21st Amendment - Allies Win the War

OK, OK, so I missed VE Day (May 8th), D-Day (June 6th), Memorial Day, and I don't feel like waiting until VJ Day (Aug 15th) to review this beer.  Heck, I've waited long enough!  The original release date of the collaboration between Ninkasi and 21A was back in November of 2011.  The can, on par for 21A, has some great art on it that mimics the famous photo of FDR, Churchill, & Stalin at the Yalta Conference.  The history nerd in me must note that the Yalta Conference occurred in February of 1945, about 3 months before the Allies did "Win the War."  Tiny details aside, I'm ready to taste and heed the immortal words of Gen Dwight D. Eisenhower when he said, "You are about to embark upon a great crusade, toward which we have striven these many months."  OK, so maybe that's not what he had in mind.  Let's pour!

Aroma 10/12

When they say that this is an ale brewed with dates, brother they ain't kiddin'!  Dark fruit aromas abound with dates and raisins practically burping up and out of the can.  This pairs nicely with a dark molasses sweetness and makes for a very rich bouquet of malts.  The dark fruit aromas lend themselves very well to an almost vinous/boozy aroma.  Oh, and all that is when the beer is still cold.  Warming adds toffee notes to the molasses and a woody/earthy hop note.  I must say I'm surprised to have any hop aromas at all after the can has sat for as long as it has.

Appearance 3/3

A tan head the color of aged parchment caps provides a modestly sized cap for the dimly lit beer that idley loafs in my glass.  Sitting there it shows shades of maroon and stained cherry wood.  Lifted to the light the beer tosses aside the "wood" and puts an exclamation point on the "cherries!"  Vibrant reds and glowing magentas fill almost the entire glass, save for a iced-tea colored tinge at the very surface.

Flavor 17/20

I kept taking sips and waiting for the beginning of the beer to show me something, but alas, it never really does outside of some neutral, body-giving malts.  Small sips show a lot more of the neutral malts and, of course, plenty of the added dates.  Larger mouthfuls reveal a much more complicated beer of dark roasts, dates, a very nicely balancing bitter, an undercurrent of dry, biscuity malt, and a subdued molasses.  The bitter seems to seek out the rearmost sides of the tongue and make sure they not left out.  The finish is a bit boozy and offers and additional bitter punch to the omnipresent dark fruits as they descend.  The spicy hops immediately become present in the mouth after the beer has gone.  Lots of black pepper and dry tongue tingling goodness!

Mouthfeel 5/5

All the neutral malts start things with out a medium-full body, but eventually morph into heavy, creamy texture.  As it sits heavier in the mouth, things begin to turn peppery and tingle the tongue.  That's three unique mouthfeels during the course of one beer and I approve.  The 8.5% ABV is barely noted in the finish due to the prominent spicy hops, but does still make its presence known.  You'd think a beer involving added dark fruits would not end dry nor bitter!  A pleasant and contrasting surprise.

Overall Impression 8/10

I certainly did not expect where this beer was going based on my early sniffs!  Things were dates, raisins, vinous, and malty, leading me to believe I'd be receiving a very dark, sweet beer.  This was not to be the case.  The hops really stepped things up to not only give this beer balance throughout its backbone, but by also taking the beer in a completely different direction and ending it in a spicy, dry, bitter fashion.

Total 43/50

This beer turns the tides like the Battle of Stalingrad (I had to fit in a WWII reference somewhere)!  Starts out with dark fruits, but finishes with a bitter, spicy note that repels the initial invaders.  I like it.  It has definitely turned into a sipper thanks to the closing flavors and a body that is pleasant to roll around the mouth.  I haven't found any sources indicating that this beer has been brewed since 2011, but it would be a darn shame if this was the only time this was brewed.  Who knows?  Maybe they can make the recipe a bit more robust and release one helluva barleywine!  Much like VE Day, they might just earn their own ticker tape parade.

21st Amendment - Monk's Blood

As almost all of you have heard by now, 12.12.12 was the date that the monks at the St. Sixtus Abbey who brew the famed Westvleteren 12 allowed some of their beer to be sold in the United States.  This was all over the news even outside of craft beer circles.  As this beer is often mentioned in discussions about "The Best Beer in the World," it was highly sought after and was sold out almost instantly at any location that was given an allotment of the six packs, despite its $84.99 price tag.  Needless to say, I was not able to buy any, but have a bottle of Dark Lord ready and waiting (plus a mystery Bonus Bottle) for anyone that is willing to trade.

Because I'm a little full of sour grapes right now, today's review will be for 21st Amendment's "Monk's Blood."  It's a Belgian-style dark ale that is made with cinnamon, vanilla, oak chips, and dried figs.  The new ingredients intrigue me and at 8.3% ABV it also sounds like it packs quite a punch.  Oh, and for those not willing to read the old-timey text written on the can, it reads as such,

"Legend has it that in the evening, the monks would retire to their chambers & settle in with a few passages from the Good Book.  But Brothers Nicolas and O'Sullivan had other plans.  Working in the brewhouse all day, they were forced to repeat the same old recipes the elder monks had invented years before.  They needed a little diversion, And found it in the cellar of the monastery with a fresh twist they put on the beer and the way they enjoyed it.  Brother Nicolas (or 'Nico' to his close friends) brought some hand-rolled cigars.  O'Sullivan, the outspoken one, broke the vow of silence by spinning a remix of some Gregorian chants.  Together, they'd thrown down a could nice hands of Texas Hold 'Em and savor the handcrafted brew they crafted in secrecy.  Everything was good.  Or so it seemed. But deep in his heart Nico knew they were drifting into the 'dark side' of beer.  Next thing you know, they'd be skipping Lent.  Then one night they'd face the Judgement for their actions with a hard knock at the door.  Outside, the Abbot and elders would be holding stones in the air.  A threat the brothers were sure would lead to the spilling of "Monk's Blood"

Maybe they should just stick to brewing, but as always they feature a kick-ass can design.  This particular brew was canned on March 5th, 2012.  Let's pour!

Aroma 11/12

All the things that make the strong Belgian style great come rushing out of the glass.  Lots of cloves are quickly overwhelmed by even more of the yeast's banana notes.  Raw sugar (or likely Belgian candi sugar) and vanilla intertwine, while the figs and warmth sit back at first.  Eventually the figs come on strong and mingle with the banana delightfully, even if the figs edge out the banana ever so slightly.  Warmth grows stronger as well, but never becomes intrusive.

Appearance 2/3

I'm afraid this isn't a very attractive beer at all.  Have you had or seen prune juice before?  Yeah, it's that color.  Even when held to light it's that same milky brown hue.  The head was modest in size, beige in color, and crackled and popped its way down to a ring on the surface's edge.  There is also a lot of sediment in this brew, so pour gently.

Flavor 18/20

The first sensations of this drink are much brighter than anticipated, given the prominence of the dark fruit in the aroma.  It begins with a delicate, playful vanilla and some citrus-like tones.  However, it rapidly grows dark like a bank of storm clouds being pushed across the sky.  Very quickly there are the dark figs, the cinnamon, and the earthiness of spice all present and dominating the flavor profile.  Thankfully, the cinnamon avoids my worst fears and refrains from overwhelming all other flavors.  These dark flavors are intense and feel even larger with the strong alcohol warmth.  In the finish, things remain dark but also become bitter thanks to the earthiness from the cinnamon and the newly detectable oak.  It's a combination of dark fruits, bitter, and some boozy vanilla to wrap it all up.    A word of caution to those of you who enjoy slurping to enhance certain flavors!  In this brew, all you'll find is a brash alcohol.  

Mouthfeel 5/5

This beer is appropriately carbonated, which in a strong Belgian means there's a bunch of it.  Good news though, it seems to be taking the same advice as the cinnamon and is not a distraction by being overly prickly on the tongue.  There is some of that sensation, but it's mostly due to the cinnamon and not the bubbles.  Warmth plays a large roll in this brew and is not shy about it.  I dug it.  It makes for a strong beer, yet didn't suffer the same failure as many of the new "bourbon barrel-aged" beers by tasting like "two fingers, neat."  A full body carries all these flavors perfectly.

Overall Impression 8/10

This is a very well put together beer: the gentle flavors come out and the big flavors are not permitted to destroy a lá General William T. Sherman.  The lighter, sweeter flavors are quite nice and I wish they played a larger role by perhaps utilizing a less quick and dramatic shift to the dark, strong flavors.  However, this is a Belgian strong and it is supposed to be both dark and strong so the beer can't be faulted for that.  I enjoy the  interpolations that 21A has introduced here as a change of pace, even if my personal taste would prefer something lighter.

Total 44/50

Let me just say that I am comparing beer from a can to some of the best Belgian beers that I have ever had.  To those that for some crazy reason still doubt that amazing beer can be canned, this beer stands in direct opposition to your argument.  It is a great Belgian dark with its own twists and I always love trying new takes on old styles.  This particular beer is still well worth your time, especially if you normally find some Belgian varieties too sweet.  The earthiness and dark flavors help tone those down a great deal.  I didn't get much of the oak throughout the beer, but that's OK.  There were more than enough other flavors to compensate for it.  Also, I'd like to mention that this beer left my glass far too quickly.  I was fighting to ration it the entire time so that I'd have enough beer for later parts of the review.  So while my tiny, tiny gripe is that I wish the up-front sweetness lasted long or had a larger role, the proof was in the pudding as I drank this beer faster than I could write about it.  If you have some, great!  If not, you may want to find a kind trading partner as 21A has made it official that Monk's Blood will be taking an "indefinite hiatus."  Which begs the question, if they're shelving a tasty beer like this, then what do they have in the works?

21st Amendment - Hell or High Watermelon

It's that magical time of year when we start delving into some wonderful fruit beers that truly help to welcome in the fall season.  I refer of course to pumpkin, yam, and gourd beers.  Heck, I suppose a few folks are even releasing some cranberry beers, but as I am not a fan of cranberries I will continue to ignore them.  With all these new fruit beers (Yes, guy who knows everything, pumpkins are considered a fruit) being released I figured it was only appropriate to consume my last vestige of summer fruit beers.  Today's review is for 21st Amendment's Hell or High Watermelon.  Besides having a clever name and great can art (as always), I cannot say that I've ever had a watermelon beer before.  Nor have I ever fruited a beer with watermelon.  It just seems weird, which is why it's perfect.  New weird ingredient?  Count me in.  Neat talking point with fellow beer geeks?  Sign me up.  Answering questions with brief affirmations that end in prepositions?  Right on.  Let's pour!

Aroma 7/12

There are no bad smells coming from this beer.  Unfortunately, there are not much for good smells coming from this beer either.  It just sort of... exists.  At first, I got some aromas almost like a distant sour/wild ale and touches of the grain and lemon given by the wheat in the malt beer, but even as the beer warms it never opens.  I smell only the minuscule wheat and none of the sugary sweet watermelon that I expected.

Appearance 1/3

This poured with virtually no head and what did appear hissed away completely in well under ten seconds.  Unacceptable.  It pours a pale, straw yellow color and plenty of sediment has ended up at the bottom of my glass.  It is an unfortunate, drab shade of yellow and this beers sole redeeming visual quality is that any edge of the beer seems to have a slight pinkish tinge to it, as if the glass were outlined with this rosy hue.  It's a good thing we don't drink beer for how it looks.

Flavor 13/20

It starts out with a citrus hint, but is ultimately rather creamy in its initial flavor.  From there we are given a mouthful of the same light citrus and some very faint bitter before the beer settles in a very neutral way in the mouth.  Not too exciting.  Even a wine taster's slurp only manages to bring forward a slightly invigorated version of the light citrus with some grainy malts.  Overall, the citrus, the ever-so-slight bitter, and the yet-to-be-described carbonation combine for a pretty crisp beer, even if it isn't laden with flavor.  Oddly, the flavor picks up slightly in the finish.  We go from a grainy, mild, citrus splashed backbone, to a finish that begins with a very light candy-like sweetness courtesy of the watermelon.  It lingers into the finish before fading away slowly and leaving the mouth with the wheat's grain flavor.  Initially the finish is quenching, but somehow manages to leave the tongue dry as it continues.

Note:  The beer almost has to be room temperature before the watermelon enters the main flavor profile in any significant fashion.  I know it's supposed to be drank in the summer when it's warm out, but sheesh...

Mouthfeel 4/5

This is probably the most sound area of the beer.  It's light in body, well-populated with lively carbonation that dies down appropriately in the mouth, crisp at times, and drying in the finish.  This is one part of the recipe that could be a foundation for them to build up the other areas of the beer.  The mouthfeel has a lot going for it as a summer ale.

Overall Impression 4/10

Ultimately, this beer is average, but if one considers the potential involved having been brewed by 21A plus the fact that there was a cool new flavor involved, it ends up being more disappointing that if one had just been reviewing an average beer to begin with.  Everything save for the mouthfeel seemed to fall far from expectations.  The fruit barely contributes at all, the aroma is bland, and the flavor is grainy and muted.  As mentioned earlier, the mouthfeel shows promise and hopefully 21A continues to build on that cornerstone and surround it with a better base beer, perhaps some citrusy hops to strengthen the citrus of the wheat and the drying characteristic, and a watermelon flavor that is present in more than just the finish.

Total 24/50

Ouch.  To date, I believe this is my lowest score given.  Normally, I have in my mind that even a beer with no faults would score no lower than a 25/50, and that beers with faults (off flavors, off aromas, major style deficiencies) would be scored lower as necessary.  This beer is making me reconsider all of that.  Certainly, it is an average beer.  People who cling firmly to their adjunct lagers would have no problem drinking this beer.  However, my disappointment got the better of me and I had to score it low.  This is 21st Amendment after all!  I think it goes without saying that we expect some pretty premium stuff to flow from their camp (Monk's Blood, anyone?).  For them to put out this offering just seems like they're not trying.  Yes, I'm aware that 400 lbs of watermelon go into each batch.  Yes, I'm aware that this is a light, sessionable brew suitable for summer drinking.  There ARE things going for this beer, they are just grossly outweighed by what doesn't.  I feel a jerk handing down such a negative review without much constructive criticism, but  this beer could really benefit by scrapping it and starting anew.

21st Amendment - Brew Free! Or Die

Today marks the official 68th anniversary of the D-Day invasion on the beaches and fields of Normandy, France.  I know I just got off my soapbox from Memorial Day, but there is no way we can possibly honor too highly the memory and deeds of these soldiers.  In short, watch the first 30 minutes of Saving Private Ryan and you should be able to accurately visualize about 30% of the horror these men endured and eventually conquered.  Ken Burn series "The War" (episode 4) is also a great perspective on this historic day.  What other beer could I possibly drink besides 21st Amendment's Brew Free! or Die IPA.  I've never had it before, but based on my other 21A experiences, I don't plan on being disappointed.  Let's pour!

But before we do, check out this kick ass can art!  It's awesome enough to come in a can, but to wrap the can in this great artwork is just one other way that 21A is setting the bar higher.  For those that aren't familiar with Abraham Lincoln's exploit smashing through mountains, you'll be extra surprised when you see him killing scores of vampires.

Washington looking
aprehensive.

Honest Abe smashing
through a friggin'
mountain!

Teddy looking thrilled.  I
always liked him best.

Aroma 10/12

It seems like it has been a while since an IPA entreated me with a nice, distinct pine aroma so this brew is a refreshing change of pace.  Behind the pine is a light herbal note and an even fainter sharp citrus.  The beer smells thick and balances the hops extremely well with a rich, bready malt.  This is no sweet bread, but a thick slice of homemade wheat bread.  Extra points for the balance even if the citrus malts do get a bit stronger as the beer warms.

Appearance 3/3

It shows a great head size, fair retention, and little lacing.  The head was a nice ivory color that threatens to take up a hue or two from the orange beer beneath it.  The color is a cheerful shade of fresh spaghetti squash that enjoys being made brighter by the beer's high clarity.  It's a blend of gold and copper and takes for its own the luminosity of both these metals.

Flavor 14/20

Boy, was I right on the mark before about the malts not being sweet!  The first sips are dry, crackery, bready malts with a fair amount of hop bitterness.  To those expecting something a bit sweeter, this may come off as bland, but rest assured those malts are in there not only giving some flavors but also adding to the big body of this beer.  By holding the beer in the mouth, one finds a continuation of the initial flavors but with more grain flavors and an ever-so-faint citrus.  Extremely faint tropical fruits are detectable on an exhale, but even a wine taster's slurp yields very little additional flavor.  The finish shows more pale malts, but little else.  Oddly, some additional flavors come to light in the aftertaste when on the occasional exhale one can nice whiff of a dried tropical fruit; it also has a lingering bitter.  For an IPA, this really is lacking in hop flavor.  In full disclosure, it was canned on 1/05/2012, so I'd love to try this fresh and be completely wrong about it.

Mouthfeel 5/5

All the aforementioned malts give this beer a full-bodied, rolling feeling in the mouth, and with the perfect amount of "barely there" carbonation I can see myself drinking this beer even on the hottest of days. I'm not sure I'd call it 70 IBUs, but then again hop deterioration might just be to blame.  The 7% ABV is also completely undetectable.

Overall Impression 7/10

There is a lot going for this beer: a pleasant aroma, great mouthfeel and body, and a bright color.  However, the flavor seemed to fall flat.  All that remained was really a bitter note that went with the bready malt; I found none of the great hop flavors!  Overall it tasted like a milquetoast version of a pale ale, but with a heavier body and none of a pale ale's great crispness.  Does 5 months kill almost all hop flavor?  Apparently so in this brew, though I have sampled others that were not this effected.  I wonder what makes the difference.

Total 39/50

I fear that I may have underscored this beer based on a less than fresh can (5 months old), but I can only score what I have in front of me.  I'd love to try this again fresh, but until then I'm afraid this review remains.  This is not a sweet IPA.  In fact, it's not much of an IPA at all.  I take that back, it has the body and mouthfeel, and even meets us halfway in the aroma, but as far as taste... this comes off as rather bland.  The malts are good, even if they don't lean toward a sweeter flavor.  That's fine.  IPAs are varied and don't have to have a sweet malt present for balance.  However, when the hops are absent in an IPA, then we have problems.  The only thing this beer took from the hops was a "good" aroma and some bitter.  Other than that, the flavors and aromas, which should be strong and forward, are not even meek, they're nonexistant.  This was a disappointment after having 21A's Bitter American (which I would gladly buy a case of), but I look forward to trying this beer again when fresh.  Until then try a different IPA... and remember our veterans.

21st Amendment - Bitter American

Dammit.  It's an election year.  This of course means that extremists from both parties will emerge as predictably as cicadas to declare the opposite party's dedication to evil and single-handedly destroying the U.S. of A.  It also means that any form of entertainment I choose to enjoy will inevitably be populated by attack ads like flies on a summer roadkill.  All that said, I try not to focus on all that.  Truth be told, I try to ignore it much as possible by doing my own research and selecting the best candidate.  Plus, summer brings out more reasons to be proud to be an American than most other seasons.  Summer gives us the 4th of July, D-Day Anniversary, Flag Day, VJ Day (Victory in Japan), and this weekend it brings us Memorial Day.  While Memorial Day can certainly be a time to crack open a few craft beers with buddies, grill out, watch the Indy 500, go shopping, and enjoy a day of rest, I certainly hope that we can all take some time to remember those who have died while  in service to this great country.  They have certainly earned it we owe them that much.

Stepping off of my soapbox now, but I'll be reviewing a beer that is closer in name to the divided politicos than the fallen soldiers.  Today's review is for 21st Amendment's Bitter American.  I obtained this with a trade from Eric as I currently don't have 21A in my neck of the woods.  The can indicates that this is an "extra pale ale with bold malt and hop flavors."  Since I love pale ales and big beers, I'm really looking forward to this.  Let's pour!

Thanks to my buddy Kevin for this pic.

Aroma 10/12

Not initially strong in aroma.  The malts are first to the nose in a straw & biscuit combination that eventually allows the biscuit to win out.  Hops come next and are a well-blended mix of a  light pine and spice.  Citrus, at this point, is far, far in the background, but as the beer warms it becomes more and more of a primary player.  This citrus note allows the hops to dominate the slightly warmed beer with a sweet citrus note, not unlike a mandarin orange.  Very pleasant!

Appearance 3/3

This would earn higher marks if it could.  It pours a fairly light gold, but settles in the glass as a wonderful bright apricot orange.  The head is a perfect size, slightly beige in color, and shows excellent retention.

Flavor 19/20

This concoction definitely focuses on the "crisp" nature of a pale ale!  The beginning is an insanely dry and crackery malt with even a bit of bitter on the front of the tongue.  What a great sensation!  Before diving into the backbone, the beer dangles those sweet citrus hops in front of you for just a moment before snatching them away and plummeting the drinker into what Coolio would certainly describe as a "Malt-tastic Voyage."    It is a voyage of more crackery malts that are so crisp you'd swear you could snap them in half.  A moderate bitter from intelligent hop usage adds to the effect.  The finish is a continuation of the backbone, but with hints of grain.  It then becomes perfectly clean before splashing back to existence with a steady crescendo of bitter.  That bitter doesn't linger too long and the aftertaste is mostly clean and extremely drying.  I can't believe one beer can do all this!

Mouthfeel 5/5

The carbonation in this brew compliments the crispness extremely well.  While the carbonation is not abundant, what is available is fairly lively, helping give that extra little bite.  The body is much heavier than most pale ales and at 4.4% ABV this "session ale" (as described on the can) has no detectable warmth.

Front half of can.

Back half of can.

Overall Impression 9/10

This beer focuses all its effort into one characteristic with laser-like intensity: being crisp.  Everything from the  dry crackery, malts and carbonation, to the light citrus aroma and light bitter flavors all come together for a common purpose.  I must say, it succeeds wonderfully.  On top of being crisp, it's also light enough in flavor and ABV that I could truly put these down all day.  Talk about a session ale!  21st Amendment has hit the nail on the head.

Total 46/50

It's not so much that it's a really bitter beer as the name would imply (though the can claims 42 IBUs), it's that 21st Amendment has managed to remove almost all sweetness from this beer.  No caramel malts, no hoppy citrus, no unfermentable sugars, this beer is just dry malt and fairly clean hops.  As unappetizing as that may sound, this beer is fantastic!  Some folks might like a bit more sweetness in their pale ale, but I would urge them to try this anyway just for a different take on a fairly universal style.  I absolutely dig it, even though most of my favorite pale ales often involve a citrus bouquet from the hops.  Doesn't matter.  Like I mentioned earlier, I could drink this all day.  In fact, if these were available in my area, I probably would.  This was my first 21st Amendment beer, but I can assure you, it won't be my last.