The Sea Stares Back - Kane Brewing & Troon Brewing

The long awaited and much rumored collaboration brew from Kane and Troon Brewing finally came out this past weekend. The Sea Stares Back is an Imperial IPA clocking in at 8.1% ABV. Additionally, this is a wheat IPA that seems to border on something of the less citrusy, yet creamier, though still delicious spectrum. It's an elegant IPA with Citra with a double dry-hop of one of my favorites, Nelson Sauvin... amongst a few others. The taste isn't so much citrus or grapefruit as it is a melon on the sweeter, but more restrained side. 

Two years ago, I probably wouldn't have been able to appreciate an IPA like this because it's not really in your face full of juicy, hazy flavors. This is a refined IPA ranging on a creamy end that needs to be sipped to be enjoyed. The aroma is intoxicating as you go further down the glass and into the beer more and more. This is probably one of my favorite IPA entries that I've purchased from Kane in 2017. You can tell there is a refinement from the Kane end with an elegance from the Troon end. I could be wrong about that, but it's still obvious that these two New Jersey breweries could compose a hell of a classical (beer) symphony together. Salud!

Mexican Stout - Ship Bottom Brewery

I love me some dark beers from Ship Bottom Brewery. I truly have enjoyed the Barnacle Bottom Stout, the NYD (Russian Imperial Stout), and the Baconator Stout. I believe that I now have a new favorite from Ship Bottom Brewery - the Mexican Stout. The ingredients read as follows: brewed with coffee, mexican chocolates, cinnamon, ancho chipotle peppers, vanilla beans, and lactose. There's so much going on there that I couldn't wait over 24 hours to crack one open. Now, I'll admit that I had cheated and had tried a sample at the brewery itself, but the small sample glass wasn't the full experience I wanted to indulge in at home. I wanted a nice big glass that would be able to warm up and give me the full experience with all of the aromas.

Upon opening the can, the smell of cinnamon and coffee greats the nose. It's a very pleasant welcome to this fantastic brew. The very first taste of the beer is so good. Cinnamon and the peppers dominate in the front end with the coffee and chocolate rounding out in the back end. I was a bit worried with the inclusion of ancho chipotle peppers that the beer might be TOO hot, but honestly, what I found was a well-balanced heat that worked in perfect unison with the cinnamon. The coffee isn't heavy-handed and works well with the mexican chocolates. A part of me would have loved a richer stout, but I'm sure if that had happened, it'd just drown out the cinnamon and pepper aspect of the beer. Honestly, I'd prefer it the way it is right now. The Mexican Stout is one of the rare beers that I enjoyed almost the same straight out of the can and 20 minutes after it warmed up a bit. Not much changed and I loved it.

If you have a chance to grab this at the brewery for pours, do a full pour or else take a 4-pack home to sample. The experience was much, much better upon having a 12-16 ounce sample to have to truly enjoy the complexities of this beer. Well done Ship Bottom, this is a hit for me. Salud!

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Crooked Spoke Adjacent - Twin Elephant Brewing

One of the fun things of repeat visits to Twin Elephant Brewing in Chatham is that you'll always find a new thing that you haven't tried before. I love Lil' Shimmy Ye and Diamonds & Pearls but I love seeing the revamped taplists every few weeks with exciting new brews to try. Last Saturday was no different as a planned trip to visit one of my favorite New Jersey breweries showed so much promise with a list of goodies I hadn't tried before.

Of course, seeing Lil' Shimmy Ye on tap is always a huge draw, but little did I know that Crooked Spoke Adjacent (CSA for brevity) would be the one beer to make me forget and even put off Lil' Shimmy for a round or so. After having a flight of all of their new creations, CSA stood out to me. At only 6.9% ABV, it's a very approachable and drinkable IPA and that sets it apart from Lil'. Lil' is a pale ale that clocks in a little lighter at 5.8% which now gives me the honorable distinction of being able to call one my favorite pale ale and the other my favorite IPA from Twin Elephant Brewing.

The nose on CSA is amazing. The color is absolutely beautiful. It's hazy, turbit, yellow with little to no malt presence on the taste. This brew is dangerously drinkable and very floral but with a huge tropical taste to it. The Citra, Vic Secret, and El Dorado shine through and through combining with the oats for a very creamy drinking experience. I'd highly recommend this beer if it's still available this coming weekend. Seek it out, even if you can't get a growler fill. CSA is well worth the try. This masterpiece is worth keeping around, Twin Elephant. This beer might not have invented the IPA, but I'll be damned if it does a great job of being a phenomenal entry within the catalogues of such. Job well done. Salud!

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