Dragon’s Breath by William’s Orchards – Hard Apple Cider Spiced with Ginger
Dragon’s Breath by William’s Orchards – Hard Apple Cider Spiced with Ginger is an import from England. They appear to make at least 5 different ciders from apple ciders to pear ciders but today we are reviewing Dragon’s Breath a hard apple cider spiced with ginger which I will say although it isn’t my favorite cider it is still very good and extremely smooth with a nice ginger bite. If you haven’t tried a Dragon’s Breath by William’s Orchards – Hard Apple Cider Spiced with Ginger and you are a big cider fan I would say this is a must for the ciders currently available. I think this would be a bit more appealing if it had a bit more carbonation but it does have a mild bubble to it but the ginger really stands out and adds a lot of character to the cider as a whole.
Hard Cider with ginger
Red Rye IPA by Founders Brewing company
Sadly this beautiful craft brew from Founders isn’t available in bottle or can any longer as I was told by a Founder’s rep that they had problems with shelf life over 90 days. This may sound bad but I can appreciate any craft brewer that is devoted to the quality of their product after it is already on the shelf. My local World of Beer tapped a keg of Foudner’s Red Rye IPA and I just had to zip on over to try a pint even on 4th of July. I was not disappointed, as it was an amazing rye with pleasant citrusy grapefruit aroma and a crisp rye with amazing caramel notes with just the right amount of sweetness with every sip. If I could buy this by the keg I would without hesitation as this an amazing rye IPA that you just want to share with friends, it is just that good! If you drink IPA or Pale ales and haven’t tried one with rye added you are seriously missing out. This beautiful red rye IPA from Founders comes in at 6.6% ABV with an IBU of 70 and a “RateBeer” of 99! If you ever see a Red Rye IPA by Founders Brewing company at your local pub, just sit back and enjoy.
Founders Red Rye IPA
Bomb! by Prairie Artisan Ales – Imperial Stout Aged-On Coffee, Cacao Nibs, Vanilla Beans and Chili Peppers
The Bomb! by Prairie Artisan Ales – imperial stout aged-on coffee, cacao Nibs, vanilla beans and chili peppers is an amazing sout. This is a very expensive imperial stout which makes you set your expectations high and I must say it exceeded my expectations. Sadly I didn’t notice the reference to chili peppers or the ABV of 13% until after I purchased which had me concerned but after pouring this beautifully dark black liquid gold with a mild brown head I took a sniff and was pleasantly enticed to take the first sip which was incredibly smooth. The Bomb! has a nice aroma of coffee with a tiny hint of vanilla but the taste is at a level where it forces you to take a moment to savor the complex flavors that seem to change from beginning to the end of the sip. It starts with burst of thick smooth coffee followed with a chocolate with hints of vanilla then the chili pepper seems to creep up behind all of those pleasant flavors helping to intensify everything but not to the level of actually burning your tongue. Just before you swallow you notice the flavors seem to mellow out a little leaving a rich coffee and cocoa flavor behind brought together nicely by the vanilla with the ever so subtle bit of chili pepper. At 13% ABV, the Bomb! by Prairie Artisan Ales – imperial stout aged-on coffee, cacao Nibs, vanilla beans and chili peppers is a big brew with even bigger flavors nicely balanced. What I did find entertaining was the IBU is at 65 but honestly this was far from a bitter tasting beer with my thoughts being the high bitter was used to help balance the sweetness to give it a smooth taste without tasting too sweet. Beer Advocate 100 BA Score and The Bros!
Bomb! by Prairie Artisan Ales – imperial stout aged-on coffee, cacao Nibs, vanilla beans and chili peppers
Passion Fruit Hard Cider from Rekorderlig brewing
Passion Fruit Hard Cider from Rekorderlig brewing may not be a beer but sometimes you simply need a break by trying something slightly off the beaten path. The first time I poured this cider I swore it looked like water and as advertised it is made with the purest Swedish spring water and at only 4% ABV I think it is mainly water with just the right amount of passion fruit juice to make one of the most amazing non-apple ciders I’ve ever enjoyed. Not everyone is a big fan of passion fruit juice as it is a lot like crossing a plum with a citrus fruit similar to an orange but I find the flavor of passion fruit to be amazing and as a cider it was simply over the top. This cider maybe close to 90% water in my opinion but it is still an amazing cider especially if you’re a fan of hard ciders and passion fruit juice. One thing you will find about Rekorderlig with many of their flavors they really don’t seem to know what the competition is doing or seem to care as the majority are ciders you would never think of but they make everyone of them with the best ingredients available making the flavors amazing.
Passion Fruit Cider from Rekorderlig brewing
Aprihop American IPA by Dogfish Head
Aprihop American IPA by Dogfish Head is an India Pale Ale brewed with real apricots weighting in at 7% ABV and a medium bodied crystal malts blended with pilsner malts. This deep cooper colored IPA has a major malt backbone for a IPA but the apricot flavors really add to the overall complexity of this flavored IPA. Dogfish head brewery is known for making very radical ale blends that you either really love or simply can’t stand but the true craft beer connoisseur can truly appreciate every ale they produce love it or leave it. Aprihop American IPA by Dogfish Head is at the lower end of IPAs with only 50 IBU but don’t let that fool you as this great IPA packs a lot of flavor and a huge amount of complexity in every sip.
Aprihop American IPA by Dogfish Head
