Blue Collar Beer Review: 15th Anniversary Escondidian Black Imperial IPA - Stone Brewing Co.

 Welcome to Blue Collar Beer Review #2!

 

 This beer touches on a topic that's relatively controversial in the craft beer world, Cascadian Dark Ale.  Being from the Republic of Cascadia myself, I'm a big fan of this 'style'.  The idea being to, if one closes their eyes, not be able to tell the difference between a Cascadian Dark Ale and an IPA but for subtle notes of the roasted malts, maybe a hint of chocolate and coffee.

Mmm, good stuff Maynard.

   Unfortunately, it also seems to invoke feelings of inadequacy and jealousy in others.  This includes powers that be (namely the Great American Beer Festival.  The BJCP has yet to make a decision), and legend Charlie Papazian, in regard to deciding on official beer style definitions. The concern is, to quote the Brew Your Own magazine article:

 "The name “Cascadian” was deleted as it was felt that non-Northwestern brewers may be turned off to the style if it hinted of regional exclusivity."

   You know, just like people were turned off of Steam beers when they changed the name to 'California Common', or Kölsch from Köln (Cologne), Germany which are named after the places in which they were created and intensely popular...

   So what do they do?  In an insulting blow, not only do they decide to call it American-Style India Black Ale, but they even modified the specifications of the style.  To make it less Cascadian.

   No one says "Man, I wish we could make a Berliner-Weisse.  If only we lived in Berlin!"  One can still brew the same style of beer, call it a Berliner-Weisse, and thus pay homage and respect to it's roots.  The CDA was created in the Pacific Northwest (Cascadia), the prime hop growing area of the United States, nay, the world. Though not 'officially' accepted as is, it is it's own distinct style.  Utilizing a hop selection exclusively from the region, Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, and other varieties developed in the area, it's a mascot, a representation of Beervana, Hoptopia, the Craft Brew Paradise which is my beloved Pacific Northwest Cascadia.

   I believe it's our hold on the hop world that inspires this jealous transgression, that causes the style guideline writers to insult us by taking away OUR beer.  California gets theirs, many regions in Europe and elsewhere have their own, official, distinctive styles, why are us Cascadians singled out?

   Obviously I'm proud of the style, that something so delicious was developed here, can only be made with ingredients from the Northwest.  This is a beer review though, so I'll climb down from my soap-box and get to it.

15th Anniversary Escondidian Imperial Black IPA - Stone Brewing

You are not worthy.

Stone Brewing Co. is based in Escondido, California and is known for their ridiculously hop heavy (with the exception of their surprisingly mild Smoked Porter), yet quality brews.  Greg Koch, CEO & Co-Founder is an interesting guy, but has quite the ego.  Though he's very self aware of it and takes pride in shoving that arrogance to the front.
   This is evidenced in every (worn out) diatribe on every one of their bottles, and in any interview I've ever seen him in.  As negative as this sounds, I'm a big fan of their beers, especially their IPA, and just about every other one I've had.  Their beers for the most part, range from awesome, to slightly less than awesome.
   This over-confidence is proven further in their own description of their 15th Anniversary Escondidian Imperial Black IPA (wait...a black India pale ale?) brew, stating that the name is a jab at the "Cascadians" and "Cascadian Dark Ales" laughing that if we can just decide to call a beer ours, so can they.  Here is my opinion of the brew:

Appearance: Dark, opaque chocolate color with a rich, dense nitrogen stout-like espresso head.  Pours                                                             thick.

Aroma: Black coffee, sweet cream, with green resiny hop intermingled.  Over all a mild, pleasing aroma.

Mouthfeel: Surprisingly light considering the pour, but a bit more body than other CDA's I've had.  It is very smooth and silky creamy.

Taste:  Roasted chocolate dominates followed by a sledgehammer of bittering hops that isn't accompanied by much needed flavor and aroma hops, but both flavors balance evenly in intensity.

Overall: It's what you would expect from Stone: Overly hopped, very bitter (maybe the bitterness comes from not being Cascadian?), but seems rushed, and not as well made as usually comes from Stone.  I love the rich yet light mouthfeel but I think it's far too chocolaty and bitter without aroma and flavor hops, hops that begin with 'C' which is what a CDA, and it's home region is all about.

   Sure, they call it something different, but it's intended as a representation of a CDA and just isn't a good one.  For a better example of a Cascadian Dark ale, Deschute's Hop in the Dark, or Widmer Bros. Pitch Black IPA (a favorite and prime example, though I don't care for how they wussed out on the name) are prime examples.  I wouldn't buy Stone's 15th Anniversary ale again, but if you've not had it, it's worth a go.

The best example of a CDA I've found, so far.

   Stone is known, and likes to make sure you know they are, for being over the top, revolutionary, etc. 10 or 15 years ago, being revolutionary meant pumping as much flavor and as many hops as you could in a beer since most was just watered down flavorless garbage. Thus, Stone's brews and philosophy were

   Times have changed, Stone hasn't, and the comparatively low-quality of this brew shows, to me at least, that they've run their shtick into the ground, but . Though I didn't find it very drinkable, the beer isn't all bad, and is by far not even close to one of the worst I've had.  However, I think this beer which woefully disengages from the CDA style and is really nothing more than an poorly over hopped, weak bodied chocolate stout, shows that maybe it's time for Stone to try something new, as their smash mouth tactics don't work for every style.  Like an old, punch-drunk boxer, though, they don't know when to move on or how to do anything else.

  Dear, Greg Koch and Stone Brewing,
Keep up the good work making good brews, but stop trying so hard to beat that dead horse.

   Sincerely,
      Stubborn Agnes

                                        

Blue Collar Beer Review 1: Elysian Brewing's Avatar Jasmine IPA

   Welcome to the first Blue Collar Beer Review.

    I love craft beer and home brewing, and the culture, and there are some amazing nuances and complexities in craft beer as there are in wine.  However, looking at the overly poetic, bloated reviews and descriptions of wines from basement sommaliers, and  some of those on Beer Advocate, I realized something: some people are trying way too hard.  These snobby 'evaluations' don't do well, in my opinion, at giving someone an idea of what a beer is like, whether they might want to try it.  Many lead to disappointment because of this, some may even deter someone from a beer they may actually enjoy.  Tasting beer, and wine for that matter, is about describing the flavors and sensations you get, as you get them.  The great reviews on Beer Advocate really embody this, they're plain, simple and real.

   Beer is easy, beer is fun, relaxing, enjoyable.  We shouldn't work too hard at it, or make it intimidating.  The more I learn about beer, the better I am able to enjoy it. I'm no Cicerone, nor am I BJCP certified (yet), and you may not taste or experience what I do, but I hope my descriptions will help you find more of the complexity of, and enjoyment in, your beer.  Perhaps help you re-experience a beloved brew all over again. I'll simply be posting my notes as I wrote them while tasting the beers, trying to follow some form of structure, and give my own, uncomplicated overall opinion, as a regular blue collar beer enthusiast.

   Elysian Brewing Co.

   Elysian Brewing Co. is a series of three brew pubs based in various locations in Seattle, WA.  Elysian was founded in 1995 by President/Head Brewer Dick Cantwell, CFO Joe Bisacca, and Sales & Marketing Director David Buhler.  Their first brewpub, a 220 seat beer hall opened in 1997 in Capitol Hill, one of Seattle's busiest, most populated and diverse neighborhoods.

   Elysian began bottling in 2001, and opened two subsequent brew pubs: Tangletown in 2003, and Elysian Fields in 2006.  In 2008, they began a collaboration with New Belgium Brewing.  This collaboration allows Elysian to brew large batches of their Immortal IPA at the New Belgium facilities, while New Belgium brews smaller, experimental batches at those owned by Elysian.  Elysian has also recently worked out a distribution deal with Anheuser-Busch and is becoming much more widely available nation wide.  You can find Elysian brews statewide in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska, Colorado, and New Jersey, as well as in the metropolitan areas of Philadelphia, PA, and NYC Metro, NY.

   Now, on to the beer.


Avatar Jasmine IPA from Elysian Brewing

Elysian's description doesn't quite fit.

   6.3% ABV, 22oz bomber poured into a pint glass.

   I'm interested in infusing one of my own upcoming brews with lavender, so I was curious about a jasmine ale.  I picked up a bomber of Avatar, and here are my findings:

   It pours a deep golden, almost a light copper color. The head is thick, frothy, and very resilient.  This beer needed a slightly gentle pour.

   The aroma was very...interesting.  It was very sweet in a floral way, somewhat chalky or dusty.  It reminded me a bit of what candy necklaces smell like.  Jasmine was VERY dominant, I could detect no hop aroma, and certainly no malt.

   The body was quite light, which is okay for an IPA. I found the carbonation to be pretty low, lower than I'd prefer.  Jasmine overwhelms the flavor.  It's a very interesting taste with a very cool, leafy green quality.  Very vegetal and twiggy.   Despite Elysian's description of their beer:

   "...the taste is an elegant balance allowing the subtle flavor of jasmine to prevail while still delivering the I.P.A.'s essential hoppiness."

   I found nothing but a palate bludgeoning sledgehammer of jasmine in every aspect of the taste.  There is a good bitterness to it on the very perfumy finish which I can only assume is from hops.  However, I could not actually taste the hops, and again, as with the aroma, I couldn't detect any malt character either.

   Overall, I can appreciate this beer.  It's definitely worth a shot, especially if you enjoy jasmine tea.  I understand why some people enjoy it, but I think it needs work.  The jasmine is simply overpowering, and it just isn't a beer I'd care to drink even a full pint of (which I didn't).  Give it some more clean hoppiness, malt backbone, an English style IPA.  Make the jasmine a truly subtle secondary ingredient, and I believe Elysium would have a winner.


   Thanks for reading my review of Elysian Brewing's Avatar Jasmine IPA.  This is my first beer review so please feel free to comment below or email here and let me know what you think!  I hope you enjoyed it.

Cheers!

Stubborn Agnes

Devil Pig Helles update 1

   That's right.  Devil Pig.

   Carbonation started in Henry the Party Pig on July, 30th.  Since this is the first time I've carbed in The Pig, I thought I'd check every week or so and see how it is.  Being known for patience as I am, I just simply couldn't wait a whole week.

   So, I stuck my little sample cup under Henry's snout and gave it a punch.  To my surprise, a very frothy head instantly appeared, and began to clear to a rich golden hue.  The thick head remained, and was very slow to dissipate as little as it did.  Tasting the brew showed that it still had a little while to go before it was fully carbonated.  This made it even more surprising that it already showed such a perfect head, and decent lacing despite the low carbonation.

                                                               

   Already the flavor has changed and begun to open up.  No more the watery, bland liquid, subtle hoppiness and a quick, light, pleasing sour kick on the finish are already showing up.  It's very crisp and clean, refreshing for summer.  I was surprised by the very slight sour tang, as that's definitely not typical for the style.   I'll be interested to see how that plays out.  The body is still a little thin for my tastes, even for a lager.  It was also a bit cloudier than I'd hoped for but once chilled that should hopefully clear up.

  All in all a very promising beer thus far, I really like where this is going.  If it takes a full 3 weeks to carbonate in these temperatures (mid 70's) I'll be surprised.  Kudos to my model, Elizabeth!