IPA’s are still far and away the most popular non-macro beer style, easily outpacing the sales of their maltier counterparts. This presents a few issues for larger scale breweries with national distribution. The biggest issue is freshness. One of the best parts of an IPA is the burst of hop aroma from a fresh batch, but these aromatics begin to […]
Category: Beer Review
Big Elm Tranformer IPL
Today might have been raw and chilly (and we did get some snow on Monday), but there are clear signs that we are moving into spring and warmer weather is on the way. As the temperatures start to rise I will also be transitioning my beer fridge from dark and heavy porters and stouts to lighter, more […]
Great Divide Orabelle
Great Divide Rumble IPAHoppy Boston tripel month continues with a trip out West. I don’t get many chances to take beer-cations, especially with my family obligations, but my wife and I try to squeeze in an occasional brewery visit when we are traveling. One of our favorite examples was a trip to Denver a couple […]
Banded Horn Norweald Stout
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I hope everyone is having some fun and enjoying a few tasty beers this evening. I am battling a massive head cold so my festivities will involve Nyquil and an early bed time. Fortunately I planned ahead, I drank a tasty stout last weekend that would be a quality option for those […]
Overshores Tripel Brun
I first tried selections from Overshores Brewing Company last summer when I stopped in Connecticut on the tail end of a business trip to grab some local beers that weren’t distributed in Massachusetts yet. Recently Overshores has expanded distribution, so now their innovative versions of traditional Belgian beer styles can be found locally. As part […]
Mystic Vinland 4
There are a number of local breweries that put out series of one-off or infrequent beers that I look forward to and will buy as soon as I see a new release. At the top of this list is probably the Vinland Series by Mystic Brewery in Chelsea. The term “terrior” is very popular with wine, […]
Allagash Tiarna
I resisted the urge to start a beer cellar for a long time. Some of it was a stage of life and space issue, but even when those problems were amended I didn’t feel a big need. I typically stock up on quality beers 1-2 times a month and finish most of them before I […]
Westmalle Tripel
My beer of the month for March is the Belgian tripel, characterized by it’s light color, expressive yeast and big ABVs due to the use of light Belgian candi sugar in the brewing process. After churning through porter reviews in February I have come up a little light on tripels to review, I reached out […]
Fiddlehead Second Fiddle
For the last two and a half years my wife and I have lived on the top floor of a split level house, a common feature in many neighborhoods in metro Boston. Anyone who has lived in a similar situation knows that a huge piece to the satisfaction in your apartment is the neighbors you end up with, […]
Mayflower Alden
I have stated many times that I am not the kind of person to wait in line at a brewery for a bottle release, I am too busy and there are so many good beers to try that you don’t need to wait for. That being said, I try to keep track of the non-wait-in-line […]
Hoppy Boston 