Tasting with the Fam II

Can't get tired of drinking beer. So again we had to sample a few last night. We had Bells Pale Ale, Great Divide Titian IPA, Great Divide Hercules IPA, & they tried the Bell's IPA I liked so much.

Bell's Pale Ale
From: Kalamazoo, Michigan  
Style: American Pale Ale
Commercial Description:
A refreshing, blond colored pale ale. Bell’s pale ale is made almost exclusively from pale malt. It expresses a spicy floral hop aroma and taste.

 Appearance: Hazy yellow color with a whispy white head. The malt color looked almost like a wit. Looked refreshing. 3.7/5


Aroma: Aroma of apple, grass, a bit floral, and some caramel 3/5

Mouthfeel: Light-medium body, a nice mouthfeel, smooth and drinkable. 3.5/5

Flavor: Some light malts and light hops, balanced, nice flavor. 3.2/5

Overall Impression: This is a pretty good APA. Not the best thing I’ve had, but a beer that I enjoyed enough. It could be better, but it is a little one dimension. 6.3/10

Total: 19.7 Not Bad

Great Divide Titan IPA From: Denver, Colorado Style: IPA Commercial Description: Great Divide brews Titan IPA for hop disciples independent beer drinkers seeking out robust, flavorful beers characterized by their abundance of hops, flavor, aroma and bitterness. Beginning with piney hop aromas and citrus hop flavors, and finishing with a rich, malty sweetness that is carefully balanced with crisp hopbitterness.

Appearance:Pours clear golden yellow with a medium white head and nice lacing. 3.4/5   Aroma: Aroma is big and hoppy -lots of grapefruit and a bit of pine. 4/5 Mouthfeel: After awhile the flavor can get to much. The piney after taste is a litte over powering . I hate Gin.. 3.7/5   Flavor: Flavor is even more hoppy, but with a good backbone of malt. Grapefruit and other citrus flavors but for me the piney after taste after while kind of killed it for me. 4/5 Overall Impression: Surprisingly, this "titanic" IPA is not overly bitter despite the abundance of hops. Very drinkable, but I couldn't drink alot of them. Another very good ale from Great Divide. 7.6/5 Total: 22.7 Good

Great Divide Hercules IPA

From: Denver, Colorado

Style: Double IPA

Commercial Description:Hoppier, maltier and with more alcohol than a standard IPA, Hercules Double IPA definitely is not for the faint of heart.  A brash but creamy wonder, Hercules pours a deep orange-coppery color, forming substantial lace in the glass. Hercules Double IPA delivers a huge amount of piney, floral, and citrusy hop aroma and flavor from start to finish. A hefty backbone of nutty, toffee-like malt character balances Hercules' aggressive, punchy hop profile. 85 IBU'S

Apperance: Pours a hop-hazed reddish copper body with a thick offwhite foam that coats the glass on the way down. 3.8/5

Aroma: Aggressive, resinous hops on the nose; lots of big grapefruit and pine notes,with some noticeable toffee malts and sweet alcohol aromas. 4.2/5

Mouthfeel: Carbonation is quite subdued yet creamy, big lengthy palate with a oily, resinous body that seems to stick to the sides. 3.9/5

Flavor::Alcohol warmth present yet pleasant. Smack in the face of juicy,  pine sap, grapefruit, bitter leaves and spices. 4.3/5

Overall Impression: Very Good. Worth the money. Flavour is huge yet balanced remarkably well, making a 9% ridiculously easy to drink and very dangerous; can’t help going back for more! 7.7/10

Total: 23.9 Good