Month: December 2018

Profiled by Ken Carman

Very spicy aroma: nutmeg and/or allspice up front in aroma, no malt, no hops, slightest soured sense.

Appearance: raspberry colored head, cranberry colored quaff. The head is pure fine foam. Very hazy: no light shines through. Foam clings to glass as tilt.

Flavor: slightest tart. Cranberry right up front. The lactic sourness tad low. No hops noted. Malt takes a background to the cranberry in the balance. Aftertaste is cranberry.

Mouthfeel: low side medium carbonation… could use more to propel flavor and style-wise. Light body feel.

This could be even more of an excellent quaff than it already is. It just needs a little more carbonation; hint more lactic sour and of course adjusting the rest of the recipe to keep balance. It’s a light quaff that I would have one, maybe two, but abandon for more complexity. But that’s just me. I could see someone finding this a fav beer.

4.2 BA
3.8 Untppd
Nothing found on RB

4

Welcome to the PGA beer rating system: one beer “Don’t bother.” Two: Eh, if someone gives it to you, drink. Three: very good, go ahead and seek it out, but be aware there is at least one problem. Four: seek it out. Five: pretty much “perfecto.”

____________________________Beer HERE

Profiled by Ken Carman

Imagine what a difference many years can make to a brewery and its products. This is a great example. I stopped buying Rogue in the early years because it was extract-like. When I returned to the brand I was amazed how interesting some of their brews are. They miss the mark from time to time, but I can forgive that when so much creativity goes into expanding the concept of beer.

From the onset with the aroma of Santa’s Reserve 2018 is complex, obviously spiced, fermented brown sugar, sweet. Deep malt sense: brown, pale, hint of chocolate. Not necessarily malts used, just the aroma. No hops in aroma noted.

This is close to Belgian-like Quad. I’m getting faint yeast esters: plum plus a hint of pepper/Saison-like yeast character. The malt is rich and complex: pale, brown, hint of deep black roast, debittered-sense. Slight background bitter. No hop flavor unless that’s the pepper. Finishes a tad dry with a pepper/brown sugar slightly caramelized aftertaste. Slight hint tangerine, no boysenberry. Hint of Christmas spices: perhaps ginger and/or allspice.

High side medium body/low side high. High side low carbonation. Taste lingers long after swallow.

Could use hint more tangerine and more boysenberry, especially for what declared. But still a seasonal must. One hopes this recipe, if it changes, remains with the brewery and is brewed again. This should be for sale year around. We are buying another bottle.

3.5 Rate Beer
3.7 Beer Advocate
3.5 untppd

4.5

Welcome to the PGA beer rating system: one beer “Don’t bother.” Two: Eh, if someone gives it to you, drink. Three: very good, go ahead and seek it out, but be aware there is at least one problem. Four: seek it out. Five: pretty much “perfecto.”

_______________________________Beer HERE

Written by Ken Carman

 Ken Carman is a BJCP judge; homebrewer since 1979, club member at Escambia Bay, Clarksville Carboys and Music City Homebrewers, who has been writing on beer-related topics and interviewing professional brewers all over the east coast, for over 20 years.

 We knew this was going to be a brief stop because we were on our way to a Clarksville Carboy’s Christmas gathering. We slipped right by Clarksville, knowing we’d have to back track, because we wanted to check out Hopkinsville Brewing Company.
 Be aware if you use a GPS you may find yourself face to face with some confusing directions due to one way streets Ms. GPS tells you to go down anyway. Could have been an update thing with Mrs. Garmin, but we figured it out.
 Hopkinsville Brewing Company is in a cute little brick building with a small parking lot. This is indeed the definition of a small brewing operation: 2.5 barrels. We’ve seen smaller, like Community in Buffalo a few years ago which was 1.5 at the time. The servers told me they have to brew when they’re not open, not only due to inconvenience but by law. Not surprised: you can see the tightly squeezed together, bright, shiny brewing equipment when you walk in on your right. There really wouldn’t be enough room to brew without the place being closed.
 We had a sample of everything they had on tap at the time: Watermelon Wit, Watermelon Sour, Gose with hibiscus and orange, Smoked Apple Rauch, Cream Ale, Amber, Stout (sweet), IPA. Continue reading “Brew Biz: Werts and All (Hopkinsville Brewing Company)”

Profiled by Maria Devan

One of the best beers I have ever had. The use of hops is stunning and perfect. They impart only their faintest musk and a hint of coolness at their bittering. The malts are smooth and creamy. Not too much chocolate although it is there. Drinks like silk on the tongue. It practically evaporates in softness.

No strong burnt malt flavors. No fruity esters. Rich firm malt and hints of peanut shells. Perfect color. Deep mahogany with copper fire and pristine clarity. Mocha head of creamy foam that lasts and hugs the glass. Sweet bubbles gently on the rise. Softer carbonation. So clean that you can taste the water and at 5.4% it drinks as easily.

4.6

Welcome to the PGA beer rating system: one beer “Don’t bother.” Two: Eh, if someone gives it to you, drink. Three: very good, go ahead and seek it out, but be aware there is at least one problem. Four: seek it out. Five: pretty much “perfecto.”

___________________________________Beer HERE