20130625

Lips Of Faith: Paardebloem, Pluot, & Hop Kitchen: Hoppy Bock

This has to be a first for me. Two brand new Lips Of Faith Beers, and two that I was not all to crazy about. These two beers had some very promising factors about them, too. The first one I opened up was Paardebloem, an ale brewed...
Using dandelion greens to bitter a Belgian-style ale blossomed from our brewers collaborating with Red Rock Brewing. These being our sixth interpretation together since 2008, expect a wonderfully complex ale fermented with wild Belgian yeast and blended with just a touch of wood-aged beer. Bitterness imparted from dandelion greens and grains of paradise will have you blowing wishes for sips.


This was a hazy beer and rather orange. Big white fluffy head that was short lived. Earthy and floral notes on the nose with a little bit of funk. A touch sour on the opening, grassy, and that little Belgian twang you tend to get in some Belgian beers that pokes its head out as you head into the finish. This one just did not work for me.

The other, Pluot. I had my first Pluot while working at Fred Meyer in college. The produce section there is pretty amazing. It is so weird seeing the setups that are on the East Coast. Maybe I better setup for a move back. I think it is very interesting that someone thought to put it into a beer. Hell, I thought up some crazy things, (not many actually make it into the kettle), but never using hybrid fruit.
Hook up a plum with an apricot and they’ll make you a pluot. This sweet hybrid fruit is as refreshing as it is strange, and it’s the perfect starting point for our new Lips of Faith beer. Pluot Ale pours a bright, light golden. The aroma is full of fruit tones and distinct esters from blending the funky brettanomyces and our house Belgian ale yeast. The flavor carries the same weight, adding a spicy, vinous subtlety to stand up against the malt backbone. To build a beer around this worldly fruit is purely Belgian in imagination. Pour some Pluot and enjoy!


I found this one a bit better but I just don't know where it was going. A crystal clear beer with an off white head, funky, fruity, and musty on the nose. Sweet juices up front and a big malt presence. Very full bodied and dry in the finish. You get a bit of a twang in this one as well but I cannot see myself drinking more than just this bottle of it. The last time I felt this way about a Lips Of Faith beer was, Cocoa Mole. I had it a few times after my first time but I was still unsure as to what to think. Maybe I will come across this again... maybe not?

While I am at it, why not throw the first beer in the Hop Kitchen into here as well, Hoppy Bock. The next one should be out in about a week, though I guess it depends on your retailer. I am hoping to get it before long but I am also traveling... that may have an impact. Positive or Negative?

I am very jealous that Beer Drinker Rob over at Daily Beer Review got to taste French Aramis before me... What seems odd about that? The fact that New Belgium is not officially released in Florida yet and that this beer was not released. It was even delivered by Bike Courier. Oh, well. I will get my hands on it at some point.
A German-style springtime lager brewed with rye then loaded with Hallertauer, Perle and Fuggle hops for a spicy, earthy aroma. This Hoppy Bock Lager offers a medium body and slightly sweet malt character perfect for your spring hop-fling.


This one I did enjoy. It was awesome how the hops just jumped out of the bottle of this beer and into the air around you. It was almost like bliss... but that is reserved for La Folie or 1554... This was overall just a nice beer in my eyes. A bit earthy, spicy, clean, crisp, but the hops that you smelled did not get in the way of the flavor of this beer. It was not highly bittered, it was just right I feel... Though, after looking over the fact that it is 70IBU's thick, I take it the brewers spent a good amount of time making sure it was balanced.

So, until the next Lips Of Faith beers are released, This quarters beers are brought to you by the letter P!

Cheers!

No comments:

Post a Comment