A Flowery Song

Background: The third batch of this collaborative brew to be made, but only the second to be released (the one brewed in Jolly Pumpkin’s facilities is undergoing extended barrel aging, like many of their beers). See my notes on the first here. This release uses the same recipe, but was brewed and aged at Nøgne Ø in Norway.

Nose: Prominent sage, hint of hops.

Taste: Sage and spicy rye on the first sip. Juniper influence makes itself felt. Medium hop bitterness in the finish. Solid nutty malt backbone.

Overall: Comparing my notes to last year’s, it’s evident that (as would be expected) these beers are fairly similar. I don’t have a perfect memory or another bottle to compare, but I think this one is slightly heavier and sweeter, and the alcohol isn’t particularly noticeable. What I said then stands: an intriguing and drinkable special beer, but not an everyday beer.

Background: Collaborative brew between everyone’s favourite Michigan brewery, everyone’s second-favourite Norwegian brewery, and Stone. Brewed on Stone’s equipment, but the recipe was worked out via emails between the three head brewers and they all helped with the brewing. The recipe incorporates juniper berries from Italy (standing in for Norway, since they were unable to source any from there), white sage from California, and chestnuts from Michigan. In addition to the other spices, caraway seed was added as a complement to the 25% rye in the malt bill.

Nose: Green, herbal hops, followed by a touch of sage.

Taste: Lots going on. Very clear sage note, with spicy rye and juniper also quite evident. Caraway and a medium hop bitterness come through in the finish. Indistinct hop flavour; if I had to hazard a guess, I’d say an English hop variety. The 9% ABV starts to become evident after a few sips.

Overall: Very unique. Definitely not a session beer, but for an occasional taste sensation it’s quite nice. (Especially since I love sage.)

ruination, n.
1. The state of being ruined, a state of devastation or destruction.
2. The act of ruining or wrecking.
3. The cause of being ruined, destroyed or lost.
4. A loss of reputation.

Background: Double IPA from Stone. “A liquid poem to the glory of the hop”, this brew weighs in at 7.7% ABV and has the usual overblown copy on the back claiming that it will assault your senses. They also quote a slightly different definition for 'ruination' which includes most of the senses but leaves off the fourth.

Appearance: Pale orange with an off-white head.

Nose: Intense floral hops.

Taste: Just a hint of honeyed malt before the hops kick in with a floral assault, followed by some bitterness and citrus notes. Earthy, herbal hop character follows, leading into the finish which contains the return of some malt with its friend bready and showcases piny and resiny hops.

Overall: Very nice IPA; does what it sets out to do and I don't think Stone need to fear any loss of reputation among people who try this beer.

Appearance: Deep, slightly reddish dark brown. Tan head with slight retention.

Smell: Estery malt nose with a hint of hops.

Taste: Roasted malt with chocolate notes, a wonderful smoky background, and medium-light hops.

Mouthfeel: Full-bodied and rich with medium carbonation.

Drinkability: Very nice. The smoke is well integrated with the base style, and the base is no slouch either. My only issue is that the smoke is a bit too light; I would have liked to see a bit more of it in the nose.