BREW FREE! OR DIE IPA
March 1, 2010 by justin · Leave a Comment
So, when a beer lover goes out of town what do they do? Look for different beers of course.
In my adventures to Amherst yesterday I had the foresight to do 2 things.
- Leave enough time to buy frozen goods at Trader Joes
- Leave enough time to find 2 new beers to bring home.
The beers came from Whole Paycheck (a.k.a. Whole Foods) in Hadley, MA. I procured two beers I have been hearing a lot about and was eager to try. Both from 21st Amendment Brewery in San Fransisco, CA.
FYI… Section 1. The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed.
BREW FREE! OR DIE IPA is a name you would most likely expect from New Hampshire where their official state moto is “Live Free or Die“. But this beer is brewed right in beatnik land.
I love that on 21st Amendment Brewery’s website they tell me what malts, hops and yeast they use. Some I could guess, cascade hops are clear, some I could not. Thanks for the Beerducation 21st Amendment Brewery!
As you can probably see in the image, this is a beautiful IPA. A nice golden colour and a solid fluffy head that slowly dissipated and left beautiful lacing. When you crack the can open you are blown away by the hop aroma that escapes the can. I wondered, “how did all of the aroma fit in such a little unassuming can?” There is also a slight breadyness in the aroma, much more pronounced in the flavour though.
One sip and I’m a fan. It is not as perfect as the Green Flash West Coast IPA I drank last night though. This IPA is a bit harsher and not as complex. This is a good, big beer. The flavour is very grassy and reminds me of a dew filled morning in the Pacific North West. Hint of grapefruit, especially in the aftertaste.
Overall: enjoyable but not the best IPA Ive had,
BTW… The really cool shaker pint glass is from my favorite place to seriously waste money, ThinkGeek. Tell the monkey’s that Beer Geek Dude sent you!
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