Heavy Seas Brewery - "Letter of Marquee" - Mutiny Fleet - Rye Porter Review

Brewery: Heavy Seas Brewery - Baltimore, Md.

Type: Porter with Rye

ABV: 7.8%

Sight: Obvious opaque deep rich brown, almost black with a full fluffy tan head one finger thick. mild lacing along the sides of the glass leaving a thin film on the surface.

Aroma: Spice of rye and deep roasted malts pop in the beginning. Toffee, a tad coffee and some chocolate hits also. Maybe a touch of earthiness from hops.

Taste: Creamy chocolate and spice tingle the tip of the tongue. There is a mild bite to the sides of the tongue possibly from those surprising hops. Overtones of dry roasted malts actually take over nicely. The end is abrupt and mild...Not at all unwelcomed.

Overall: I get nervous about these homebrewers series beers, because most of them are hit or miss. This one isn't just a hit it is a Home Run...Heavy Seas found a good brew with this porter...From the addition of the rye to spice it up a little, to the hop surprises, its creamy, well-balanced with a nice medium  mouthfeel. Goes well with the cheese In the picture(Real Amish-made Guinness Port cheese), but could also go well on it's own. Congrats to the winners Frank Butt & Neil Heinlein on winning the Letter Of Marquee for this year. Good Job.

Score: 8.8/10

Lagunitas - Hop Stoopid Ale

Brewery: Lagunita's Brewery - Petaluma, California

Type: Imperial Indian Pale Ale

ABV: 8%

IBU: 102

Sight: Orange of light copper that is see-through with a nice fluffy white head that minimizes to a creamy film covering the surface. Nice lacing going down the sides of the glass.

Aroma: Tremendouly hoppy with citrus of orange and lemon. A sweet light malt comes from behind nicely.

Taste: Smooth...Oh so smooth, crisp hop bite with a decent light dryness that I love. The middle is malty sweet and easily blends to a subdued finish.

Overall: This beer is superb. excessive on hop bitter and citrus character. Not to agressive as to be overwhelming. The malt is blended just right to have a light mouthfeel and a very chill aftertaste. Hell of a beer Lagunita's....If you like hops balanced nearly to perfection with malts, then this brew is for you. With this beer they put the "craft" in craft beer.

Score: 9.1/10

21st Amendment Brewery - Back In Black IPA Review

Brewery: 21st Amendment - San Francisco, California

Brief History: After meeting in 1995, Nico Freccia and Shaun O’Sullivan started the brewery in 2000, in the now hip city center, just 2 blocks from the SF Giants ballpark. O'Sullivan, moved to Berkeley and got a job as assistant brewer at the Triple Rock Brewery. Freccia was tired of LA and moved to SF to begin writing for the Celebrator Beer News. Freccia and O’Sullivan met at brewing classes at UC and became friends. During this time they came up with the plan for the brewery.
At the 21st Amendment, they celebrate the culture of the great breweries of old, making unique, hand crafted beers, great food, and providing a comfortable, welcoming atmosphere that invites conversation, interaction and a sense of community. (some content was abridged from the company's website)

Type: Black IPA

ABV: 6.5%

IBU: 65

Sight: The deepest a brown can be without being black. The head pours pretty , tan and 2 fingers thick. Creamy on top and soapy on the sides.

Aroma: Roasted malts, mellow yeast and a little alcohol bite are the main characters the nose picks up.

Taste: A very clean malt that is deep in depth(roasted just right), to front the melange of a brew. Some coffee essence is there, along with a nice hop dryness. The finish is uneventful...In a good way.

Overall: I think this is my first black IPA, and I say "wow". Mouthfeel is light to medium with little or no aftertaste. You actually can get the best of both worlds out of this brew...Stout roasted malt and IPA hoppiness. Can't really go wrong with that and 21st Amendment did a great job in the mixing of the two.

Score: 8.5/10

Riverhorse Brewing Co. - Hop-A-Lot-Amus Review

Type: Unfiltered Double IPA

ABV: 8.5%

Sight: Opaque roasted brown body with a white thin head that mellows out to a very thin surface film.

Aroma: Grass, Hops, and Orange are the over-smells coming from the glass. A mild sweetness of caramel is there in the background.

Taste: Malt and alcohol are the big tastes that hit up front. A little hop bitter follows with a citrus tone, completing the initial tastes. That smell of caramel comes to fruition in the middle of it all. This caramel is the glue that keeps the front and back in a smooth blend.


Riverhorse Brewing Co.

Overall: This brew is a little backwards in its presentation. Most IPA's and DIPA's I've tried have the citrus and bitter up front and the malts are mostly at the end. Not a bad thing...to me it is an original thing and is what makes this brew distinct. The mouthfeel is medium and creamy with an orange aftertaste at the back of the throat.

Score: 7.9/10