THE BRÜ: August 2014

Another stop on my Summer Tour de Hefe was with the Pinkus Organic Hefe-Weizen. Ooo organic. This beer poured an almost crystal clear gold until I decided to activate the yeast and pour in the rest of the beer. There was a stormy mess of a mixture until it all settled into an opaque straw yellow brew. There was the typical thick head, but on the Pinkus it quickly dissipated and left little lacing. There was faint banana on the nose, but I picked up more of the clove spice typical of the style. The taste was strong on the Hefe spice and begins with a bready wheat that melds into the spice. I did not have much in the way of the signature banana and bubble gum yeast notes that I have come to expect, but more spice and wheat. The opaque appearance and creamy mouthfeel belied its light and refreshing finish. A tasty brew nonetheless and a worthy stop on my Hefe tour. Remember to activate your yeast to get the full Hefe experience. Cheers!

Pinkus Organic Hefe-Weizen

August 19, 2014

The Brü Revü – Lagunitas Little Sumpin’ Extra!

I love all thing Lagunitas and hops as they never let me down. I already loved the Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ and the Extra! is an amped up version of the original with twice the hops, wheat and everything else. Right out of the gate this has to be one of my favorite IPAs and beers in general as the aroma jumps out of the bottle with loads of juicy citrus and tropical fruit hop tones with a bit of apricot. The Extra poured a deep golden with a lush white head. The taste exploded with fresh hops that were straight up citrus and tropical fruit. The more I drank it the more I detected apricot tones as well. It was a huge juicy and fruity hop monster that doesn't wear down your palate with bitterness but more of a sweet and fruity bite that is both well rounded and refreshing. What an exceptional beer and another well done IPA from Lagunitas.

Lagunitas Little Sumpin Extra!

August 12, 2014

The Brü Revü – Odell IPA

Odell Brewing is another in a long line of breweries to make their way to Texas. While they have been here for a few months now, I am finally trying their IPA. I have heard great things about Odell and their IPA and now I can say that the reputation is well deserved. The beer poured a deep gold with a slight haze and a nice white head that left substantial lacing. The aroma was of citrus and tropical fruits with a bit of dank oily hops as well. The taste followed suit with a huge mouth full of citrus and tropical fruit hops that faded into a slight pine bitterness that traced its way into my jaws. It was not overpoweringly bitter but more of a flavorful hop bitterness that was reminiscent of many double IPAs. A very well done single IPA that left my palate coated with a pleasant hoppy bitterness. The Odell IPA was a top tier IPA and a welcome addition to our growing Texas selection. I need to try more of their line-up as this was a well executed beer.

Odell IPA

August 8, 2014

The Brü Revü - Paulaner Hefe-Weizen

My summer of Hefeweizens continues with the Paulaner Hefe-Weizen. It poured a deep hazy golden hue with a full and fluffy head that I have come to expect from my Hefe’s. The aroma held cloves and the signature banana bubblegum notes. The taste followed the nose with more of the signature banana and bubblegum but the taste leaned more to the clove spicy side. The Paulaner Hefe-Weizen had a creamy body and mouthfeel that makes the Hefeweizens an enjoyable beer for me. While the flavor was a bit thinner than some I have had recently it still hit all the right Hefe notes and was a solid representation of the style. Of course it was light and easy to drink which makes it perfect for the summer Texas heat. A worthy stop on my Tour de Hefe and one you should try as well.

Paulaner Hefe-Weizen

August 5, 2014

The Brü Revü - Hops and Grain Greenhouse IPA, July

July’s IPA inspiration comes from the refreshing flavors of the orange. According to the Greenhouse IPA site, Hops & Grain used a blend of 33% Meridian, 33% Cascade, and 33% Centennial hops from a single hop farm in Oregon to bring us back to the days of Orange Julius and Dreamsicles. As usual the beer pours and looks almost identical each month with a deep golden amber and fluffy white head. The aroma was not an overwhelming hop explosion but more of a sweet citrus with a definite orange influence. Bitter citrus hops abound in the taste with a strong orange citrus profile that completely hit the orange theme that Hops and Grain intended. It was like a grown up orange juice IPA that popped with freshness and juiciness on the palate. As always the Greenhouse IPA was very tasty, refreshing and easy to drink and the bitter orange juice beer quickly disappeared from my glass. H&G raised the bar once more with this release and while they continue to do so I will continue to seek this Greenhouse IPA every month. Great job again!

Hops and Grain Greenhouse IPA