Feature Beer Friday: Melvin's 2X4 Double IPA

By Eric Ducote

Hello everyone, and welcome to another Feature Beer Friday!  This might be my last one for a few weeks due to upcoming knee surgery, but it certainly won't be my last post ever.  This week's feature is the 2X4 DIPA from Melvin Brewing out of Alpine, Wyoming.  I found a selection of their beers last weekend in Florida at a Total Wine store.  Apparently Total Wine in Florida contracted with Melvin a large enough order to make a one-time distribution to the state.  A pretty good idea if you ask me, if the demand is there for a certain brewery and that brewery can meet the supply, why not make a special order?  

Melvin Brewing started off as a nanobrewery in the back of a Thai restaurant and has grown into a powerhouse in the NW part of our country.  The 2X4 DIPA, which won a gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival in 2012 to really put Melvin Brewing on the map nationally.  It's a 10% ABV, 100+ IBU beer loaded with American hops such as Columbus, Centennial, Citra, and Simcoe.

Melvin Brewing's 2X4 DIPA

The first thing I notice is the slight haze to the pour.  This is certainly not brewed in the NEIPA style, but it's not filtered clear either.  It's a little on the copper/orange side for color, with as you can see a prominent frothy head.  The aroma is pure hop joy, with pine notes coming through strong as well as citrus.  It's an excellent blend of hops, with multiple layers of flavor shining through, and that extends to the taste as well.  The malts are there, but they lay low and allow the hops to shine through, with even more pine and citrus flavors bursting through every sip.  This is a phenomenal DIPA, and I feel like it really serves as a bridge between the old school malty IBU heavy double IPAs and the trendy hazy NEIPAs.  This beer really allows the hops to shine through without making them the only performer in the show.

I know this one won't be easy to find around Baton Rouge, but if you do see some or get the chance to try it, don't pass it up.  Cheers! 

Feature Beer Friday: Parish's Ghost In The Machine Double IPA

By Eric Ducote

Hello everyone, and welcome to this year's Summer of Ghost!  Last year Parish Brewing out of Broussard, LA decided to treat everyone by pumping out new batches of their signature hazy New England-style Double IPA all summer long and it seems as though 2018 is going to be no different. The guys over at Parish were busy during the month of May brewing up batch after batch of the delicious brew and then spent the first week or so of June bottling it all up and sending it out throughout their distribution area.  On June 14th, all the Ghost was released at once and I had no trouble finding some at Martin Wine Cellar while my wife picked up a pack at Rouse's.  

The three 4-packs I ended up with (so far) were bottled on 6/4, 6/6, and 6/7, but I didn't notice anything different between the three bottlings.  Ghost in the Machine is brewed to 8% abv, and "brewed with obscene quantities of hand-selected Citra hops" according to Parish's website. Citra is known for (and this should be obvious) a distinct citrus flavor, and Ghost is one of the better examples of how strong the citrus notes can be.  The hop profile can vary slightly from year to year and between different hop yards but Citra is always going to give a strong orange/grapefruit profile.  

Summer 2018 Ghost in the Machine

On the pour, this batch of Ghost is the distinct bright reddish-orange color with all the haze in the world and a finger worth of bubbly head.  The aroma is that enticing combination of bitter hops and citrus, with the primary note in this batch being grapefruit, although hints of orange and lemon come through as well.  The joke online is to compare this beer to Sunny D, and although I totally understand where that comes from, the hop oils in Ghost and other IPAs give a much more bitter feel on the palate and then there's the alcohol content to deal with.  Although into the double or imperial range, the 8% abv on Ghost is very well masked by the obscene hoppiness and all the citrus notes, giving the beer a clean pleasant finish.  The finish really just makes me want another sip, and then another beer, and then another 4-pack.  I don't mean to make light of addiction, which is a serious issue, but this is so delicious and drinkable that it's hard to just slowly sip and stop after one.  

As usual, Parish keeps killing the NEIPA game, and I'm thrilled to have Ghost in the Machine as a regular addition to store shelves throughout the summer.  Cheers! 

Feature Beer Friday: Gnarly Barley's Gnarvana Double IPA

By Eric Ducote

Hey everyone, it's another Friday, and another featured beer, but not a  new brewery this time around as Gnarly Barley has made a few appearances always in this space.  I'll be honest though, if a brewery keeps putting out good beer that I have access to, they'll find a way into a post or two of three before too long.  

Not too long ago they put out a special release Gnarvana Double IPA at Gnarfest in honor of the brewery's 4th birthday.  It was hailed as a juicebomb of a Double IPA, and unfortunately I wasn't able to make it out to the party this year, my first year to miss the big anniversary.  Fortunately though, I have some good friends who made sure that I didn't miss out on the beer du jour.  (That's the beer of the day.)

A pour of the Gnarvana Double IPA

The Gnarvana pours crazy hazy, with a grapefruit flesh shade of orange and a bubbly white head that doesn't stick around too long due to all the hop oils. The aroma is pure pineapple... just pineapple on top of pineapple layered with some pineapple juice.  On the taste, you guessed it, more pineapple! There's a little other citrus in there on the taste, some orange and grapefruit to give it a bit of complexity, but the truth is, this beer is a pineapple bomb, which I personally find to be delicious.

Last I saw online, there were still cans to be found at the brewery, so if you're wanting to give this a try, make the quick trip over to Hammond and find yourself in Gnarvana.   

Feature Beer Friday: Clown Shoes' Galacticake Douple IPA

By Eric Ducote

Good morning again everyone and welcome back to Bite and Booze for a mid-May version of Feature Beer Friday!  I have enjoyed writing these posts every week as I try some new beers and dig a little deeper into some old favorites.  This week I'm revisiting a brewery that I used to drink regularly, but seems to have faded a bit as the local guys surged.  Clown Shoes Beer originated from Massachusetts, and although they recently were bought by Harpoon Brewing (or their parent company, if we're getting technical) they retained their independence and "craft" status because Harpoon is itself a craft brewery.

I've always enjoyed Clown Shoes... their Hoppy Feet and Hoppy Feet 1.5 were both outstanding black IPAs when that style was all the rage, they consistently put out excellent creative stouts, and their label artwork is always top notch.  However, it had been a while since I had bought any their brews, so when I saw a relatively fresh (canned 3/8/18, always check the dates on hoppy beers!) 4-pack of their Galacticake Double IPA at Robert Fresh Market, I figured it was time to stock the fridge with a little more Clown Shoes.

Clown Shoes Galacticake Double IPA

The beer pours a rich copper color, clear and filtered, with a frothy bubbly head that took a few minutes to dissipate.  The malt that gives the beer it's deeper color is definitely present on the aroma with some caramel sweetness, but backed up nicely with fruity hop aromas like pineapple and plum.  The taste is well balanced between the caramel sweetness and the bitter fruity hop flavors.  The Galacticake is a 9% abv DIPA, but the malts and hops hide the alcohol very well.  There is an earthiness to the hops, but some fruit as well, and a nice blend of flavors that complement each other to form a bitter bouquet, but not one that lingers unpleasantly on the finish.

In summary, this is definitely an old-school throwback DIPA, aiming for a malt-hop balance and relying on bittering hops more than just all the late addition hops that we're getting from the hazy juice bombs.  However, it's a delicious well brewed throwback DIPA that I'd be happy to purchase again.   Cheers! 

Feature Beer Friday: Tin Roof's Juju Imperial IPA

by Eric Ducote

Hey everyone, welcome back to another Feature Beer Friday!  Initially I had another beer in mind for this week's post, but that was before I swung by Tin Roof Brewing last weekend and tried their latest release, the Juju Imperial IPA.  This isn't Tin Roof's first attempt at an Imperial IPA, but it is the first one to be canned, and the improvements shown at Tin Roof over the last few years had me really excited to give it a try.

The crowd was already pretty solid when I got there about 30 minutes after opening, but it didn't take long at all to get a pour of the Juju from Greg behind the bar.  My initial thought was that the color was on point for the current overwhelming trend of hazy juice-bomb IPAs.  The recipe for this one is essentially a doubled up Voodoo, aiming for twice the abv (alcohol by volume) and using twice the amount of hops, which are limited to the simcoe and citra varieties.  I was also informed that even though the can labels list the abv at 9%, it actually fermented stronger than expected all the way to a 10.5% beer.  Personally I think this really helps the beer as the yeast chewed through even more of the fermentable sugars leaving less residual sweetness and a more minimalist canvas to showcase the hops.

The aroma on this one is pure hops, citra dominates with expected tropical citrus flavors that fill the nostrils.  The taste is more of the same with a silky smooth mouthfeel, an explosion of citrus hoppiness and a bit of a bitter piney backbone due to the simcoe hops as well. It was an exceptionally easy drinker considering the 10.5% abv.  After a few rounds at the brewery I bought a couple of 4-packs to take home, as this was definitely a beer I wanted to try again. 

Most of the Bite and Booze team was also at Tin Roof enjoying some Juju, so I figured I'd ask them what they thought as well.  Jay said, "Boozy, hoppy and juicy - a great combination of flavors that hold up to the Imperial IPA name while building on the strength of the Voodoo Pale Ale backbone. I couldn't stop drinking them at the release party, and that's rare for me and a double IPA like this." Blair agreed that she couldn't stop drinking them, and referred to it as "sneaky."  As John Turturro would say about this beer, "I fear you are underestimating the sneakiness."

The general consensus among everyone I spoke to is that Tin Roof really hit a home run with this release.  This is a welcome addition to the local beer scene and it's on par with the hops coming out of other breweries in the state.  I'm pretty sure it's all sold out by the time I'm even writing this, let alone posting it but there are plans to make some more (from what I'm told, a 30 barrel batch compared to this 10 barrel release) in the near future.  In the meantime if you have a friend that wants to share, take them up on the offer!  And if you are reading this in time, Tin Roof is planning on releasing a new Haze Hunt Triple IPA this Saturday (2/24/18) so go give it a try.  

On Tap: Tin Roof FOMO Double IPA

by Charles Pierce

The hazy New England style IPA’s have been the big trend in the craft beer world for a while now. With very little hop bitterness at the end and a more tropical and juicy sweetness, this style has been embraced by beer lovers and breweries alike here in Louisiana. With great selections of this style from Parish Brewery (Ghost In the Machine), Great Raft Brewing (Grace & Grit) and Gnarly Barley (Jucifer) there’s no shortage of really delicious cloudy brews for us to enjoy. Now Tin Roof Brewery has joined the craze with their latest taproom only release, the FOMO Double IPA.

After redesigning the recipes for their flagship Voodoo Pale Ale and Juke Joint IPA, new Head Brewmaster Michael Till along with owners Charles Caldwell and William McGehee decided the time was right to start working on their own signature double IPA. After a few months of doing test batches and honing in on the right recipe, the FOMO, which stands for Fear Of Missing Out, was born.



The beer has a deep golden color with the haziness to match its depth. The immediate aromas I picked up were some dark fruitiness and tropical notes with a hint of the dankness that comes with the Eureka hops. The body is very light and easy drinking for 8% ABV beer. The taste is filled with hints of pineapple and candied fruit along with some piney dankness which is normally associated with some of the juicier west coast style IPA’s. There was some slight bitterness on the end with a nice dry finish.

Overall I think Tin Roof has done a nice job with their first entry into the haze filled market of New England style IPA’s. This brew is a taproom only release (hopefully that changes) so make your way over to Tin Roof and grab a glass and/or get yourself a crowler to go.

Beers with Chuck: Heady Topper from The Alchemist

by Chuck P

There are beers and there are BEERS. You know what I’m talking about? There are a select few amazing beers out in the world that are just absolute must haves. They’re the ones that taste like no other and are placed upon pedestals far above the heads of every other beer. On the West coast, most would say that beer would be Russian River’s Pliny The Elder, a one of a kind Double IPA that assaults the taste buds with a mouthful of hops. Most craft beer geeks would offer up the family pet and whatever cash they can to get just one bottle of this California nectar.

The Alchemist’s Heady Topper is, I believe, the East coast equivalent out of Stowe, Vermont.

Heady Topper by The Alchemist

Like the legendary East coast/West coast rap battles of the 90’s, Heady and Pliny have long been at the top of the list as the best Double IPAs made today and everyone debates as to who the true champ is. As far as I know, there’s never been a clear victor in this debate similar to the battle between Biggie and Tupac (pour one out).

Whereas Pliny carries one hell of a hop bomb on the pallet, Heady comes at you with a hop wall that washes over your tongue but finishes amazingly clean. It’s fruity, piney and all around delicious. The lingering hop feel on the back end lingers a while in the best way. Words don’t do justice to how delicious this beer truly is.

So, here’s my verdict. If I had a bottle of Pliny and a can of Heady Topper in front of me and was told I could only have one, I’d go for Heady Topper every time and twice on Sundays.

That’s not to say I don’t like Pliny The Elder. It’s a fantastic beer that I’m always happy to receive when one happens to come my way. Neither of these beers are distributed in Louisiana which makes them as coveted as the Holy Grail or actually seeing Bigfoot.

I’m sure there will be a lot of people who won’t agree with me and that’s fine. That’s the beauty of the craft beer world. We’re a passionate lot who are quick to jump on anyone who can’t understand our passion for one of our favorite brews.

This classic clash of the titans makes for some interesting debates online and that’s the geekiness and glory of craft beer.

That’s the passion I feel for Heady Topper. To me, it’s the be all end all of IPAs and you’re not going to tell me otherwise so as soon as you come to terms with how wrong you are we can go about our day.

Cheers!

Beers with Chuck: Big DIPA Release at Gnar-Fest

by Chuck P

Gnarly Barley's Big DIPA is perfect for front porch sipping on a hot Louisiana day.

The Gnarly Barley Brewery located in Hammond, Louisiana, is one of my top three favorite local breweries. Their passion for making delicious craft beer comes through in spades in the final product, and owners Zac and Cari Caramonta might be two of my favorite people in the whole world.

With word of them introducing a new brew to their line-up, a double IPA called Big DIPA, at their second annual Gnar-Fest, I knew I couldn’t miss this event.

That Saturday the brewery was packed with craft beer lovers inside and out as the cool sounds of Casey Saba and Andrew Robin filled the brewery. The food truck lines were long, and the line for beer was longer, but both were moving fairly quickly. After weaving my way through the crowd and saying a few hellos, I ran into Jay at the side of the bar (obviously) and jumped in line to get my first taste of the Big DIPA.

Wow. Just...wow. This is one of the most easy drinking DIPA’s I’ve had. It comes in right at 8% ABV, so it’s got some bite to it. The aroma is spot on, the golden color of the beer is beautiful, and I found the overall bitterness of the beer more subtle than I expected, but it still packed a nice hop punch. Since it was a brewery-only release, I knew I’d have to grab a few bottles before leaving.

After a few more glasses of Big DIPA, I tried some of the other specialty brews on tap. The selection included Raspberry Catahoula Common, Imperial and Barrel Aged Korova Milk Porter, but I had to grab a glass of one of my favorites, the Korova Peanut Butter Porter. It’s like a liquid version of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. Perfection.

Hopefully the Big DIPA will make its way to store shelves here in Baton Rouge soon. In the meantime, it’s the perfect excuse to take a little road trip to Hammond.