The Devil is in the Details



Victory HopDevil

One of the beers I bought on a swift trip to MN. The label is superb, one of the best uses of a hop cone ever. Really nice hazy copper beer with a fluffy head and good lacing. The aroma is very pronounced grapefruit and some pine hop with sweet caramel and bready malts to keep everything in balance. The flavor is wonderful, with a very solid base of caramel malt that is gently washed over with growing waves of citrus and herbal alpha hop goodness. A nice bitterness that seems to go hand in hand with a drying finish. Overall a excellent example of an IPA due to its balance and complexity.

Sorachi Ace Inhibitor

Great bottle with the Brooklyn B stamped into it. Nice coloring on the label with the gold and red, giving it a classy ace in the hole playing card look. The is beer is a wonderful slightly hazy golden hue. Really foams up on the pour and settles thin. Some musty hay like saison qualities to go along with subtle hints of lemon, pepper, and bubble gum in the nose. The flavor has a really nice malt quality to the beer itself. Big hits of lemon grass, pepper and earthiness play into a nice complexity that rounds out with a dry but slightly bitter finish. A nice smooth, light body lends itself to an easy drinking beer which is needed when consuming a 750ml yourself.  Initially I wasn't big fan but well into the bottle I found it interesting and complex but yet a bit understated in the qualities that make saisons great. Perhaps it may have more to do with me being a bit on the fence with the Sorachi hop in general, which is the star of the show here.