Green Flash Hop Head Red

MMMMmmmmm. This was REALLY REALLY good. 

Both in bottle and on tap. So good I bought another bottle.

Green Flash Brewing company is fast becoming one of my favorite breweries. I have reviewed a couple of their offerings before(Imperial IPA, West Coast IPA) and I will be RE-reviewing the West Coast IPA with a MUCH more favorable opinion soon.

I had Hop Head Red on tap at Tustin Brewing Company during the first US-England World Cup Game. The vuvuzelas were in full effect and there was even a guy draped in an England flag, a giant Uncle Sam hat and LOTS of U-S-A chants. Oh, and beer. Lots of beer.

The bottle asks if this is a "Red IPA"? My answer is without a doubt yes. Bitter is something I have come to expect from Green Flash and this one delivers with exactly the right amount.

I know this is an awful picture but this pours a really clear brown copper color. It's not as red as most "red's." The only real aroma off of this one is bitter, pine, teeny grapefruit, and a tad of bread maltiness. IPA? Definitely.

The taste is where this one differs a bit from the traditional IPA. It has a creamier mouthfeel, more like a DIPA, there's not too many bubbles which in my opinion is good. It's silky smooth with enough bitterness to balance the sweet caramel malt.

It's definitely a pinecone, but with some maltiness to back it up.

I'll be buying more.

Stone Dogfish Head and Victory Saison Du BUFF

This was one of the first beers of the PRE bachelor Party Weekend and it was a GREAT one. This is a collab brew from Stone, Dogfish Head, and Victory brewing companies. Though not in that order these three brewers are in my top five of all time.

BUFF stands for Brewers United for Freedom of Flavor, and let me tell you there was a LOT of it.   Saison du BUFF is brewed with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme and the same recipe will be brewed three times during 2010 at each of the three breweries. Stone(April), then Victory(July), and finally Dogfish(August). Obviously this one was done close to home at Stone since it's only June.

This is a crisp satisfying beer that has a lot of spice, black pepper, coriander, and reminds me of Thanksgiving(Rosemary, sage, parsley). There are underlying notes of lemon, pine, a little citrus, and a little bread. I know what you are thinking. do I really want to be drinking a roasted turkey? Trust me, you do. This beer is immensely complex and satisfying at the same time because the aromas and the taste coincide and are recognizable without being overwhelming. There's none of this, "what am I smelling? What IS that taste"? You know it and you like it.

I will be picking up more of this to drink and for sure will be looking out for the next two batches to compare. That will be an interesting experience. Will they be different? What do you think?

Bachelor Party Weekend Spread

Ok so we hit Total Wine in Tustin and we got more than a few looks. Sorry about the photo quality but the lighting was crappy and I didn't want to take out the Nikon. Here's what we bought for the PRE bachelor party. Yes, the PRE party. I couldn't fit all of them in the photo either, that's a Brewdog Riptide stout and a Red Trolley ale covered up in the back, plus more in the fridge 

4 Guys.We don't mess around. 

Reviews will be coming.