20,000 Leagues of delicious.

Brewery: Diamond Knot Brewing Co.
Location: Mukilteo, WA
Name: Industrial India Pale Ale
Type: IPA
ABV: 7.9%
I did it again. I bought a beer based on the label. I have a thing for brass diving helmets and someday wish to own one. BioShock is one of my favorite video games of all time and this label screams Big Daddy. I could've cared less about what this beer tasted like...it has a badass, old timey diver on it's label. Luckily, I didn't have to chug through a bomber of bad swill. This IPA represents the style nicely with a honey gold colour (seriously, I don't intentionally get English on purpose. In fact, I could just delete the 'u' but I feel these little asides make it OK) tinged with orange. A vanilla pudding-esque colored head thinly lingers. The bouquet was astounding! There was an obvious sticky smell to it. Higher alcohol, super malts, and a scent forest think with hops of all scents (but mostly pine and floral) fill my nose with a zen like calm. Yes, my nose was full of zen. The best way to describe how this IPA tasted was lush and full. I was not at all surprised to bask in the pine flavor of a hop assault. There was a hint of earthiness which added a layer of grassy flavors that complimented the malt nicely. This beer is an unapologetic, full on, IPA. Hop heads rejoice. And I still think brass diving helmets are awesome so you should definitely find this beer. The best news? There were several other types of Diamond Knot brews that I look forward to diving into. OHMYGODPUNINTENDED!

Well slap me around and call me Ahab!

Domo Arigato, Mr. Ro-beer-to.

Brewery: Yoho Brewing Co.
Location: Nagano, Japan
Name: Tokyo Black
Type: Porter
ABV: 5.0%

First of all, I found it a trifle unnecessary to see the crack in the sumo's bottom (on the can). With that out of the way...

Imagine the best iced coffee you’ve ever had. Now, imagine that coffee tasting a million times better. And I’m talking black coffee, not some frilly flavored coffee. Yoho Tokyo Black is hands down the best iced coffee you will ever have. Even better, it has alcohol in it! Granted it’s not a massive amount of booze but it’s a plus. I had forgotten how pure things can taste when you remove the high levels of alcohol from them. Don’t worry imperial beers, I still love you. It’s just that this can of black as tar porter is so clean and perfect that it cannot be missed. To quote Tessa: “This smells like something you would like,” she said without a hint of being condescending. The nose is more complex that I expected. There are multiple layers that include roasted malt that comes off slightly bitter and sweet. Burnt sugar notes fondly present aromas of toffee and caramel. Now most people would look at this and thing it weighs a ton. Untrue. Tokyo Black is super crisp and refreshing. The slightest bit of sweetness is quickly bullied away by roasted malt tinged bitterness. A mild tart acidity lingers like you would expect something with this level of roast would have. It's nothing like the bitterness and acidity that you get from certain IPAs...this is classic and unadulterated porter. Throw your Guinness away. Do it. I implore you to track down this black can of Japanese beer greatness.

I would like a Venti, please.

He's a Commissioner, you know.

Brewery: Oskar Blues Brewery
Location: Lyons, CO
Name: Gordon (AKA: G'Knight)
Type: Imperial Red Ale
ABV: 8.7%

No bones, everything Oskar Blues puts in a can is delicious. My first experience with Gordon was a good one. This imperial red ale came out thick, almost viscous looking. It was the color of a rich cup of tea laced with honey and nearly glowing with a touch of amber. The full head was light and fluffy with a crisp white color and it eventually faded into the glass leaving behind a good bit of lacing. I do enjoy a beer that laces well and leaves behind “rest rings.” You can almost taste the beer as you smell it. There is a massive amount of malt in this beer and the bouquet doesn’t try to hide the fact. Once you break through the malt there are light notes of piney hops waiting in the wings, ready to bring some bitter to the party. You can go ahead and sacrifice your taste buds. The malt in Gordon commands  your tongue to bow to it. The velvety smooth mouthfeel delivers an abundance of flavor sweet with sugary malt and is fortified pleasantly with bitter hops. At the very end there is a hint of roastedness (just made that up, feel free to use it) that helps this beer finish strong. Gordon is a full on ale that should not be taken lightly. That being said, it’s not a light beer at all. I wouldn’t recommend drinking this on a full stomach and do give yourself some time to get through it, best not to rush this one!

Enjoy this during a dark (k)night!

Happy IPA day!

Happy IPA day, everyone! I hope you fine folks are taking a few minutes out of your day to enjoy your favorite (or perhaps a new) India Pale Ale.

Let me know what you're drinking today!

Put your camels to bed.

Brewery: Tallgrass Brewing Co.
Location: Manhattan, KS
Type: Imperial IPA
Name: Oasis
ABV: 7.2%
At one point (initially forgot the "o") I used to overlook IPAs for something else. Nothing else in particular, just not an IPA. I've discussed this before and for every moment I look back on my IPA transgressions I know that I did myself a terrible injustice. That being said, I don't intentionally mean to review so many IPAs, it just sort of works that way. And besides, Tessa made me buy this one. Let's get it out of the way, it's a pint-sized can. And I don't mean pint-sized in the 1940s "Hey, look at that pint-sized squirt!" It's an actual pint in a car, not unlike a Guinness. It's an appealing shade of medium auburn that produces a massive frothy light tan head. The bouquet is mouthwatering. Huge hops of the floral and pine variety and sticky malt let you know that this beer means to harm you in sweet, sweet ways. Notes of toffee and chewy bread play second fiddle to the prominent hops. First introduction to the taste buds was well received. The medium body mouthfeel delivered flavors of citrus-ly zesty hops which quickly danced its way to a warm, alcohol-tinged sweet malt, with a dry bitterness acting as Oasis' backbone. I expected a tongue altering hoppiness but was still pleasantly surprised to find that the beer was not dominated by the hop. Instead, it is complimented in its glory. It's definitely thicker than something like Brew Free! Or Die but not as slick as something like DFH 120minute. I strongly recommend this IPA to someone who is looking to expand their IPA knowledge and trying to get into something a little more aggressive on the ABV end. In all actuality, this is pretty damn tasty. This was my first run in with Tallgrass Brewing Company and look forward to indulging in their other offerings.

The best thing to come out of Kansas since ruby slippers.

I expect a ratification!

Brewery: 21st Amendment Brewery
Location: San Fransisco, CA
Name: Brew Free! Or Die
Type: American IPA
ABV: 7.0%
Such an apt rally cry for the American craft brewer. Or any nationality craft brewer really. I would give up drinking beer entirely if my only choices came from the "Big 3." That being said, I'd like to introduce you to a completely competent, yet disappointingly pedestrian American IPA. First things first, this box of cans is adorned with an illustration of Mount Rushmore, which by itself is pretty cool. However, I'm pretty sure Lincoln is throwing a left hook. Kudos to the artist. In any case, BFOD (I'm lazy) is an eye catching beer. A generous foamy white heads sits atop 12 ounces of warm orange-y liquid which also flaunts a slight haze to it. The head fizzles rather quickly but lingers as you drink. Healthy malt and a fair amount of hops fill the nose. The craziest thing I came away with is that there was a hint of apple juice in the bouquet! I smelled it several times before I could name the scent but once I did, it was all I could smell. The taste was pretty good. You have a nice offering of malt backed up by a not-at-all-obtrusive hop flavor that tilted toward the citrus side. I had to remind myself that I was drinking an IPA and not some sort of Belgian as it had some hints of spice to it. The finish was warm and bready. Taste buds were in tact as this is a pretty mild IPA. It's a good beer to use as a "Craft Beer 101" for your friends who swear by swill. Overall it was pretty tasty. A beer like BFOD would do well to cut through the sweltering heat of a summer day in Southeastern Virginia.

E pluribus drinkus.

Party's over...oops outta time!

Brewery: Old Dominion Brewing Co.
Location: Dover, DE
Name: Dominion Millennium Ale
Type: Barleywine
ABV: 10.5%
There are times in which the day at work forces you to turn to a release. With the most zen-like frustration I have ever experienced I reached into my fridge after getting home from a particularly lovely (not at all written with any sort of sarcastic tone) day at work and fished out this gem of an ale. I thought I had consumed this weeks ago and had forgot to write about it. Nay, friends. I had not. So anxious to get some malt based beverage in my mouth was I that I had pried off a twist off cap. I wasn't concerned. I almost poured this beer with my eyes closed so I wouldn't tarnish its glory with my burning eyes. What I experienced was liquid therapy. A rich, copper-meets-cedar color beckoned to me. I swear I saw a little foam hand rise from the ecru colored head and gave me a thumbs up, almost as if to say "It's OK, man. You're gonna love this." I didn't care that it was 94 degrees outside and I was consciously jumping into a beer best suited for temperatures of a much colder nature, I was going to punch this beer with my mouth. But I had to smell it first. The nose...oh, the nose. Sweet and sticky malt seemed to be mortal combat with the tart notes of dark fruit; I have no idea who the victor was. My favorite of the Stooges, Boozy, was also making a background appearance. The taste was exquisite. Carmel wrapped malt tumbled with toffee and tang. The familiar warmth of alcohol mixed with the faintest flavours (damn you, English spelling!) of vanilla and (I promise) light leather made me think that I may have been drinking an overly carbonated, incredibly chilled bourbon. Folks, it's that good. The air conditioner was on but dammit, this beer made me want to be sitting outside in December wishing I could see my breath and silently thanking the Beer Gods for this magnificent offering. It was dispatched with zeal and efficiency. Not wasting a moment of the pleasure as the velvety liquid splashed across my tongue. Each drink delivering more malt and tart plum flavor (and more alcohol) into my gullet which reminded made me think: You can have a crap day but all it's going to do is amplify the euphoria one experiences when they drink a beer as soon as they get home.

Also, this is a 5 mug beer. I'm just way too lazy to fetch my thumb drive that has the mugs on it. The witty caption? "I drank this while doing the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs."