Redhook Long Hammer IPA Review

Brewery: Redhook Ale Brewery | Beer: Long Hammer IPA
Style: American India Pale Ale | ABV: 6.5% | IBUs: 44
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into pint glass

Known originally as Ballard Bitter, then Redhook IPA, and now Long Hammer IPA, Redhook's year-round India Pale Ale has gone through it's share of re-branding since it's original brewing back in the dark days of 1984. The current name is meant to pay homage to those from the past that used long hammers to construct "everything great that was ever built—transcontinental train tracks, impossible pipelines, soaring skyscrapers." That's all well and good, but what's inside the bottle?

It's pitched as a standard Pacific-NW American IPA with the usual ingredients. During the boil Long Hammer is hopped with Alchemy, Cascade, and Willamette varieties, then after the boil it's dry-hopped with more Cascades. The backbone is built from Pale, Caramel, and Munich malts.

President Dave Mickelson says the resulting brew is the IPA that "consumers will reach for again and again, drawn to its distinctive hoppy aroma and bold drinkability." Yawn. Sounds like Anheuser-Busch might just be helping with more than just distribution!

All jabs aside, let's see how this over quarter-century old brew fares.

Appearance: Slightly hazy golden-amber body. Two fingers of bubbly, off-white head that quickly fade into a ring around the glass. Below-average lacing.

Aroma: It's all just a little thin. Some citrusy hops over caramel malt and lots of booze. This is nothing like what an IPA should smell like, even if you adjust for the general thinness.

Taste: Unfortunately, the hops aren't much more potent in the mouth. They're somewhat bitter off the line, but without any of the usual floral or citrusy notes to back them up. It's much the same in the malt department. Thin, grainy pale malt just kind of chugs along in the background like the rest of the beer. Everything but some of the bitterness vanishes almost instantly. The alcohol is still somewhat prominent, but a little more hidden than in the nose. In a bizarre twist, there's a lot of soap flavor here. So much so, that the first glass that I tried I dismissed as some sort of washing-up accident where I forgot to rinse the glass before drying. But, alas, all six bottles were just as soapy.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body with a good bit of frothiness and a carbonation level firmly on the high side. Finish is somewhat dry.

Drinkability: It's very bland, and rather soapy. So, while it may go down quickly, what's the point?

Verdict: Shallow, bland, and watery, Long Hammer disappoints at every turn. This would be weak even for a Pale Ale, let alone a full-blown IPA. Shame on Redhook for misusing the IPA label so badly.

Grade: D

Rahr Ugly Pug Black Lager Review

Brewery: Rahr & Sons Brewing Co. | Beer: Ugly Pug Black Lager
Style: Schwarzbier | ABV: 4.5% | IBUs: 26
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into Pilsener glass

Now here's a beer after my own heart: a Texas-brewed, pug-themed Schwarzbier. Let me explain. Another group of Texan brewers over in Shiner brewed up one a Schwarzbier I credit with my awakening to better beer, Shiner 97. Also, my house is currently infested with three pugs (along with an English bulldog). I'm in love with the concept, but what about the beer itself?

As I mentioned above, this dog is a Schwarzbier, which is a essentially a darker and drier version of Munich Dunkel— a beer whose (dark) bark is bigger than it's (light) bite. Ugly Pug is hopped with Perle hops, while the backbone is built from 2 Row, Munich, Chocolate, and Carafa Special II malt varieties.

Okay, my pugs are gathered around anxiously awaiting my verdict, so let's get to it.

Appearance: Deep brown, nearly black at times, with dull ruby highlights. On top, a decent off-white head that leaves little lacing.

Aroma: Earthy roasted malt with hints of coffee and chocolate. A little thin.

Taste: Much the same. The flavor profile is earthy, smokey, nutty, and mildly bitter malt accompanied by coffee and chocolate notes. Nothing much in the way of hops. While complex, it's still somewhat thin most of the time. The aftertaste is relatively intense and tastes of roasted grains.

Mouthfeel: Too light for my preferences. The carbonation is pretty sharp, but not too biting.

Drinkability: With a light body, somewhat thin (yet tasty) flavor, and low alcohol content, this goes back quickly.

Verdict: A nice enough beer, but not my favorite Texan Black Lager (that award goes to Shiner 97). Everything here is tasty enough, but there's just not enough of it if you catch my drift. If this was just a little more intense and full, it could be a winner.

Grade: B-

Independence Bootlegger Brown Ale Review

Brewery: Independence Brewing Co. | Beer: Bootlegger Brown Ale
Style: American Brown Ale | ABV: 6.0% | IBUs: 14
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into pint glass

The first beer I ever reviewed here on PintLog was Independence Brewing's Austin Amber Ale, a tasty little Amber with a gorgeous label. Well, it's been a few years and I figure it's time to review another of their beers. For the follow-up I settled on their Bootlegger Brown Ale.

On their website, Independence mention that Horizon hops are used for bittering, but it's unclear what (if any) other varieties are included. The backbone is built from 2-Row Pale, Belgian Chocolate, and 20° Caramel malts. Here's how they describe the finished product:

Smooth, chocolaty, and easy-drinking. Bootlegger has a distinctive, chocolaty flavor. [It's] is medium-bodied and filtered for a clean, laid-back finish.

On the label, there's another piece of gorgeous artwork, featuring a depiction of a bootlegger driving down Congress Avenue outside of the Texas Capital. If the beer is half as good as the artwork, it should score well.

Appearance: A slightly hazy, dark brown body with pumpkin highlights. Up top, a half-finger of tightly-packed and cream-colored head that recedes rapidly, leaving a ring around the glass and little lacing.

Aroma: First up, a wave of coffee. Not dark-roasted espresso, but regular black coffee, (similar to New Belgium's Giddy Up). There are plenty of chocolate and roasty malt notes to back it up. No hops.

Taste: The coffee flavors keep going strong with lots of chocolate, roasted malt, nuttiness, and dark fruit. Some mild hops in the finish. There's lots going on here, but everything meshes in a way that keeps it pretty straight-forward. This is very much a sweet beer, but not cloyingly so.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and silky smooth with good carbonation. The hops in the finish dry the sweetness up a little.

Drinkability: An easy-drinking beer, this would be a good session choice.

Verdict: Independence have crafted a charming little beer here. Lots of different complementary flavors come together to give Bootlegger a good amount of character (something many Browns are missing) while still having a lot of sessionability. Solid.

Grade: B+

Rogue Kells Irish Style Lager Review

Brewery: Rogue Ales Brewery | Beer: Kells Irish Style Lager
Style: Premium American Lager | ABV: 5.0% | IBUs: 28
Serving Method: 22 oz. bottle poured into pint glass

Back in 1998, the owners of Kells Irish Pubs were looking for an American beer to put under Guinness in beer cocktails. They approached Rogue to make it happen and after four test batches Rogue brewmaster John Maier delivered what we have here.

I'm listing this as a Premium American Lager, as that seems to be the closest fit in the BJCP guidelines. They describe the style as "refreshing and thirst quenching, although generally more filling" than Standard and Light American Lagers. They also typically contain less adjuncts (or indeed none at all) when compared to their little brothers. For reference, "green bottle" beers such as Heineken and Stella Artois fall into this category.

Sterling hops provide bitterness and Czech Pils Yeast is employed for fermentation. The backbone is built from Great Western Pale, Crystal -15, Wheat & Acidulated malts varieties. Here's how Rogue pitch the finished product:

An Irish style lager with a smooth mellow flavor and an apple crisp finish. Perfect for floating Guinness! The recipe was developed for our friends at Kells Irish Restaurant and Pub.

Side note: I know a pint glass doesn't seem like the right choice for this beer, but I had a pint glass decorated specifically for this beer, so I felt obligated. Anyway, let's get started.

Appearance: A slightly hazy, pale golden-straw body capped by two fingers of off-white head that settles quickly into a thin sheet and leaves decent lacing.

Aroma: Grassy and lemony hops over a sweet pale malt base.

Taste: Very similar to the aroma; grassy and lemony hops over a honeyish pale malt backbone. Simple, yet quite effective. The aftertaste is grainy and honey-like.

Mouthfeel: A medium-light body with good carbonation. Crisp with a clean, dry finish.

Drinkability: The 22 ounce bomber goes back rapidly, making this a very drinkable proposition.

Verdict: I may not be an expert on the subject of Irish Lagers, but I do know that this is a tasty brew. If you're looking for a lightish lager with some character, you won't go wrong here.

Grade: B+

Moylan's Moylander Double IPA Review

Brewery: Moylan's Brewery | Beer: Moylander Double IPA
Style: American Double India Pale Ale | ABV: 8.5% | IBUs: 90
Serving Method: 22 oz. bottle poured into tulip glass

Moylan's is another of the breweries that finally made a highly anticipated debut in the Houston area last year. The Novato, CA brewery was founded in 1995 by Brendan Moylan, who is also a co-owner of the Marin Brewing Company. Moylan's is known best for their monstrous Double IPA, Hopsickle, but today we're starting with their "small" Double IPA, Moylander.

These guys are particularly generous with the information they publish for each beer—I wish every brewer were so thorough. American 2-Row, Crystal 15L, Caravienna, Munich and Acidulated malts make up the backbone. The hop bill consists of Yakima's Chinook, Simcoe, Columbus, Glacier, and Ahtanum varieties. They even list the specific yeast strain employed: White Labs' #001 Chico. Here's how they describe the finished product:

Fat and resiny, with aggressive and excessive hops swinging on on an enormous malt backbone like naughty monkeys on a vine.

Mmm... monkeys.

Appearance: A slightly hazy, golden-orange body capped by about two fingers off creamy, off-white head. The head sticks around for a while and leaves good lacing.

Aroma: From the second the cap is popped, there's a blast of tropical-fruity, citrusy, and mildly piney hops wafting through the air. Underneath the hops, there's some spicy alcohol and a solid caramel malt backbone keeping things grounded.

Taste: Up front, it's all about the solidly bitter, citrusy and resiny hops—there's never any doubt that this is a Double IPA. After the hop assault starts to recede, the rich caramel malt backbone comes into focus. Alcohol is detectable throughout, though it's mild and always complimentary. The aftertaste is nicely bitter and endures well.

Mouthfeel: A slightly creamy medium body with good carbonation and just a little burn from the alcohol. The hop assault ensures a dry finish.

Drinkability: Not quite a sipper, but you're still going to have to take your time a little.

Verdict: Moylander is a solidly bitter, yet well-balanced Double IPA that doesn't disappoint—it's not quite at the top level, but it's close. After this, I can't wait to crack open the Hopsickle I have chilling in the fridge.

Grade: A-

Lagunitas The Hairy Eyeball Review

Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Co. | Beer: The Hairy Eyeball
Style: American Strong Ale | ABV: 8.8% | IBUs: 57
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into tulip glass

Here we have another Stong Ale from Lagunitas. Once again there's a little bit of confusion as to what category this beer falls in—Strong Ale or Barleywine. From what I can tell, Strong Ale seems most fitting, but who really knows. These jerks sure like making it difficult for me to fit their beers in neat little boxes, don't they?

Anyway, The Hairy Eyeball is Lagunitas' Winter seasonal. There's not many published details about specific ingredients out there, save for a mention on their website that "several types of crystal malt" are used.

It's become traditional here on PintLog to post the wonderfully batshit-insane text that accompanies each Lagunitas beer, so without further ado, here's what can be found on the six-pack holder The Hairy Eyeball:

We hope you enjoy our Mondo-ultra-mega-super-premium Holiday Offering. We first brewed this five years ago while in our Ross Street Petaluma brewery and have looked brewery and have looked forward to its' return every solstice season since. For us, these are days of light and hope in the midst of the darkest months of the year. A time when we reflect on the possibilities of the coming year even as our present days are bourne ceaselessly and forever into the past. Hold close what is important to you this season and share what matters—thoughts, meals, long walks, a knowing look from across a crowded room, maybe even a beer. We all are all we have left, and in a world that is ever less forgiving, it's good to have friends.

That was a little sweeter and less rambling than normal—warms the heart, doesn't it? To be honest, I'm slightly worried this might end up a little too similar to Brown Shugga', but I'm optimistic. Let's get to it.

Appearance: Dense dark brown body with ruby highlights. A tannish head clocks in just shy of a finger high and great curtains of lace.

Aroma: Lots of sweet, caramelized, almost burnt malt with some dark fruit and a healthy dose of booze.

Taste: Still lots of sweet caramel malt and dark fruit with a little spiciness mixed in and a decent splash of hops for some balance. The alcohol is kept in check, but is a constant companion.

Mouthfeel: Full-bodied and smooth with low carbonation.

Drinkability: A sipper, but perhaps a little above average for the style.

Verdict: Hairy Eyeball is somewhat similar to Brown Shugga', but certainly different enough to warrant its existence. Perfect for a cold and drizzly day like today. I'll be aging a couple of bottles next to the bottles of Brown Shugga' to see how it evolves.

Grade: B+

Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat Review

Brewery: Boston Brewing Co. | Beer: Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat
Style: Fruit Beer | ABV: 5.4% | IBUs: 23
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into Weizen glass

First brewed as a summer seasonal back in 1995, Cherry Wheat was popular enough to warrant year-round availability as part of the Samuel Adams Brewmaster's Collection. It's proved to be so popular that it's one of the best selling Sam Adams beers out there—it's certainly my wife's favorite.

Cherry Wheat's body is built from 2-Row Pale and Munich malts alongside malted wheat. Bitterness is provided by one of Sam Adams' favorite hop varieties, the Tettnang Tettnanger. Other ingredients include a "touch" of honey and two additions of Michigan cherries—one during the mash and one during finishing. Here's how the finished product is pitched:

The sweet fruitiness of the cherries is balanced against the crisp, cereal note from the malted wheat and the subtle citrus flavor from the Noble hops. The end result is a sweet, refreshing beer that is light on the palate but long on complexity.

It's about time I got around to this one—let's get to it, shall we?

Appearance: A slightly hazy, golden-amber colored body with a massive and sticky off-white head. Great lacing.

Aroma: An overabundance of candy-like cherry. Some definite wheaty beer underneath, but the balance is out of whack.

Taste: The cherry flavor is certainly in the spotlight here and almost reminds me of cherry cough syrup. Underneath, there's a firmly subservient and very average wheat body. Sweet, but not too cloying. Lingering aftertaste of cherries.

Mouthfeel: A medium-light body with sharp carbonation.

Drinkability: If you're not put off by the strong cherry flavor, rather good drinkability.

Verdict: As wrong as it seems, there is something pleasant about the cherry flavor. However, it still seems much better suited to the candy world than the beer world. This is a very strange beer, and I find it hard to rate. All I can really say is that while I certainly don't love it, I don't absolutely hate it either. I suppose that makes it average.

Grade: C