Beer: Wolaver's India Pale Ale
Brewed by: Otter Creek Brewing, Middlebury, Vermont
Style: IPA
ABV: 6.5%
IBU: 55
Bottle: 12 fl.oz.
Served in: Pint glass
Place of purchase: Wades Wines, Thousand Oaks, CA
Price: $1.50 / per bottle
In celebration of American Craft Beer Week, (May 17-23, 2010) we thought it would be nice to review a craft beer from a small brewery in Vermont. Wolaver's takes beer back to its basics, and by that we mean organic and unadulterated beer!
Not only do they use a minimum of 98% organic ingredients to make their beers, but they also have a laundry list of sustainable "green" practices: everything from feeding their spent grain to local livestock, to treating their wastewater themselves with an in-house management system! 'Don't know about you, but we were impressed!
In every proper review, your trusted husband & wife team of Beeraucrats will examine the Appearance, Aroma, Taste, Mouthfeel, Drinkability and Overall Rating of the Beer and arrive at a Total Score from 1 to 10.
Wolaver's India Pale Ale
APPEARANCE:
Mugsy: Medium golden color. Creamy head that dissipates quickly, however, leaves lacing on glass.
Jugsy: Amber and copper hues, slightly murky with a medium, frothy head -- no visible carbonation whatsoever.
AROMA:
Mugsy: Lots of sweet malt with a subtle hint of hops. There's a little bit of yeast in there, too. Sweet malt definitely dominates here. As the beer warms, there's a slightly funky smell that becomes noticeable. I can only imagine it's from the yeast.
Jugsy: Incredibly yeasty and rich smells hit the nose first. Something approaching "funk" but more distinctive. Aromas of apricots, licorice, dried cherries and vanilla beans combine for a striking fruitcake aroma. Slight scent of hops, but not as much as I would expect from an IPA.
TASTE:
Mugsy: Bitterness from piney hops hits the tongue first, followed by sweetness from malt. There is an unpleasant aftertaste, however. Almost chemical (ridiculous, of course, as this is organic!) I think it's from the yeast but it's hard to tell.
Jugsy: Initial taste is yeasty, like the aroma. Middle-notes include dried apricot and light citrus-orange(?) taste. Hops come through near the finish. Hint of piney hops appears and disappears, leaving a bitter finish.
MOUTHFEEL:
Mugsy: Sting on tongue from the hops remains in the mouth for a little bit. Very watery finish.
Jugsy: Feels very creamy going down. The lack of carbonation makes for smooth and easy drinking. Bitter coating on tongue is only mild and dissipates quickly.
DRINKABILITY:
Mugsy: 6.5% ABV makes this easy to drink all night, but I wouldn't necessarily want to. The unpleasant aftertaste, smell and watery finish ruined it for me.
Jugsy: From a taste perspective, this brew is bold and flavorful -- maybe too much so for a typical session beer. And at 6.5% ABV, that might be for the best. All in all, a pleasant and drinkable beer.
OVERALL:
Mugsy: The more subtle bitterness level reminds me more of a British style IPA as opposed to American style. That's fine with me, however, I just can't get past the aftertaste and smell. I really do believe that it's coming from the yeast. Maybe this bottle had seen too much light or become too warm in the store. I can't be sure, but I do know that this is not a very enjoyable beer for me. I wouldn't purchase it again. I've had other beers from Wolaver's that I don't remember being at all bad. This one surprised me.
Jugsy: While this isn't at all what I would expect from and IPA, it isn't a bad beer! The funk is kind of growing on me! However, since Mugsy just mentioned that he doesn't even want to finish this beer due to an awful aftertaste (words I seldom hear!) it occurs to me that the bold funk of this brew is not everyone's cup of... well, beer! Proceed with caution.
SCORE:
Mugsy: 2.9
Jugsy: 5.75
(Hey, they can't all be winners, right?)
Happy AMERICAN CRAFT BEER WEEK from Mugsy and Jugsy! Click HERE to sign the Declaration of Beer Independence!
BUREAUCRACY [Noun] "Rule of a governing body" Includes: Systematic inefficiency, Layers of authority and delegation, Stacks of paperwork, Form over function.............................. BEERAUCRACY [Noun] "Rule of Beer" Includes: Hops, Barley, Water, Yeast............................ Join our two BEERAUCRATS, Mugsy and Jugsy, as they cut through the red-tape to discover the true essence of good beer.
No comments:
Post a Comment