The one, the only: Hopslam
The funny thing about Hopslam is that I did not like it the first time I tried it several years back. Back then, I was into the lighter fare of craft brews, wheats and browns, the mellow stuff, and Hopslam just didn't catch me then.
However, since then, I've become wiser, and I realize the error of my early ways. It's one of the most easy to drink DIPAs that you'll find. Hopslam is fantastic. I need not say any more.
Samuel Adams Longshot: Blackened Hops
I know there are people out in the world who don't like the things that the Boston Beer Company produces, but I'm personally a big fan of the things they put out under the Sam Adams label (Noble Pils is one of my favorite beers). Another awesome thing they do is the Longshot homebrew contest, in which people send in their best beers, they are rated by a panel of judges (including Jim Koch, head of Boston Beer Co., as well as the heads of RateBeer and BeerAdvocate, among others). If the beer is chosen, then it is distributed nationally for a limited time in the Longshot packs.
I picked up one of each beer from this year's Longshot pack. This year's entrants were interesting because they all have unique ingredients. The one I had last night, Blackened Hops, was probably the best one from the pack. I'm not sure if I made a mistake while pouring, but you can see there was a lot of head on the beer. It had a rich, malty taste, with hints of coffee. Most other beers with this kind of taste are thick stouts, but this was a crisp ale, which made it much more drinkable.
Big fan of this one, I'd like to see something similar from the brewery, or someone else to pick up this recipe for larger scale distribution.
Founder’s Old Curmudgeon
This is an old ale, (which I guess means I should spell it "ye olde ale") and it is an extremely full-bodied and flavorful beer. Bought it on recommendation from Dan at work, and he was totally right on. It's 9.8% and I didn't realize it until after I finished it. I drank it while playing Portal 2 with George last night, and I'm surprised it didn't impact my gaming abilities considering I was already two beers deep. If you're a fan of English Ales, this is definitely a great pick.
Shiner 102 Double Wheat
Have you ever wanted your craft brew to taste like Budweiser? Then this is the beer for you! This is bland with no aroma, no taste, nothing.
Dogfish Head Aprihop
Normally I'm not huge when a beer focuses this strongly on the fruit it contains (such as Sam Adams Cherry Wheat or Founder's Cherise), but this is a definite exception. Much in the same way Hopslam is strongly supported by the honey flavor, Aprihop is supported by the apricot flavor. I am enjoying this beer much more than I thought I would, and have downed half my mug in between pouring and writing this post.
