Full Pint Brewing Company Chinookie IPA

Full Pint Brewing Company Chinookie.  Thanks to Nick from Regal Wines for providing this one.  Catchy label with two hops all cozy together in the brew kettle.  Brewed with the three C's:  Chinook, Cascade, and Centennial hops.  The label says that Chinook hops were added four times during the brewing process and then it was also dry-hopped to enhance aroma even further.  This brew does smell pretty good before even being poured into my glass.
     Post-pour reveals a cloudy golden copper color with decent head that quickly disappeared and left behind decent lacing.  The piney grapefruit aromas are still present but seemed to be slightly less pronounced.  More of a malty/bready smell comes out over time yet it is still accompanied by the piney resinous grapefruit aromas. 
     The body is medium and the mouth feel is somewhat creamy.  The malts are there but they take a back seat to the Chinook pine and citrus.  So upfront there is a very subtle sweetness that is quickly overtaken by piney bitterness.  The bitter aftertaste also lingers for a while but it is actually quite pleasant.  The alcohol content is there but for the most part hidden behind everything else going on here. 
     All in all this is not a bad brew at all.  It is definitely very drinkable and enjoyable for what it is and what it's supposed to be.  A solid offering that is worth a try.  I'm just not sure that it can truly distinguish itself in the flooded IPA market.  Like I said it is worth a try but I can't say that I would necessarily seek it out with all the other choices available. 

India Pale Ale

12 oz 6 pack bottles @ $11.99

7.1% ABV 103.1 IBU

Style: 8/10

Personal Rating: 8/10

Check it out @ whitehorsewine.com

Ciders with a Snap! (Plus Cheese Pairings)

CIDERS WITH A SNAP
(& Cheese Pairings)

What's the trendiest drink this season? Ciders! They're amazingly versatile and food-friendly, especially with cheeses plus they are GLUTEN FREE. They make perfect partners for pork, chicken, veggies and fish. Rule of Thumb: If you'd pair it white wine, it'll go with cider. 

These snappy brews have a tart crispness that cuts through the rich butterfat in creamy cheeses, refreshing your taste buds for the next delectable bite. Here are a few of our favorite along with some great cheese pairings from the Market!

DEMUNK'S BELGIAN STYLE HARD CIDER 

A great small batch cider made for distinct flavor. This 100% pure apple juice cider is fermented with Belgian Abbey-style yeast.

CHEESE PAIRING: Di Bruno Bros. Gouda $10.99/lb

CRISPIN HONEY CIDER

A crisp, fruit forward cider made with organic honey. This is an unfiltered cider so it retains alot of its natural flavor. A true cider made from fresh apples not an "apple" flavored beverage.
CHEESE PAIRING: Delice de Bourgogne $19.99/lb 
NAKED FLOCK PUMPKIN CIDER 

Locally harvested pumpkins and apples are combined with seasonal spices to craft this pure and natural cider.

CHEESE PAIRING: Cranberry Cinnamon Goat Cheese $3.49 (4oz) 

JACK'S HARD CIDER

This crisp and refreshing cider mixes the sweetness of the apples with a subtle dryness for a balanced cider taste. The fresh apple aroma and slightly sweet, ripe apple flavor this hard to resist.CHEESE PAIRING: Di Bruno Bros. 3yr Cheddar $8.99/lb

CIDER BOYS FIRST PRESS CIDER

Pure Apple bite on the first sip with tight champagne-style sparkle that cuts right though cream cheeses. Very refreshing!

CHEESE PAIRING: Taleggio $15.99/lb

JOURNEYMAN APPLE CIDER LIQUEUR

Pure Homemade Apple Pie in a glass. Pour this one over ice for an even crisper refreshment. This cider is perfectly balanced with apple sweetness and cinnamon, graham cracker nuttiness.

CHEESE PAIRING: Di Bruno Bros. Fontina $10.99/lb 

Sixpoint Sensi Harvest Ale

  
     Sixpoint Brewery; Brooklyn, New York.  When one thinks of a harvest ale usually intensely fresh hop flavors come to mind.  The freshness stems from the wet hopping these ales undergo.  This is simply using hops harvested right off the vines as soon after maturity as possible.  The hops undergo no processing whatsoever.  So time is of the essence with this practice.  They should also be consumed as soon as possible to ensure the best flavors and aromas.
     With that being said, let's see what Sixpoint has to offer to this category.  Sensi pours a light golden amber color with thick white head. Many of the bubbles were quite large.  After being in my glass for only a minute or two the head dissipated rather quickly.  Not much lacing on the glass afterwords.  Seems to have quite a bit of carbonation at the onset.  I noticed though that half way through my glass this one went almost flat for some reason.
     As far as the taste goes, this one is pretty much all hops as expected.   Nothing much on the malt end to speak of.  Even though this is the case it's not overly bitter at all.  Sensi is considered a pale ale, yet I have definitely had pale ales that are more bitter than this one.  So the usual citrusy and grassy floral notes are found here.  I also feel like it smelled fresher than it actually tasted.  The body was also very light.  This one could also be considered a session ale, as the ABV only clocks in at 4.7.
     I really don't have much more to say about this ale.  I kind of expected more out of Sensi considering how much I like other offerings from Sixpoint such as Resin and Bengali Tiger.  Both of which I would pick up any day over this one.  The one thing I can say is that it's very easy to drink.  To be honest, I feel like this could have been a lot better.  It feels like there's something missing.  It's not that it's undrinkable, there just should have been way more flavor for this style.  If you want a good example of a wet-hopped harvest ale, my choice would still have to be Northern Hemisphere Harvest by Sierra Nevada.  That is to me what a wet hopped ale should taste like.


American Harvest Pale Ale

Seasonal Availability

4.7% ABV 50 IBU

Style: 6/10

Personal Rating: 6.5/10      

Old Forge Overbite IPA

          Old Forge Brewing Company; Danville, Pennsylvania.  The old saying "Don't judge a book by it's cover" is very fitting for this very tasty India Pale Ale.  This is definitely not the most bitter IPA you will ever have as it is more of a malt forward offering.  This does not mean that there is no bitterness present because there is, it just isn't the most pronounced here.  What the label lacks as far as aesthetics go, the 16 ounces of this refreshingly tasty 7.5 ABV IPA make up for it. So once again, don't count this one out until you try it.  Seriously, what's there not to like about a 16 ounce can???

     Old Forge brewing company prides themselves as being true craftsmen in the art of brewing.  Their product is made in small batches in order to ensure freshness and quality that can only come from a hand-crafted brew.  They are also truly in-touch with the local community as their menu at their brew pub is all sourced from local farms and markets.  Even the woodwork, metal fixtures and custom tap handles are all produced by local artisans!

     So let's dive into this full pint of delicious ale!  Overbite IPA pours a nice dark gold/copper color and has nice thick off white head.  As the head recedes abundant lacing is left on the sides of the glass.  The aroma is only mildly hoppy as it is somewhat overwhelmed by the bready malts.  Pacific Northwest hops are used to provide a piney citrusy taste that almost holds up to the malts.  It can't be said that this is a perfectly balanced IPA but it is still a delicious one nonetheless.  The malts do somewhat take over even though the finish is slightly bitter as this one still clocks in at 75 IBU's.

     I would recommend this brew to both IPA drinkers and non-IPA drinkers as it has just enough bitterness present to satisfy most hop heads and is definitely malty enough as to not cause the "bitter beer face" on those who don't like bitter brews.  Overbite IPA is one of my "go to" IPA's when I'm not sure what I want to buy.

     India Pale Ale

     Year Round Availability 16 ounce 6 pack (cans only)

     7.5% ABV  75 IBU's

     Personal Rating: 9.6

     Style Rating: 9.0

     Price: $10.99 @ White Horse Wine & Spirits