Joe’s beer
Appalachian Mountain Brewery “Low & Hazy IPA”
Style: Hazy session IPA
ABV: 4.1%
The first installment (and polar opposite) in this week’s dual regional beer review is “Low & Hazy IPA” by Appalachian Mountain Brewery. We picked a six pack of this up while perusing the excellent selection at the triangle’s new Wegman’s grocery store. The combination of the name, can design, and the fact it was made by Appalachian Mountain Brewery spurred our desire to pluck the beer from the shelf and toss it in our cart.
“Low & Hazy IPA” went from the can into one of my IPA glasses and I was immediately struck by the color of the beer. It was a hazy yellow-orange color that reminded me of a glass of orange juice (luckily there was no pulp). It started off with a finger or two of fluffy white head that soon dissipated into a thin ring around the edges of the glass. There was no lace left behind as the level of beer in the glass declined.
The nose of this beer was not too complex. It provided some strong juicy hop aromas and displayed hints of tangerine, citrus, and a touch of sweetness. I could not detect much malt character coming through. There was the slightest bit of dank hop aroma coming through on aggressive swirling.
Mouthfeel was not far from what I expected, with the beer exhibiting a light to medium body and some prickly carbonation. It was an easy drinker that went down smooth. The beer finished with a slight drying feeling that gave the beer a crisp character.
Being a lighter beer, the flavor profiles were not overly “in your face.” There was some good juicy hop character and that refreshing bitterness I’ve come to love in IPAs. The hops gave some citrus, grassy, and slightly floral tones to the brew. Again, the malt flavor/character was a mild presence but that doesn’t mean the beer was too skewed toward the hoppy. I think it had a decent balance that made it an easy drinker and a totally sessionable beer. I would pair this with good friends, a barbecue, or any occasion that calls for a nice light IPA that won’t wreck your palate.
Appalachian Mountain Brewery came through for us again and produced another great brew. Give it a try for yourself and leave us a comment below to let us know what you think – cheers!
Abbreviated tasting notes
Appearance: Hazy, opaque, yellow-orange, highly reminiscent of orange juice (pulp-free of course). (4/5)
Aroma: Juicy, citrus, tangerine, not a ton of malt character, mainly hop aromas. (4/5)
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, low viscosity, prickly carbonation, drying. (4/5)
Taste: Bitter, hop forward, light malt flavors. Juicy aroma hops. Some grassy vegetal notes. Slight floral character. (4/5)
Drinkability: Relatively high on the drinkability scale. ABV makes it sessionable and the refreshing taste/drying mouthfeel keep you reaching for more. (4.5/5)
Total: 20.5/25
Nick’s beer
Champion Brewing Company “Santa’s Cookies”
Style: Imperial Oatmeal Stout
ABV: 8%
IBU: 45
You know how after Halloween, a lot of Christmas fanatics ditch the pumpkins and the fall decoration, and put up the lights, tree, and winter decorations? Well, that’s not me. But, I do kind of feel that way when it comes to seasonal beers (as you may have noticed from our recent posts). It’s nice to move from summer shandies to festbiers/Märzens to pumpkin/yam beers to winter lagers/stouts/porters. Sure, I enjoy all kinds of beer throughout the entire year, but there is something to be said about drinking beer when it’s “in season,” if you will. That’s probably why my attention was grabbed by seeing a Christmas-designed can at Tapped in Greenville, NC, and how I ended up purchasing a couple pints of “Santa’s Cookies.” This beer from Champion Brewing Company in Charlottesville, VA is advertised as an imperial oatmeal stout, which is a style of beer that often is written off immediately. I was once in that group of people that turned away from dark beers, but have since come around and I hope to encourage others to give them a chance. I will use “Santa’s Cookies” today as a great example of how enjoyable stouts can be. There are several variants of the stout, including dry stouts, imperial stouts, oatmeal stouts, and even blonde stouts. This being an imperial oatmeal stout had me intrigued, as I wasn’t sure if sweet and malty flavors would be more prominent, or if I’d experience a more robust and roasty stout.
When I poured the contents of the can into my new Spiegelau stout glass, a rich tan, caramel-colored foam started to fill the space, and it came to rest atop an expectedly dark brown beer. I held the glass to the light after my pour, and couldn’t detect any color in the body besides a rich brown that was on par with a cup of black coffee. The stout glass helped this brew maintain its bubbly head for a while, which allowed me ample time to inspect the aromatic profile.
On the first smell, I got a huge wave of fresh spice, most notably ginger and some cinnamon. This cleared up the mystery about what kind of cookies Santa was getting with this brew – gingerbread (though I might have to leave him a can of this imperial oatmeal stout this year in an attempt to bribe him for extra gifts). I continued smelling, discovering some sweetness from the malt that blended nicely with the spice components. For being 8% ABV, it really wasn’t particularly boozy, though some deeper inhalations did incite some alcohol aromas.
After giving ample time to familiarize myself with the beer and let it rest a moment in the glass, I took a swig and swished it around my mouth. I didn’t really know what to expect, but found it to be very smooth. It had a velvety mouthfeel that didn’t coat much. At the end, there was a noticeable kick from the spices but it didn’t linger or burn the throat.
I was eager to get a proper taste of the beer after enjoying how it smelled and how smooth it was. The ginger component was still the star, and and it was at an appropriate level to not be overbearing or gimmicky. That, mixed with some sweet malt flavors and more spices, like cinnamon and clove, made for an intriguing yet tasty brew. I definitely found the stout to lean more toward the “oatmeal” side than the “imperial” side in terms of overall taste.
While this was not quite a cookie in a can, it had a lot of great characteristics that put it on par with dessert beers. Think gingerbread or ginger snap as the closest comparisons. You could easily pair this with a sweet treat or wash down some of your favorite Christmas dishes. I was pleasantly surprised with how smooth and easy-to-drink this imperial stout was, and no doubt it is owed to the sweetness of the oats and the flavor of the spices. If you live in eastern North Carolina, Virginia, or anywhere that serves/distributes Champion Brewing Company’s beers, look out for “Santa’s Cookies” and save one for St. Nick (aka: me).
Abbreviated tasting notes
Appearance: Pours well in the stout glass and retains the bubbly tan/caramelly head well; very dark body like that of black coffee. (4/5)
Aroma: Fresh spices (ginger and cinnamon) that are bright and zesty, mild and sweet malt tones, and a bit of alcohol with a long, deep inhalation. (4.5/5)
Mouthfeel: Velvety smooth with a slight spiced finish. (4/5)
Taste: Gingerbread cookie, spices like cinnamon and clove, and a sweet malt flavor. (4.5/5)
Drinkability: Easy and pleasant to drink despite being 8% ABV and an imperial stout; not crushable but really smooth and I could session this. (4.5/5)
Total: 21.5/25
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