21st Amendment Brew Free Or Die Blood Orange IPA

Tonight’s beer is a new take on an old standard from 21st Amendment. The original beer is one that I had years ago, so I was interested on this one.

ABV: 7%

Style: American IPA

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Four hop varieties and seven blood oranges ago, our founders brought forth in this brewery, a new beer, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that not all IPAs are created equal. Because sometimes, real fruit just makes things even more delicious. Blood Orange Brew Free! is brewed like our original west coast style Brew Free! or Die IPA, but with an abundance of fresh blood orange puree and a twist of citrusy dry hops. Refreshingly different. As Abe would say, ‘Whatever you are, be a good one.'”

Random: Fruited IPAs are the new thing. I’m curious to see what the next craze is.

This brew poured with a two and a half finger, slightly off-white head. It dissipated at a moderate pace, but left some lacing on the glass. The body was mostly clear and had a lot of carbonation visible. The nose was disappointing. It started with oranges and lemon zest and then went into grapefruit. I didn’t pick up any blood oranges. There was some pine as well. The taste was better than the nose. It had some pine notes and quickly transitioned into orange juice and grapefruit zest. There was a little bit of blood orange, but not nearly as much as I would have liked. A can of this was $1.67, which came to $.14 per ounce. This beer was a miss for me. I won’t be having it again.

Untappd Rating: 3.5/5.0

21st Amendment Watermelon Funk Sour Ale

One of the beers that I had when I started the blog was 21st Amendment’s Hell Or High Watermelon. This was a Summer go-to beer for me for years, so when I saw that they came out with a sour take on the beer, I had to try it.

ABV: 6.7%

Style: American Wild Ale

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “We have transformed our summertime watermelon wheat beer into Watermelon Funk, a mind blowing, shake your booty, interlocking sour bass lines with syncopated sweet fruit notes and downbeat aromas and we give you all that in a signature groove with the hip and sway of Lady Liberty.”

Random: Watermelon is one of my favorite fruits. I love when restaurants use it in salads, especially with blueberries and a light citrus vinaigrette.

This beer poured with a one finger, white head. It dissipated quickly and left no lacing on the glass. The body was a cloudy, bright yellow with moderate carbonation visible. The nose had notes of watermelon rind, yeast and lemon juice. It also had a white vinegar note. The taste had a decent amount of tartness and reminded me of watermelon Berliner weisse. It had watermelon flesh and rind up front. There was also notes of white vinegar and yeast. The body was on the lighter side with lots of carbonation. The finish was lengthy with watermelon rind. A can of this was $2.17, which came to $.18 per ounce. This was a solid beer and one I would search out again.

Untappd Rating: 4.0/5.0

21st Amendment Blah Blah Blah IPA

I saw this beer sitting in the cooler at my local beer store and since I wasn’t looking for anything in particular, I threw it in the cart.

ABV: 8%

Style: American Double/Imperial IPA

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “We are huge fans of IPA and love our hops like anyone else, but we also like to have fun. Our Blah Blah Blah IPA is a tongue-in-cheek commentary on the popularity of this style and all the sub-styles that have become part of craft beer conversations and offerings. This is a deep gold color, double IPA (of course) and jammed packed with hop flavors and aromas. With nine different hop varietals, on top of late-kettle boil additions, this beer has a juicy, hop chewy flavor. IPAs are here to stay and Blah Blah Blah in many ways is a tribute to their prevalence and popularity and we love it. So, grab yourself a Blah Blah Blah IPA and celebrate this plentiful style and hoppy indulgence.”

Random: This beer came in at 65 IBUs.

The beer poured with a finger and a half of pure white head. It dissipated slowly and left a lot of lacing with a significant crown as well. The body had a slight haze to it and was orange in color. There was moderate carbonation as well. The nose was filled with pine needles and some tropical fruit, specifically mango and pineapple. There was no malt on the nose. The taste was also incredibly piney with some cat urine that was to the point of being off-putting. It had some orange peel too. Alcohol came through next and was very prevalent. The body was medium thickness with moderate carbonation. It had a lengthy finish with pine sap. A can of this was $2.08, which broke down to $.17 per ounce. This beer was alright, but a bit simple. I wouldn’t buy this one again.

Untappd Rating: 3.5/5.0

21st Amendment El Sully

I find it interesting that breweries are getting into styles that are typically panned by the craft beer crowd. I’m not a huge fan of the style, but let’s see how it was.

ABV: 4.8%

Style: American Adjunct Lager

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Con el sol en los ojos, no veíamos bien, pero tú estas más cerca de él en este momento que la mayoría de la gente tendrá la suerte de estar. Wait, sorry about that. The sun was in our eyes and we did not get a good look, but you are closer to him right now than most will ever have the good fortune to be. Who is El Sully? Grab a can of this Mexican-Style lager, head to the nearest beach, even if it’s imagined, and perhaps he’ll come to you. El Sully (the beer) is available this Fall inside our new 12-can variety pack. El Sully (the legend) is a little harder to find.”

Random: Val and I haven’t watched a bunch of things on the DVR, so now that we’re watching them, they have old political ads.

The beer poured with a two finger, pure white head. It went away quickly, but still left some lacing on the glass. The body was clear and straw yellow with moderate carbonation visible. The nose had grain with some tin along with a small amount of hop spice. The flavor was light with the same grain that was in the nose. It had a touch of metal and the same earthy hop spice that was in the nose. The body was very light with lots of carbonation. It had a quick, grainy finish. This can was $1.67, which came to $.14 per ounce. This beer was simple, but I believe that was the intent. I would have this over a Corona any day.

Untappd Rating: 3.5/5.0

21st Amendment Toaster Pastry

This beer is one that has been flying off the shelves in my area and received a lot of hype. I’m always suspect of beers that get a lot of hype, so I hope it lives up to the expectations.

ABV: 7.6%

Style: American Amber/Red Ale

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Our first beer out of our new brewery is an homage to its former life as a toaster pastry factory. Biscuit malts give the beer a slightly nutty, crust-like flavor, while pale and dark Crystal malts create the mouthfeel and flavors reminiscent of strawberry jam. Calypso and other experimental hops give this ruby ale a welcome bite, plus a few more in the hop back for a toasty-sweet aroma.”

Random: This won Silver in the Double Red Ale category at GABF.

This brew poured with a three finger, white head that dissipated slowly. It left a lot of lacing on the glass. The body was a clear, mahogany color with light carbonation visible. The nose had some nuttiness to it, along with bread notes and grapefruit hops. I didn’t pick up any strawberry or berry notes. The taste was pretty hoppy. I picked up grapefruit and tropical fruit hops. Some malt came through and manifested in bread crust and yeast notes. But again, I picked up absolutely no strawberry. It had some tropical fruit presence from the experimental hops after a few sips and I could stretch and say red berry notes as well. The alcohol was well-hidden. The body was medium thickness. It had a quick finish with tropical fruit and grass hops. If you’re going to say this is supposed to taste like a Pop Tart, it definitely doesn’t. It tastes like a straight forward red IPA, which isn’t bad at all. It’s well-executed in fact. But based on the description, I couldn’t rank it very highly and wouldn’t rush back to have it again.

Untappd Rating: 3.5/5.0

21st Amendment Down To Earth Session IPA

I’ve started to listen to some other beer podcasts and one of them interviews a different brewer every week. It’s really interesting to listen to and it’s made my commute so much more tolerable. This brewery came up in one of the podcasts, but I can’t exactly remember why. Let’s see how it went.

ABV: 4.4%

Style: American IPA

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Down to Earth is the natural evolution (pun intended) of Bitter American, our original session ale. We thought it would be fitting to bring our space chimp home and let him chill. Whether you have a long mission behind you or a full afternoon ahead, this session IPA will help keep things real. More relaxed than an IPA, but with all the hop aroma and flavor, Down to Earth is our tribute to unsung heroes and unplanned adventures. Down to Earth is available year-round in six-pack cans and on draft and pairs nicely with a variety of things, including lunch.”

Random: The can art almost made me think this was a seasonal.

This beer poured with a two finger, slightly off white head that dissipated slowly. It left generous lacing on the glass. The body was a clear, bright orange color with lots of carbonation visible. The nose was strong with pine resin and a medicinal note that was off-putting. The taste had the same pine resin, but transitioned into very bitter grapefruit pith. It had no sweetness from the malt and the taste was disjointed and unpleasant. The body was light with just enough carbonation to make it palatable. The finish was quick and piney with the same medicinal note. This was $1.67 for the can ($.14 per ounce). Despite the price, I just didn’t enjoy this one and I don’t think I’ll be revisiting it.

Untappd Rating: 2.5/5.0

21st Amendment Hop Crisis

This is a beer that I have really wanted to try. Any sort of IPA that is aged on oak is definitely up my alley. Let’s see how this was.

ABV: 9.7%

Style: American Double/Imperial IPA

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Shaun and Nico have to break out of Alcatraz. And fast. The Hop Syndicate is hoarding hops, depriving the people of their right to hoppy, aromatic beer. Join Shaun and Nico on their adventure to Free the Hops! First, they plan a daring escape through the sewer pipe, then they surf monster waves on ironing boards, and finally they attempt a high speed cable car getaway. Hop Crisis. Crisis? What Crisis? A few years ago, when hop prices shot through the roof and the worldwide hop market went into a tailspin, at our pub in San Francisco we decided there was only one thing for us to do. We made the biggest, hoppiest IPA we could imagine and aged it on oak for good measure. This imperial IPA breaks all the rules with more malt, more hops and more aroma.”

Random: The cat has been cold lately. He now has been sleeping in the bed and trying to get under the blanket when he’s on the couch.

This beer poured with a one finger, pure white head that dissipated slowly and left a lot of lacing on the pint glass. The body was a very cloudy, light yellow color with high amounts of carbonation visible. The nose was filled with pine and oak and vanilla notes as well. The taste was amazing. It started with pine and grapefruit and quickly went into warm oak and vanilla and some sweet, caramel malt at the end. The body was on the thicker side with high carbonation. The alcohol was well-hidden and only provided some warming at the end. The finish was long and had oak and piney goodness. For $4.19 a can, which breaks down to $.35 an ounce was a bit expensive, but I definitely enjoyed this beer. I would have it again in a second.

Untappd Rating: 4.5/5.0

21st Amendment He Said (Tripel)

While attempting to review this beer last night, the other half and I were watching tv. She was lounging on me and didn’t really want to move, so I had to type my notes with one finger into my iPhone. It definitely took a bit longer than normal to write down my thoughts on this one. Let’s see how this beer went.

ABV: 8.2%

Style: Tripel

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “The story starts in 2010 when Dick Cantwell walked into our San Francisco pub. We’d heard about his little pumpkin fest and wanted to get together to brew a pumpkin beer like no other: a Belgianstyle Tripel brewed with pumpkin, galangal and terragon. In a dark colored can.”

Random: It is definitely a good day when Spring Training baseball starts, even if the Phillies had to end their game early due to weather and lost. It means that baseball is back!

This brew poured with a finger of white head that dissipated quicker than expected. It didn’t leave any lacing on the glass, but had a quarter of an inch crown that hung around for a bit. It had medium carbonation visible. Since I couldn’t really move all that much, as I was playing the role of personal couch, I asked the other half what color the brew was. She said that it was a cloudy honey color, then changed her mind and said that it was a dark orange-y color. She is so helpful. Anyways, the nose had an assertive pumpkin presence with nutmeg, pear and Belgian yeast. The first sip hit you in the mouth with bubble gum and banana flavor, without much pumpkin. There was some cinnamon as it opened, but it was definitely a yeast dominant brew. The body was thin for the style with relatively low carbonation. The finish was long and spicy with a touch of booze. This beer was okay, but was trying to do too many things and didn’t accomplish them well. It needed more balance and more fluidity with all of the flavors. I wouldn’t rush back to have.

Untappd Rating: 3.5/5.0

21st Amendment He Said (Baltic Porter)

If it’s not apparent on the blog, I’m a pretty big dork. Last night, while making dinner, I was dancing and singing in the kitchen to Fleetwood Mac, thinking the other half was not in the next room hearing me make a fool of myself. I was embarrassed for all of thirty seconds, but I definitely turned red. Sometimes I wonder how she puts up with me. Anyways, we picked up this beer last time we were in Brooklyn meeting up with my cousin at Bierkraft. Let’s see how I liked it.

ABV: 8.2%

Style: Fruit/Vegetable Beer

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “The story starts in 1999 when Shaun O’Sullivan walked into my Seattle pub. He’d heard about my massive pumpkin fest and wanted to get together and brew a pumpkin beer like no other: a Baltic style Porter brewed with pumpkin, caraway and cinnamon. In a light colored can.”

Random: I’m still wearing my snow boots to work because they make me two inches taller.

This brew poured with a two finger, thick, light brown head that dissipated slowly and left lots of lacing on the glass. The body was a dark brown color with no carbonation visible due to the color. The nose was more on the side of porter with dark chocolate roasted malt first. Then, I got some pumpkin puree and spice and a touch of espresso. The taste was very similar. I got some smoke and dark chocolate notes. Some cinnamon and nutmeg came through at the end of the sip with burnt espresso. There was a touch of booze, but nothing all that abrasive. The body was thick and had moderate carbonation. It could have used a little bit more carbonation. The finish was long with burnt espresso. I enjoyed the beer despite the smoky characteristics. I still don’t quite understand why it’s considered a fruit beer, though.

Untappd Rating: 4.0/5.0

21st Amendment Lower De Boom Barleywine

Another start to a long work week. Nothing all the crazy happened today, but I’m sufficiently tired. I’ve been working an average of 70-80 hours a week, so I feel like I’m constantly tired and in desperate need of sleep. Anyways, the other half picked this one up for me awhile ago. I wanted to try it when it first came out, but never got around to it. Let’s see how this one went.

ABV: 11.5%

Style: American Barleywine

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “In 1859, Shaun and Nico arrive in San Francisco for the gold rush. Ten years late. That was Shaun’s fault. They stop in Cornelius De Boom’s supply store. Cornelius pegs our boys as suckers and sells them a forged ‘treasure map.’ Shaun and Nico find themselves in a dinghy in the middle of the Bay. ‘Curse you Cornelius!’ Jumping in anyway, Shaun finds two boxes of riches: In one, gold ingots; in the other, a rare and perfectly preserved beer. Suddenly, the dinghy springs a leak! They leave the gold and grab the beer. With this ‘liquid gold,’ they become beer barons. They acquire De Boom Supply and throw Cornelius out the back door. Today whenever anyone gives them trouble, they exchange a look across the pub and say, ‘Lower De Boom.’ Lower De Boom is a powerfully balanced American-Style barleywine packed with citrusy Pacific Northwest hops. Chestnut brown in the glass with notes of toffee malt, fruitcake, toast, piney hops and more than a hint of alcohol. Our liquid gold is the first American craft beer in a can offered in the traditional barleywine ‘nip’ size. Perfect to enjoy sipped at the end of a long day. More than that and you might feel like the boom has been lowered on you.”

Random: I’ve only had 2 cups of coffee so far today. I definitely need another one.

This brew poured with a half a finger of pure white head that dissipated quickly and left no lacing on the glass, but did leave a slight crown on top of the body. The body was a very cloudy mahogany color with very little carbonation visible. The nose had a lot going on. I got some bready and biscuity malt, coupled with vanilla and oak and then some citrusy fruit with a touch of pear. There was a definite booze presence as well. The taste was a bit different. I got vanilla and wood, then serious hop presence that was really bitter and did not mesh all that well with the malt and toffee characteristic that came right afterwards. The booze was overly present as well and made this brew even more disjointed. After a few sips, some burnt sugar came through as well. The body was medium thickness with low carbonation and could have used a little bit more. The booze lasted until the finish, which was also very long with lots of malt. I really wanted to love this beer, but there was something missing for me. I wouldn’t rush back to have this one again.

Untappd Rating: 3.0/5.0