Phantom Call by Strike Brewing Company

Hello and happy NFC and AFC Championship Games Day! Jack from The Intoxicated Review writing in on game day to take a break from football and talk about some beer! Today’s brew comes from Strike Brewing Company in San Jose, California. I chose Phantom Call, which is a hazy DIPA with milk sugar. I have had this one before and I think you’re gonna like it, so here’s my review.

BREWERY:

Strike Brewing Company

APV:

8.3%

THE SHEET:

Hops: Zappa

THE POUR:

Well…as the beer’s name states…it’s hazy in appearance and completely opaque. The beer is a darker golden color and has a head that forms at one inch.

THE AROMA:

There is kind of a lot going on with this beer, so bare with me. Hop-forward for sure. There is a mild hop aroma that shows up first, followed up by a plethora of other aromas. I can smell vanilla, passion fruit and another fruit that I can’t identify.

THE FLAVOR:

Right away there is a super mild bitterness, which is quickly swept away by the sweet and creamy flavors of the milk sugar. Right after that is the mixture of vanilla and passion fruit. On the back end the beer has a crisp, yet smooth finish with a lingering mango flavor (the other fruit smell I couldn’t place).

THE BODY:

I find that the milk sugar makes this beer very drinkable. I rate the body of this beer at medium.

OVERALL:

Friends, this is a very tasty beer! I found it to be easy to drink with tons of new flavor profiles. That Zappa hops is really something! I highly recommend this beer!

Well friends, I gotta run, but thank you very much for reading today and everyday! See you on the next one.

Jack

Ghost Hammer IPA by Stone Brewing

Hello everyone and welcome back to The Intoxicated Review! Jack writing in today to welcome you to the weekend by talking about a great beer from Stone Brewing out of Escondido, California. Today’s beer is named for the mischievous poltergeist companion of the overnight crew in the brewery…Ghost Hammer IPA. This is a very tasty beer that I have been able to taste in the past and can’t wait to tell you all about it. Here’s the review.

BREWERY:

Stone Brewing

APV:

6.7%

THE SHEET:

Hops: Loral

THE POUR:

Ghost Hammer IPA is an unfiltered IPA which makes the beer mostly opaque, but you can still kind of see through it. The beer has a dark golden color and a quite healthy head that forms at almost three inches. It will settle down to around one eighth of an inch.

THE AROMA:

This beer has a particularly floral aroma which hides a mild hoppy aroma. This beer smells amazing!

THE FLAVOR:

Ghost Hammer has a mild hoppy flavor and a moderate bitterness to it. Up front I can taste a strong floral flavor, which I think mixes quite well with the hoppiness and the bitterness. On the back end there is a crisp finish with lingering floral notes.

THE BODY:

I found this beer to be quite easy to drink despite the bitterness. I, therefore, rate the body at medium.

OVERALL:

Friends, I am a big fan of this beer! I truely enjoyed the hoppy flavor, but the floral notes are off the hook! I highly recommend this beer, but you better hurry out and get it as this is a seasonal beer.

Thank you very much for reading today and everyday! I’ll be back again soon!

Jack

Strike Brewing Company Hazy New Year Hazy IPA

Hello readersreaders and welcome back to The Intoxicated Review! Jack writing in today to talk about some local San Jose beer. Today’s beer comes from Strike Brewing Company and is called Hazy New Year. Hazy New Year is a quite Hazy IPA, which I will talk about later. My brother brought me a sample of this beer while he was at the brewery and he says this is a good one. I’ve never had it, but let’s give it a try.

BREWERY:

Strike Brewing Company

APV:

7%

THE POUR:

Hazy New Year has a darker golden color, actually it is almost orange. This beer also has a quite healthy head that forms at an inch and five eighths…crazy.

THE AROMA:

Right away when I take a whiff, I can smell hops, citrus, and some other fruity smells. It smells delicious and I can’t wait to taste it.

THE FLAVOR:

To start off, this beer is quite smooth and has a mild bitterness to it. Up front there is a mild hop flavor. I can also taste citrus notes, some kind of berry flavor and some melon notes. All of these flavors mix together quite well for a tasty full-flavor. On the back end there is a smooth and slightly crispy finish with a lingering citrus and melon flavor.

THE BODY:

This is a hazy brew, but I found it pretty easy to drink. I rate the body at medium.

OVERALL:

Friends, this is a very tasty brew! I highly recommend this beer! I liked the flavor combinations the best. This is a limited release, so hurry out and get a sample.

Thank you very much for reading today and I’ll see you again soon!

Jack

La Quinta Brewing Company Koffi Porter Bourbon Barrel Aged

Hello everyone and welcome back to The Intoxicated Review! Jack writing in today to help you celebrate the weekend by introducing some great new beer to the blog from La Quinta Brewing Company out of Palm Desert, California. Today’s beer focuses on their Koffi Porter, but this one is aged in bourbon barrels. Apparently there is a version of this beer that is not aged in bourbon barrels, but I have not tasted it. I can’t wait to taste this one, so here is the review.

BREWERY:

La Quinta Brewing Company

APV:

8.5%

THE POUR:

Koffi Porter has a black color to it with a tan colored head that forms at one quarter inch.

THE AROMA:

Right away I can smell the bourbon. Behind the bourbon smells are notes of chocolate and coffee. The beer has a real sweet smell to it as well.

THE FLAVOR:

This beer has a sweet flavor up front, which mixes quite well with the bourbon notes. Behind the bourbon, like the aroma, are delicious chocolate and coffee notes. On the back end there is a lingering bourbon and chocolate flavor.

THE BODY:

I rate the body of this beer at medium heavy. It was pretty easy to drink given the body.

OVERALL:

Friends, this was a pretty tasty beer. It had tons of flavor and was quite easy to drink. I do recommend this beer, however, it was not one of my favorites. Sorry La Quinta, but I found your beer to be too sweet…not at all what I was expecting from a porter.

Well friends, that’s all the time I have for today. Thank you very much for reading today and I’ll see you again soon!

Jack

Dreaming Dog Brewery Scottish Deerhound Wee Heavy Scotch Ale

Welcome back to The Intoxicated Review! Jack writing today to tell you all about another fantastic beer from Dreaming Dog Brewery out of Elk Grove, California. Today’s review will focus on their Scottish Deerhound Wee Heavy Scotch Ale. I got to sample this beer two days ago, thanks to my mother-in-law, who brought me a sample all the way from Elk Grove. This is an amazing full-flavored beer that I can’t wait to share with you. Here’s the review.

BREWERY:

Dreaming Dog Brewery

APV:

8.9%

THE POUR:

This beer has a dark amber color and is mostly transparent. The head forms at three sixteenths of an inch before it quickly disappears entirely.

THE AROMA:

This beer has a sweet bourbony aroma to it. I can smell caramel and some spices as well. This beer definitely has a wee heavy aroma to it.

THE FLAVOR:

Yup. Definitely a wee heavy. This beer is a full-flavored delight! Up front I can taste the spices as well the sweet flavor. Right after all of that I can taste some boozy notes…kind of bourbony. The beer has a smooth finish with a lingering sweet flavor.

THE BODY:

This is definitely a full-bodied beer. I did, however, find the beer easy to drink. I rate the body of this beer at medium heavy.

OVERALL:

Friends, this is a delicious beer! I highly recommend this beer! I found out that this is not the first time this been has been brewed, but it has come back due to popular demand. Guess you all better get yourself a sample!

Well, that’s all the time I have for today. I have to get back to the Jeopardy! Greatest of all time tournament. Thank you for reading today and I’ll see you again soon!

Jack

La Quinta Brewing Company Even Par IPA

Hello and welcome back everyone! Jack from The Intoxicated Review writing today about another tasty beer from Southern California’s La Quinta Brewing Company. Today’s beer is their Even Par IPA or “Aiming Fluid”. This beer is made with the three most sought after hops in brewing…Simcoe, Citra, and Mosaic. I got a chance to taste this beer when my mom brought it back from her trip to Southern California. The brewers call this beer “Aiming Fluid.” They go on to say that it “May not help you shoot even par, [but] it make you feel like you did”. Here’s the review.

BREWERY:

La Quinta Brewing Company

APV:

7.2%

THE SHEET:

Hops: Mosaic, Citra, and Simcoe.

THE POUR:

Even Par has a dark golden color and a quite healthy head that forms at one inch. It will settle down to a wispy sixteenth of an inch.

THE AROMA:

This beer has a moderate hoppy aroma. I can also smell citrus notes, which blend quite well with the hoppy aroma. This is also a pretty floral beer.

THE FLAVOR:

This is a very tasty beer! It has a mild to moderate bitterness, which goes well with its hoppy flavor. Towards the middle there is a floral and citrus flavor that arrives. The back end has a crisp finish with a lingering citrus flavor.

THE BODY:

I was surprised by the feel of this beer. It looks like any other IPA, but it has a like bit more character. I rate the body of this beer at medium to medium heavy.

OVERALL:

Friends, this is a very unique beer! I am a big fan and I highly recommend it. I’ll have to find some more for my next golf game 🙂

Thank you very much for reading today and I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Jack

Dreaming Dog Brewery Scottish Sheltie Oat Stout

Hello everyone and welcome back to The Intoxicated Review! Jack writing in today about some brand new beer from Dreaming Dog Brewery out of Elk Grove, California. Today’s beer is their brand new Scottish Sheltie Oat Stout. I sampled this beer last night thanks to my mother-in-law who was in town from Elk Grove. She picked up a sample for me on her way down. This is an amazing beer and I can’t wait to talk to you about it. Here’s my review.

BREWERY:

Dreaming Dog Brewery

APV:

5.4%

THE POUR:

This beer has a jet black color with a tan head that forms at one quarter of an inch. The head doesn’t hang around long though. It settles down to all but a few wisps.

THE AROMA:

Right away I can smell the chocolate notes. Along with the chocolate is an amazingly delicious smelling roasted malt aroma. This beer smells like it’s right up my alley.

THE FLAVOR:

This is a delicious and easy to drink beer. Up front I immediately taste the toasted malt. Right after that I can taste the chocolate. The beer has a smooth finish with a lingering chocolate flavor.

THE BODY:

Being a stout I expected a heavy body. But with the ease of consumption of this beer and its smooth feel…I rate the body of this beer at medium heavy, but leaning more towards the middle of medium heavy to heavy. Sounds confusing, but if you taste the beer you’ll understand.

OVERALL:

Friends, this is a delicious beer! I absolutely love it! Tons of flavor, easy to drink, and it’s a stout. I love a good stout! Too bad it’s all the way up in Elk Grove. Guess I’ll have to stop by on my next visit to that area. David and Elizabeth, thank you for making such a tasty beer and I’ll see you soon!

Jack

La Quinta Brewing Company Poolside Blonde

Hello and Happy New Year everyone! I hope everyone had a safe and fun end of their 2019 and start to their 2020. Jack writing in today to tell you all about a new brewery to start off the year. Today’s brewery is La Quinta Brewing Company and the beer is their Poolside Blonde. I got to sample this beer a short time ago and found it to be quite tasty. That being said…here’s my review.

BREWERY:

La Quinta Brewing Company

APV:

4.8%

THE SHEET:

Hops: Warrior.

THE POUR:

Poolside Blonde has a gorgeous light golden color. The beer has a healthy head that forms around one inch. The beer is also almost completely transparent.

THE AROMA:

I found this beer to have a light, sweet, yet malty aroma to it. I can detect subtle notes of the Pilsner malts, which give the beer some fruit notes.

THE FLAVOR:

This beer has a light and easy to drink feel to it. Up front there is a malty, kind of fruity flavor. The malts give the beer a sort of crisp feel as well. On the back end there is a very clean and refreshing finish.

THE BODY:

Given the light and ease of consumption, I would rate the body of this beer at light.

OVERALL:

Friends, this is a very tasty, but pleasantly light brew. Perfect for the day after New Years. I found the beer to be quite refreshing as well, so this could easily be one of those drink it everyday beers as well as a great after work beer! I highly recommend it!

That’s all the beer time I have for today, but don’t fret I’ll be back again soon! Thank you for reading!

Jack

Altamont Beer Works Mmmmm…Pastry Stout

Hello friends! Jack from The Intoxicated Review writing today to say Happy Holidays! I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season as we gear up for an upcoming new year. I have a new beer from Altamont Beer Works out of Livermore, California that I would like to tell you about. Today’s beer is called Mmmmm…Pastry Stout and is an American Imperial Stout. This beer was boiled for two hours with marshmallows and lactose. I imagine this will be a sweet tasting beer. Here’s my review.

BREWERY:

Altamont Beer Works

APV:

12%

THE POUR:

This beer has a super dark brown color to it. The head, which forms at one half of an inch, has a dark brown (lighter brown than the beer) color.

THE AROMA:

This beer has quite the sweet smell. Right away I can smell chocolate and vanilla. Hidden away in there I can also smell cake.

THE FLAVOR:

Ok…wow! This is really a sweet beer. But honestly, I can’t say that I’m surprised with all those aromas and the two hour boiling time with marshmallows and lactose. Up front, I can taste the vanilla and chocolate. The beer has a creamy feel about it as well. Towards the back end is where the cake flavor arrives. The beer has a smooth and creamy finish with a lingering sweet chocolate flavor.

THE BODY:

This beer has a rather robust feel to it. I rate the body of this beer at heavy. I’d say it is one and done for me on this one.

OVERALL:

Friends, Altamont has done it again! This is a deliciously sweet stout. Definitely could help you with that holiday sweet tooth. I am a big fan of this beer and I highly recommend it. It is a bit on the heavy side though, so be prepared for that.

Well, friends it’s that time. Thank you as always for reading and I’ll see you in the new year!

Jack

Babe’s Brewery Belgian-Style Vanilla Blonde

Hello everybody! Jack from The Intoxicated Review writing today about another brew from the brewers at Babe’s Brewery from Rancho Mirage, California. Today’s review will introduce their Belgian-Style Vanilla Blonde. This is another beer that my mom brought for me to sample on her last trip to Southern California. The last beer I had from this place was pretty tasty. Hope this one is too. Here’s my review.

BREWERY:

Babe’s Brewery

APV:

7.5%

THE SHEET:

Hops: Williamette and German Tettnanger

THE POUR:

This vanilla blonde has an almost amber color to it. Very little head appears in this beer. I’d say probably one sixteenth of an inch before it quickly disappeared.

THE AROMA:

Right away I cam smell the vanilla notes. I can also smell some spices as well as what smells like raisins. Very intriguing aromas.

THE FLAVOR:

Well this beer has a uniquely delicious flavor. Right away I can taste the vanilla and spices. Moving towards the back end I can taste the raisins. The beer itself has a smooth and creamy finish to it.

THE BODY:

I rate the body of this beer at medium heavy. Despite the heavier feel, this beer is pretty easy to drink.

OVERALL:

Friends, this is an amazing beer and I highly recommend it! It has tons of flavor and is just plain fun to drink.

Well friends, that’s all for today, but I’ll see you again soon!

Jack