Clipper City Loose Cannon

Clipper City Brewing Company of Baltimore produces their "Heavy Seas" line of bottle-conditioned brews which are now available in western North Carolina. I first enjoyed these beers at the Classic City brewfest in Athens, Georgia. When I saw them on the shelves at Bruisin' Ales I had to buy a six-pack of Loose Cannon.

Billed as a double IPA, the beer is more accurately described as an American West Coast IPA, athough the octane is a healthy 7.5 ABV. Brewed with Magnum, Centennial, Chinook, Amarillo and Palisade hops, the beer is a hophead's delight. The nose is full of grapefruit with hints of bread yeast which suggests that the beer is well-balanced. Initial bitterness lingers on the tongue though undertones of malt are always present. The bitterness lingers for some time. There's also a good alcohol bite.

The mouthfeel is medium-light, and the beer poured with a medium head that lingered, leaving a nice Scottish lace in my Barley's imperial pint glass. The beer would also be appropriately served in a tulip glass and shared. Since it's bottle conditioned, it would be appropriate to pour the beer carefully, leaving sediment in the bottle. However, I forgot to do that with one bottle and found that the yeast complimented the hops and alcohol well. I think next time I'll leave the yeast in again!

Overall, an excellent beer. Recommended.

Weyerbacher Double Simcoe IPA

Simcoe, is a registered trademark of Select Botanicals Group, is new hybrid hop variety similar to Cascade. It's all the rage in American craft brewing, due to its powerful, citrusy aroma and astringent bitterness. So when I saw this beer as the monthly special at Bruisin' Ales I jumped to buy a 22 oz. bottle. Having had other brews from Weyerbacher I knew I was in for a treat.

The beer poured with a rich, foamy head that filled half the imperial pint glass despite my gentle pour. It took a few minutes to subside, which I occupied by noshing on some exellent 'za from Digable Pizza of West Asheville. If you haven't tried this West Asheville pizza joint, go there now.

Back to the beer. The nose was redolent of ruby red grapefruit, a citrus I absolutely love, and the color was a medium, rich reddish-gold. In case it's not obvious from the above paragraph, the brew is very well carbonated. The initial sip was very smooth, with an alcoholic bite coupled with powerful hop bitterness. Registering 9 % ABV, and with the citrus hoppiness, this beer is heaven in a pint glass. A beer worth sharing and savoring.

New Holland Mad Hatter IPA

I found this Michigan beer at Whole Foods in Mount Pleasant, SC. It reminded me of Shiva from Asheville Brewing, but it was slightly less hoppy.

The beer poured nicely into a pint glass, with moderate head and good carbonation. A hoppy blast on the nose paved the way for more hoppiness both up front and on the finish. In other words, a perfect beer for me. The color was medium amber. Mouthfeel was medium. Overal, it was an excellent example of an American IPA. I look forward to trying other beers from this brewery.

Troeg's Nugget Nectar Ale

I got this one courtesy of Deuane and Caroline of Pubcrawlin' when they visited a couple of weeks back. Troeg's Brewery is in Harrisburg, PA, and their beers aren't available in western NC. Having enjoyed some of these brews while passing through Pennsylvania, I was eager to try this one.

The beer poured nicely into an imperial pint glass and had a moderate head. The color was an attractive amber and the beer had good carbonation. The nose was pure hops, grapefruit-like and flowery. I set the glass on my couch-side table and continued to get whiffs of hops with the glass two feet away. The initial sip was smooth-bodied, mildly malty, and with a moderately-high hop finish that lingered on the tongue. I let the beer warm up awhile and it was even better at about 60 degrees.

According to the brewer's web site, the beer is made with Nugget, Warrior and Tomahawk hops and is brewed to maximize the malt and hop character of the finished product. The beer is well-balanced and is a classic example of an American IPA. If this beer was available in Asheville I'd buy it often.

Oi Vey! Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A.

One of the best double IPA's I've had is Bittersweet Lenny's RIPA from the Schmaltz Brewing Company. Marketing their products under the He'Brew label, this Jewish-owned brewery produces some of the finest beers this side of Jerusalem. All are eminently drinkable but for a hophead like me Lenny's wins hands down.

The label states that Lenny's is brewed with "an obscene amount of malts and hops" as a tribute to the late Lenny Bruce (Leonard Alfred Schneider) 1925-1966. Brewed on the 40th anniversary of Bruce's death, the beer celebrates the legendary comedian who died at age 40.

The beer begins with a smooth mouthfeel, the result of the 10% alcohol content. A malty initial hit from the rye malt quickly changes to a hoppy finish. It is very well balanced, though the hoppiness stays with you due to the lasting aftertaste. As I write this review it is in the 30's outside and there's a warm fire going in the fireplace. This is a great winter beer to share with friends over good conversation. A nice product from a unique brewery, available at specialty beer stores in the Asheville area.

L'Chaim!