Beer - #626 - Ballast Point - Sculpin IPA *Redux*

I can't help it that I'm easily led. This time astray by the Ballast Point - Sculpin IPA. Again.

Something that has a sting but tastes great

At 7% ABV a one litre bottle is about 6.8 standard drink units in NZ, and some 210 calories a serve size. Comes in at 70 IBU things. 

Brewed by Ballast Point Brewing Company in the style of an India Pale Ale (IPA) and of course near Sea World in San Diego, California USA.

The Sculpin IPA is a testament to our humble beginnings as Home Brew Mart. Founded in 1992, the Mart continues to be a catalyst for the San Diego brewing scene, setting the trend for handcrafted ales.

[caption id="attachment_11402" align="alignleft" width="300"] I know what's coming![/caption]

Inspired by our customers, employees and brewers, the Sculpin IPA is bright with aromas of apricot, peach, mango and lemon. Its lighter body also brings out the crispness of the hops.

This delicious Ballast Point Ale took a Bronze Medal at the 2007 Great American Beer Festival in the Pro Am category.

The Sculpin fish has poisonous spikes on its fins that can give a strong sting. Ironically, the meat from a Sculpin is considered some of the most tasty. Something that has a sting but tastes great, sounds like a Ballast Point India Pale Ale.

So what could possibly go wrong with that?  I remember being a bit middling. I also know that this is regarded as being a bit of a winner. 

Aroma is sticky sweet pine, very rich sweet., the aroma is quite subtle and muted really, it's not a bit boast of a thing.

Pour is lovely golden orange with an excitable large fully white head os some substance. The aroma remains quite and reserved, a hint of grass and pine, but an over-riding sweetness. It's very inviting.

It's a burst of bitterness carried on a lovely sweet malt, delivering a lovely citrus fruity mouthfeel and a slightly to the dry finish, but not arid.

You can tell why this remains a firm favourite of IPA drinkers, it has pretty much all the boxes ticked, without any of the IPA madness that you can also get.

It's not shy on the alcohol content either, with it being slightly stronger than some beers, it's not a session beer, despite it's session drinking taste and profile.

Then though, what is is you want from a top shelf IPA? Well I'd have expected, bitterness, warm sweetness in the middle, some pine or citrus thing like grapefruit perhaps and a dry finish. Somehow this manages to dial down the bitterness and the sweet backbone somewhat, making this a very good standard IPA, but not memorable.

Thing is there are lot of really good middle-of-the-road IPA beers available, and I know that sometimes you keep reaching for the next level, this one though seem content to be in the pack and the the middle. Which is fine, because this is a fine beer. A very fine beer. Where I remember to remember that it's about this beer, not the beer I think I'm having or want, but the one I have.

I left it for a bit, and when I came back it had become 'sticker' in the tastes, a lot more resinous and piney, and sticky and lingering, all those things.  Does it make it better?

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 8 of its random things from the thing. It's very good, but it's then somehow it's become a middle of the pack beer. At one point this was the bar though, and it needs to be enjoyed and appreciated because it's very good. 

The double dip review

• Am I enjoying it? Yes, it really is accessible, enjoyable and moorish, it's just good.


• Would I have another? I've had a few, they're always the same, enjoyable etc etc


• Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? There is no reason that this wouldn't be welcome to any beer drinker, I'm sure the bitterness wouldn't or shouldn't put off any beer drinker, but I've been known to be wrong.

Music for this.  ' Tito & Tarantula '  who are an American chicano rock/stoner rock band formed in Hollywood California in 1992. This is a track  ' After Dark Snake Dance '

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvnL4dtqIY8

INDIA PALE ALE & IPA

India Pale Ale gets its name and unique style from British brewers who were making beer for export to India. This style has an intense hop flavor which was used to preserve the beer for the long voyage. India Pale Ale has a golden to copper color with a medium maltiness and body. The aroma is moderate to very strong. IPAs work especially well at cutting the heat of chili, vindaloo or Sichuan cuisine.

Beer - #528 - Karl Strauss - Wreck Alley Imperial Stout

Stout beer, being Stout about musics,  some stout numbers, and stout mates at parties

"... is as dark as the depths of its namesake "

Karl Strauss -  Wreck Alley Imperial Stout - a beer I should have brought a week ago. At least I went back...

20fl oz bottle (650ml) that contains a  9.5% ABV, 50 IBU things beer, that has 265 calories a serve size, so this then a  4.9  drinks units worth in NZ.

Brewed by Karl Strauss Brewing Company  in the style: Imperial Stout and they are in the home to sea-world, San Diego, California  USA

[caption id="attachment_10225" align="alignleft" width="300"] He squints he smiles,,,,,[/caption]

Beneath the tides off Mission Beach rests Wreck Alley – a dark and mysterious seascape of forgotten ships. Amidst the rusted wreckage is a marine ecosystem, an artificial reef teeming with life.

Our Wreck Alley is as dark as the depths of its namesake, an Imperial Stout of uncharted complexity. Brewed with darkly kilned malts, cocoa nibs, and Ethiopian coffee beans, Wreck Alley boasts rich layers of dark chocolate, toffee, and espresso-like roast.

Save a bottle. This one has a stout shelf-life.

What could possibly go wrong. It seems this time a whole lot.

Sometimes the Live-blog thing ends in a bit of a pigs-ear thing. You think I might have worked that out, or at least WP might have saved me with "Auto-save" or something, in my dreams.

- I wrote about the pour and how it was a bit disappointing. Not thick like some beers, how the head was a bit of a wastrel and half-hearted at best.

• I wrote about the aroma, and how it went missing but there might have been fruits coming through, but it needed to be make more effort. C'mon!


• I wrote a bit about how this was a pretender beer. what was special? what? How was this the beer that made grown men weep?


• Then I wrote about how I really got it, and how this really was a pretty accomplished beer, here wasn't a dip in the middle or a missing bit, it was pretty much a complete end to end beer. From the initial sup the wash and the finish. It has great chocolate or roasted malt, nothing peaky in the middle and a finish that has that fruit thing going on. incroyable!

I really did poetry that an angst teenager would weep at. Then I did something stupid and it went south, or right-swipe defending on your OS of choice.

Imagine some really good writing then, and then catch up with me at the bit here where I go..."

Loving that nice seeped fruit thing that stouts (or indeed barley wine) has as this gets warmer, somehow it gets more treacle like, and a whole lot more interactive and enjoyable.

The really clever thing though, really strong beer, really no idea how that works, it really isn't apparent or obvious,  quaff away, get squiffy, go on-line shopping, wait for the results in a a few days. When I say clever  I mean something else.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 9 a of its things from the thing. It really is a great thing, The finish does end a bit, just a bit dry, the worst thing perhaps you could say about this, other than perhaps that it lacks a character or a defining moment that would make this apart of the crowd.

10 was a reach as, for me,  there was an under taste of something wet-oats or something in this, just there and being there. I might have had a crank on, I might be right, I'd go again this this beer, it is worth while.

I like this because well it is what is says it is. There isn't an addition like "Chocolate" or "fruit of some kind" or "Coffee" that would guest in the middle.  This is an honest and goodness "Stout" that I can discern. The chocolate or Coffee fro the roasted malts (I might be making it up) but what you end with is a beer that is really level drinking, there are no peaks in the flavour, no side shoes and a finish that isn't dry and hints a some kind of dark fruits. It is perry good and worthwhile.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? It really is a bit special and stands up on its own as a straight up beer, I stated off a bit dubious and ended up loving it.


2. Would I have another? I would really like another, this has so much potential.


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Can you imagine the lies you could tell when drinking this, by lies I mean embellishments, and nuances. This is a cracking beer and drinks well and leaves you wondering how your head went a bit squiffy because you can't remember the 9.5% ABV thing.

The Stylistics were a soul music vocal group, and were one of the best-known Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s. I'm sure you'd know "You are Everything", I was listening to a best of compilation. That's some squeaky voices.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZILgIoNIDT8

IMPERIAL STOUT

Imperial stouts are usually extremely dark brown to black in color with flavors that are intensely malty, deeply roasted and sometimes with accents of dark fruit (raisin, fig) or milk sourness. The bitterness is typically medium and often the low sie of that. Imperial stouts are strong and often exceed 8% by volume.

Beer - #489 - Karl Strauss - Big Barrel Double IPA

Big names, Big Music, Big Numbers, and a Big call.

Imported New Zealand Nelson Sauvin hops provide a vibrant tropical aroma that raises eyebrows and expectations

I am pushing the boat out, with a new to me brewer, and at random this, the - Karl Strauss Big Barrel Double IPA

This is brewed by the Karl Strauss Brewing Company in the style that is  Imperial/Double IPA and the are based in San Diego, California  USA

650ml bottle that is 9%ABV, and a matching 90 IBU things, 270 calories a serve, and that would be 4.6 standard drink units in the one bottle

When we kicked-off this series of intense hoppy beers, we wanted to go big.

[caption id="attachment_9780" align="alignleft" width="300"] Big Grin[/caption]

Imported New Zealand Nelson Sauvin hops provide a vibrant tropical aroma that raises eyebrows and expectations.

Aggressive amounts of Warrior and Ahtanum hops produce an assertive bitterness that stands out against a firm malt backbone.

Balanced even at 90 IBUs, Big Barrel leaves a considerable first impression that serves as a prelude of things to come.

Note to self: Point beer away from keyboard and in general the laptop when opening, you know that the last beer cost me around NZ$300 to fix, the good thing though, if anything is that it's a Mac and therefore same day repair

Anyway, what could possibly go wrong this time?

Loud sweet hop grassy aroma on opening, like it already just for that.

Much more golden orange that I was somehow in philipland expecting, and it pours with a a lovely finger of white fluffy and persistent head, it looks the part!

You get this massive burst of bitter followed at a rush but the biggest burst of warm sweet malt and it's really really something!

Grassy hoppy dominates and it has a great finish that is somewhat towards to dry but not rasping and overwhelming.

It has lovely pine and citrus (lemon) and that great softness in the middle, I really wanted a good IPA, took a punt and won! Go me!

Despite it's 9% ABV which will see you in bed early if you're not paying attention, and despite that there is no real indication that it is a reasonably high ABV beer, this is one of the easiest drinking dIPA's that I've had for ages, and it brought a smile to my dial, made the world a better place, and restored my sense of balance. It's that good

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 10 a of its things from the thing. I'm usually a bit shy on elevation to the 10's as that really does leave you open to question and ridicule, but this really hit my sweet spot, and today in this light and at this moment, this is as perfect as it gets. And I drank it before the curry arrived.

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? Yes, this is outstanding! 


2. Would I have another? Yes, I'm thinking of sending a messenger to get me one.


3. Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? If I won lotto, at a significant level, I would buy you a pint, at the brewery, perhaps two. Otherwise I'll be round to tell tall stories about how good I was when I was younger, and why Association Football beats another type of football ever. 

Musics? Well I was whipping up a couple curry meals, a Butter chicken for the others and a Jalfrezi style for me, and  I stumbled over  a band called "The Coral" and a track  "The Curse of Love" from the Album of the same name. The Coral are an English band formed in 1996 in Hoylake on the Wirral Peninsula in England.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXULT0-gN8A

Light Indie Pop type but with some good lyrics and nicely produced, It's very good listening to and music to cook by :-) oh and have a beer to!

IMPERIAL/DOUBLE IPA

Imperial IPA, Double IPA or DIPA is a strong, often sweet, intensely hoppy version of the traditional India Pale Ale. Bitterness units range upward of 100 IBUs and alcohol begins at 7.5% but is more commonly in the 8.5-10% range. The flavour profile is intense all-round. Unlike barley wines, the balance is heavily towards the hops, with crystal and other malts providing support.

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Beer - #454 - Ballast Point - Tongue Buckler

I had a couple of very good IPA beers today, New Zealand ones,  and not I digress and continue with this one, a Ballast Point Tongue Buckler Imperial Red Ale

Our Tongue Buckler Imperial Red Ale doesn’t pull any punches. This is a big brew with hops and malt in extreme abundance. The I.B.U.’s (International Bitterness Units) alone test the limits of your palate. Yet while the timid should take warning, Tongue Buckler generously rewards the bold with an exceptional ale experience

Brewed by Ballast Point Brewing Company this of course in the style that would be : American Strong Ale or, Imperial/Double Red Ale, and they are as always based in San Diego, California USA

Gosh, 107 IBU things, in this a bottle that contains a beer of 10% ABV,  300 calories a serve, and in NZ this would be for the 650ml therein a 5.13 standard drink unit's worth of beer.

[caption id="attachment_9390" align="alignright" width="300"] I wave a bottle ![/caption]

Prepare to walk the plank to an Ale of overwhelming proportions. More hops & more malts than any land lubber can handle.

After this experience...your tongue will be buckled. The I.B.U.’s (International Bitterness Units) are off the scale on this ale.

Be forewarned, those with a timid palate, this is not a wee beer! Handcrafted in small batches for those sailing the seas in search of great ales.

Get in!!!

Beer - #293 - Ballast Point - Victory at Sea

Well indeed - from a tap into a takeaway growler - the Ballast Point Victory at Sea Brewed by Ballast Point Brewing Company in the style of an Imperial/Strong Porter and they are of course in San Diego, California USA

This is a 1 litre 'jug' of a 10% ABV beer which makes it 7.89 standard drinks, this is 300 calories a serve, it's all on.  65IBU things

[caption id="attachment_6356" align="alignleft" width="300"] Of course the Selfie[/caption]

Two of the world’s oldest beverages join forces to conquer your palate. Victory at Sea embodies the art of masterful brewing by infusing a velvety Imperial Porter with pure vanilla flavor and specially-selected, hand roasted coffee. The addition of cold brewed coffee to the beer lends a subtle roasted flavor to this robust imperial porter, blending perfectly with rich vanilla and caramel undertones. By uniting two San Diego brewing traditions, Caffe Calabria freshly brewed coffee and Ballast Point beer, we have successfully created an artisanal masterpiece.

A big porter crafted to weather any storm.
Our Victory at Sea Imperial Porter is a bold, smooth brew with just the right amount of sweetness. We infused this robust porter with whole vanilla beans and San Diego’s own Caffe Calabria coffee beans. The subtle roasted notes and minimal acidity of the cold brewed coffee, balances perfectly with the sweet caramel undertones of the malt, creating a winning combination for your palate.

So highly recommended and just the thing on a wet and cooler evening at the end of an up and down summer.

I am expecting of course something dark with a fluffy head.

Totally heady coffee aroma on opening, and it pours a fantastic dark balk with a rich coffee head. Did I mention the coffee aroma

And a crack of vanilla that explodes in your mouth. Shucks this is good.  You get the bitterness too, it carries the coffee and vanilla nicely to a nice finish.

But for all the enthusiasm I have I'm a bit unsure about the bitterness that is quire predominant, and that is an odd observation considering I expected it to be bitter. But then there is bitter and there is subtle. This isn't very subtle, it's not very in your face but its a bit loud.

So to recap : A a nose of really nice mellow coffee, a crashing tongue tip of bitterness and then a wave of coffee and a burst of vanilla. How is this not a good thing.

The Pdubyah-O-Meter loves this the longer that it warms in the glass, and to be honest it's running out of beer as I'm supping like a thirsty man.

Go on mark it, I say to myself. I want to be be cruel and say 9.

I want to say 9 because for all it's lovely I don't really enjoy the bitterness up front. I pinch myself as this this is a bracingly good beer, it really is.

It looks fantastic, it gets better as it gets slightly warmer, I want to call MrsPdubyah to smell its aroma, she's laugh and say it's terrible, but I'd share it knowing that, you get what you expect from a beer with 65 IBU, bitterness, what you don't expect is the coffee and then the vanilla thing that is so much fun. But it's all carried on the bitterness that is a bit like the neighbour that mows the grass at 8am on Sunday, a bit necessary but a bit annoying.  I'm really trying hard to be harsh, but it isn't easy.

But it's good.  It really is. I have to say that with the music, especially the lyrics, and this, I've found my happy place a bit early.

I'm just taken how this really has a softness that envelopes you, and that was the point where the 8 standard drink units kicked in :-)  This is time to hide the phone because drunk dialling, and inappropriate photos  happen at this time.

I brought a bottle of this to drink too, this of course being from the tap  version. I should wait for tomorrow lest I end up asleep under the table.

As an aside I'm getting very close to 300 beers, and at that point I may retire, having scaled the heights and plumbed the depths.

Tonight the music is "The National" who MrsPdubyah and me had the opportunity to see live this past week, This is  The National - Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1a1UoljLWrY&w=560&h=315]

Dinner a rather passable chicken curry, and a beef and spinach curry with rice, salad and roti breads.

All in all a nice evening in.

IMPERIAL/STRONG PORTER

Imperial or extra-strong porters fall in between the traditional porter, a Baltic porter, and an imperial stout. They range from around 7.5% upwards, with hefty dark malt character, but lack the overt roastiness of an imperial stout.

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Beer - #271 - Ballast Point - Sculpin IPA

In a bottle this time, Ballast Point Sculpin IPA, Brewed by Ballast Point Brewing Company in the  style of an  India Pale Ale (IPA), and of course in  San Diego, California USA

This is a 650ml bottle of a 7%ABV beer,  with 210 calories, a serve I guess. 70 IBU things which is right in the mid point for Pale Ales. 3.6 Standard drink units, best take it easy if I'm also cooking tonight.

The Sculpin IPA is a testament to our humble beginnings as Home Brew Mart. Founded in 1992, the Mart continues to be a catalyst for the San Diego brewing scene, setting the trend for handcrafted ales. Inspired by our customers, employees and brewers, the Sculpin IPA is bright with aromas of apricot, peach, mango and lemon. Its lighter body also brings out the crispness of the hops. This delicious Ballast Point Ale took a Bronze Medal at the 2007 Great American Beer Festival in the Pro Am category. The Sculpin fish has poisonous spikes on its fins that can give a strong sting. Ironically, the meat from a Sculpin is considered some of the most tasty. Something that has a sting but tastes great, sounds like a Ballast Point India Pale Ale.

I rated this as Good (7) last time I drank it, I felt then it was a comfortable accomplished beer, I wonder if the bottle version will be different/better.

Having achieved some exercise to an acceptable level I deserve this.

Popped with a little pop, and a burst of soft grassy hops, and sweetness. Golden orange glowing pour wit ha decent and persistent head, on a roll here with this tumbler!

This is another of those bitter beers that isn't pucker-up bitter. There is lovely tang in it, but it carries you along on a bit of a journey, a lovely journey.

The bedrock is a lovely warmth that carries the happiness and gives you a full mouthfeel, a bit of a carry and a nice finish.

I said before that this was a comfortable beer, one that does not take you near the edge, but at 7% ABV could get you into trouble if you thought it was going to be a session beer.

I still think this is a comfortable beer, I'm still not sure that it's as brilliant or outstanding as some people believe. Might be worth a taste off between some of them to set a bar or benchmark on how I view these in future.

I get some of the lemon flavour, I'm not convinced on Peach or Apricot or Mango, but might get passion fruit if you had to twist my arm.

The pdubyah-o-meter like the bottle version at a 9, high praise, making it a great beer. Which is because it's drinkable, gives you a bit back by way of taste and layers, is easily  enjoyed and reminds you that sometimes the day is to short to drink bad beer, or drink bad beer where you have fret and frown about what it is the brewer thinks he was doing.

This is a fine beer for a summer evening, looking at the sea, contemplating the seafood about to go on the barbecue, The only thing missing would be some decent music, but failing that I have Birdy.

I shall remember this beer as a beer for this #summer with great affection I think. Cheers.

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Beer - #245 - Green Flash - Le Freak - another redux

I have to stop doing this, however in my defence this was in tap and not in a bottle, so I ware sore tempted and couldn't resist.  I had this over a year ago, and I wasn't overly impressed with it, to start with, which might explain why I've forgotten about it. It was a over ago and I've been drunk since.

So, it's a trip back back to  "Le Freak", which is  Brewed by Green Flash Brewing Co. in the style of an Abbey Tripel, and they make that in San Diego, California USA

I have a, from the tap bottle of  1 Litre of a 9.2 % ABV beer -  which makes it I have there equivalent in NZ of 7.2 standard drink units. In going back to the previous review it might be a long evening.  But I do have Pork ribs sitting in a marinade of some Moroccan concoction and so the evening might turn out alright.

“Le Freak is a modern ale created by converging two beer styles, BelgianTrippel and American Imperial IPA. The use of two yeast strains further marries the styles and American hops give thebeer its modern flare…”

I said a bit "game of two halves, neither of them relevant to the other", sort of, because I changed it to be a much better beer than I thought once I and dwelled on it a bit, and that doesn't happen often. Mostly I get remorse about being too kind. This of course based on I've spent my own money and therefore have to enjoy it. I don't always enjoy it, but always feel bad about a low score.

Anyway to the beer.... and hopefully I'm focussed and paying attention.

In some weird universe I got the aroma of bananas on popping the top, Hazy cloudy in the bottle .

Nice pour has a head that we persistent but faded. Cab't however shake the banana thing, what is that about ?  The taste is of course the familiar Brlgium style yeast, but there is a the hop edginess , and it finishes a  bit like the astringent alcohol burn.

However no way at all of telling if you're drinking a local domestic strength or this barnstormer.  It really is quite a thing, and it could end badly.

Nice balance, nothing to shouty and arrogant in the glass, and all a bit sedate and behaved.  I really do mean a strong aroma, and seriously I thought banana, I said it again, therefore must be true, probably isn't.

This is an interesting beer, it's not one thing or another, and I think I said before that both together don't equal the sum of the parts in some way. I get the holiness, even chucked in a hop belch there, and I get the Belgium style yeasts in this. I love the cloudiness, I like the soft fluffy mouthfeel, this really is a beer that you need to be paying attention to as it is quaffable and therefore going to end badly, if you're not a bit paying attention.

I think I marked this an 8 before, I think from the tap this is better than a bottle version it's less edgy and there isn't a two face thing going oh, it's more an equal partners enjoying a thing.  The from the tap in the take-away "growler" rates. according to me, a a very good 8, straight off the bat. I know shut-up, but this is a very good beer. It is well behaved, has enough of a presence for you to interact with it, teases you to go back to it and have a little more, and rewards you by being just a bit nice.

at 9.2% ABV this really is a quiet achiever, there isn't any taste clues that you're being made incompetent and incoherent by the mouthful, as you can with some beer, taking your clues from the very bitter grassiness, or the alcohol astringent burn, it's just not there with this. Dangerous much?

A real gem that would  enjoyable but a wide range of drinkers, if only they'd take a chance and a punt.  I am so not disappointed that I brought this, despite my frail memory, even though I keep a list, it's kind  of made my weekend (so far) a good thing.

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Beer - #238 - Ballast Point - Sculpin IPA

I can't help it that I'm easily led. This time astray by the Ballast Point - Sculpin IPA. In a one litre bottle from the taps take-away style. Comes Highly recommended. Brewed by Ballast Point Brewing Company in the style of an India Pale Ale (IPA) and of course near Sea World in San Diego, California USA.

At 7% ABV a one litre bottle then is about 6.8 standard drink units in NZ (4.34 in the US, and 7.7 in the UK)



The Sculpin IPA is a testament to our humble beginnings as Home Brew Mart. Founded in 1992, the Mart continues to be a catalyst for the San Diego brewing scene, setting the trend for handcrafted ales. Inspired by our customers, employees and brewers, the Sculpin IPA is bright with aromas of apricot, peach, mango and lemon. Its lighter body also brings out the crispness of the hops. This delicious Ballast Point Ale took a Bronze Medal at the 2007 Great American Beer Festival in the Pro Am category. The Sculpin fish has poisonous spikes on its fins that can give a strong sting. Ironically, the meat from a Sculpin is considered some of the most tasty. Something that has a sting but tastes great, sounds like a Ballast Point India Pale Ale.

Accompanying me tonight is music from New Orleans: The Original sounds of Funk 1960-1975 on the LP Player, and for which I paid far far too much New Zealand money.

Lordy that was poppy when I popped the top. Mellow rich hops aroma.

As you can see, head! lots thereof.

But wait. This isn't anywhere need as puckeringly bitter as the last beer I had, the Panhead Days of Thunder, but it's much more caramel and malty balanced.

So although there is a grassy hop note with some grapefruits\grass it actually drinks a bit mellow and, dare I say, thin. For a beer that rates as highly as this I again wonder if I'm doing this right.

It is very very drinkable and this is one of those non-threatening beers that'll keep you in good company, you're not wandering too far from the middle. Safe.

Not what I expected. It's defiantly a session beer, you could be happy with this all night, and possibly the next night. There is enough to remind you you're drinking a decent beer, but not so much that you're ruining your palate. It is fur sure light drinking.

So what to make of that. This really is highly regarded, and IPA is, only in my opinion, a safe to make beer, the fact that the everyone does it should indicate that it's a something.

Is it a beer I'd rave over? I don't think it is. I like safe beers, beers that offer up a profile and engage you, without worrying you and testing you. This though is a bit like a comfortable cardigan, a bit thin and worn. The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as a 7 being good.

I wonder if the idea that harsher and harsher beer is a path that you end up taking, more IBU's more more, instead of thinking about a balance and drinkability. Trying to find an extreme, I may have voiced this before. The Ballast Point Sculpin is a good beer, and I'd happily forego many other beers to have this on a night out, you're going to get a buzz on, and you're not going to end up with that horrible full mouth carnage. This is a bit bitter, a bit sweet, had a bit of carry but not much and ends up being all supped and gone before you know it. That is it's strength, it's doing a clever thing very well.

Perhaps this is the benchmark and I've been harsh. I'll have the other pint and decide later.

The New Orleans Funk was ok, although the idea that you can only get 12-13 minutes on a side of vinyl is a bit low-rent and frankly awkward, I'd rather a good old fashioned full side of music, which should be more than 4 tracks, perhaps 8 and 23 minutes? At least they are 33rpm and not 45rpm versions. The clarity and quality faultless, danceability a little low, but I could get my groove in if I didn't have to stop every few minutes to flip the thing, or reset the needle on the groove. Unlike many vinyl records does not come with a MP3 download or CD thrown in, so I can't enjoy this and enjoy it in the car. Would I spend another NZ$50 on the volume 2 or 3 ? I might, I'd blanch at the price but I just might.

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• Beer - #237 - Panhead - Days of Thunder (pdubyah.com)

Beer - #233 - AleSmith - Speedway Stout

Indeed, a highly regarded beer, the AleSmith Speedway Stout, Brewed by AleSmith Brewing Company in the style of a Imperial Stout and that all happened in the place with a Zoo, San Diego, California USA.

Speedway Stout is a HUGE Imperial Stout, with pounds and pounds of coffee added during conditioning for a little extra kick! This is a limited-edition Formula and it'll definitely get you racing! It is available in 750 ml. champagne bottles.

• Appearance: Jet Black, with a toast-brown head.


• Flavor: Starts with a strong coffee and dark chocolate sensation, then fades to a multitude of toasty, roasty and caramelly flavors. Finishes with a nice fullness but dry enough not to be cloying.


• Aroma: COFFEE! And some other stuff. And coffee.


• Mouthfeel (body/texture): Velvety smooth texture. Clean and crisp, full-bodied. Warmth from the high alcohol content lightens up the feel a bit. Still, you won't fool your taste buds -- this beer is HUGE!

750ml bottle of a 12% ABV beer. In NZ thats 7.1 standard drink units., the US 5.1 and in the UK 9.  As far as I can tell this has an IBU of around 70.

Peeve is that although this is presented with a foil wrap over the cap, it's a plain gold cap, no printing, just a plain old ten-a-penny cap. Just a peeve, doesn't make it taste better.

worryingly the foil has a chocolate aroma, I hope the cap was sealed.  It's ok it hissed, and a lovely deep chocolate/coffee aroma made me smile.

Intensely dark beer, with a nice head of dark brown fluffiness. Aroma is more subtle that the intense burst from the smaller neck of the bottle, more muted coffee than anything.

Big big mouthful of flavours, very full, the underlying bitterness is easily and generously compensated by the bag full of sweetness that this delivers.  Bittery tang on the length but it's in a good way.

This is really one of those beers tastes that you sit after drinking and are still marvelling at the taste profile, it really is a full on experience.

The notes above are somewhat pretty accurate, and I'm getting each and every one of those things. I can see why is is so highly regarded and rated, they say what it is and then it is what it is.

The pdubyah-o-meter cracks up to an easy 9.75, and I'm taking the quarter off because this might, for me, just be a little too sweet. Picky picky. But that's a 10 by any other name.  More Awesome than Great. #HappyFace.  I put the glass down and the pdubyah-o-meter ticked up the 10. Like it wasn't going to.

This is, though, to sum up, a really really good beer, the coffee/chocolate thing is awesome, the low bitterness is more than balanced, and the length of flavour and the whole profile is stunning.  The idea that this is one of the best beers "in the world" isn't so far fetched. From fond memory the Epic Coffee and Fig stout would give this a fair run for the money, and I do have a current year version coming up to try.

If this "is" and therefore sets the bar, then woe betide the pretenders.

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Beer - #156 - AleSmith - X Extra Pale Ale

Still in the US of A then with an AleSmith X Extra Pale Ale. Brewed by AleSmith Brewing Company In the style of a American Pale Ale and that's all happening in San Diego, California USA

500ml (pint) bottle of a 5% ABV beer, making that 2.56 standard drink units.

AleSmith X Extra Pale Ale is a clean, light-colored, light-bodied ale. The People's Choice award winner at the 2000 San Diego Real Ale Festival and the second runner-up in 2001, it has a good dose of dry hops balanced by a gentle sweetness, giving an almost sweet-and-sour effect. Appearance: Light golden color, and a nice white head, with good retention when properly served. Flavor: Starts off with almost tingling flavors of citrus and pine, balanced by a nice malty sweetness, then fades to a dry finish with a lingering hoppiness. Aroma: Strong lemony-citrusy character, with sweet malt and pine in the background. Mouthfeel (body/texture): Smooth, light-bodied.

That sounds like a bit of fun in a bottle. Something yellow, something not bitter, and something refreshing. Nothing too dramatic.

There is a goodly nose of hops, that made me smile, it is a lovely golden yellow, more rimu golden than yellow, pour, fairly hazy/cloudy and I got a fair decent head of fluffy white. Do like that hop aroma.

The taste is a lovely soft bitter and a goodly backing of malt and fruity citrus notes, making this quite a nice taste combination.  The length of the bitterness is amazing, not uncomfortable, but you're left with a big taste sensation, and a smacking of the lips moment.

There is also lacing on the glass that you don't see often enough, not as an indicator of quality, it's just nice to see is all.

This is very quaffable and you'd be comfortable with this for a few or more beers with friends or alone. It wouldn't intrude on your food and would offer a nice balance to a meal. And as a 5% ABV beer you're not going to go all fall-off-the-barstool any time in a hurry.

The pdubyah-o-meter makes this 8.25 on the scale of things. It's a thoroughly nice, well carbonated, nicely balanced, well behaved beer that will neither challenge you or upset you. More than middle of the road because of the nice floral citrus things and the length of the bitterness. A bit good. Not great, but good enough, and a great way to start an evening.

You're welcome.

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Beer - #98 - Ballast Point - Big Eye IPA

Big Eye IPA is Brewed by Ballast Point Brewing Company in the style of an India Pale Ale (IPA)
and that all happens in San Diego, California USA.

If you have fallen for the IPA style like we have, Big Eye will be a welcome addition to your repertoire. You’ll revel in Big Eye’s bitter, hoppy flavor thanks to the American Columbus and Centennial hops that are used to flavor and dry hop our flagship IPA. We thank our hops every day that the English loved their bitters—or else the IPA style may not have been born to help the beer survive the journey from Cape Hope to India back in the 18th century.

I like the self confidence that they have in this. In the American way this is  a 6.5% ABV beer, in a giant 650ml bottle, which looks very old world in style, but not that i'd generally comment on the container. 650ml though is an awkward sized thing though, a glass and a half.

I'm expecting bitter and grassy from the hops, and I'm also expecting a warm malty finish. Is what I expect from this.

The aroma is instantly familiar bitter beer smell, it's fantastic deep rimu colour, and has a fair head on it. So far so good.

The hops are twangy and there is the undernote of the malts and caramel. It isn't overly grassy (hoppy) and has a decent length.  Yeah that's not half bad. I get also a floral taste, which is nicer than it sounds and is actually a bit pleasant.  I don't think I can rave about this being a leader or breaking new ground for a beer, but it's in the leading breakaway pack. But it is very competent, very very competent. and accomplished, and that's pretty much on the money for an beer, and this would be a beer for a session.

The sad thing is that as a session beer I find that I'm home alone enjoying this, Neville-no-mates, and  that's a pity because I wish there were others here and I could get all up in the face about how much of a party in my mouth this is. I started, as I always do with a new beer, enjoying and savouring each sip (gulp) and with this I just ended up enjoying it as a quaffing beer. It's sneakily a very good beer.

If you like IPA you could do a lot worse than getting your own party in a bottle, the Pdubyah-o-meter doesn't have an issue with making this an easy 8 random things from its  own random measure, resulting in  something I'd go out of my way to drink.

Not all the way to San Diego to drink, but if there is ever an opportunity, and after we've been to Sea World then Ballast Point would be getting a reservation for a big night in.

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