Monday, January 31, 2011

1,000 VIEWS!!!

I am sorry the posts have been slow.  I have been ill for the past week and didn't do any beer drinking!  But I am feeling better day by day, and will get back to business in the next few days when I finally shake this virus.

Cheers and Stay Tuned!


Thanks for the support!!! Lets try and hit 2,000 posts by MARCH!

Friday, January 21, 2011

Live from Excessive HoppYness!!!!

Lots are going on here at Excessive HoppYness Brew Co.  The power is on and the brewery now has water.  Progress has been phenomenal, things are moving faster then I could have ever imagined.

The sink is plumbed and the water is flowing.  Only a few more small details and we will be off and running.  We still need a freezer to convert into a bar, a plate chiller, pump, and a few other pieces of hardware.


Although I do not condone the consumption of Busch Beer I got a good deal on this sign.
So in celebration of our most recent achievements I bring you another beer review from Brouwerij Van Steenberge, Belgium (can you tell I'm a fan of beer from Belgium?).  Called "Witches' Brew Golden Ale"  it is also another Belgian Triple.


This ale pours with a half inch bright white head.  The ale is a Golden Honey in color, The aroma is spicy and fruity, aroma has hints of yeast and cloves all tied up with stinging wafts of alcohol.

 Flavor is slightly sweet, paired with dark fruit and cloves.  The malt backbone is magnificent, hop bitterness is minimal.  The mouth feel is thick almost like velvet in your mouth.  Carbonation is intense, bubbles dance on your tongue.  This is a very great example of a Belgian Triple, I was highly impressed with this.  I will rank it a solid B+ I would definitely pick this up again.  

The can be purchased locally in Tallahassee at the World Market.

Disagree with my review?  Please leave a review in the comments. 

Cheers, STAY TUNED!!!! 

Excessive HoppYness.

   





Saturday, January 15, 2011

Let there be light......

Today at the brewery we had some fun.  The EZ Trencher was in fact just that, easy!!!


The reason for the trench was for much needed electrical lines.  The brewery/bar now has power.  Think ice cold ale on tap and basketball games, and lets not forget lights!  Now the party can go on well into the night! 

So today at almost dark we were able to throw the switch and the flouresent bulbs came to life for the first time.


And on a Saturday afternoon Excessive HoppYness lit up, let the beer flow.  So, in celebration I will bring to you a couple of reviews.

Both beers tonight are from the same location, Portsmouth New Hampshire, thanks to Smuttynose Brewing Company.  The first beer tonight after power the Smuttynose IPA. 

 
This IPA pours smooth with a half inch of bright white head.  The aroma is pleasant and fresh not pungent like other IPAs.  Slightly grassy aroma, with notes of citrus.  The flavor is has a slight pine, grassy taste.  Citrusy hop flavor is smooth and light on the tongue followed by smooth sweet malt.  This is a light tasting ale, but not for newbies to the world of hops, around 65-70IBU I would guess.  This is an exceptional IPA.  I rate this a A-. 

As smoothly as the wonderful Smuttynose IPA filled my glass it has vanished.  Moving on to another offering from Smuttynose, Old Brown Dog Ale. 



This ale also pours smooth with a 1/2 off white head and is a dark amber in color.  The lacing on the sides of the glass remain for almost the entire pint.  The aroma is thick with sweet malt, but light on hops.


The flavor is slightly sweet with flavors of slight caramel, I would guess Crystal Malts, also some sweet brown sugar.  Also mild hop bitterness.  The flavor is smooth on your tongue and easy to drink.  This is a exceptional brown ale that I will be drinking again!  I will rate this as one of the better more flavorful browns I have tasted, A-.

Both of the beers featured tonight can be purchased locally in Tallahassee from the Earth Fare Market.
 

Disagree with my review, Please leave your own in the comments!

Cheers!
Excessive HoppYness 


Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Lindemans' Pomme Lambic

Last night inadaze and I wanted to do a review.  So, inadaze has been a fan of Lindemans' Lambic since 2007 when she first discovered Framboise (Raspberry Lambic).  A quick history lesson, long before hops where used to season beer, various fruits and herbs were used, to create Fruit beer or Lambic.  But different from Ales and Lagers of today that use cultivated strains of brewers yeast, Lambic beer instead produced by spontaneous fermentation: it is exposed to the wild yeasts and bacteria that are said to be native to the Senne valley, in which Brussels lies. It is this unusual process which gives the beer its distinctive flavour: dry, vinous, and cidery, with a slightly sour aftertaste.

 As I pour the smooth light gold, almost honey Lambic into inadaze's flute glass I notice 1/4" of bright white head atop the beer.  The aroma of the Lambic is very tart with green apple.  The first sip delivers an explosion of "Granny Smith" tart apple into your mouth.  On the back end of the lambic there are slight Belgian malts, and yeasty notes that can be detected.  Mouth feel is light, and this lambic is highly carbonated to almost champagne levels. 

Inadaze found herself a new Lambic to enjoy with this one, she found this easier to enjoy then Framboise.  She rated this a solid B+

Feel free to check it out! Is available several places in Tallahassee: Almsot all of the ABC Liquors store carry it, along with World Market.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Trappist Triple Threat - Chimay


Tonight my friends is a very special night.  Tonight is the Trappist Triple Threat.  For those of you that do not know, a Trappist beer is rare, only 7 breweries on the planet are aloud to call themselves "true trappist ale."    Trappist Ale is brewed under the watchful eye of trappist monks, they are "not for profit" and highly spiritual.  These ales are for a trained and matured palette.  Their craft has been refined over centurys.  The monks at Chimay have been brewing for over 100 years.

My first offering in this trip of ages, is the Blue label.  What could be considered the "original."  This ale pour dark brown with 1.5" of off white head into my goblet.  The aroma is thick with chocolate malt, and raisin tones.  The sticky lacing remains for the entire glass.  This is nothing short of a spiritual moment.  One can taste the Godly amount of care that was taken to craft such an ale.  The mouth feel is thick and delicious.  Raisin and Chocolate dominate this ale, followed by bready yeast flavors that are so popular in Belgian ales.  I am highly impressed with this wonderful beer.  This ale almost feels like velvet on your tongue, surprisingly I taste no alcohol on this 9% glass of perfection.  This is an A+ ale....I am excited to move on to The Red.


Chimay Red pours much lighter then the Blue.  A dark red, copper, with a thick creamy 1 1/2 inch head.  The bouquet of this offering is rich with raisin and spice with delicate hints of chocolate.  The red is lighter on your tongue then the Blue.  The flavor is that of bready yeast, and tasty raisin paired with dark fruit.  This offering is far lighter then the Blue which preceded it coming in at 7%ABV.  This ale is also nothing short of magnificent.  Not be drank, but enjoyed slowly, allowing the flavors to dance around your mouth to be fully appreciated.  Again, another A+ ale.  Now as we move on to our third and final offering the Triple.


This ale is lighter then the two preceding it, do not let that fool you.  The dark honey color pours smoothly into my glass with about 1 inch of bright white head.  The aroma is slightly sour, malty, and yeasty.  As I indulge in the first taste, of only my second true trappist triple I am pleasantly surprised.  This triple is light on the tongue.  Flavors of Apple, and light pear come through followed by slight spicyness, and bready yeast.  The carbonation is like that of champagne, the bubbles seems to dance in your mouth.

I feel truly blessed to be able to have done what I have done tonight.  Only a select group of individuals of done what I have done tonight.  I feel as I have grown as a connoisseur.

If you are ever presented with the chance to purchase any of these fine ales please do not hesitate.

Cheers and Good Night!

Excessive HoppYness

Unibroue - La Fin Du Monde


Today I am going to review on of my favorite beers from Unibroue located in Quebec, Canada.  The beer is La Fin Du Monde, which translates to "The End of The World."  Fitting for a beer modeled after a traditional Belgian Triple and coming in at 9% ABV.


This ale pours smooth with half inch of bright white head.  The hazy, golden honey colored ale looks marvelous in my goblet.  The nose is floral, fruity, spicy with slight hints of yeast.   The fist taste of this magnificent ale is mind blowing!  What peaks my attention first is the amount of carbonation, think champagne.  The smooth ale covers your tongue and the malts begin to dance.  Swirling in your mouth now, pear, and orange sweetness emerge, followed by Belgian bready yeast flavors!  The back end seems spicy, almost perppery, followed by a healthy dose of alcohol flavor. 

This ale is by far the best representation of a Belgian Triple did not originate in Belgium.  It's amazing, the brewers at Unibroue really have done an excellent job!  A+ Beer, I would highly recomend this!  I cannot say enough good about it!  Just go pick it up!

Purchase locally in Tallahassee at ABC Liquors, or New Leaf Market. 

Disagree with my review?  Leave your own in the comments section!

Also be on the look out tonight for "Trappist Triple Threat!" I will be doing a 3 beer review from Chimay.  One of the seven Trappist brewerys in the world! 

ExcessiveHoppYness

Monday, January 3, 2011

Innis and Gunn Original

So tonight I had no intentions of reviewing another beer but, when I got to work my co-worker had the remaining 3 beers of a Innis and Gunn Original 4 pack.  Of course, being the dedicated beer connoisseur
I am I could not resist.

This beer which I assume is a Lager based on clairity hails from Edinburgh Scotland via The Innis and Gunn Brewery which is a relative new comer to the world of beer, since opening their doors in 2003.

 This beer pours crystal clear and is a copper, or honey color.  The beer pours with about 3/4" of bright white head, which falls quickly.  The aroma has some vanilla tones, but reminds me of sour mash whiskey.  Some slight malt aromas, I smell no hops what so ever.


The first taste of this beer takes me by surprise.  This was not what I was expecting, vanilla, some oak, hints of smoke.  This does not taste like any other beer I have ever had the privilege of sampling.  I am searching for it, but I can detect no malt character, no hop character, just vanilla, oak, and whiskey flavors.   This beer is beginning to remind me of watered down whiskey.  Wow I would have never expected aging 77 days in Oak whiskey barrels would have added so much flavor. 

 The mouth feel is light to medium bodied, and the carbonation is good.  But there is just to much whiskey flavor in this for me to enjoy it.

This is not going to be one of my favorite beers, but it still looks incredible.  So while it may not be for me, it could be your favorite.  I however am going to give this beer a C-.

If your a whiskey/bourbon drinker looking to get into the world of craft beer, I would say this one is for you!  This beer also comes in a 6.6% ABV.

Disagree with my review?  Leave your own in the comments section.

Cheers!
ExcessiveHoppYness

Welcome to 2011!!!

As most of you return to the grind of the 9-5 I wanted to be here to give you a fresh Monday morning review!


The first beer review of 2011 is going to be Bell's Porter, from Bell's Brewery Inc. in Kalamazoo, MI.  As I carfully pour this Porter into my pint glass slowly I notice the aroma beginning to swirl up from my glass.  Hints of sweet malt, and dark chocolate.  This beer pours smooth and leaves about a one inch thick khaki color head.

Again please forgive me!  My wife took our camera to the Bahamas! Thanks to http://beerproject.blogspot.com/ for the pic!


As I take my first taste of the midnight black beer, I notice a slightly 'thin' mouth feel.  The taste however is exceptional.  The malt flavor is king in this beer, along with tiny hints of chocolate and some smokey notes.  Also, I swear I get a hint of raisin on the back end paired with a sweet black coffee flavor.  The hop bitterness in this beer is nice, not over powering, it works wonderfully with the malt backbone of this porter.

Overall I think I may have found my go-to porter!  Great everyday beer! I will give this beer a B+ rating.  This beer can also be found at New Leaf Market in Tallahassee.

Disagree with my review?  Please leave yours in the comments!  Until next time!

Cheers!
ExcessiveHoppYness