Recently in IPA Category

Boy meets beer, boy likes beer, boy homebrews beer, boy gains experience in Belgium, boy does a Kickstarter, boy wins bigtime. And by "boy", I mean, uh, two guys: Beejay Oslon and Gerrit Lewis. Another class of 2012 brewer... in fact, according to RateBeer, they were the best new brewery in the world last year (nudging out, of all breweries, Tired Hands, which came in #2). So big deal, right? Well, considering that there were over 1900 new breweries in the world last year, that actually is a pretty sweet deal.

Last week, Tired Hands got a cease and desist order on the name of one of their two staple beers. Brewery Vivant makes a beer called Farm Hand and sought to protect their trademark from Tired Hands' FarmHands. This legal wrangling is a topic I should probably write more about at some point, but seeing as though this is a post about Pipeworks, I'll just get to the point:

Currently brewing our newest beer! The Lights That Spills Outs of the Holes in your Heads! Plural is all good yo. @tiredhandsbeer

— Pipeworks Brewing Co (@PipeworksBrewin) September 3, 2013

This is, of course, a reference to one of Tired Hands' absurdly named beers (The Light That Spills Out of the Hole In your Head), and that tweet immediately endeared me to Pipeworks. Other breweries pitched in and made amusing suggestions as well (including Hill Farmstead, Sante Adairius, Prairie, and others), but me, I was just glad that a box filled with Chicago goodies (including Pipeworks) was already on its way to my house. A few days later, I rejoiced and popped open my first Pipeworks beer.

Pipeworks Simcoe Ninja - Pours a surprisingly dark amber orange color with a finger or tow of fluffy white head and a nice lacing pattern as I drink. Smells fantastic, sugary sweet, with lots of fruity, pineapple hop character. Taste has that big citrus and pine hop character, but also a solid malt backbone and a well balanced bitterness towards the finish. The notion of a west coast IPA is a bit nebulous, but this is NOT a West Coast IPA. Very East Coast stuff here, which is fine by me (I'm reminded of Weyerbacher's Double Simcoe, though this is better). Mouthfeel is medium to full bodied, but very crisply carbonated. Maybe just a bit of boozy stickiness in the swish. Not a chuggable beer or anything, but it's not a sipper either. I'm not getting a lot of booze out of this either, which is impressive given the 9.5% ABV. Overall, I haven't had something I'd call an East Coast IPA that was this good in a while. Really great stuff, worth seeking out. A-

Beer Nerd Details: 9.5% ABV bottled (22 oz. bomber). Drank out of a tulip glass on 9/6/13. Batch #192, bottled 8.22.13.

So yes, moar Pipeworks please. I've got another bottle in the fridge, just raring to go. Stay tuned!

The greater Philadelphia area saw a pretty large increase in breweries in 2012. Of course, Tired Hands gets the lion's share of attention these days (and I'm certainly guilty of that), but the other standout appears to be Forest & Main. The two breweries share a lot of similarities. They opened within weeks of each other, they both seem to have a love of saisons and farmhouse ales (though Forest & Main also has a distinctly English bent that isn't as prominent at Tired Hands), they're both quite small, and they're both damn good brewers. They both have brewpubs that buck your typical brewpub (at least, the ones we get around here, like Sly Fox, Iron Hill, Victory, and McKenzies - all of which I like a lot, to be sure) and focus on local, small-scale, quirky, and personable atmosphere. When I stopped by last week, I immediately recognized that vibe and felt right at home.

My visit came on a whim, so I actually didn't end up staying very long and missed any opportunity to try any food. However, I did run into the chef and several employees who were finishing off their shifts with a few pints of their own, and from what I've heard of the menu, I need to visit a bit earlier sometime so I can try out some of this stuff.

I ended up sampling two of their brews, but next time I go, I think I'll have to grab a flight... I didn't even manage to take good notes (I know, I'm awful), but I got enough of a taste to know that I need to get myself up here more often.

Forest & Main Saison Des Tiers - A blend of oak aged and fresh saison, this sucker had a nice funky tartness going for it, and was exceptionally drinkable. Stone fruits, oak, and funk, nice tart sourness, very well matched stuff. B+

Beer Nerd Details: 5% ABV on tap (16 oz.) Drank out of a goblet on 9/4/13.

Forest & Main Kinch IPA - While Tired Hands' take on the IPA is distinctly American, Forest & Main seems to lean more British. What I had here would probably still be characterized as an American IPA, but it's not intensely bitter, and it clearly makes use of some European hops in the recipe. The bartender mentioned that this particular batch utilized German Saphir hops, which I believe mix the new world citrus hops character with the more classic noble hop character (spicy, herbal). This, of course, wasn't the only hop used, but that sort of old/new world fusion seems to be the defining character of this IPA, which was really quite pleasant and a very welcome change of pace, as I've been overloading on those bright fruity citrus hops of late. B+

Beer Nerd Details: 7% ABV on tap (16. oz) Drank out of a nonic pint glass on 9/4/13.

The bartender was also messing around with blends of various stuff, and gave me a little sample of a blend of Kinch and Douteux (a Brett dubbel), which was actually pretty good. It's a bit of a haul to drive up here, but I see myself making the trek again soon (though perhaps not as often as Tired Hands!)

Of the holy triumvirate of Vermont brewers, Lawson's Finest Liquids seems to be the smallest and most obscure. The Alchemist puts out a ton of Heady every week (that it sells out every week is another matter, but they're still at least a couple orders of magnitude bigger than Lawson's), and Hill Farmstead manages to distribute the occasional keg to Philly, meaning that they seem to have something to spare every now and again. The same cannot be said for Lawson's. When I made my trek to Vermont the other day, the Warren Store had received 19 cases of Double Sunshine IPA, 16 of which had sold by the time I arrived at about 10:30 am. As near as I can tell, this is a weekly occurrence. As of a few years ago, Lawson's capacity was two 1 bbl batches a week, which is absolutely minuscule by industry standards (even craft standards), almost like a slightly scaled up homebrewing operation. I suspect that Sean Lawson has increased capacity since then, but it's still tiny.

All of which is to say that I'm pretty fortunate to have snagged a few bottles of this gem, a Double IPA that is prized like few others. It holds the #12 slot on Beer Advocate's top beers list with sky high ratings and plenty of ISOs. It's so popular that Lawson's has declared August "Double Sunshine Month" and is distributing nothing but Double Sunshine all month. Details on the brew are a bit sparse, but I'm guessing a significant presence of Citra hops, that most hallowed of trendy hops. Let's see how it fares:

Lawson's Finest Liquids Double Sunshine IPA - Pours a mostly clear golden orange color with a finger or two of white, fluffy head that fades quickly but leaves plenty of lacing. Smell is filled with herbal, floral, grassy, and citrus hop aromas, quite nice and complex. Taste follows the nose, very sweet with tons of hop character, plenty of those grassy, floral notes along with pleasant citrus, followed by a light, balancing bitterness towards the finish. Mouthfeel is smooth and velvety, medium bodied, tight carbonation, refreshing, almost quaffable (well, I'm drinking it pretty damn quickly). No real evidence of booze here at all. Would be great to drink out in the sun (or, uh, double sun). Overall, yep, it's fantastic beer. A complex array of aromas and flavors that are mostly due to just the hops, which is awesome. Top tier stuff. A-

Beer Nerd Details: 8% ABV bottled (22 oz. bomber). Drank out of an Only Void snifter on 8/23/13.

With my first taste, Lawson's Finest Liquids lives up to their name (which I love) and proves themselves worthy of the excessive detour. I will gladly go far out of my way to get some more of their stuff, and you'll definitely be hearing more about these folks in the future. Hopefully the near future, but damn, Vermont is far away!

It's been a few months since I recapped some Tired Hands brews, and these notes have just been piling up, so I figure it's time to pull that trigger and share the wealth with you all... Of course, most of this stuff will probably never see the light of day again, but some of the big ones will probably be brewed again...

Tortoise - 6.7% ABV Brett Amber Ale - Dark amber brown, funky nose. Funk is reminiscent of the Darwin Solera series, some earthiness and even a touch of salinity. Stronger malt backbone makes this a little more complex than the Darwin series, which is nice. Good stuff! B+

Perfect Hole in One - 6.5% ABV IPA - Counter programming because the PGA tour was in town... A typically great IPA, huge citrus & pine notes, very Simcoe, really nice. A-

Guillemot - 8.5% ABV Dense & Dark Oak Aged Saison - This is sorta the base beer for Guillemot Nebula (and Prunus). Dark, slightly sour, nice balance with a creamy malt backbone. Really smooth and creamy, with a slight acidic kick in the finish. Strong beer, maybe not quite as great as Nebula was, but still a worthy A-

Cassie - 6% ABV Motueka Farmhouse IPA - A delicious mash up of the saison and IPA styles, really well matched hop to saison ratio, better than their singel hop saison Motueka (and most of the others in the singel hop series)... Delicious and quaffable. I really loved this beer. A

5 out of 5 - 10% ABV Imperial Stout brewed with cacao, peanut butter, marshmallow, PA maple syrup, vanilla beans, and One Village Coffee espresso beans. They gave a concise tasting note at the brewpub: "Notes of everything in the description" Big roasted malt notes in the nose, with all that wacky stuff showing up more in the taste. Definitely a stout, but lots of other stuff going on... Super complex, really weird, but really well done. Not even a hint of booze. Not quaffable or anything, but not a monster either. Some folks don't like Tired Hands' stouts, but I actually really enjoyed this. A-

Sunbather IPA - 5.8% ABV honey Meyer lemon hibiscus IPA - Wow, very pretty orange amber color, not your typical tired hands pale (which is cloudy straw yellow). Lots of floral hop notes (or maybe that's the hibiscus?) and lots of citrus (again, both from hops and other ingredients). Tasty stuff, really nice. A-

Due to an equipment malfunction TH lost a batch of DIPA and to fill the taps, they dipped into their cellars supply of aged, Brett dosed saisons:

Tavna - 6.6% ABV blended Brett saison - Solid beer with Tired Hands' trademark Brett character, salty, spicy. Great nose. Solid taste, not super quaffable, but good stuff. B+

Whalagos - 7.5% ABV Well aged blended saison - Similar to Tavna, but with more of a smooth, creamy mouthfeel, really nice. Mouthfeel definitely puts this one ahead of Tavna... A-

Singel Hop Saison Pacifica - 5% ABV - Usual cloudy straw yellow, bubbly white head. Nose hits with a sorta green hop character, reminiscent of the Pacific Jade version, and the taste bears that out. Grassy, a little earth, and typical peppery saison goodness. B+

Sleep - 7.6% ABV chamomile saison - Cloudy golden orange color with a finger of creamy head. Seems to have that trademark Tired Hands salty funk going on, but it works well. B+

We Are 138 - 7.6% ABV India Black Ale, brewed with pineapple - Black color, tan head, very nice nose, that pineapple coming through and matching well with those citrus & pine hops. No roast in the nose, but it comes out a bit in the taste, which is still very hop forward. Nice balance though, and very tasty. Overall, really great, delicious beer. A-

We Are All Infinite Energy Vibrating At The Same Frequency - 6.2% IPA - Mostly clear golden color, amazing juicy citrus hop nose, tastes fantastic. Top tier IPA! A

Mr.Alien - 4% ABV Berliner Weiss - Nice refreshing beer, just a bit on the tart side, really easy drinking, decent stuff... B+

... (Ellipsis) - 7.6% ABV red hued Brett dubbel - Nice amberish color, that Tired Hands Brett in the nose, but hot damn does it match well with the base beer. Nice spicy Belgian yeast, with those dark fruit flavors, and that almost salty funk character tying it all together. I originally pegged this as an A-, but had another glass on a subsequent visit and it totally warrants an upgrade. Really superb stuff. A

Phantom With Three Different Colored Eyes - 8% ABV citrus IPA - Whoa! Nice citrusy pine hop nose, but the taste and mouthfeel are absurdly great. It's got an almost creamy texture, with a great balance of sweetness from the malt and bitterness from the hops, and that juicy citrus holding it all together. Just superb! A

Penelope - 6.4% Farmhouse IPA - Typical cloudy light yellow color, nice Tired Hands funk in the nose along with some citrus hop aromas. Taste has that Tired Hands funk too, a little Belgian yeast spice, and some hops. Crisp, smoove, very easy drinking. B+

Kickphone iFlip - 5.5% ABV Citra & Amarillo IPA - A great light IPA, typical Tired Hands profile, beautiful citrus hop character, off the charts drinkable. A-

Pleasant - 5.8% ABV hoppy black ale, Simcoe single hopped - Nice looking beer, black with light brown head, but I'm not getting as much Simcoe out of this as I was hoping for. Still a nice beer, and if I didn't just have some superb TH stuff, this might get rated better. B

HappyHands - 5.2% ABV heirloom tomato Berliner Weiss - Well, yeah, that tomato actually comes through. Nice sharp acidic bite to this one. I'm not a big tomato person, so this isn't my favorite, but it's obviously well crafted. B

The Rest of Your Life - 6.4% ABV classic modern saison - A really nice saison, not quite funky, though its got that farmhouse feel. Typical Tired Hands stuff here, which is to say that it's great, if a bit straightforward. B+

Safe & Sound - 4.5% ABV crushable IPA - Pours a surprisingly dark color, murky brown (maybe some amber highlights), nice malt and hop combo, maybe some rye or oats going on here, surprisingly full bodied for such a small beer... I don't know that I would have ever pegged this as an IPA, but it's still pretty good for whatever style it is... B+

Singel Hop Saison Citra - 5% ABV - I'm surprised that Citra is not quite as potent as some of the others in this singel hop series, but this is still pretty damn good! A-

And that takes us up to stuff that was just tapped yesterday. See you in a few months with more Tired Hands goodness. Or maybe sooner if they have another quick bottle release...

Here at Kaedrin, we pine after Hill Farmstead like Wolverine, and I just got done explaining how I took a day out of my vacation to drive to Vermont and pick up some of their beers. Some of those beers were only available in growlers, which are not vessels to age in your cellar. Fortunately, it's not like we're going to slack off when it comes to Hill Farmstead beers, which don't last long in this household. So let's get this party started:

Hill Farmstead Susan - Another in HF's ancestral series, this is one I hadn't heard of, so I jumped on it. It's an IPA brewed with Citra, Simcoe (par for the course, everyone loves these suckers), and Riwaka (I'd never heard of this, apparently a New Zealand varietal) hops. Pours a cloudy golden yellow color with a finger of fluffy white head and lacing out the yin yang. Holy mango nose, Batman! Huge, juicy citrus hops in the nose, grapefruit and mango, just a fantastic aroma here. Taste follows the nose, lots of that juicy citrus hop flavor up front, with a pleasant, well-matched bitterness doing its thing towards the middle to finish, but ultimately the fruity citrus returns in the finish. I'm actually guessing that the Riwaka hops are what's giving this that unique mango twist that isn't quite like your typical trendily-hopped beers. Mouthfeel is light bodied, smooth, and almost creamy, well carbonated with tight little bubbles that give it that smooth/creamy texture. Utterly quaffable, my first glass was gone before I finished the first draft of this paragraph. Overall, superb. A

Beer Nerd Details: 6.2% ABV from a growler (750 ml swing top). Drank out of a flute glass on 8/17/13. Growler filled on 8/15/13.

Hill Farmstead Society & Solitude #7 - The latest in HF's philosophy series of beers inspired by Ralph Waldo Emerson, who was apparently quite the hophead (the Society & Solitude series is all about experimenting with hops). This one is made with Simcoe and Amarillo, music to my tastebuds. Pours a slightly darker golden yellow color with a finger of fluffy white head and lots of lacing. The nose here is much more grapefruit-like, with some floral notes for good measure. Taste is sugary sweet, with those hops balancing it all out and plenty of those floral and grapefruit notes to keep things interesting and tasty. Mouthfeel is a bit heavier, medium bodied, same carbonation profile, ultimately still pretty quaffable for an 8% beer (not quite Heady Topper territory, but close). Overall, this is a delicious hop bomb, though perhaps not quite as spectacular as Susan. A-

Beer Nerd Details: 8% ABV from a growler (750 ml swing top). Drank out of an Alchemist stemless glass on 8/18/13. Growler filled on 8/15/13.

Hill Farmstead Amarillo Single Hop Pale Ale - Another in HF's series of single hop beers, always an enlightening exercise, though it's more fun to try them side by side (I was limited to three growlers, otherwise, I would have also picked up the Nelson Sauvin single hop pale ale that was also available). That being said, I pretty much know what I'm in for with Amarillo, which is one of my favorite hops. Pours a yellower golden color with a finger of white head and again with the lacing. Smells of juicy citrus hops, and lots of them. Taste follows suit, lots of bright citrus notes from that Amarillo hop, with a sharp, astringent bitterness towards the finish. Mouthfeel is well carbonated, light, and crisp. Not quite as quaffable as Susan, but perhaps moreso than S&S #7. This reminds me a lot of some of Tired Hands' Amarillo-based brews, which, uh, is a compliment to both breweries! Overall, yep, it's awesome. Duh. A-

Beer Nerd Details: 5.2% ABV from a growler (750 ml swing top). Drank out of a tulip glass on 8/19/13. Growler filled on 8/15/13.

The growlers held up pretty darn well, I think. The only one that might have really been impacted was the Amarillo, and it was still superb, so whatever. I'm already looking forward to my next irresponsible trip to Vermont to fill up on more HF growlers.

Two new Weyerbacher beers have been making the rounds of late, and as a local brewery of import, I am, of course, on top of that. Because I'm awesome, that's why. Also, it's a good way to start my vacation.

First up is Viridis Lupulus, a new seasonal release meant to highlight various hop combinations. This year, we've got Apollo, Calypso, Centennial, and Galaxy hops, bottle conditioned in a 750 ml bottle with actual good artwork. I think this is worth noting. A couple years ago, Weyerbacher's logo utilized Comic Sans and their labels were hit or miss to say the least. Comic Sans! Now I'm not saying this thing should win awards or anything, but it's quite nice, and a big improvement over Weyerbacher's former designs.

Viridis Lupulus - Pours a murky orange brown color with a finger of off-white head and great retention/lacing as I drink. Smells of dank, resinous hops with a nice citrus component that levels things out a bit. Taste follows the nose, lots of dank hop character, pine and resin, some citrus too, finishing quite bitter (in a good way!) Some malt presence as well, but the real star here is those dank hops. Mouthfeel is highly carbonated (but appropriate), medium bodied, with a dry, bitter finish. Overall, this is damn good stuff, I think I like it better than Double Simcoe. A-

Beer Nerd Details: 7.5% ABV bottled (750 ml caged and corked). Drank out of a tulip glass on 8/9/13. Bottled 061113. Best by 101113.

Next, we have Weyerbacher's 18th anniversary beer. Usually a small batch of an unusual style, like last year's "style-obliterating 10.5% abv" saison, or the previous year's Dark Braggot. This year we have an 11.1% ABV Weizenbock (or "Weizendoppelbock"). Last year, I found that the traditional "Weyerbacher anniversary requirement" of a strength around 10% ABV or higher to be something of a detriment, making for quite a "hot" beer. Will this year be any different?

Eighteen - Another murky pour here, dark brown with a finger of quickly fading off-white head. Smells of typical weizen yeast, banana and clove coming through loud and clear, with some toasted notes and maybe even some nuttiness. Taste is very sweet and rich, with spice hitting strong, followed by some nutty toast and finishing with a wallop of fruity booze. Mouthfeel is rich and chewy, full bodied, lots of boozy heat in the mouth and that alcohol warming in your belly too. Overall, it's a solid, interesting beer. B+

Beer Nerd Details: 11.1% ABV bottled (12 oz.) Drank out of a flute glass on 8/9/13. Bottled 060613. Best by 060618.

So an improvement over last year's anniversary saison, and something could see aging rather well, but still a bit too boozy for now. Still, these two made for a good night, despite being very different styles. Indeed, that matched up well with my filmic double feature of Spring Breakers and Dial M for Murder, two very different (but both worthwhile) movies. Though I think I watched/drank in the wrong order (the brazenness of Spring Breakers matches better with Eighteen, I think, while Dial M would go better with the bitter IPA that's plotting your death in exhaustive detail). Oh well. Such is life.

In other Weyerbacher news, I also recently took down some Weyerbacher Aquila, their latest Brewer's Select beer. Basically a hoppy saison, I really enjoyed this one, even if I didn't take notes (What? I was with someone. I'm not a total social pariah, only a partial one.)

I have a friend who has a really large head, but it pales in comparison to the fat head that represents the logo for Fat Head's Brewery. I have to admit, I initially find that bulbous looking thing a bit of a turn off, but they seem to have fun with the logo and you know, he seems happy. Even jolly! And as we all know, it's what's inside the bottle that really counts, so let's take a closer look at this Ohio brewery's wares. I was fortunate enough to procure a few Fat Head's beers thanks to a friend who was visiting the great state of Ohio (my army of mules is growing).

Legend has it, head brewer Matt Cole spent much of his youth living in a Yurt near Lake Constance in Austria, where he foraged for food and discovered some wild hops that he fell in love with. At the time, he just used it in his recipes, but when he served some "Hop-A-Noodle Soup" to wayward travelers who knew a thing or two about beer, they encouraged him to look into the beer brewing profession. Fast forward to 2009, when Cole was hired by Fat Head's. Already a well established craft beer bar, Fat Head's decided it was finally time to dip their toes into the fermented waters of brewing, and immediately made a splash, lead in part by this flagship brew, a well hopped West-Coast Style IPA. So how did it turn out? Pretty darn good:

Fat Head's Head Hunter IPA - Pours a slightly hazy golden orange color with a finger or two of fluffy white head, great retention. Smells of sticky, resinous hops, lots of pine, and some citrus hanging around too. Taste follows the nose, sweet with lots of piney, resinous hops, some citrus, maybe even some floral notes too. Nice bitterness pervading the taste from about the middle. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, well carbonated, a little sticky. Overall, it's a nice little hop bomb they've got here. Perhaps my bottle isn't the freshest, but as it is, I'm going with a B+

Beer Nerd Details: 7.5% ABV bottled (12 oz.) Drank out of a tulip glass on 7/20/13. Bottled 6/05/13.

It probably doesn't help that I had this in close proximity to another can of Heady, but what are you going to do? This is some great stuff though, and well worth checking out if you ever find yourself stranded in Ohio. I've got a pilsener and some sort of blueberry thing from Fat Head's as well, but this IPA is the stuff I really crave...

The Alchemist is a tiny little brewpub in Waterbury, Vermont. Yeah, you know what that means, right? They've been around since 2003, but their notoriety has gone through the roof in the past few years due to their flagship (and, for the most part, only commercially available) beer Heady Topper. Back in 2011, their brewpub was destroyed by Hurricane Irene just days before their cannery went online (the cannery was luckily spared from the devastation). Already a well respected brew, once Heady hit cans, its reputation exploded. Even today, The Alchemist supposedly can't produce enough of the stuff. I've heard tell of small caches of these suckers making their way to Boston and Philly, but that seems to happen rarely. Somehow, I managed to get my hands on a few cans (my purveyor wishes to remain anonymous, but I'm very grateful).

On BeerAdvocate, it's the number one rated beer on the planet (those nutbars over at RateBeer are more sanguine, placing it at 31), which has, of course, only fueled the hype. I'm guessing at least part of the reason this stuff is so well regarded is that almost everyone is drinking it fresh. It comes packaged in a rather beautiful looking can that is, well, quite pushy. It orders you to "Drink from the can!" (and it also sez "Don't be a D-Bag, recycle this can!") Head Brewer John Kimmich sez that pouring it into a glass is all well and good, but it releases a lot of "essential hop aromas" which smells nice at first, but fades quicker than if you drink from the can. The idea is that the can has a little protective layer of carbon dioxide that keeps those aromas sealed in. Well fine then, when I cracked my first, I drank it straight from the can, as ordered (the notes below were mostly compiled during this first taste):

The big problem I have here is that beers like this really make me want to smell what's going on. Does this protective layer of carbon dioxide work if I keep sticking my nose into the can and huffing? Can't resist a beer that smells this good. It actually worked well enough at the beginning of the can, but as I got towards the bottom, that aroma was more difficult to come by. Curious, I tried rebellion with my next can, and poured it out:

The Alchemist Heady Topper - Pours an, um, aluminum can color, with black highlights. Yeah. (Ok, so when I poured one out, it's got a hazy orange glow thing going on, nice heady head too.) Holy grapefruit, Batman! I was worried about sticking my nose in the can, but just cracking this open resulted in a waft of pure hop grapefruit, oranges, and other assorted citrus aromas. Alas, as I drink, the aroma is harder to get at. The perils of drinking direct from the can, I guess. Taste his those same big grapefruit and orange notes, fruity, juicy citrus hops all the way. It's sweet up front, but a nice counterbalancing bitterness emerges in the middle and lasts through the finish. Taste evolves a little dank pineapple towards the bottom of the can. Mouthfeel is smooth and almost creamy, finishing with that crisp bitterness. It's got a nice quenching feeling, too. Not even a hint of booze. Overall, yep, this is one spectacular beer, melting faces and playing with the big boys at Hill Farmstead and Tired Hands (and probably some of them west coast folks I haven't wrangled yet, like Alpine or Kern River). A

Beer Nerd Details: 8% ABV canned (16 ounce pounder). Drank out of the can, like a man. (Or a snifter).

So yeah, this is the real deal (and I ain't the only one who thinks so: Jay, Ed, DDB, Dave, and Rich all seem to love the stuff). They do make other beers on occasion (and I even had the good fortune to try their most excellent collaboration with Hill Farmstead, a 4% "blonde" called Walden, which was kinda like Heady's even more drinkable little brother), but this one alone is worth the stretch. That trip to Vermont is getting more attractive by the moment.