Hoppy Boy

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Hoppy Boy

• Brewery: Twisted Pine Brewing (Colorado)

• Style: American Pale Ale

• ABV: 5.7%

• IBU: 50

• Pour Color: Dark golden color.

      A sweet malt and hoppy scent off the top. A nice golden color a little darker then most pales. The head was a good size and stuck around for a good few splashes into the follicles. The flavor of this one is much sweeter then most pales I've had. Almost a sweet orange flavor to it. Very ballenced for being a pale.
      It says balance is the key but this one is on the hoppy side. I disagree with that statement. This one was really sweet and seemed to hide the hoppy bitter I expected and wanted. I could see this being a gateway beer for someone but it's not a really hoppy beer. I even would say the malts were the star of this beer making for easy drinking. It just didn't strike me as a pale ale though. Good but not anything I'd go out of my way to find.  

Rating: **1/2

Chico King

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Chico King

• Brewery: Sierra Nevada and 3 Floyds

• Style: Pale Ale

• ABV: 6.5%

• IBU: 45

• Pour Color: A golden nearly red pour slightly hazy

      The head of this one held on for quite a few sips. A redish color to the pour that let light straight thru even with a slight hop haze. This is the first beer camp that left rings all the way down the glass as I sipped. The scent off the top is mostly flowery scented hops. A slight scent of the mix of yeast and hops is noticeable if you really try. The follicles frolicked in the resinous flowery hop flavor. A real mellow sweetness also come thru after swallowing. All and all a nice pale ale with a little more hop zip then usual.
      This beer really has a lot to live up to to beat a classic sierra pale. Most find the original pale as a gateway to craft beer and is really easy drinking. This is not that kind of pale. The hops are very prevalent and to a normal pale drinker would be over the top. As a hop head this isn't really a problem for this mustache. Yet this beer has little to no balance. It leaves me wishing that it just had a little more malt backing to even it out. Really really good almost IPA that would impress most beer drinkers. 

Rating: ***1/2

Simcoe Spring

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Simcoe Spring

• Brewery: Peak Organic (Maine)

• Style: Pale Ale

• ABV: 5.4%

• IBU: 66

• Pour Color: A golden copper color that is easily seen thru

      This one was a darker straw color as it poured and left a nice head. The head would leave a nice island at the top and lacing all the way down. The simcoe comes through as a nice fruity scent. A citrus and pasion fruit scent are easy to smell. The feel in the mouth is light and smooth. The malts give a nice sweet flavor that just makes it easy drinking. A interesting pale. 
      I'm kinda blown away by this one. I like overly hopped or so dark you can't see thru it. This is neither of those. This is a nice spring offering that really gives a kick with simplicity. One hop really gives a lot of character in a beer I expected to be an average pale. It being by a organic brewery makes you think twice on what matters in brewing too!

Rating: ****1/2

Autumnation

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Autumnation

• Brewery: Six Points Brewing Company (New York)

• Style: Pumpkin Ale (More A Pale)

• ABV: 6.7%

• IBU: 74

• Pour Color: A totally transparent orange, amber.

      This one raged out the can. The head was high and pretty thick at the top the glass. Fought this mustache to a stand still. It would be hanging around as a fluffy island in the glass for a long time. Residue of that head went down the glass  as i drank. The scent off the top is a bitter orange peel and a pine kick. You can really smell a difference in wet hops. The color is a nice see through orange. The kind of color you expect from autumn. The spices you expect from a pumpkin ale are really toned down in this. You get a slight pumpkin but it's more about those hops. The flavor is strong tones of citrus, pine and a balance from the pumpkin. A well ballenced beer that I'll swim in again and again.
      Ahhhhh a december posting about a pumpkin ale... I know, it isn't the season anymore. Yet I'm still finding Autumnation and I shouldn't be. This has been one of my favorite beers for a couple of weeks now. A pumpkin that has this kind of kick of hops can't be ignored by true hop head mustaches. The can says to get one by the end of December so get your face's on that!

Rating: *****

Dry Hopped Pale Ale

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Dry Hopped Pale Ale

• Brewery: Founders Brewing Company (Michigan)

• Style: American Pale Ale

• ABV: 5.4%

• IBU: 35

• Pour Color: A nice golden color, Slightly hazy but light travels through.

      Right away on the pour you can see the hazy dots floating in the pale. A nice sign that this one was dry hopped! The head on the top of the beer was fairly lack luster. Came up slightly and disappeared quick. The smell off the glass was quite malty. A sweat wheat scent. The hops scent was slightly grassy. On taste the malts have a slight toasty taste. There is a mix of bitter flavors in this pale. A nice pine and almost lime citrus flavor. The bitter isn't deep but you know it's there! Overall a really good pale.
      Another beer from founders and another good one. The malts are done in a decent way but the hops are the star of this one. Seems more bitter then the 35 it says on the bottle. The dry hop taste comes through nicely on this one and brightens everything up. A really refreshing beer for a summer or winter day.

Rating: ****1/2

Hazed and Infused

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Hazed and Infused

• Brewery: Boulder Beer Company (Colorado)

• Style: Pale Ale

• ABV: 4.85%

• IBU: 70

• Pour Color: A hazzy golden color that light passes through.

      Hazed and Infused seemed to be right down my alley. The face grabbed it due to it's hippie look. Out the bottle it had a nice head that would stay for most the beer (I imagine). The scent was piney hops and a slight malt character. The color was a hazzy gold. It was the taste that threw me off. Once on the follicles I got a strong taste of iron that pretty much ruined this one from the get go. The hops and malts were ballenced and good but the strong taste of iron was horrid, ruining the whole experience. A few drenches and I couldn't take anymore. This and pork slap are the only beers I've ever had that the Face poured out. 
      Maybe it was the bottle... Although it did say enjoy by the 27th of this month. Or maybe it's just me. This beer has a yeast strain that must be close to Brewcrafters cause they have a similar taste. Although with Brewcrafters I've never been drenched in what tastes like blood is an ingredient. Also this is the first beer from Colorado that has been horrid! Being from the state that produces Oskar Blues beer that shouldn't be possible!

Rating:

Shoals Pale Ale

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Shoals Pale Ale

• Brewery: SmuttyNose Brewing Company (New Hampshire)

• Style: Pale Ale

• ABV: 5.4%

• IBU: 30

• Pour Color: A dark copper color to this one.

      This one poured a darker color then some other pales. Although murky light passed through this beer easy. The hop presence in this one is easily smelt off the top. Pine and citrus hop scents come off the glass. The head wasn't too fluffy and disappeared quick. The flavor of Shoals is a hop heavy affair. The pine, citrus and grassy tones make for a nice bouquet of flavor. This one though over powers any malt flavoring with that hop. A slight sweetness is added through those malts. Over all a really hop heavy pale.
      SmuttyNose has some great beers I'm quickly realizing. This one is much more like a IPA then just a pale. Very hoppy and not showing to much malt flavor. With all the hops and only a slight sweetness of flavor it's hard to believe this is a 30IBU beer. I really doubt a hop headed Mustache would mind being soaked in this one. I certainly didn't mind!

Rating: ****

Pork Slap

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Pork Slap

• Brewery: ButterNuts Beer and Ales
  

• Style: Pale Ale

• ABV: 4.3%

• IBU:

• Pour Color: Slightly orange, slightly hazy, still lets light through

      When the face poured this one it had a real interesting color. Slight haze in it gave me hope this would be a real pale ale. The scent off the top threw me off, as it wasn't hop nor malt. This one was a ginger smell that wasn't really that appealing. On taste, it was the same thing. The ginger drown out the malt and the hops and gave it a unappealing taste. The echos of this one are just as weird. After tasting the ginger through and through it disappeared and left a off sour flavor. This wasn't good. 
      The Face was looking over my shoulder the other day and saw this on a top 10 reasons to drink canned beer. Of course us being from NY we had to grab some. That I see now was a mistake. At 4.3abv and nearly no beer flavor, I can't recommend this beer. I found it foul on the follicles, and really really disappointing knowing Butternuts is so close to Ommegang brewing. 

Rating: 

Phoenix

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Phoenix

• Brewery: SlyFox Brewing (Pennsylvania)
  

• Style: Pale Ale

• ABV: 5.1%

• IBU: 40

• Pour Color: Nearly a golden color that easily lets light through

      Another pale ale and another beautiful color. Not quite a gold but very bright and light passes through real easy. The head came up fluffy at first and disappeared quick.  You get nice citrus and pine tones in the scent of the beer. A nice balance between hops and malts in this one. Both add to the bitterness of this one. A nice pine taste to the hops, and a citrus kick of almost a grapefruit, make this a nice pale ale. I'll be soaked in this one again for sure!
      The Sly Fox cans are always full of color and catch the Face's attention. Like a moth to a light your sure if it's in a shiny can he's gonna try it. Lucky for me really. This one, like all of the cans I've tried, pour like there off tap. Some of the bottles over the last few months didn't. Sly Fox is quality served in a can, don't pass it by!

Rating: ****1/2

Pennant Ale '55

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Pennant Ale '55

• Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery (New York)
  

• Style: EPA

• ABV: 5%

• IBU: 24

• Pour Color: Nearly a golden color that easily lets light through

      On the pour, the head was fluffy and nice. The scent off the glass is a slight roasted malt scent but very sweet. As you sip this one you get hit by malt from all sides. A sweet roasted malt comes first to the front. This is accompanied by a nice citrus and grapefruit taste. Finally as you swallow comes a super bitter taste with a nice biscuit finish. All and all a real exciting journey that I enjoyed. 
      It's baseball season and here is a beer for it. Dedicated to baseball history pennant ale is a good beer. Light crisp but not just water. Real light on the hop character but has a nice bitter kick. Turn on the Mets, Yanks, or Dodgers and bathe in one of these. Win or lose you made out in this deal!

Rating: ****

Fire Rock

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Fire Rock

• Brewery: Kona Brewing Company (Hawaii)

• Style: Pale Ale

• ABV: 6%

• IBU: 35

• Pour Color: A amber slightly cloudy shade

      The head of the beer was quick to shrink after it was poured. As I get close a slight hint of hop hits the nose. First sip and a mild hop flavor is tasted. For a pale ale this one is mostly malt. Not much thickness though, as it washed back off my hairs easy. A real earthy pale. As far as the hops goes don't have to fear this fire rock like the real thing.
      How can you pass up trying some beer from the big island. Especially in winter just dreaming of that tropical paradise. You don't see a lot of craft beer from Hawaii, but Kona really does have some good stuff. I myself would prefer a Long Board Lager to this one. Overall an ok pale ale though.

Rating: ***

Canadaguia Lake Ale

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Canadaguia Lake Ale

• Brewery: Custom Brewcrafters (New York)

• Style: A.P.A.

• ABV: 4.75%

• IBU: ?

• Pour Color: A Golden transparent color.

      The head of this beer disappeared before I had a sip. It poured a good looking gold that can easily be seen through. The Face held the glass up and I could smell hops and malts easily. A bath in it was quick to wash back off. A fairly strong malt and hop flavor comes forward at taste, and a citrus tone echos after. As far as a pale ale goes very mellow and kinda light.
    Canadaguia  Lake Ale started out different when CB began. It was a lighter beer that was easy to drink on a hot day. Some how there after they decided to go heavier on the hops making it more of a APA then a golden ale. For my taste buds something was lost. With that said it's a decent pale ale.

Rating: ***

#9

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: # 9

• Brewery: Magic Hat (Vermont)

• Style: Fruit Beer

• ABV: 5.1%

• IBU:20

• Pour Color: A clear bronze

      The head of this one disappeared after the first sip. So my wax held stiff making sure I look good. This ones a easy sipping beer with a little hop and malt kick. Most fruit beers just attempt to give you a taste of that said fruit. #9 showcases the apricot brightening up an American Pale. The apricot hits you with a lil hops at first sip. Once you swallow the malts build up still blending well with the apricot.

      #9 really started me on craft beer. The Face didn't like beer and after tasting blue light or a miller either did I. We would go out to bars with friends and the Face kept ordering it. I don't mind being soaked in a light beer like #9 on a summer day. Also I see a lot of mustached ladies grabbing themselves #9. Always nice to find a good beer that the ladies like.

Rating: ***

Dale's Pale Ale

The Beer Stats:

• Beer Name: Dale's Pale Ale

• Brewery:Oskar Blues (Colorado)

• Style: American Pale Ale

• ABV: 6.5%

• IBU: 65

• Pour Color: A clear copper/amber color.

      The scent of this beer -much like the taste- is amazing. The hop flavor is huge in this beer. It's a delicious citrus hop flavor and blends with the malt flavor to be a perfect pale ale. If you love hops I would choose this over most IPAs. It's got the hop kick but also has a refreshing character that's hard to find in hopped up brews. Might not get stuck in your mustache for long, but every splash in that fur the Face should be thanked for.   

      Hate a can? So do I... The thought that only cheep beers come in cans is outdated. I have a different problem with the can. Do you know how hard it is to get a good taste from a canned beer when you're a mustache? Now Oskar Blues cans their stuff. 'Till Face got to choose beers out, on tap, I didn't get much of a taste.  First sip off that pint glass though and I was hooked. This is one of the best overall beers Face or I have ever had and is listed as one of our favorites. Even if you hate a can it's a must have beer. No seriously. If you're of age and can find dale's go get it NOW!

Rating: *****