Lagunitas is based in Temecula, CA and is opening another brewery in the Chicago area. Lagunitas brews a number of beers and has a robust seasonal schedule, featuring 8 seasonal beers. I recently obtained a bottle of Little Sumpin’ Wild (8.8% ABV and 72.5 IBU) that is available in July. A wild yeast in used in the fermentation of Little Sumpin’ Wild that should provide some interesting taste.
Belgian IPA - http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style/174- BeerAdvocate
Appearance - Orange / Yellow - bordering on a light copper color. Very good carbonation and a creamy head.
Aroma - Little Sumpin’ Wild is a very aromatic beer and you detect banana and bubble gum from the Belgian yeast and citrus from the hops.
Taste - One first hits the sweetness, then banana and bubble gum, then a finish of citrus bitterness that lingers for some time.
Overall - B+ - A very tasty Belgian IPA and it is another fine example of a very good beer from Lagunitas. If you like IPAs and Belgian IPAs, this would be one to add to your list to try.
Website description - “Another Big Sister of the Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ Ale.... Lots of Malted Wheat for a Curious Malt Complexity & and Fermented with Our Belgian Yeast strain leaving it Huge in Flavor and Satisfaction.”
Lagunitas Beer List - http://www.lagunitas.com/beers/index.html
Deschutes is based in Bend, Oregon and is one of my favorite brewers. If you open my beer fridge, you can bet on finding choices from select brewers and Deschutes is one of them. I had seen and read advertisement on a new offering from Deschutes called Chainbreaker (5.6 ABV and 55 IBU), a white IPA, in the spring and added it to my mental list of beers to pick up when it made it to Colorado. I spoke with the local Deschutes representative a couple of months ago and she said that Chainbreaker should be in Colorado in August and I picked some up on my last visit to my local craft beer supplier. I also appreciate the mountain bike references with the name and label. Mountain biking is very big in Bend and the name also pays tribute to the Cascade Chainbreaker Mountain Bike Race. Mountain biking and beer are a perfect combination and a nice Chainbreaker after a mountain bike ride would be very tasty.
Belgian IPA - http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style/174 - BeerAdvocate
Appearance - Cloudy yellow with a fluffy white head.
Aroma -Belgian yeast - banana / bubblegum, and citrus - orange / tangerine / lemon and perhaps a bit of pine / resin.
Taste - The taste is very good and I would describe Chainbreaker as a more hoppy (bitter) wit beer. The citrus hops are a very good and complimentary addition that enhance the sweet orange ingredient.
Overall - B+ - Chainbreaker is an easy to drink beer and I think it is a great beer for the summer. I think Deschutes does a very good job of adding hops with strong citrus characteristics (Bravo, Citra, Centennial, and Cascade) to Chainbreaker. I have used all but Bravo in various homebrews and these are excellent hop selections (IMHO).
Chainbreaker description - “Deschutes is taking you into the next beer frontier. Brewed with wheat and pilsner malt; this IPA displays beautiful citrus aromas from Cascade and Citra hops that meld with the esters of Belgian yeast. Think thirst quenching hopped-up wit beer with enough IBUs to warrant the IPA name.” http://www.deschutesbrewery.com/brew/chainbreaker-white-ipa
A couple of weeks ago, I needed to stop by my bike shop, Salvagetti, and was also able to get in a stop at the Denver Beer Company for a quick sampler. Denver Beer Company has been open for just under one year and they took a medal at the 2011 GABF for their Graham Cracker Porter. They were out of Graham Cracker Porter, but I tried a sampler of 4 different beers and they were really tasty.
Sample 1 – American IPA – an American India Pale Ale
Sample 2 – Belgo IPA – A Belgian India Pale Ale
Sample 3 – The Wilderness – Russian Imperial Stout
Sample 4 – The Wilderness aged in Wild Turkey Barrels
The Wilderness aged in Wild Turkey Barrels was my favorite and captured nice oaky and vanilla flavors from the barrel. The other beers were very good too and Denver Beer Co. has a great “vibe” to the place. The facility is in an old garage and the beer is brewed on site and then served at bar in the same facility. There was a large crowd and the garage doors were open to an outdoor sitting area. I will try more beers from Denver Beer Co., probably on my next trip to the bike shop.
Denver Beer Company - http://denverbeerco.com/
Salvagetti - http://www.salvagetti.com/
