Old Brown Dog Ale...I say Bad Ass Brown Dog Ale

Smuttynose Brewing Company

Old Brown Dog Ale - 6.5% ABV

I have said it before and I will say it again...nothing like feeling a little "smutty" sometimes and Smuttynose does the trick.  I have had the Robust Porter so why the hell not the Old Brown Dog Ale. 

The color was slightly brownish and it dressed the top of the glass with a small white head.  It quickly dissipated and it left the scent of sweet roasted malts rising from the brew.

Old Brown Dog Ale had a smooth caramelized malt taste which is a classic "American Brown Ale" characteristic. If you are use to an English Brown Ale this beer will be a bit more full bodied with more hops. I know, I am a "Hop Hater" and my hops radar not was screaming back away from the beer!  I even looked up the IBU and it was listed at a mear 15 IBU's.  Now, that's my kind of beer.  Gab on the other hand,  loves to pull hair out of her chest when she tosses back a beer with 80 or more IBU's.  I can not fathom it...it is just wrong.  The ABV is also dead on for a typical Brown Ale, which most fall between 5-6%. Old Brown Dog rings in at a respectable 6.5% which in my book, makes a perfect beer.  Perfect in drinkability and perfect in I am not wasting my time drinking a 4% Nancy beer.

After drinking this fine brown ale I was inspired to take a crack at my own label.

Yeah, that's right...she is all Bad Ass and not afraid to show it!

Cheers!

~K~

Troegs Perpetual IPA - Good Lord (not in a good way)

Troegs Brewing Company

Perpetual IPA - 7.5% ABV

The definition of perpetual is as follows - lasting forever, everlasting, occurring continually.  Troegs named their IPA right then... the hoppy, nasty, and jump out of your skin flavor lasted FOREVER on my tongue!  GOOD LORD it was harsh!  Maybe the hops all over the bottle should have been a warning or when I opened the bottle the citrus smell slapped me right in the face!  Even after that, I still poured it into a glass to give this brew a fighting chance.  Besides my brother (who is a HOP HATER too) gave it to me it could not be that bad, right? 

As you can see the beer is light orange in color, with slight haze as you peer through the glass.  The head lasted for a few minutes and was light in color as well as texture.

Now, the taste.  Wow, how can I put this, and totally get my point across?  It was like gnawing on a pine tree and then sucking on a grapefruit.  I was jumping out of my skin, pacing in the kitchen, and then held out the glass for my husband to try.  I am sure you can imagine the look on his face, complete horror.  He was not quite as dramatic as I was but his taste buds were also assaulted by the

sheer magnitude of the hops!

After the assault I looked on Troegs website to see if the IBU (International Bittering Units) was off the charts, and I was right.  The IBU was listed at 85!!!  Just to put this number into perspective for you, an average beer is at 20-45.  Anything higher creates more bitterness.  I'll say!

I am sure there are Hop Heads that would love this beer and Gab would have been in total Hop Heaven.  Me, well from my review it is safe to say I was in Hop Hell. 

Cheers!

~K~