Back With Beer

I just wrapped up writing a homebrew book with Stone Brewing's Greg Koch. Needless to say, it sapped all my good beer writing energy (as it should have). Anyways, here's some freakin' awesome beer I drank recently:

Mongo
Port Brewing Company
American Double / Imperial IPA | 8.50% ABV

A- / 4.2
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had a couple pints from a friend's home kegerator, Wow, he poured a pitcher and you could smell the hops from across the room.

The hops are super juicy upfront with big pineapple and citrus fruit punch. As the hops roll on, the beer actually reminds Victory's Hop Devil in the finish for the spicy, citrus resin finish. So there's a massive fruity aroma and initial flavor and more spicy grapefruit rind and pine finish. That makes for an interesting and freakin' delicious hop bomb.


Fuller's Vintage Ale
Fuller Smith & Turner
Old Ale | 8.50% ABV

A- / 4.22
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2010 Vintage. Bottle No 123619

Poured clear orange-red with a soft off-white head. This beer is surprisingly hoppy and relatively light bodied. Maybe a legitimate beer to be called an English DIPA.

The light cherry and malt aroma doesn't do much for me, but I really like how the flavor develops here. At first it seemed acidic with a mix of berry and citrus fruit. But then it rolls into a richer candied orange rind and herbal spice. The finish is dry with floral caramel candy note from the malt. The barley plays a subtle background for the spicy hops, with gentle, dry fruit esters and hints of bread crust and toffee.