Cocoa Beach - 888 India Pale Ale

Dead Men Don't Tell No Tales

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
888 India Pale Ale
Cocoa Beach Brewing Company
150 N. Atlantic Avenue
Cocoa Beach, FL USA
Est. 20??


www.cocoabeachbrewingcompany.com


Brain Damage Quotient = 8.0 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 22.0


Postmortem Brew Review
Translucent yet clear amber color.
Muted citrus hops and just a hint of sweet malt.
Off-white head. Spotted and stringed lacing. Covers to a cap.
Minimal amount of carbonation.
Hops heat comes on with each and every sip.
Malt sweetness is muted but does a good job of balancing the whole mix.
Medium body, medium mouth feel. Great hops stickiness in finish.


Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Today, September 19th, is National Talk Like A Pirate Day. Lookin' around the mortuary fridge for a beer to review, I was becomin' dismayed at the prospect of reviewin' somethin' with an "Arrrgh" (the letter R) in it. This just won't do. After all, I am the poster child for every Jolly Roger ever flown. That would be a cop out of magnanimous proportions! Besides that matey, what would Cap'n Slappy and Ol' Chumbucket think?


I took out me spyglass and spotted the booty in the back of the cold chest...888 India Pale Ale from Cocoa Beach Brewing! Bloody good luck, then. We were in business for a dead reckoning with this treasure of an ale. I plucked it out with me bony paw, arrrgh, and brought it out for a closer examination. Cool lookin' pirate flag sportin' the triple eight skulls? Check! A pirate chest on the sand filled with said pieces of eight? Check! Arrrrrrgh, this was gunna be an easy plunder. All the makin's of Davy Jones secret treasure, right there in me hand! Though it rivals its Pacific coast IPA brethren, it's an Atlantic coast IPA treasure, make no bones about that.


Ye should get yerself some of this grog, mateys. It's me favorite imbibement from all their treasures. Worth crossing the equator and prime meridian for, in search of it's holy nectar. At 8.0% ABV, this concoction will keep the saltiest of dogs satisfied and their scurvy at bay. Pieces of eight, harrrrgh! Fifteen men on a dead man's chest, yo ho ho and a bottle of.......keep yer' rum.


I'll take my share in trade of this stuff, ya' best be belivin' it!

Nimbus - Red Ale

Dead Monkey

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Red Ale

Nimbus Brewing Company LLC

3850 E. 44th

Tucson, AZ USA

Est. 1996

www.nimbusbeer.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.0 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 12.0

Postmortem Brew Review

Clear, copper color.

Great malts aromas and splashes of floral hops are present in the nose.

Two finger firm crisp white head that leaves great spiderweb lacing.
Tastes lightly sweet from the addition of four kinds of malts.

Just the right amount of carbonation.

Balanced malt and hops flavor, light bodied. Slightly watery.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
There's that monkey again. This time e's running around with a pitcher and mug of frothy beer in his hand. He's dressed in what appears to be Roman gladiator garb, right down to the calf laced sandals. Hmmm...not sure I get the connection, but there's probably a good inside joke going on over at Nimbus.

As for the ale, it's plenty fine. There is a dry aromatic hops finish that is pleasant, not bitter in the least. My only slight is that for all the flavors and aromas in this beer, it was just a touch on the watery side. It could have used a bit more mouth feel. But is did not diminish the wonderful flavors that were present from the complex bill of malt and hops.

Hope that monkey doesn't run with scissors in his hand.

Mendocino - Black Hawk Stout

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Black Hawk Stout

Mendocino Brewing Company

1601 Airport Road

Ukiah, CA USA

Est. 1983

www.mendobrew.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.2 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 12.0

Postmortem Brew Review

Deep, near black color with ruby highlights when held up to light.

Roasted malts and chocolate notes shine through.

Caramel colored, creamy, two finger head that covers nearly to the end of the glass.

Moderate carbonation.

Nice amount of stringy lacing on glass.

Clean taste has chocolate and roast malt with hints of roasted nuttines.

Medium bodied with a clean and dry finish. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy 

Let's get the pun out of the way. Black Hawk Down! Yeah, it went down alright from creamy head start to clean dry finish. The light complexity of roasted malt and chocolate notes, along with the nuttiness made for a very pleasant brew. This is an unusually crisp Stout.

An easy quaff at 5.2%ABV, so if you're a Stout lover, this is certainly for you. Once this bird is on your arm, you'll want to remember to remove the hood before drinking.

Alaskan - Amber

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Alaskan Amber
Alaskan Brewing Company

Juneau, AK USA

Est.1985

www.alaskanbeer.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.3 % ABV

Fluid Oz. = 12.0

Postmortem Brew Review

Copper/brown in color.

Bready, earthy and slight spice nose. Subdued malts and brown sugar come through along with some noble hop aromas.

One finger, biege/tan colored head that leaves spotty lacing.

Taste biscuit and caramel malt with bitter nuttiness and spiced component. A bit of brown sugary sweetness in the malt evens it all out..
Medium carbonation.

Light to medium bodied. Drinks smooth; finishes clean, dry and bitter.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy

Altbier by definition falls into two categories. Dusseldorf and Northern German. Alaskan Amber is the latter, and as a Northern German Altbier goes, it matches the criteria very well. This is NOT an amber ale/red ale, so do not confuse it for that while drinking. Altbier has a very unique set of qualities all its own.


I found this to be as interesting as their White Ale. They both stick to their styles more closely than others. This certainly sets Alaskan apart from many other brewers, as it seems there is a strong adherence to the style code. As a beer drinker, I appreciate that, because it wakes up my taste buds and I do take notice.


A nice, stoic little drinker, just like the hard working fishing boat on the label.

Southampton Publick House - Biere de Mars

Dead Soldier 

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Biere de Mars
Southampton Publick House
40 Bowden Square
Southampton, NY USA
Est. 1996
www.southamptonbrewery.com 

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.5% ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Hazy orange/golden color.
Smells caramel and a bit nutty with faint hop notes and a hint of wheat.
Off-white two fingered head, covers to wisp.
Some lacing down the side of the glass.
Tastes of caramel malt with dried apple and grape with sour citrus component.
Medium carbonation.
Light bodied mouth feel and enjoyable to drink.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Is this beer from outer space? It has "Mars" on the front! No, it's not. That is the Latin word for the month of March, when it was traditionally brewed.

Biere de Mars is a French Farmhouse style ale that is fermented cool, like a lager beer. It also contains both wheat and barley. An interesting ale that will refresh the palate. Equally interesting to note is that The Publick House has been opened since the 1800's. Located in eastern Long Island, New York, it has seen it's share of historic notables between then and now. No slouch of a brewery either; Southampton has won several awards in the beer industry, including The Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup.

Cisco Brewers - Whale's Tale Pale Ale

Dead Soldier 

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Whale's Tale Pale Ale
Cisco Brewers 
5 Bartlett Farm Road
Nantucket, MA USA
Est. 1992
www.ciscobrewers.com 

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.6 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Hazy amber to copper color.
Smells biscuit malt, slight sweetness and a scosh of hops.
White two fingered head, covers quickly to wisp.
Fair amount of lacing down the side of the glass.
Malt forward body with a nice grippy finish of hops.
Medium carbonation.
Light to medium bodied. Super enjoyable to drink.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
American brewed, but and English Pale Ale. And a classy one to boot. The fresh tasting English malts combine nicely with the domestic American malts. A good dash of Kent Golding hops and viola'! Nice working pale ale.

I've had their Blonde Ale, which was brought back from a trip up north, closer to where it is brewed. The best part for me is that Cisco now makes it's way into my state. Now I don't have to search for it any longer. The name makes a double pronged statement. On the one hand, Nantucket was once the whaling capital of the world. On the other hand, "Whale's Tales The Prince of Wales" is an age old drinking game. Yours truly just happens to know all the sorted rules, having played it fairly extensively during ditch digging school. Back in the day. Check it out on their website and you'll see.

Whale's Tales The Prince of Wales, in a stationary court of two, calls on YOU!

Bridgeport - Hop Czar Imperial India Pale Ale

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer 
Hop Czar Imperial India Pale Ale
Bridgeport Brewing Company
1318 N.W. Northrup 
Portland, OR USA
Est. 1984
www.bridgeportbrew.com


Brain Damage Quotient = 7.5 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 


Postmortem Brew Review
Deep orange color with a hazy body.
Big smell of citrus, mostly grapefruit but a pinch of pine hops.
Near white color, one-half finger head.
Good amount of sticky, draped lacing on glass.
The taste switches up from the aromas, where piney hops flavor dominates the citrus hops.
A little bit low on the carbonation.
Light to medium bodied.


Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Several things appealed to me about this IPA. First was the company name, as it reminds me of home. Not Portland OR, but my hometown is named Bridgeport.


The Hop Czar himself, tweeted to many of the bloggers that attended the 2011 Beer Bloggers Conference, held in Portland, OR. He was willing to pick up bloggers as they arrived at the airport, in full regalia - wearing the crown and hounds-tooth cape! Ha-ha! That is going the extra mile to impress. Alas, my flight arrived a bit too late for the royal reception.


Hop Czar is an Imperial, as the name would suggest. So what better to show on the label than an emperor, king or in this case, a czar. Is this the strongest Imperial as I have ever tasted? Well, no. But, moving up the chain of command, it leaves some room for "Hops Emperor" or "Hops King".


If you are fond of hops, it's a great beer. Give it a try.