Find True Hoppiness

Beer: Hop Ranch

Brewer: Victory Brewing Company

Style: American Double/Imperial IPA

ABV: 9.00%

Description: Hop Ranch pours a hazy golden straw color with bright white creamy head and decent head retention that doesn’t linger too long, but leaves a thick spotty lacing on the glass. The aroma is a hop explosion with citrus notes being on display through grapefruit, lemon zest, and pineapple dominating with ever-so-subtle hints of a sweet malt backbone wafting through. The taste backs up the nose with the hops displaying a citrus and tropical fruit bomb, being dominated by mango, pineapple, and grapefruit up front before the sweet malt washes over, subduing any harsh hop bite. The medium body and mild carbonation work in perfect tandem to cleanse the palate in between sips. This is certainly a beer with a huge hop presence but very little harsh hop bite that still manages to have a semi-dry finish. Simply a textbook example of a DIPA!

Food pairing: Hop Ranch is a DIPA that can stand up to nearly anything you throw at it. The body and strong hops give it staying power, but this is a beer that pairs very well with a wide array of standard American foods. Try pairing this with a juicy cheeseburger and do not hold back on the toppings one bit; the spicier the better, as the hops will add a layer of subtlety to the topping while the malt bill will seamlessly melt into the meat. Also try pairing with hot wings. Again, the spicier the better, as the beer will both enhance the spice up front but subdue it on the back end with the sweetness from the malt bill. Hop Ranch also pairs well with spicy Mexican, Thai, and Indian dishes and is a great match with your next pizza. This truly is a workhorse beer and can pair extremely well with a huge array of foods, so feel free to experiment with this one!

The Final Word: Victory Brewing Company is no stranger to hoppy beers and has been brewing them even before they were fashionable; see Hop Devil. Victory has hit two homeruns in the DIPA department as of late with DirtWolf and now Hop Ranch. This is a beer that, despite being very heavy-handedly hopped, still maintains a thick juicy quality that makes it fairly approachable for those new to craft beer. The use of the new hop Azacca combined with the growingly popular Mosaic hop have a deliciously juicy and creamy IPA that still maintains perfect balance and a fairly dry finish. This is a DIPA that will quickly move towards the top of your favorite IPA list!

Rating:

Where can I get it? Currently available in 12 oz. bottles at: Armetta’s Pizzeria- Clarks Summit, PA; Exit 190 Beer Deli- Dickson City, PA; Backyard Ale House- Scranton, PA; Dooley’s Pub & Eatery- Old Forge, PA; and Wegmans- Wilkes-Barre, PA.

For more availability check here.

So fresh it’s obscene!

Beer: Fresh Squeezed IPA

Brewer: Deschutes Brewery

Style: American IPA

ABV: 6.40%

Description: Fresh Squeezed IPA pours a deep amber copper with a frothy white head that sticks around for some time and leaves behind a thick web of lacing on the glass. Hops of course dominate the aroma with strong notes of citrus, peach, mango, kiwi, and oranges balanced with delicate notes of sweet malt. The taste is also dominated by hops up front again, dominated by a wide fruit bouquet: pears, kiwis, and citrus fruits are balanced against a wonderfully sweet, almost toffee-like malt bill to provide an absolute perfect balance. The moderate carbonation and mouthfeel provide the perfect vessel for all the delicate flavors within this fantastic beer. While it may tend to be a bit sweeter than most IPAs, the balance is certainly present, and this is a highly drinkable and enjoyable beer from a world-class brewery!

Food Pairing: While the standard pairing of IPAs with spicier dishes still rings true with Fresh Squeezed IPA – Mexican, Indian, or Thai food are all great – the subtleties within this beer give way to some more delicate pairings. The sweetness from the malt is fantastic with pork dishes, such as a pulled pork taco, braised ribs, or savory brisket. The caramelization from the meat and sauce seamlessly melt into the malt, while the hops then truly make their appearance and cleanse the palate, leaving behind the delicious citrus notes. Another great pairing is with a simple mozzarella and prosciutto sandwich topped with tapenade; the wide combination of flavors creates an experience unto itself!

The Final Word: Deschutes Brewery has worked hard to gain the stellar reputation that it now enjoys. It is certainly a brewery that many proclaim “has never made a bad beer,” and with beers like Fresh Squeezed IPA, this statement is certainly true! The unbelievable freshness of the hops balanced against the wonderfully sweet malt bill is an extremely pleasant surprise and is a very easy-drinking beer. The love of IPAs continues to flourish with many drinkers looking for the next great IPA to try, and this is certainly another to add to that list. We are lucky enough to have Deschutes Brewery attending the Beer Geek Festival and even luckier to know that this world-class beer will also be poured. An absolute must-have for IPA fans!

Rating:

Where can I get it? Check for availability through Deschutes website here

Beer Geek Festival!

The Beer Geek Festival is happening!  The information is listed above, as far as breweries, we are bringing the best of the best as this is a PREMIUM beer festival!  Here's a short list of those breweries involved:


Deschutes
Troegs
Brewery Ommegang
Stone Brewing Co.
Dogfish Head
Founders
Chimay
Avery
Vanberg & DeWulf
Orval
Breaker Brewing
3 Guys & a Beer'd
BrewDog
Boulder Beer
Ayinger
Paulaner
Duvel
Harpoon
Unibroue

and so many more!

If you live anywhere near Northeastern PA this is a MUST attend beer festival.

Follow the Beer Geeks Radio website BeerGeeksRadio.com for continual update or on the FaceBook page under Beer Geeks Radio Hour, or on the Twitter @BeerGeeksRadio

Tickets are available at select locations throughout the area or directly at Montage Mountain!

Choklat Rain

Beer: Choklat

Brewer: Southern Tier Brewing Company

Style: American Double/Imperial Stout

ABV: 10.00%

Description: Southern Tier’s Choklat pours the blackest of black with a tan head that does not hang around too long, but leaves a nice lacing on the glass. The aroma can be summarized with one word: chocolate. The taste backs up the nose completely and is dominated by chocolate. There is a perfect balance within the chocolate, though, so that it does not become too bittersweet and instead manages to be extremely smooth and easy-drinking. The body is full, extremely smooth, and also manages to hide the 10 percent ABV. A word of warning: this is definitely a sipper! Southern Tier Choklat is certainly as deep, rich, and decadent as any box of chocolate.

Food pairing: Upon your first whiff of this beer, let alone sip, it is quite obvious that this is one heavy-hitting dessert brew! Choklat is a beer that you really should hang onto until the final course and crack open to share with the heaviest and creamiest of sweets, as it certainly has enough heft to hold up to all of them. If you are looking for a simple yet elegant pairing, try having Choklat with fresh cannolis. The fresher and creamier the better, as the mascarpone cheese adds another layer of flavor and body to the beer while the beer seamlessly blends into the cheese and leaves the palate refreshed and ready for more. Also try pairing this with rich and creamy strawberry shortcake – the heavier the cream the better. However, if you are looking for a straightforward pairing, here’s what to do: get a pint of your favorite organic vanilla bean ice cream and put one scoop into a glass of Choklat. That’s it, and you can thank me later!

The final word: Southern Tier’s Choklat truly is a beer that has something for everyone. It is smooth and heavy enough on the chocolate that even the casual beer drinker could sit and sip this one for hours, but it is also very rich and complex and leaves the craft beer enthusiast satisfied. The incredibly smooth characteristic of this beer is what makes it so highly drinkable, not to mention the over-the-top chocolate goodness! Southern Tier has really carved out a niche for themselves by not only creating imperial versions of many beers but, more importantly, creating imperial versions that are phenomenal. Choklat is a fantastic stout to have on hand this Valentine’s Day, but is also just a great stout to have on hand any time of the year.

Rating:

 
Where can I get it? Currently available in 22 oz. bottles at: J & H Beer- Wilkes-Barre, PA; Backyard Ale House- Scranton, PA; Wegmans- Wilkes-Barre, PA; Exit 190 Beer Deli- Dickson City, PA; and Arena Bar and Grill- Wilkes-Barre, PA. Available on draft at Backyard Ale House- Scranton, PA.

What is a Black IPA?

Style: Black IPA or Cascadian Dark Ale

Brief history: The history is somewhat disputed, but it can be directly tied to legendary and sadly missed brewer Greg Noonan from the Vermont Pub & Brewery. Back in 1994, Greg began brewing a new beer called Blackwatch IPA, though he named the style of the beer Cascadian Dark Ale. The popularity was immense and the beer gained a cult following. In 2006, Stone Brewing Co. head brewer Mitch Steele tried Blackwatch IPA and was blown away, and he openly admits that the beer was the inspiration for Stone’s Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale, the beer that is considered a frontrunner and flagship beer for the style. The biggest dispute with this beer style is the name, with purists calling it Cascadian Dark Ale and many others simply calling it a Black IPA. Regardless of the debate, the style has continued to grow in popularity with many breweries now offering a take on the style.

Standard characteristics: The Black IPA has the appearance of a robust porter in both beer color and tan frothy head, along with a medium-to-full body. The aroma is dominated by hops up front, which can run the gamut of any variety of hop bouquets. The background notes are of roasted malts, giving the beer a smooth characteristic in body and mouthfeel, imparting a creamy hop characteristic on the palate. The key to this style is a perfect balance between malt and hop. The ABV for this style has a huge range, going from five percent to 10 percent ABV. This is a relatively new style and is very open to interpretation and experimentation.

Nose: The aroma is dominated by hops, which can lead to a wide spectrum of detectable aromas. With Black IPAs, brewers tend to lean away from aggressively citrusy hops and opt more for pine, floral, resiny hops, although the style is open to interpretation. The notes of roasted malts, which can emanate aromas of bitter chocolate and dark roasted coffee, act as background notes.

Body: The body is similar to porters, leaning more towards the medium-to-full range with a moderate amount of carbonation, but a wide variation is acceptable. This combination gives the beer a smoother character than traditional IPAs mainly due to the malt choices.

Taste: The taste is where this style truly shines and separates itself from other beers. The hop bite is present throughout and generally hits the palate first. The malt profile soothes the hop bite and cleanses the palate with rich roasted malts, giving subtle hints of coffee and bitter chocolate, both enhancing and subduing the hops. The beer should have a dry finish, as with all IPAs.

Food pairing: The combination of aggressive hops and roasted malts make this the perfect beer to have with all red meats. Try pairing with a porterhouse steak, venison, and elk steaks. The malt profile enhances the mineral quality of the meat and highlights the flavor, while the hops will immediately cut through and leave a pleasant aftertaste on the palate. Some in this style can be paired with desserts, but experiment a bit with this pairing.

Recommendations: Black IPAs are an acquired taste for some, but if you are familiar with and love IPAs and darker beers, than this is a style that must be tried. Some of the best currently available are:

• Black Diamond IPA- Breaker Brewing Company

• Black Racer- Bear Republic

• Back in Black- 21st Amendment

• Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale- Stone Brewing Co.

• DevESTATEtion Black IPA- Sierra Nevada

• Black Hatter- New Holland

• Mountain Standard Double Black IPA- Odell Brewing

• Firestone Walker- Wookey Jack

• Durty- Smuttynose

• New World Porter- Avery Brewing Company

Outta Sight

Beer: Back in Black

Brewer: 21st Amendment Brewery

Style: Black IPA

ABV: 6.80%

Description: 21st Amendment’s Back in Black pours a lovely russet brown/black with a rocky khaki-colored head that sticks around for a long time and leaves a significant amount of lacing on the glass. The aroma is a perfect blend between piney, earthy hops and roasted toffee, caramel, and coffee from the malts, but I do recommend letting it warm up a little bit to truly unleash the aroma. The taste is dominated by roasted malts up front with flavors of toasted caramel, bitter chocolate, and roasted grains quickly followed by piney, earthy, and resiny hops that grab onto to the taste buds with a vengeance before a long, semi-dry finish takes over. The medium body and moderate carbonation give a very smooth impression on the beer and an almost porter-like mouthfeel, but with more carbonation. Back in Black is a great balance between hops and malt with the 6.8 percent ABV being very well hidden.

Food pairing: The semi-aggressive hops and roasted malt profile make this beer a great addition to many dishes to provide an added layer of complexity. However, red meat dishes are perfect with this beer, as the malts will highlight the mineral and iron flavors of the meat, while the hops will cut through and impart an earthy/spicy taste to the dish. Try pairing Back in Black with BBQ ribs; the malts will enhance the caramelization in the meat and sauce while the hops will cleanse the palate nicely in between bites. This is also a great beer to have with your next burger, and any spicy toppings will only enhance the hop bite from it. A great pairing with this beer that will warm you up on these cold winter nights is with a shepherd’s pie; the hops create a wonderful added layer of complexity to this straightforward dish.

The final word: The Black IPA style, or Cascadian Dark Ale as some call it, is relatively new for the general public, as larger craft brewers only started brewing it around 10 years ago, but the style has gained a cult following in that short time frame, and it is starting to creep over into being a more mainstream style. 21st Amendment’s Back in Black is a fantastic Black IPA to try if you are interested in this style of beer. The hops are certainly present, but not overpowering, and the malts are perfectly balanced against the hops for a true showcase of this style. It is also a great style of beer to have in these cold months, and if you are a fan of IPAs, it gives you the best of both worlds: the great dark beer look and taste that many of us crave in the darker months, balanced against a great hop presence for the overall impression of an IPA.

Rating:

 
Where can I get it? Available in 12 oz. cans at the following locations: Exit 190 Beer Deli- Dickson City, PA; Krugel’s Georgetown Deli & Beer- Wilkes-Barre, PA; Backyard Ale House- Scranton, PA; Joe’s Six Packs to Go- Dunmore, PA

Beer Geek Festival

This morning live on the Beer Geeks Radio Hour (heard live every Saturday morning on 102.3 FM and streaming on SportsHub102.com at 10 AM EST) the official announcement was made in regards to the Inaugural Beer Geek Festival happening in the Slocum Hollow Lodge at Montage Mountain in Scranton, PA on April 12, 2014!

This festival is going to be HUGE! In the week since the organization first began a lot of great breweries have already signed on such as:

Stone Brewing Co.

Dogfish Head

Founders

Boulder

Troegs

Unibroue

Brewery Ommegang

Orval

Samuel Smith

Chimay

Deschutes

3 Guys & a Beer'd

Breaker Brewing Company

Susquehanna Brewing Company

Duvel

Along with many more not listed and even more that are still ironing out the details!

Many breweries are also brewing special one off batches that will be available only at the festival!

To follow along with the fest as details get released add the Beer Geeks on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/beergeeksradiohour

Or follow on twitter @BeerGeeksRadio

If you live anywhere near the Scranton, PA area this is a MUST attend beer festival, tell all your family an friends that are craft beer fans neat the area about it! More details to come!!