Our Tastes-- Sweetwater Squeeze Box

Squeeze Box IPA, is my continuation into all things grapefruit. I've delved into Sculpin of course, SA's version, Tropicanon, Citrus Mistress, made my own GIPA, even HI-5 had some to it. Pouring a more particulate beer than I am accustomed to from SW and a darkened yellow with good white foam. Nose is a gentle aroma of sweet grapefruit pulp, but the taste yields a dichotomous pithy bitter. Oddly, this is only the second beer that I've seen that uses Midnight Wheat. That's a new grain for me, I need to do some reading up. Overall, this is a great "unseasonal" (much like our last 2 winters!). 6.1%abv and fully crushable.

I'm Diggin' through the "Age Me" stack!!

This was too good not to re-post. Oddly, I'm only familiar with a couple BUT I'll be looking for my Grand Teton I bought years ago to age!

Brew Batch #77 Centennial IPA (cIPA)

Having sorted through the aforementioned hop inventory, I deduced a nice straight Centennial IPA would be warranted. So I dusted off a basic IPA recipe and when all is said and done, I'll have 6oz of hops in it. I'll be replicating the 10 minute hop stand from The Medusa batch because it seemed to bring the aroma of the hop out so well. I'm also using Pac-Man yeast (Wyeast 1764) from Rogue for the first time, we'll see if it's as bad as John Maier says it is. OG 1.064+0.001 @66F. What better beer to brew on Inauguration Day. After all, Trump will be 70 years 7 months and 7 days old tomorrow in his 1st full day as POTUS in the Hebrew calendar year 5777. True Story!

Our Tastes-- Heady Topper

Got a chance to have a beer I've heard about for a long time but unfortunately never had the opportunity to grab one without breaking the bank! It says, "Drink from the can." and yet I partook from a large tulip that accentuated the hazy medium straw color. Smell for me was a touch citrus but taste ended on a grassy, dankness that is extremely memorable. Very smooth and velvety on the mouth feel. It is not Pliny, BUT in it's own right a superbly delicious 8% 100 IBU DIPA that I would drink all day, not could but would;) Upper 90s-100 on ratings, I'm glad I'll die with a little part of this one in me.

Our Tastes-- Hoppy Poppy IPA

The great thing about friends getting married and taking honeymoons to locales you've never been is that you MAY get some great samplers out of it! As luck would have it, Junk's confirmation took him to the west coast where he laid;) this one on me. Hoppy Poppy, from Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co.  Another west coastie that delivers a typical dryness, but in this case more of a floral nose. From the poppy seed addition? I get a good but of what they call "orange oil" on this one. Not like the sweetness of pulp. A 6.5 yummy I'll probably never have again:(

2017 Hop Inventory

As we start into 2017, I did something I've never done before and inventoried my brew supplies, equipment and hops. In a monster surprise I'm sitting on 72 ounces of hops in my freezer! Including 11oz of Cascade, 6oz of Centennial and 9oz of Summit. Everything else is a smattering of NZ and Australian hops. Needless top say I need to knock out a couple of stiff IPAs and a session at least. GIPAs getting a little low an needs a cousin in the keezer;)