Good Choice!

I'm back!  And welcome back!  I've finished my dissertation, defended it, passed, been dubbed "doctor," enjoyed my holidays with my family, and am ready to write some more, after I've spent four months writing everyday.  But more than that, I'm here to homebrew, drink beer, visit breweries and brewpubs, and talk all about it.  I've been keeping my beer tasting notebook in the interim, and there are several entries waiting in the wings to be discussed.  As a return to form I restart my blog with a review of the Samuel Adams Hopology sampler 12-pack released last year.

The top of the Hopology box, showing the fun labels and descriptions for each of the six beers held within.

In spring 2013 Sam Adams released a sampler 12-pack called "Hopology."  It was two bottles of six varieties of hopped-up beers: IPA versions of a red ale, a white ale, a Baltic porter, a Belgian ale, and two traditional IPAs using a new or a unique combination of hops.  Most breweries' sampler packs are three bottles of four varieties, so the Hopology two of six was a welcome increased variety and was a good choice by Sam Adams to showcase more of these special beers.  Lauren didn't care to try any of these beers, so I left off her possible comment in these reviews.

Tasman Red, an Red IPA with Australian  

Beer: Tasman Red  ABV 6.5%

Label Message: Bold, lively, and a bit rugged.  This wily red IPA gets its character from Tasmanian hops that are full of grapefruit, pine, and earthy notes.  That hoppiness is balanced by a core of roasty malts creating a smooth rounded brew with a dry and citrusy finish.

Notes: This was the first of the Hopology beers I drank.  It had good head formation and retention.  The hoppy aroma was strong and sharp but not overpowering.  As far as IPAs go, this was an IPA with all the expected characteristics of that style but with nothing to make it stand out.  It had a smooth hop bite to complement the aroma, but again, this beer was not special.  It was an enjoyable addition in the box, and I'm glad to have tried it.

Latitude 48 IPA, brewed with new Mosaic hops.

Beer: Latitude 48 IPA  ABV 6.0%

Label Message: New 2013 release featuring Mosaic hops from the Pacific Northwest, adding a bright punch of citrusy flavor to the distinctive and layered hoppiness of our select bland of hops from German, English, and american growing regions, all close to the 48th Latitude.

Notes: This beer uses the new Mosaic hop, and is named after the northern location of hop growing regions in North American and Europe.  It had a clean body of coppery color with a fluffy head that had good retention.  It had a medium body with a slight kick of hoppy bitterness.  The light hoppy aroma was not too strong, even after warming a bit which allows the volatility of the aroma chemicals to increase their prevalence in the beer.  This was a good IPA, something I would definitely drink again in these, my post-IPA 30s.

Dark Depths, a Baltic porter IPA.

Beer: Dark Depths  ABV 7.6%

Label Message: Dark, fierce, and blustery.  Across the cold brackish waters of the Baltic, the English porter was transformed from a mild ale to a dark, smooth lager.  Immersed in roasted malts and a bold citrus hoppiness, this complex lager is rugged, mysterious, and full of flavor.

Notes:  This is a strange beer, at least theoretically speaking.  Porters are brown ales made darker by using roasted malts in the mash.  The description for this one, as given above, tells that this beer was made into a lager.  I guess they used a bottom-fermenting yeast at lower temperatures?  Whatever Sam Adams wishes to say about it, I liked it.  It had good head formation and retention and its deep, dark color, pictured above, gave way to a full body and flavor with that roastiness I expect from a porter.  I let it warm for 20 mintues before opening to allow the flavors and aromas to be more volatile upon opening and was rewarded with a smokey, malty taste.  The maltiness increased as the beer warmed throughout dinner, when I do much of my beer drinking.  The hop aroma mingled with the smokey, maltiness for an interesting combination I don't normally find from porters, and enjoyed greatly. If I find this brew alone I would definitely buy a couple of bottles or maybe a four- or six-pack.

Whitewater IPA, a white ale.

Beer: Whitewater IPA  ABV 5.8%

Label Message: This flavor packed brew draws inspiration from two distinct styles, the white ales of Belgium and American IPA's.  A fusion of the two, but it's far more than the sum of both, exhibiting a harmony of crisp wheat, bright pine and citrus flavors, and just a hint of orange peel.

Notes: Another good pour resulting in excellent head formation and retention.  The hoppy aroma was pleasantly citrusy with a light citrus flavor that complemented the tart, wheat character of the white ale.  The body was nicely medium, and was noticeably unfiltered, as a wheat ale should be.  I generally don't go for wheat ales, but do enjoy them from time to time.  This was one of those I've enjoyed.

Grumpy Monk, a malty Belgian-style ale.

Beer: Grumpy Monk  ABV 6.5%

Label Message: A spirited reimagining of tradition.  To the monk's dismay, long held traditions can be reinterpreted.  We combined the distinctive Belgian yeast, with its spicy clove and fruit character, with the brazen citrusy and piney hoppiness of an IPA for a surprisingly complex and playful brew.

Notes: I have a strange relationship with Belgian ales.  They're good, don't get me wrong, but are often overly malty-sweet for my taste.  I don't like my beer too dry, and when sweet I prefer the flavor to be balanced by something else in the palate, like the smokiness in a porter.  Making a Belgian ale into an IPA was a good idea.  The natural sweetness was excellently balanced by the hop bitterness.  As seen above, it had good head formation and retention, and a coppery body with white foam.  The aroma was fruity and sweet but not too hoppy.  I let this beer sit throughout my dinner, tasting it lightly and allowing it time to open, which it did and exhibited more hoppiness.  If I were to brew a Belgian beer I might try to copy this beer and make it an BPA: Belgian Pale Ale.  I liked it and wouldn't mind another bottle in the future.

Third Voyage, Sam Adam's great IPA commemorating Captain Cook's voyage.

Beer: Third Voyage  ABV 8.0%

Label Message: Bright and intense with a vivid hop punch.  Inspired by Capt. James Cook's treacherous third voyage that took him from England, to New Zealand, to the Pacific Northwest, we used Cascade hops from each region for a double IPA that's citrusy, earthy, and bold.

Notes: This was not the first time I've had this beer.  I bought a bomber of it almost a year ago to enjoy with a visiting college friend when he and his wife stayed with us for the night while moving to Maryland.  I liked it then and liked it again when drinking this sampler box.  As a double IPA, Third Voyage does everything it needs to do.  The picture shows good head formation and retention and a dark copper color.  The clean hop aroma showed through, and its flavor was dry and not too hoppy with it's up front hop bitterness nicely balanced by a floral aftertaste.  Last September I ate at a brewpub when visiting a friend in Long Beach (review to come) and had a double IPA that was all hops.  The bitterness overpowered any other flavors.  Third Voyage does not do this.  It's a standard for double IPAs and my own recipe could only be improved by veering more closely to Third Voyage.

And that's that!  I'm glad to have tried this sampler box and look for some of these varieties sold singly. I'm back to brewing, still drink as much beer as I can afford from a great gamut of styles and flavors, and will do my best to write here as much as possible.  I see even in my absence I have plenty of readers, so if you've found this and like to read it from time to time, speak up and leave a comment.  I'd love to here from my readers.

Thanks and happy brewing!