Today we look at a beer I sampled a few weeks back. It came from a collection of ales from the Heavy Seas brewery in Maryland. This one is called Loose Cannon and is a triple-hopped IPA. Hence the ales nickname of "Hop3".

As you would expect from an IPA there was a strong citrus aroma from the brew with maybe a hint of pine. 

The flavor was malty and somewhat on the earthy side for me. There was a slight bitterness but it was very subtle. As you swallowed you could detect the citrus flavor in the aftertaste. A couple of times I detected a slight sweetness in the brew's taste.

This was definitely one of the better balanced and more mellow IPA's I've come across recently. But mellow does not mean it was light. Far from it, Loose Cannon was very flavorful and able-bodied.

The other beers in the collection included a Pale Ale with the name "Powder Monkey" and an Imperial Stout called "Peg Leg". 

If you're detecting a nautical, and more specifically pirate, theme, then you're spot on. 

The web site for Heavy Seas is fun and informative. And the beers I've had were all very good. If Heavy Seas is available in your area the brews are worth checking out.

And I give Loose Cannon from Heavy Seas 8 mugs out of 10. It certainly sits atop the rankings of my favorite IPA. But I'll keep looking for a better one. It's a mission.

Last weekend my wife and I took some time and headed up north to Montpelier, Vermont. 

The occasion was our anniversary. Also we like Vermont. And we have a nephew and his girlfriend who have a house in Montpelier. So the lodging price was right.

We went up on a Friday and it was a beautiful day to walk around downtown Montpelier. They were having an Artwalk celebration. About two dozen venues around town were displaying works of art of local artists. One of them happened to be our nephew. And he had also solicited entries from his brother and his brother's fiancee so they also had works on display.

The other draw of course is the vibrant brewing scene in Vermont. I've been a fan of the larger Vermont breweries whose offerings are readily available further south in Connecticut. Long Trail, Otter Creek and Magic Hat have often filled my refrigerator and coolers. But I also knew there were many smaller breweries worth checking out.

Our trip was too much of a quick hitter to visit any breweries (another time for sure). But the brews from these smaller breweries are readily available throughout the state.

One of our first stops (after visiting the local library to use their rest rooms after the drive up from CT) was a place called the Three Penny Taproom. It's a great bar with nice wooden floors and plenty of tables and chairs. It was getting busy late on a Friday afternoon as we waited for our nephew's girlfriend to meet us. (Our nephew had to work late that night unfortunately).

There was a large chalkboard on the wall displaying all the brews available on tap. They came from all over but most were from Vermont, with a smattering of brews from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Michigan, California, etc. Being in Vermont I wanted to try something local, and also something I hadn't tried before.

I started with a brew called Edward. It is an American Pale Ale from Hill Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro, Vermont. It was somewhat on the light side which was anticipated given the 5.2% alcohol level. But it was very smooth and tasty. It went down very easily and I could have drunk it all night. So I did end up having a second. By then our nephew's girlfriend had joined us. She joined us in a round and then we decided to go elsewhere to eat.

We ended up at restaurant called Sarducci's. As you might guess it is an Italian restaurant. Without reservations it was about a half hour wait. But the food was worth the wait. All three of us enjoyed our meals. While there I sampled one of their tap offerings, the IPA from Fiddlehead. For those who may not have heard, Fiddlehead Brewing is legendary among Vermont microbrews. The brewmaster, Matt Cohen, is known and far wide and goes by "Matty O". I guess from the long "o" in Cohen. 

The IPA is Fiddlehead's signature brew. And isn't that how it should be for just about any brewery? I certainly think so.

Their IPA did not disappoint. It had the nice amber color. The aroma of citrus and pine you come to know and love from IPA's. And it was flavorful and very smooth as well. It is worth the trip to Vermont just to find all the places that have it available on tap.

So it was a very productive trip to Vermont. Montpelier is a funky little town. It is the smallest state capital in America. And the variety of beers available in its bars and restaurants and liquor stores is astounding. Definitely worth the journey and worth getting caught in a downpour on Saturday at a local outdoor tag sale being held on Main St. 

And for any interested you can visit this site to see some art work from our nephew. Some of the paintings were among those on display around town.

Until next time - keep drinking!

I'm hoping to be somewhat regular in my beer blogging. Fridays seem like a natural day to me to post about beer. 

This week however we will be heading off to Vermont on Friday for a little getaway to celebrate our anniversary. We will be heading to Montpelier to see a nephew and his girlfriend. And hopefully a brewery or brew pub or two. I hear they may have some of those in Vermont.

So this week's beer blog is being posted on Wednesday. 

Still we keep with the Vermont theme for this week's offering. Specifically Jinx from Magic Hat Brewing. 

If you read the label or look it up online you see this is their rendition of a Scotch Ale. But if you needed to read that to figure it out there is something wrong with your taste buds. Or you've never tasted Scotch.

As you can see the beer is a dark brown color. The aroma was very subtle and it was hard to pick up on any particular flavor or scent from that.

The flavor however is not shy at all. The strong taste hits you with the first sip. There is a strong malty flavor and a slight piney component as well. But the overwhelming sensation is that of peat. Yes if you didn't know this was a beer and someone blindfolded you and handed you a glass of this and told you to take a sip - you could easily believe you were drinking Scotch. 

There is the definite smoky, peat flavor of Scotch when you drink this brew. But you can definitely drink it faster than you can a Scotch. And probably have more of them as well and remain upright.

I've sample a number of Scotch Ales in my day, and enjoyed most of them. But I do not recall any of them resembling Scotch whiskey as much as Magic Hat's Jinx does.

If you like Scotch, you will like Jinx. If you don't like Scotch you will hate it.

I happen to like Scotch. 

Jinx is too powerful to be an all night brew. But if you're having one, especially during cold weather, it is a fine selection.

I give Jinx 7 mugs out of 10.

Two indicators of the season can be found in the picture above. 

The first is the glass which speaks to the political season we find ourselves in. This was a gift from my brother and his family after they took a trip to DC. The images on the glass represent a time when the two major political parties actually worked together and repealed Prohibition. Certainly a great moment in American history.

The second sign of the season is the bottle to the left of the glass. A Pumpkin Ale. Yes it does seem that from mid-September through at least Halloween everything turns up Pumpkin. Lattes, donuts, beers. Pumpkin it's not just for pies anymore.

Don't get me wrong. I love pumpkin. The pie is my favorite variety. I do enjoy the flavor of pumpkin and of the spices that usually accompany it. But after a while even I have to say "enough is enough".

This particular rendition of Pumpkin Ale comes to us from Magic Hat brewing company in Vermont. Given to fanciful brews and names as they are, they call their version "Wilhelm Scream". I'm sure there is a story behind that name but I haven't found it.

When pouring you first notice the caramel like color. Then you notice the spicy aroma which is definitely on the sweet side.

This spicy sweetness continues as you begin to drink the brew. The flavor is that of pumpkin pie spice for sure.  So if you're a fan of pumpkin pie and go in expecting a beer on the sweet side you'll like Wilhelm Scream.

However as with the pumpkin craze that seems to overrun us every October now there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.

I did find Wilhelm Scream very drinkable. But it is sweet and heavy. There is too much sweetness and pumpkin pie spice flavor for my liking. There is a hint of bitterness in the finish, but it really needs to be more pronounced to balance the spice and sweetness. 

This is a good brew for the season. But it is not an ale you can drink for any length of time or in any quantity. 

I give Magic Hat's Wilhelm Scream Pumpkin Ale 5 mugs out of 10.

Today we look at and savor a seasonal offering from the good folks at Sierra Nevada.

Their Red IPA, Flipside, is intended, according to their write-up, for that time of year when we finally "flip" from summer to fall. Not by the calendar mind you but by the type of days. Summer hangs on with heat and humidity and then "BAM!", there is a nip in the air, the humidity drains from the sky, and we can feel the approaching winter chill, even if the sun's warmth is still packing a punch.

Time to put the lighter brews of summer behind and transition toward the heavier, darker brews.

Flipside is offered as the perfect beer for this transition.

As you can see it is very dark in color with reddish tints. It appears almost opaque in this picture but has more of a red color to it in person. 

There is a strong citrus scent as you bring the glass towards you. Not at all surprising for a beer from Sierra Nevada to have a powerful nose like that. 

The first impression when you taste the beer is of strong pine and malt accents. A slightly citrus aftertaste is also detected, but it's subtle.

There is also bitterness in the first sensation as you drink it, and that bitterness remains throughout the aftertaste.

This is definitely a hearty brew meant to fortify you for the coming harsh and cold weather. A summer beer it is not. 

I found Flipside to be an enjoyable drinking experience. However the bitterness never completely leaves you and had to downgrade it a little for that as it seemed there could have been better balance.

I give Flipside Red IPA from Sierra Nevada 6 mugs out of 10. 

It is definitely drinkable and warming. Just as intended.