and a bit heavy to drink. I give this one a grade of 3.5/5.

 




 

Overall, this was a very pleasant evening, with some great tasting beers. I recommend visiting Gallows Bird, Pikkulintu, or any of the other pubs around the country offering these beers, and at least try some of them. Thanks Pia, Jonny, Rasmus, Artem, Paulina, Teemu and Kimmo for the company!

Stadin Panimo Cascade Pale Ale

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  • Brewery: Stadin Panimo
  • Country: Finland
  • Style: American Pale Ale
  • ABV: 4.5%
  • Size: 330 ml
  • Bought from: K-Citymarket, 3.95€
  • Not on Beer Advocate
  • Not on RateBeer

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    This is the newest of Stadin Panimo’s Single Hop Pale Ale series to hit the stores. I’ve only tasted their Citra Pale Ale, and it was nice, but other hops featured in the series are Ahtanum, Amarillo, Centennial, Chinook, Galena, Motueka, Pacific Gem and Pacifica (I have probably forgotten some hop). This American Pale Ale has been hopped solely with Cascade, to an IBU of 35. A Hopback technique has been used for increased hop aroma. Seems promising!

    [easyreview title=”Stadin Panimo Cascade Pale Ale” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer pours with a golden-amber color, is just slightly hazy, and forms a slight white colored head, that collapses leaving almost no lacing along the glass.” cat1rating=”3.5″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The beer has a sweet, fruity (some grapefruit and mango), and just slightly grassy aroma. As i mentioned, I haven’t had that many Stadin Panimo beers, but I seem to remember a similar tone in the Citra Pale Ale and Simcoe Lager, and such maybe a ‘house aroma’.” cat2rating=”3.5″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The flavor begins slightly sweet, with just the slightest caramel. This is then joined by some grassy, floral and citrusy hop tones. The finish is bitter and quite dry, and I also get a similar vibe as with the aroma, i.e. that I can almost taste a ‘house flavor’ typical of Stadin Panimo.” cat3rating=”3.5″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The beer is crisp and quite light bodied, and has a moderate carbonation level. It was refreshing and drinkable, but would have wanted a slightly stronger body.” cat4rating=”3″ summary=”Nothing special, but overall a good beer. It’s always nice to drink a Finnish microbrew. The beer has some great hop tones, but I feel the beer could definitely use some more body.”]