Galaxy-Hero - Revolution Brewing

    Blasting off from his secret base hidden deep within an asteroid, Galaxy Hero flies to the assistance of earth! Using his state of the art Hop Rocket and hopped-up ray gun, Galaxy hero fights to save us all from the evil genius, Dr. Badbeer! Who is this galactic warrior, and will he be able to defeat the maniacal minions of Dr. Badbeer to save the day? Tune in to next week's exciting conclusion to find out!

    Galaxy Hero is an India Pale Ale brewed by Revolution Brewing. Revolution created this entry in their "Hero" series for Chicago's annual Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2) which features comics, cosplayers, and all sorts of pop culture-y goodness. The beer is released every year right around the time that C2E2 takes place (March-April-May). It's kind of surprising that this is only the fourth Revolution beer that I've reviewed. As you may have read in the past, I live literally just down the road from the Revolution brewery here in Chicago, Illinois. My wife and I both drink a lot of Revolution beer, but for some reason I never think to review it!

    Galaxy Hero has a very clear, coppery-orange appearance with a sandy-colored head. I poured this beer the same way that I pour all non-nitro beers, but somehow ended up with a huge, two finger head on top of the beer. The head dissipated pretty quickly though, leaving just a few white bubbles that slightly laced the glass as I enjoyed the beverage.

Galaxy Hero piloting his Hop Rocket to the rescue!

    The IPA's aroma is heavy on the citrus, such as grapefruit and tangerine. There is also a slight bit of a resinous, piney smell, as well as tropical fruits. The beer's aroma is sort of musty-smelling, but in a good way if you can imagine that.

    Galaxy Hero is on the light side of medium bodied, with a medium level of carbonation. The brew finishes quite wet, leaving your mouth feeling somewhat oily and sticky. The beer has an alcohol content of 7% ABV.

    Galaxy Hero's flavor is extremely grapefruit-forward. There is both the citrusy tartness of grapefruit as well as a strong grapefruit peel bitterness to the beer. The pine, tangerine/orange, and tropical fruit notes from the beer's aroma are also present in it's flavor - though they are more subdued than I would have expected from their smell. The IPA's galaxy hops definitely lend a sort of musky, grassy, earthiness to the beer's flavor. There is only a small bit of pale, cracker-like malt sweetness to the beer. I feel like there is room for a bit more malt flavor to come through and knock back some of the beer's bitterness here.

    Galaxy Hero was the first of Revolution's "Hero" series that I ever had. I remember being really excited about the brewery showing off different hops against a similar malt profile. Revolution continues to create new Heroes for us to enjoy, and I am still excited to try each new one! Galaxy Hero is quite good, but I feel as though it could be balanced just slightly better. I was really kind of surprised at how much grapefruity bitterness was present in the beer. Overall, though, Galaxy Hero really showcases the musky, tropical, citrus, and earthy flavors that galaxy hops bring to the table in a delicious way!

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Dead Inside - Pipeworks Brewing Co. and Angry Chair Brewing

    Dead Inside is an IPA created collaboratively by Pipeworks Brewing Co. in Chicago, Illinois and Angry Chair Brewing in Tampa, Florida. The beer is brewed with experimental "Idaho 7" hops, for a unique flavor profile.

    Dead Inside pours a hazy, golden orange with around an inch and a half of off-white head with great retention.

    There is a lot going on in this beer's aroma! The sweet scents of apricot, papaya, citrus and other tropical fruits are extremely strong and very enticing. A very slight piney, resinous scent compliments the fruit smells nicely. The smell alone of the beer has my mouth watering.

     Pipeworks' and Angry Chair's collab brew is full bodied with a mid-level of carbonation. The beer feels creamy and slightly oily in a pleasant way as the flavors stick to your tongue. The IPA has an alcohol content of 8.5% ABV.

I'm dying to get into that party!

     Dead Inside's flavor is nothing of the sort. Luscious stone and tropical fruit flavors burst from the beer with each sip. There's a very subtle hint of pine resin in the flavor as well, and it works just as well with the fruit flavors as it did in the beer's aroma. Hoppy bitterness is balanced very well by malt and fruity sweetness. I'm blown away by the balance that has been struck between these two opposing flavors.

    I have to say, this label leaves me with so many questions. Is this goat-man feeling beaten down and hopeless in a fit of nihilism? Is this satyr a graduate student? Does he literally have dead things inside him? If so, did he eat that entire skeleton, or how did it come to be in there? Was the skeleton animated when he ate it? Wouldn't this beer be better named "Undead Inside" if that were the case? Will drinking this beer turn me into a goat-man? Why does he have shoulder pad-like hair and no other upper-torso hair? At some point I had to just shut up and drink the beer!

    Dead Inside was an extremely tasty surprise. It's rare for me to find and IPA that surprises me lately, but Pipeworks and Angry Chair pulled it off! Massive fruit flavors, an amazing bitter/sweet balance, and managing to keep some of the classic piney flavors of an IPA coming through all make this one of the more memorable IPAs I've had recently. I've never had any of Angry Chair's beers before, but after drinking this collaboration, I'm definitely going to seek them out!

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DOA IPA - Cervecera Mexicana S.A. De C.V.

    DOA IPA is an India Pale Ale brewed by Cervecera Mexicana S.A. De C.V. located in Pénjamo, Mexico. This beer's vibrant colors and Día de los Muertos themed label attracted my eye as soon as I arrived in the beer aisle. The only other beers I've had from Mexico don't exactly fall under the "craft beer" label, so I was excited to give this one a try.

    DOA is a clear, amber color with tons of carbonation bubbles rushing to the beer's surface. A half-finger, off-white head forms at pouring and remains for an amazingly long time. The head leaves a thick layer of foam on the glass as the beer is enjoyed.

    The beer smells of sweet caramel malts behind a mix of hops scents such as orange peel, pine, and a tiny bit of a smell that reminds me of kitchen cleaner. I'm surprised at the lack of hops strength in the smell as this is an IPA.

    DOA IPA is medium bodied with a medium-high level of carbonation. The beer has a slight syrupy feel to it. DOA has an alcohol content of 6.8% ABV.

Poor guy's waitress took forever!

    The IPA is surprisingly sweet. Bready malts and what I swear is agave nectar make up the sweet background for the hops. For an IPA, DOA is not very hoppy. Citrus and pine flavors are definitely there, but not as pronounced as you might expect. The almost honey-like sweetness of the beer takes away from any hop bitterness that might have been present otherwise.

    I'm excited to see that there is a craft beer movement in Mexico. I can't wait to see what new plays on old styles, and even new styles, are created by Mexican brewers! I can see a lot of promise in beers created with traditional Mexican flavors and look forward to trying as many as I can find! On a similarly related note, have you ever noticed that all Mexican breweries have extremely long names, even with the abbreviations in them?

    DOA IPA is a relatively average India Pale Ale with an apparently dead-on-arrival hops bouquet. I have to say that I am intrigued by the almost tequila-like flavor in the beer, which I suspect is from agave nectar. I would definitely like to see more ales like this one become available in the USA!

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Finestkind IPA - Smuttynose Brewing Company

    Finestkind IPA is an India Pale Ale brewed by the Smuttynose Brewing Company in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. I was first confused as to where exactly the word "smuttynose" came from, but after a small bit of research, I found that it's an area in New Hampshire that a large number of harbor seals call home. Smuttynose Brewing states that their Finestkind IPA is a tribute to hop-heads and the American growers of hops alike.

    Finestkind IPA pours a hazy, light orange with a huge two-finger head with amazing retention. The foam leaves more of a blanketing on the glass than a light lacing. There is a good amount of lees (sediment) floating around in the unfiltered beer.

    The India Pale Ale is lightly scented with citrus hops. The main aroma present, however, is light pale malt with its biscuity/bready scents.

    Finestkind has a very nice mouthfeel. A medium body and moderate carbonation level combine to create a thick, creamy sensation. There is a small bit of hops astringency to the brew. The IPA has an alcohol content of 6.9% ABV.

Looks like it gets his seal of approval!

    Smuttynose's IPA isn't overloaded with hops varieties and flavors. Instead, Finestkind focuses on one or two hops flavors and balances them incredibly well with each other and the malt characteristics in the ale. Light, flowery, and fruity hops flavors are presented up front. Next, the resiny, more bitter hops flavors briefly show up before being mellowed by the pale malt's sweetness. There is enough of a slight bitter aftertaste to keep you wanting more.

    Finestkind is a great example of a success in focusing on one simple thing, and doing it well. Smuttynose could have added five different hops varieties, only to have balance go out the window. Instead, they created an IPA that is incredibly enjoyable and simple. This is definitely not going to blow your mind if you're a hops fan, but it will certainly scratch that itch for a good, hops-driven ale.

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Mound Builder IPA - People's Brewing Company

    Mound Builder IPA is an India Pale Ale brewed by People's Brewing Company in Lafayette, Indiana. The beer is named after a few groups of Native Americans located in the Illinois, Indiana, Ohio area who in Pre-Columbian times would build gigantic mounds of earth for religious and other important purposes.

    The beer pours a clear, dark amber color with a nice two-finger, off-white head. The foam slowly subsides and forms a thin ring around the inside of the glass.

    Mound Builder smells mainly of hops. The expected grapefruit bitter scent as well as a nice, earthy pine resin scent are both highly featured by the beer. There is also a nice caramel-sweet scent backing up the hops.

    People's IPA is medium bodied and features a high level of carbonation. There is a slight slickness to the beer that sticks around after swallowing. There is also a bit of a warming feeling from the beer as you hold it in your mouth. The beer has an alcohol content of 6.5% ABV.

It is said that the great serpent mound will not rest
until it finds a good Midwest IPA.

    Mound Builder IPA hits hard with hoppy bitterness. The caramel sweetness keeps the bitterness at bay for a short time, but it comes back with a vengeance in the form of an extremely acrid aftertaste. This bitterness is so strong that it actually causes your mouth to burn slightly. If People's could have kept the balance found in the first few seconds of Mound Builder's flavor, this would have been a much more enjoyable beer experience.

    People's Brewing Company is located just a few miles from where I live. As such, I have visited the brewery a few times. On one visit to the brewery I noticed that they had Mound Builder IPA on their Nitrogen tap. I had tried Mound Builder from bottles and normal taps a few times and didn't like it much due to its extreme bitterness. I knew I needed to try it on Nitro just to say I had. Honestly, this beer changes completely when it is poured on Nitro. Nitrogen taps are known to reduce bitterness and to pour a smoother, less bubbly beer. Once the extreme bitterness is gone, Mound Builder is much more enjoyable.

    I generally only choose to drink Mound Builder when there aren't other, better, local IPAs wherever I am drinking. When on Nitro however, I can actually recommend that you give the beer a try. Just know that you'll likely only find the Nitro version of the beer within a small radius of Lafayette, Indiana.

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Laughing Panda - Two Brothers Brewing Company

    Laughing Panda is an India Pale Ale brewed with green tea. This "Green Tea IPA" is created by the Two Brothers Brewing Company which is located in Warrenville, Illinois. I have to admit that I'm rather amused by the very anime-esque water drop that just happened to be falling down the panda's head when I took this photo. I guess he's worried that I'm going to drink all of his beer (spoiler alert: I did).

    Laughing Panda pours a hazy yellow-orange. There is a large presence of bubbles which always makes me worry about over-carbonation. A two-finger head tops the beer and slowly dissipates.

    The Green Tea IPA smells strongly of citrus hops and pine. There is only the slightest bit of malt sweetness to the scent, though other fruity, sweet scents of tropical fruit are present. There is a very slight scent, which I assume must be the green tea, that gives the beer an almost herbal smell.

Human tested, Panda approved!

    Laughing Panda is on the lower end of medium bodied. As I suspected, there is a medium-high level of carbonation, though it's not too high. The beer has an alcohol content of 6.25%.

    I was intrigued by the addition of green tea to an IPA, though I was somewhat disappointed to find that there was very little green tea flavor to the IPA. I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised as IPA flavors are extremely bold and green tea has a very subtle flavor. Similarly to the smell, citrus bitterness is the predominant flavor to the ale, with a slight malt sweetness backing it up. The ale has a strange astringency to it which I find unpleasant. I found that Laughing Panda really just tasted like a decent IPA rather than an IPA with other flavors added.

    Laughing Panda comes off as an average IPA with just a couple small differences thanks to the green tea additive. Overall I was mostly disappointed with the Green Tea IPA, as in my head the flavor of green tea would go well with IPA flavors. But then again, in my head Pandas sit around drinking beer and talking about all the stupid humans they saw at the zoo that day...

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Bedlam - Ale Asylum

    Bedlam is a Belgian India Pale Ale brewed by Ale Asylum in Madison, Wisconsin. The inclusion of Belgian yeast with the common IPA ingredients makes for an interesting take on a classic style. Bedlam has the honor of being Ale Asylum's summer seasonal.

    Bedlam pours a hazy copper with a one-finger, off-white head.

    The IPA smells very much like citrus and tropical fruits. Papaya, mango, apricot, and lemon are all present in the beer's aroma. There is also a funky sweetness to the ale's scent which I find enticing. There is a slight bit of the smell of Belgian yeast to the ale, but not as much as I would have expected.

    Bedlam has a medium body with a medium amount of carbonation. The ale has a somewhat high alcohol content at 7.5% ABV. There is no alcohol character to the beer, however.

Looks peaceful enough to me...

    The Belgian IPA first hits your tongue with a citrusy bitterness from the hops, followed by sweet flavors of the malts and tropical fruits. There is also a slight bit of the Belgian yeast's flavor, though it blends extremely well with the other IPA flavors.

     I don't really see why the beer is named Bedlam. While the Belgian flavors definitely change the IPA's character, the mix is actually quite pleasant. Nothing is overpowering in the beer, though the name seems to suggest otherwise. I read on Ale Asylum's website that Bedlam was an experiment by the brewmaster, and that he was only going to make one batch if he found that it wasn't to his liking. I can only assume that the crew over at Ale Asylum were so overjoyed at the beer's great taste that they began to riot and extreme chaos ensued.

    I really feel that Bedlam is a unique ale. The mix of styles works extremely well and makes for a Belgian style that I can really get behind. I suppose that the somewhat fruity character of Belgian yeast should be an obvious partner to the tropical fruit and citrus flavors provided by hops, but I was definitely skeptical at first. The beer also gets points for using the Diablo 2 video game font on the label.

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Blackheart - Three Floyds Brewing Co.

    Blackheart is an English Style India Pale Ale created by Three Floyds which is located in Munster, Indiana. The ale is brewed using all English ingredients, and is aged on toasted oak. The label artwork is a collaboration with the Black Heart Tattoo shop in San Francisco.

    Blackheart pours a slightly hazy golden orange with a thick, off-white head. The foam leaves a thick lacing on the glass as well as creates a thin layer between the ale and the air.

    Pouring the English IPA releases an aroma of sweet orange peel and piney hops. Once in the cup, one can note the sweet, bready notes of the English malts.

    Blackheart has a medium body which is heightened by a moderate level of carbonation. The ale has an extremely nice creaminess to it which makes it go down easy. The dangers of being fooled by the ale's drinkability are forewarned by a nice alcohol warmth. At 8.5% ABV, one wouldn't want to drink too much of this too quickly!

Blackheart and artwork by Tim Lehi of Black Heart Tattoo. For some reason
this is how I imagine Charlie Sheen will die.

    The English IPA's flavor starts out with a nice bouquet of hops flavors, mainly orange and piney resin. These bitter flavors are quickly balanced by sweet malts which bring to mind brown sugar and caramel. Bringing up the rear is the subtle flavor of toasted oak, really making this beer unique and interesting.

    I find the collaboration between Three Floyds and Black Heart Tattoo interesting as alcohol and tattoos have an long history together. In fact, it's become a common joke whenever someone has a new tattoo to ask if the wearer remembers getting it. As I looked around Tim Lehi's website, I noticed that he has done two other labels for Three Floyds beers. I guess I know who to go to if I ever decide to get some ink!

    Blackheart is a very interesting IPA as the English malts make for a much sweeter experience than some. I have to say that the aging on toasted oak is what really makes this beer special. It's so interesting to me how such an subtle, almost imperceptible flavor can make such a huge difference in a beer. Definitely pick up this May release if you spot it on the shelf!

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LowRYEder IPA - SweetWater Brewing Company

    LowRYEder IPA is SweetWater Brewing Company's (Atlanta, Georgia) take on a Rye India Pale Ale. The SweetWater website proclaims that their beer is made with a massive 25% shot of rye malts in addition to the normal malts found in beers.

    The Rye IPA pours a hazy orange color and creates a thin off-white head with low retention, though high lacing.

    The beer smells mainly of citrus hops with other fruits more subtly present. There is an earthy, grassy smell to the beer as well as a slight spice, presumably from the rye.

    LowRyeder is slightly thicker than medium bodied and has a medium level of carbonation. The carbonation seems to quickly fade \to a lower lever, however. At 6.2% ABV, LowRyeder has only the slightest bit of alcohol character, mainly just a slight warmth.

LowRYEder mobile! Is is still illegal if alcohol itself drives?

    SweetWater's Rye IPA is bitter right up front, though it quickly mellows out thanks to sweet caramel malts. The rye flavors come in towards the end with a bit of a peppery spice. Pine and grapefruit flavors from the hops accompany the beer's bitterness, as do slight tropical fruit flavors.

    I've never really understood low riders. To me, they look a bit like someone blew up a child's toy car to full size. I can't image that the vehicles are very practical. I mean, can you drive over railroad tracks, or any bumps at all really, without ripping off your bumper? Regardless, LowRYEder is much less silly of a beer than lowriders are vehicles. I do find myself wishing that SweetWater's Rye IPA had a bit more of a rye flavor, but overall everything is quite balanced. LowRYEder falls on the much sweeter side of American IPAs though, so don't go in expecting a classic IPA.

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Half Cycle IPA - Flat 12 Bierwerks

    Half Cycle IPA is an India Pale Ale created by Flat 12 Bierwerks which is located in Indianapolis, Indiana. I purchased a growler of this beer from Flat 12's taproom on a recent visit to Indianapolis. In addition to making good beer, Flat 12 is also a nice relaxing place to enjoy friends and conversation!

    Half Cycle pours a golden-orange color with a small white head on top. Once the head diminishes, lacing can be seen on the glass where the froth once was.

    The IPA's scent is mainly that of the beer's hops. Citrus and pine scents dominate with an almost earthy note beneath them. There is some sweetness to the scent as well. The beer's smell makes me think of a hayfield just after the rain with its sweet grassyness and earthy undertones.

    Half Cycle is medium bodied with a low level of carbonation. The hops oil in the beer gives it an almost oily mouthfeel.

    Unsurprisingly, Half Cycle IPA hits hard with bitter hops flavors. As in the scent, citrus and pine flavors dominate the beer. While Half Cycle is very bitter, a bit of sweetness in the beer keeps the bitterness from being unpleasant. The ale features lots of great hops flavor, and shows once again that Indiana brewers know how to do hops.

    For some reason, the name Half Cycle makes me think of doing laundry. The way my mind works leads me to wonder if Flat 12 named their beer due to its effectiveness as a laundry detergent. Use "x" name brand detergent, it takes an entire cycle or more to get your clothes clean. Use Flat 12's IPA, your clothes come out as clean as the day you bought them and smelling fresh like lemons and pine after just one half of a cycle. (Amulets and Ale does not recommend using beer as detergent in any situation. Not only would it likely leave your clothes smelling like you rolled around on the floor of a bar, but it is also a horrible waste of good beer.)

    My visit to Flat 12 Bierwerks really impressed me. For a relatively new brewery, Flat 12 really has a nice set-up and some very good beers. Half Cycle IPA is probably my favorite beer that they make, and really is a great India Pale Ale. While the beer definitely sits on the more bitter side of IPAs, it still manages to not be just another novelty "lets see how bitter we can make our beer at the cost of good flavor" IPA, which I feel are becoming far too prevalent in the craft brewing community.

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Big Daddy IPA - Speakeasy Ales & Lagers

    Big Daddy IPA is an India Pale Ale created by Speakeasy Ales & lagers which is located in San Francisco, California. I received this beer as part of my second shipment of my craft beer club.

    Big Daddy pours a bright copper color with a finger of off-white head which sticks around for a while and leaves a small amount of lacing.

    The IPA's aroma is mainly made up of malt sweetness with small bits of citrus and grassy/herbal notes.

    Big Daddy IPA is medium bodied with a mid-level of carbonation. The IPA has a bit of an oily mouthfeel, though it finishes dry.

Big Daddy's gon' kick you and take your money!

    The ale features great hop flavors that can be likened to citrus fruits such as grapefruit and lemon. A nice subtle malt sweetness balances out the ale keeping the bitterness from becoming overpowering. With an alcohol content of 6.5% ABV, Big Daddy actually has a slight warmth to it, though the ale has no harsh alcohol flavor whatsoever.

    To be quite honest, I'm a little bit afraid of this beer's mafia undertones. Even the bottle describes the beer as:

"No lightweight, Big Daddy I.P.A tips the scales with a huge hop flavor and a clean, dry finish that leaves the scene without a trace."

I find myself a bit scared that the beer is going to beat me up and take my stuff. Either that or provide me with a pair of concrete shoes and take me swimming. I'm almost afraid to enjoy the beer, as if that would be entering into a contract with Big Daddy (he made me a beer I couldn't refuse?) that would end in me needing to kill someone for him.

     Scary mafia references aside, Big Daddy IPA is a very well balanced and enjoyable India Pale Ale. I find the citrus and herbal flavors to be quite nice and somewhat reminiscent of tea, strangely enough. I could see drinking a few of these on a hot summer day, mafia or no mafia.

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Mojo IPA - Boulder Beer Company

    Mojo IPA (India Pale Ale) is made by the people at Boulder Beer Company which is located in Boulder, Colorado. This beer was a part of my first shipment from a craft brew club that I was given a membership to as a Christmas gift.

    Mojo IPA pours a bright golden color with just the slightest bit of a foamy layer of head on top.

    The IPA smells somewhat of yeasty bread as well as citrus and piney smelling hops. The scent of the beer is more on the malt/earthy side than the hoppy/fruity side. The beer still smells pleasantly floral.

    Mojo is a somewhat thin-bodied beer with a medium carbonation level that keeps the beer feeling refreshing and creamy on the palette.

mmm IPA goodness

    The beer's flavor includes the expected presence of a lot of hops. A sweet malt backbone really does its job well in balancing out the bitterness of the hops, keeping their flavor enjoyable and not too overpowering. Mojo IPA has a sneaky alcohol content of 7.2% ABV that is not at all perceptible behind the great hops flavor. Some notes of citrus fruit can be tasted as well as a slight piney, resinous flavor which sounds unpleasant, but isn't.

    As usual, I find myself wondering as to the naming of the beer. When thinking of the word mojo, images of someone with a huge personality, or a lot of charisma come to mind. IPAs, as a style of beer, definitely fit the huge personality category when it comes to other styles of beer. I suppose that this is where the name comes from, though I prefer my own explanation, that this is the favorite beer of the cartoon character Mojojojo, even though it kind of dates me as well as hints at the cartoons I used to watch...

    Overall Mojo IPA is a well-balanced India Pale Ale. The lighter body and medium carbonation make for a very easy drinking ale that still offers a large amount of flavor. Mojo doesn't really do anything wrong, but then again, doesn't really stand out from the myriad of other IPA brands. While Mojo falls short of being a great IPA, it is still quite a good, refreshing beer.

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