Breckenridge - Lucky U IPA

Dead Soldier 

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Breckenridge Lucky U IPA
Breckenridge Brewery
471 Kalamath Street
Denver, CO USA
Est. 1989
www.breckbrew.com 

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.2 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Rusty orange and golden color.
Smell and taste of caramel malt and pine hops.
Off withe head, about one finger high.
Fair amount of lacing down the side of the glass.
A bit dry in the finish, but good otherwise.
Light to medium bodied mouth feel. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
A very approachable IPA by Breckenridge.  It isn't the hops bomb the 471 Small Batch was, and the alcohol is toned down into the 6% range.  That makes it very easy to session as far as IPA's go.

The label exclaims "A happy homage to a Denver landmark, The Tivoli Brewery".  I looked it up so you don't have to, yourself.  Tivoli is a now defunct American brewery.  Its primary building is still in use as the Tivoli Student Union in Denver Colorado. The student center is home to several area Denver Universities on the Auraria Campus. The Reaper gives it a big bony "thumbs up" for remembering the past of American greatness in brewing and preserving the brewery's buildings.  That's must be what puts the "U" in Lucky U.

Do I like it?  Well, you should know that Tivoli spelled backwards is "I Lov It!"

Terrapin Hop Karma Brown IPA

Dead Reptile

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Terrapin Hop Karma Brown IPA
Terrapin Beer Company
265 Newton Bridge Road
Athens, GA USA
Est. 2002
www.terrapinbeer.com
 
Brain Damage Quotient = 6.0 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Ruby colored brown body.
Dense piny hops aromas.
Two fingered tan head that lasts.
Draped lace on glass.
Great taste of hops and brown ale notes. Balanced.
Smooth and creamy like a brown and bitter finish like an IPA.
Not overly carbonated.
Medium bodied mouth feel.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Like brown ales?  Fancy and IPA?  Can't decide?  Well, you don't have to anymore.  Terrapin has a mash-up of both styles in one ale.  "Hop Karma" Brown IPA is complete with a sitar playing turtle wearing Indian regalia.

The brown ale notes are mingled with the hops in the nose.  The first sip says 'brown ale' then it smacks your taste buds with a "ha ha, fooled you" IPA hops pop.  This is very strange indeed.  Hop Karma is so well balanced you really can distinguish both styles rather than just a blurry blending of the ingredients.

Get it "Within You Without You".

New England - Sea Hag IPA

Dead Witch

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
New England - Sea Hag IPA
New England Brewing Company
7 Selden Street
Woodbridge, CT USA
Est. 1989
www.newenglandbrewing.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.2 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Copper in color.
Two finger off-white head that leaves very good lacing.
Piney hops aromas and earthy malt smell.
A bit of citrus detected in scent.
Nice amount of hops; nice malt balance.
Good amount of carbonation.
A medium bodied ale.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Just going in for a minute to pick up some beer festival tickets...what? Whoa, huh?!?  "Drink it. It's good." is printed on the can.  Like Alice in Wonderland I was drawn to the six pack in the beer fridge.  Curious, a closer look was in order.  I had never seen this ale before. I asked Georgina, at Morton's Market, what it was all about.  Before she answered, I removed the sixer from its chilling compartment and brought it to the register for closer scrutiny.

Georgina exclaimed, "...it's new. We just got it in!" I spun one of the cans around looking for some identification.  "New England Brewing, hmmm" I murmured. Then I spotted the words "The Sea Hag Continues To Haunt New Haven To This Day." Ah ha! This is from my original stomping grounds in Connecticut.  Hmm..The Reaper seems to remember dating the Sea Hag at one point in time...muaha haha!  Oh, that's a story for another day.

Wow! A beer brewed in Woodbridge, CT.  My eyes zeroed in on that part of the can. "I'll take this too, thanks!"  Georgina rang up my tickets and six pack.  Secretly, I was thrilled to buy what looked to be the first of this beer in these parts.  Post purchase we continued to discuss craft beer as we meandered through the selection on the shelves, ironically in the wine department. Though Georgina is a Certified Wine Educator and Certified Sommelier, she had a great grasp of the craft beer biz, too. After sharing several minutes discussing fine beer, we bid farewell.  With the six pack under my arm, I jumped into the hearse and hightailed it home before the 'Hag' got warm.

So how was the IPA?  It was tasty.  Not a lot of hops burn like in other IPA's but the Cascade and Noble hops floral scent kept pulling me back to the glass.  This is a very easy to drink IPA. Not a lot of burn and a very nice hop aroma.  Pull out that big, fat Churchill cigar, a couple of these cold cans, and you've got yourself a party. I will definitely be stopping by Morton's again to peruse their wine beer department.

Funny how it worked out. I only stopped in to buy some beer festival tickets for an event.  I walked out with some interesting brew and a new friend in the beer-o-sphere. Cheers to beer for being so good!

White Sands - Longboat Key Golden Lager

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Longboat Key Golden Lager
White Sands Brewing
Sarasota, FL USA
Est.2010
alesfromthecrypt.blogspot.com
and
firkinaround.blogspot.com

Brain Damage Quotient = ?.? % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0
 
Postmortem Brew Review
Light yellow-gold and clear in color.
Grain malt smell with a bit of hop aroma.
Fresh and yeasty smell.
Two finger, white fluffy head that leaves great lacing.
Grain and yeast taste; like white bread.
Very, very of carbonated.
Dry with bitter hops twang in finish.
Medium body. Easy to drink. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy 
I know, you've never heard of it, right?  Is it some exotic "must have" from some hole in the wall brewery?  C'mon, the anticipation is killing you....huh?

It's official, the Reaper has begun home brewing.  This is my first effort.  Named for the pristine white sand beaches of the west coast of Florida, I have entered the home beer making hobby. Alright, before we get too far ahead of ourselves it's time for full disclosure.  I had help...well - uh - er - ummm...ya' know; a Mr. Beer kit.

I'm already ahead of you with the snarky comments.  It's good for a first effort and although the review is here on the dark side at Ales From The Crypt, you can read all about it on the light side at Firkin Around, my alter, alter ego.

The brew was eh, so-so for a 'yellow beer' and a lager at that, but the box contains a blonde as well. We will be brewing that soon in the "Easy Bake Oven" of beer makers, so stay tuned for that.  I learned to follow the instructions to a 'T' and wasn't too disappointed with the outcome.  It taught me to home brew and now I want to scale it up a bit.

On another connection to Florida, I cracked open the first fully conditioned and chilled bottle to coincide with the 41st anniversary of the first lunar landing.  What was uttered so many years ago about the first steps on the surface of the moon could be said for my first home brew, "...that's one small step for man..."

Magic Hat - Blind Faith (IPA On Tour)

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Magic Hat - Blind Faith (IPA On Tour)
Magic Hat Brewing Company
5 Bartlett Bay Road
Burlington, VT USA
Est. 1994
www.magichat.net

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.2 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Copper in color.
Two finger off-white head that leaves very good lacing.
Hops aromas and slight malt smell.
Average amount of hops 'burn'; not overtly hopped.
Good amount of carbonation.
A light to medium bodied ale.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
An interesting IPA ringing in at a relative 60 IBU's.  I say interesting, because this came in a mixed 12 pack along with Odd Notion (Ginger Ale Summer 2010), their flagship #9 and Wacko.  It didn't fit in with the mellowness of the rest.  It was most likely included because it is from their rotating "IPA On Tour" series, and that made it odd or wacko or mysterious enough.  You know, as we say in the Reaper biz - "Here today, gone tomorrow."

As IPA's go, it was enjoyable, but a bit sessionable.  Maybe that's a good thing, and maybe that's a bad thing, but either way, it wasn't memorable enough.  On the other hand, if I could find it in a six pack, it might be the IPA I occasionally reach for in the beer aisle.

Don't discount it.  Allow yourself to have a little blind faith and you might find yourself enjoying it a bit more than the rest of the twelve pack.  I did.

Summit - Extra Pale Ale

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Extra Pale Ale
Summit Brewing Company
910 Montreal Circle
St. Paul, MN USA
Est. 1986
www.summitbrewing.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.3 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Copper color.
Sweet, malty and slight grain smell.
Two finger crisp white head that leaves a very nice amount of lacing.
Fresh tasting with just a nudge of hops over malt, as is proper in Pale Ales.
Modest amount of carbonation.
Light bodied; refreshing.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
The flagship beer from this brewery since 1986.  That seems to be the year the general explosion in micro breweries happened.  And this Extra Pale Ale will not let you down.  It has just the right amount of gentle rolling hops to balance with the malts, to make an exceptional easy drinker.

I found this to be a pleasant start to my days chores.  It works with you, not against you. Done nicely in the style of an English Pale Ale.

Red Brick Blonde

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Red Brick Blonde Ale
Atlanta Brewing Company
2323 Defoor Hills Rd. NW
Atlanta, Georgia USA
Est. 1993
www.atlantabrewing.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.2 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Light and hazy straw color.
Light malty smell with some hops and apple notes.
Small, white two finger high head.
Slight strings of lacing on glass.
Medium grain and malt taste up front with a bit of yeast at end.
Light mouth feel. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
"Beer From Around Here" is printed on the label.  By around here, they mean the southeastern, no, make that The South.  Capital T - Capital S - period.  It's brewed in Atlanta and the label declares their proud southern heritage by listing "grits", "hound dogs" and "Mama" in the same sentence.  So basically, if you 'aint from Georgia, or a state that touches one of their borders, you can pretty much forget about having access to this brew.

As far as the beer is concerned, it was refreshing and light bodied.  Perfect for hot days when you want something extra special.  By 'extra special', I mean, something that doesn't come in an eighteen or twenty-four pack.  This beer 'aint going to be chillin' in the Coleman in back of the pickup, unless 'yall got a special date.

Very enjoyable to drink. Be proud of your beer.  Be proud of your heritage. They are, and they make no 'bones' about it!

Dixie Beer

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Dixie Beer
Dixie Brewing Company
2401 Tulane Avenue
New Orleans, LA USA
Est. 1907
www.dixiebeer.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 4.5 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Clear light golden color.
Two finger crisp white head that leaves slight lacing.
Sweet, malty and slight grainy smell.
Fresh lager taste with nice hops finish found in European pilseners.
Good amount of carbonation.
Light bodied; refreshing.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
A fine and surprising lager from New Orleans.  This company survived Hurricane Katrina after the century old brewery was nearly completely destroyed.

This brewery dates back to 1907.  The only other New Orleans brewery, Falstaff, has since closed, leaving Dixie with the distinction of being the only brewery located inside the city of New Orleans.  Dixie has been under contract during the rebuilding process, post hurricane.

I found this to be an unassuming bottle; the label is fairly plain, save for the flourishes around the logo. I didn't really give it much thought when perusing the nearby beer vault in search of things not sampled.  Oening, pouring and looking at the beer still didn't offer any hints of what lay in wait.  What I found upon the first sip was a very clean and refreshing beer that is certainly worthy of standing up to any other of the macro beer's flagship brands.

Give it a try.  Let's help rebuild New Orleans one bottle at a time!

Terrapin Hopsecutioner

Dead Reptile

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Terrapin Hopsecutioner
Terrapin Beer Company
265 Newton Bridge Road
Athens, GA USA
Est. 2002
www.terrapinbeer.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 7.3 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Copper color body.
Dense piny hops aromas.
Two fingered head that is slightly off white that lasts.
Leaves streaks of lace.
Great taste of hops throughout.
Nice amount of carbonation.
Medium bodied mouth feel.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Ah, what have we here?  My little shelled executioner friend from Terrapin.  Knew this would be good from the beginning.  Mua ha ha ha!  I especially love the executioner label...it has just the right je ne se qua, don't you think?

Now while the label proclaims this to be a hops bomb, I found it to be up there, but not so much as they led me to believe.  It's a dandy of an IPA all right, but my tongue survived its wrath.  So maybe it won't cut your tongue off.  But you'll find out, what does you in, is the 7.3% ABV.  Beware now, that will take your head off!

Mmmmm. Like your hops?  You'll love this one.

Magic Hat - Wacko

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Magic Hat - Wacko
Magic Hat Brewing Company
5 Bartlett Bay Road
Burlington, VT USA
Est. 1994
www.magichat.net

Brain Damage Quotient = 4.5 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Hazed golden color with distinct pink/red hue.
One finger off-white head that leaves slight lacing.
Sweet, malty and musky in smell.
Fruity, sweet and fizzy taste.
Lots of carbonation.
A light bodied bubbly beer.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Label says, "A beer with beet juice color." Hmmm.  Either it's going to repulse you  or peak your curiosity.  If it truly is red, let's see it.  I was pulled in by the thought.

It isn't exactly the color of beet juice if you were thinking along the same lines as me, but the color is more like watered down beet juice.  It seems normal enough pouring it out of the bottle.  Then a slightly pink hue shines through the translucent body.

Summer like and sessionable due to low ABV are its hallmarks.  After that, the rest is up to your own opinion. I have two more left from the mix twelve pack. Wonder how long they'll last in the fridge?

Flensburger Gold Premium Lager

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Flensburger Gold Premium Lager
Flensburger Brauerei GmbH und Co.
Munketoft 12
Flensburg, Germany
Est.1888
www.flens.de

Brain Damage Quotient = 4.8 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0
 
Postmortem Brew Review
Light yellow-gold and clear in color.
Grain malt softness and gentle hop aromas.
Fresh and yeasty smell.
One finger, white and fluffy head that leaves some lacing.
Malty bread like yeast taste; like whole wheat.
Dry and bitter without overpowering.
Full body with soft malt and hop flavor. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy

This tasteful clemency with the noble hop flavor. brewed in the best premium quality, with light caramel and only the finest aroma hops. A very light and slim Pilsener style beer after very good foam, a full-bodied, soft and fresh taste and a pleasantly mild yeasty. 

No, this isn't Yoda speak.  It's the just the Google translator from German to English coming through.  Pretty funny stuff....hmmm?

But seriously, this is just another fine pilsener style beer from Germany, where they pretty much make some of the best pilseners on the planet.  So pick one, pop one and pour one when you get the chance.  The musical jingle on the ceramic popper tops, get me every time!

Flying Dog - Old Scratch Amber Lager

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Old Scratch Amber Lager
Flying Dog Brewery
Frederick, MD USA
Est. 1983
www.flyingdogales.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.5 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Dark amber color.
Minimal thin head that disappears quickly.
Sweet malt grain smell. Balance of  hops.
Light and dry with a slight fruit sweetness
Very light hops characteristic of 19.5 IBU's.
Very carbonated.
Light body.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Another offering from the folks at Flying Dog.  It made a great impression in flavor as I switched to this unassuming amber style beer, midway though the afternoon session.

Nothing seemed out of balance for this tasty beer, except the nucleation was just a bit much.  That made the beer a bit harder to down, but helped to release some of the other beer gasses trapped in my gullet. The belches abounded.

It's very mellow and laid back, just like that old dog on your porch.  Good ol' amber.

North Coast - Acme IPA

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Acme IPA
North Coast Brewing Company
455 North Main Street
Fort Bragg, CA USA
Est. 1988
www.northcoastbrewing.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.5 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Hazed orange yellow color.
Two finger off-white head that leaves good lacing.
Sweet, malty and musky in smell.
Fruity, sweet and fizzy taste.
Light amount of carbonation.
A light bodied brew with dry hops taste.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Not 'killer' in hops, but a very decent and easy to drink IPA.  I enjoyed it quite a lot.  There was a yeasty swirl with the last splash from the bottle to the glass.  It ran down the center of the suds like a swirling tornado's vortex.  I like a show with my purchase.  That was worth the price of admission!

This hit the spot for my IPA fix of the day, but came just short of being a hops monster that I was looking for.  Oh, but I would get this again and again.

St. Bernardus - Prior 8 Abbey Ale

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

St. Bernardus Prior 8 Abbey Ale
Brouwerij St. Bernard NV
Trappisenweg, Watou, Belgium
Est.1985

www.sintbernardus.be

Brain Damage Quotient = 8.0 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 11.2  

Postmortem Brew Review
Deep brown in color with slight cloudiness.
Fruity aroma with some caramel.
Creamy, tall, frothy off white head.
Figs, plums and other fruits along with a bit of molasses taste.
Even amount of carbonation. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
There's that grinning monk again.  Last time I had some St. Bernardus was a couple of years ago.  Why did I wait so long?

The date on the back of the bottle is good until 2014.  This ale was tremendous now as new and would have most likely been better if cellared for a year or two.  Worth stashing a few of these away for future tasting, to be dug out later.

A mighty fine dubbel of an Abbey Ale.  Get some.

Abita Jockamo IPA

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Abita Jockamo IPA
Abita Brewing Company, LLC
Abita Springs, LA USA
Est. 1986
www.abita.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.5 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0

Postmortem Brew Review
Murky and turbid copper color.
An up-front hops presence with malt undertones in the aroma.
Minimal head that rapidly disappears.
Two finger head, off white color.
Slight lacing clings to the glass.
Taste of hops later part of sip and finish.
Minimal carbonation.
Medium mouth feel.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Abita makes some fine, interesting beers. I state this because I was a bit underwhelmed at first, with Jockamo.  Where's the hops I smelled? Where's the hops heat for that matter? The more I sipped, the less it excited me.

About half way through the glass, the hops started to sneak up with a tongue drying flavor. Ninja-like, this IPA began to reel me in bit by bit.  Still, in all, it wasn't the experience I look for in an IPA.  And while it wasn't bad, I probably wouldn't go again for a while.  Guess I'm used to the knockout punch of hops in American IPA's.

Your take?

Saison Dupont - Belgian Farmhouse Ale

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Saison Dupont - Belgian Farmhouse Ale
Brasserie Dupont
Rue Basse 5
Tourpes-Leuze, Belgium
Est. 1844
www.brasserie-dupont.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.5 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 25.4

Postmortem Brew Review
Hazed golden to orange in color.
Floral fruit nose with apricot notes.
One finger white fizzy head that leaves some lacing.
Sweet, malty and musky in smell.
Slight yeast in taste.
Bright, crisp, dry body.
Lots of carbonation.
A light bodied bubbly beer.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Champagne style bottle and champagne equivalent of a beer.  This farmhouse saison will tickle your nose with the bubbles.

Light, dry and refreshing and a fairly low ABV by comparison to others in its style, Dupont will keep you going on a hot summer's day.

I would pick this over any bottle of bubbly wine as my next celebration beverage.