Beer Review: Shock Top IPA

Very rarely will you hear me say I don't like a type of beer.  Indian Pale Ales are something of an anomaly for me.  It is not that I don't like them per say, I have grown to appreciate them where as before in my younger days (you know that age, when you were strictly a Miller Lite/Coors Light kinda person) I didn't even know what the hell I.P.A. stood for.  For that matter didn't even know it existed.  Snobby beer drinkers talk about the category of the I.P.A as though it is some Holy Grail of beer, one that should consistently take up residence in your fridge.  If it does not, then you my friend know NOTHING about beer, and your taste is right on par with some sub-species of slug, known as blithering idiot.  It's true snobby snobsters! don't deny it!  Anyway I guess I have this blog to thank, for I am not so sure I would have even looked at Shock Top's Wheat Indian Pale Ale, if I weren't into talking about beers on here.

With the intro now deftly out of the way let's take a walk down the gullet and check out this I.P.A. from Shock Top.  Initial pour on this beer into a glass releases a strong wheat grain smell ripping up through the empty space and crashing into your nose.  A second breath in, and I noticed a little bit of cinnamon trailing after that wheat smell, pleasantly sweetening the sniffer.  The pour produced a light frothy head to contrast the brunette body, with the head giving a good lacing on the glass.

The first taste produced a plethora of flavors, all swimming together as one, making it hard to distinguish any note of flavor that really stood out.  But much like the smell the second swig brought out the layers as definable as anyone could hope for.  As with most I.P.A.'s the hops showed up to the party, and stayed the WHOLE time.  Oddly enough though adding to a slightly peppery and bitter aftertaste, the hops weren't over powering.  They lent themselves heavily, and helped this beer finish clean and dry with a bite, but didn't soak up spit like a salteen.  The other layers moving through the beer were wheat and yeast, and surprisingly orange and what I can only describe as coriander with a small bit of cloves for good measure.  All in all a damn good beer despite my prejudice against it.

Shock Top did  a great job in bringing the classic notes and vibes to an I.P.A. without losing itself in the process, adding a little here, taking a little there, they make this brew one to definitely give a chance.

"The problem with the world is that everyone is a few drinks behind." - Humphrey Bogart

Beer Review: Breckenridge Avalanche

Crisp mountain air, cool breeze, and an AVALANCHE!  I know not the best intro for a beer review, but really I couldn't come up with a good one, so you are stuck with that one.  Good news is, it will only happen once during this review, so the suck should be outta the way. 

Breckenridge Brewing offers us this ale called Avalanche Amber Ale.  It is a beautiful dark amber color (think honey) with wonderfully fragrant smells (though I couldn't quite pin down what it smelled like), and a white head under good solid lacing on the glass.  The colors swirl and mix together like a dance of amber and white waves cascading towards the top of a pint unleashing more of that smell that you really wanna sniff, but can't tell what the hell it is. 

Upon first swig you are hit in the mouth with a caramel assault of malty goodness.  No hops though to cut through that thick sweet flavor.  Future gulps produce the same euphoric tastes, but linger more and more in your word hole, and you start to notice a nutty flavor peeking through all that sweetness.  The warmth that this beer produces is great, and would be a top notch brew to drink on a cold winter day.  You know after hammering down a double black diamond course.  I think?  I have never done that, but after drinking this beer, I might try.

All being said, the Breckenridge company brings a good strong dark ale to the table.  Classic notes of color and smell, mixed with a warm malty tasting beer.  On a cold day after sled riding with the kids, give them a hot chocolate, and crack yourself a bottle of this brew.  Both age groups for once will be happy.   Enjoy in excess!

"I have respect for beer." - Russell Crowe