VERSUS: Castle Island ONE vs Castle Island TWO

The Stats
ONE
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
ABV: 11.5%
Current Ratings...
- Untappd: 4.21/5
- Beer Advocate: 4.23/5
- RateBeer: N/A
TWO
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
ABV: 11.5%
Current Ratings...
- Untappd: 4.07/5
- Beer Advocate: 4.08/5
- RateBeer: N/A

 BREWER'S DESCRIPTION

ONE

"When we set out to launch Castle Island, our goals were humble – great liquid, done right and without pretense. We quickly learned that you also had a thirst for this vision, and the passion you’ve shown us over the last year fills us with gratitude and joy. This year, we say “thank you” with ONE. A beastly, belly-warming Russian imperial stout, ONE is a toast to you, our loyal fans, for your unwavering enthusiasm for our efforts."

TWO

"We set out to launch Castle Island with a humble goal- great liquid offering relief from the hassle of everyday life. We quickly learned that you also had a thirst for this vision, and the passion you’ve shown us over the last two years fills us with gratitude and joy, as we did last year, this year we say “Thank You” with TWO. Our beastly, belly-warming Russian Imperial Stout, TWO is a toast to you, our loyal fans, for your unwavering enthusiasm for our efforts."

 

APPEARANCE

ONE

Pitch black in color with no light getting through. I got some ruby red on the edges when held up to the light. The pour produced a finger of off-white head.

TWO

Literally the same as ONE. Same dark abyss of a body devoid of color with an identical finger of matching head.

AROMA

ONE

A subtle aroma of light coffee and mellowed dark fruits on top of almost an oak character and a bit of pipe tobacco.

TWO

The fresher vintage has a bigger pop of the coffee, but also dark chocolate syrup and cherries. Digging deeper there is black licorice and some leather too.

TASTE

ONE

Up front there is more of the aforementioned oak (though, I don't think this was aged in oak). The second half starts to shine with a lot of dark fruits, especially cherries, which envelope the back of the tongue. Near the end, a distinct hop presence almost spikes the palate and leaves delicious lingering bitterness. Plums, figs, dates, and raisins really pop here on the taste after being a little too silent on the aroma.

TWO

Everything I said about ONE's taste can just be inserted here, but like the aroma, it has added elements of that dark chocolate and black licorice. That hop bitterness is the same, but the bitter bite is also being influenced by that dark chocolate. Again, to my knowledge, these weren't oak aged, but there is an undeniable wood, smoke, char, and tobacco profile to the taste. More chocolate notes emerge as it warms which give off a fudgy, brownie batter flavor.

MOUTHFEEL

ONE

The body is full and perfectly suitable for the style. It feels like a big beer, but I think it could have been thicker and more mouth-coating for an 11% RIS. Aside from some subtle warmth, there is no alcohol to be found.

TWO

This one on the other hand has a more distinct, inky, thicker body and a more luscious feel. TWO also has a slight warming sensation on each sip and no alcohol presence to be found.

OVERALL

ONE

This is a massive, double-digit RIS that you can sip on for an hour or two and keep picking out flavors over the course of the time of consumption. The nose was a bit muted, but the taste still yielded all the things you love in a big Russian Imperial. The body seemed too thin, but at the same time, it was in line for the style.

TWO

The fresher vintage has everything I liked about ONE, but all of the flavors are bigger and brighter. On TWO, the body was exactly what I want from an RIS, and this was really a selling point in this battle. I didn't see an advantage is letting ONE sit for over a year as aging it didn't bring anything to the table.

RATINGS

ONE
8.2/10

TWO
8.8/10

Castle Island Greetings from Skibb

The Stats
Style: Foreign/Export Stout
ABV: 8.4%
Current Ratings...
- Untappd: 4.13/5
- Beer Advocate: N/A
- RateBeer: N/A

"We’ve partnered with our friends at West Cork Distillers to bring you this lavish, sumptuous barrel aged export stout. Lending us a selection of their finest whiskey barrels, West Cork has allowed us to infuse flavors of charred oak, rich vanilla, and hints of dark fruit into a smooth and splendid base beer. Named after Skibbereen, the town in Ireland that West Cork calls home, Greetings From Skibb is a celebration of camaraderie and collaboration with our friends from across the pond. We hope you enjoy. Sláinte!"

Pours as dark as they come with two fingers of almond-colored head.

As soon as I popped the can the whiskey came pouting out in large amounts. Lots, and I mean LOTS of roast on this with notes of black coffee and dark chocolate. Black licorice and anise are also huge and just when I think that's the end, a heaping dose of oaks drives by and smacks me in the face as does tobacco and char. I want to Febreeze my couch with this.

Not surprisingly the whiskey is the first thing I notice on the taste and it is everywhere. While whiskey does dominate, and is delicious, I think everything else on the aroma is dialed back just a bit. Still, dark chocolate syrup and coffee are prevalent and the deep roasted character is singing loud and proud. Small moments of caramel add a sweeter side and I'm picking up a smokey quality which I can attribute to the char from the barrel. There's almost a molasses taste to it which blends with the oak beautifully. As it warms, some vanilla emerges and so does fluffy milk chocolate and the finish leaves behind more and more whiskey.

Mouthfeel is full with little carbonation. Not the thickest stout I've had, but it still gets the passing grade. The barrel flavors make for a sticky aftertaste.

Greetings from Skibb was an excellent Whiskey barrel aged stout with a knee-buckling aroma and a complex buffet of flavors. Straight up whiskey barrel beers tend to leave behind pure alcohol taste, but this was smooth on all accounts. The deeply roasted flavors of the base beer were a superb match for this barrel and hopefully Castle Island cranks out more from their barrel program in 2018.

Rating
9.0/10

Castle Island & Otter Creek Special Delivery

The Stats
Style: American Pale Ale
ABV: 6.6%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 3.57/5
- Untappd: 3.74/5
- RateBeer: N/A

"The world is full of excellent people. The team at Otter Creek Brewing is no exception, and we had the incredible opportunity to join forces with them on Special Delivery, our first ever collaboration beer. Brewed with locally-grown whole cone Cascade wet hops, that were picked fresh from Addison Hopyard in Vermont and driven down overnight in the Otter Creek van, Special Delivery is more than just a clever name. This wet-hopped pale is fermented with Sacchromyces Trois, a brett-like yeast strain that creates pungent fruity, estery aromas during primary fermentation and leaves the resulting beer crisp and dry. The finished product is funky and provocative, but balanced enough to bring you back for one sip after another. Along with the team at Otter Creek, we raise our glasses to collaboration, creativity, friendship, and excellent people!"

Pours golden yellow with a mostly transparent body, but some haze. I got a healthy 2-3 fingers of pure white head.

The aroma is clean and herbaceous with green tea and mint at the front of the line. A grassy, mossy, earthy aroma is starting to dominate, but there is enough room left for a small bit of melon.

Interestingly, a juice extract was the first thing I got on the taste despite the fact that there was no trace of it on the aroma. Immediately following was a huge pop of bitterness, but on a dime, it switches back to the familiar earthy notes from the aroma. Notes of wet moss and dirt with moments of pine and sap are like a forest after a rain storm. I get some more fruity notes, but it is sweet citrus like blood oranges and tangerines. The finish is rather malty, but pleasant with more grassy flavors.

Mouthfeel is full and relatively calm. Carbonation is low, but the beer isn't flat. The abv is hidden and this drinks easily. Some residual matliness is left behind, but it isn't too bad.

Special Delivery was a great example of a wet hop ale. Lots of earthy notes with a strong malt presence didn't deter the drinkability and it had some good complexity for the style. A good collaboration.

Rating
8.0/10

Castle Island Hi-Def

The Stats
Style: Imperial IPA
ABV: 8.4%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.26/5
- Untappd: 4.09/5
- RateBeer: N/A

"Emanating from the tanks with a juicy burst of tropical hops, Hi-Def hits with huge flavors of fresh melon, papaya, and tangerine. A touch of honey malt and heaping doses of Citra, Mosaic, and Idaho 7 keep this year-round crusher beautifully balanced for a seriously smooth sip."

Pours dark orange in color with a mostly hazy body and about a finger of off-white head.

Lots of pine and sweet honey on the aroma. Dank, wet hops, fresh cedar and some spice are all prevalent. Tangerine and clementine add some fruity notes.

The taste is clean, but packed with flavor. Pure, dank, hop juice is overflowing and it is matched pound for pound by pine, mint, and tea leaves. A solid smack of spices and black pepper goes well with the herbal notes, but then there's also a spoonful of honey to help the medicine go down. Some apricot and mango are present, but not too big, and I get some strawberry and clementine to go along with a good malty presence. To me, the Idaho 7 is dominating, but I am into it.

Mouthfeel is medium and full-bodied. There's no trace of that 8.4% and I am finding this very drinkable.

Hi-Def is a wonderful addition to Castle Island's year-round lineup. It's a clean, dank, juicy, herbal DIPA that may get lost in the sea of hazy juice nukes in Massachusetts, but this DIPA offers a different flavor profile than what you might be used to while being flavorful and drinkable. Definitely check it out.

Rating
8.7/10

Castle Island Chuck

The Stats
Style: Cream Ale
ABV: 4.8%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 3.7/5
- RateBeer: N/A
- Untappd: 3.71/5

"Named in honor of the mighty Charles River, Chuck pays homage to the iconic Boston landmark by giving new life to a classic cream ale. Brewed with wheat and a touch of flaked maize, Chuck turns to peachy, piney hops for a big burst of fruity flavor, putting a new spin on this timeless style."

Pours golden yellow with a mostly transparent body (a bit of haze). The pour produced a finger of fizzy white head not unlike soda, and it disappeared almost instantly.

Pilsner malt aroma with corn and wheat. There's maybe a touch of cedar and then some doughy malts.

All my previous reviews of Cream Ales have been either imperial versions, flavored with coffee, or barrel-aged. This marks the first standalone Cream Ale (the closest to one, anyway) and it's pretty much what I expected and nothing much more.

The overall taste is similar to generic adjunct lagers (while this is not a lager), but the maize provides a moderate kick of sweetness which combines with the wheat for a sweet, cereal taste. The dry-hopping does actually lend some notes of citrus and lemon with more of the subtle cedar I picked up on the aroma. It's not a hoppy per se, but the hops are definitely noticeable. As it heads towards the back end, more of that wheat character tends to cut to the front of the line, but there is some room for more sweetness and a pinch of strawberry.

Mouthfeel is light and full of carbonation. It finishes clean on each sip, but the body itself, while calm, doesn't have much texture to grab on to. It is thin for the most part, but is on the verge of being watered down. Still, drinkability, thanks to the body and subtle fruity hop notes, is high.

Chuck avoided being lost in a sea of generic Cream Ales with its dry hopping that produced noticeable fruity notes and subtle hop bite. While still slightly ahead of the pack, this one still didn't do enough to distance itself enough in order to be special. It's perfectly suitable for the style and pretty much accomplished what it set out to do.

Rating
6.8/10

Castle Island TBD (Aged on Chipotle)

The Stats
Style: American Stout
ABV: 7.2%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: N/A
- RateBeer: N/A

"Ever since our first batch of TBD (our first batch ever), this hop-forward, roasty, sumptuous stout has enjoyed both a cult-like following and utter confusion over its name and nature. Now it’s back, bigger and bolder than before, and we’re sticking with the name, because you told us we weren’t allowed to change it."

Pours pitch black for the most part, but has some ruby red highlights on the edges with less than a finger of khaki-colored head.

The aroma has nice coffee and an underlying dark chocolate note. The pepper is subtle with pepper skin faintly noticeable in the background.

The taste has a good malt base without being to sweet or cloying. I must say the pepper skin is also quite prominent without bringing too much heat. Interestingly enough, a nice hop bitterness punches through and leaves a residual dank flavor. Not sure if its the bitterness of the hops plus the chipotle, but I'm picking some fresh mint and green tea. There's not too much in terms of a natural coffee or chocolate taste, but the matly, roasted, hoppy base stout is doing just fine here.

Mouthfeel is full-bodied. It doesn't have a lot of those mouth-coating qualities, but it does only clock in at 7.2%. The peppers can leave a tingling sensation if you have a lot in a short amount of time, but it passes quickly. Even those who can't handle even marginally spicy foods (like me), shouldn't have an issue here.

Chipotle TBD was fun to drink. It was a nice twist to put on their standard TBD stout and I'd like to see even more variations in the future. It is a uniquely hoppy stout on its own and the heat from the peppers adds more complexity. The heat isn't unbearable, so if that's what's holding you back from trying this, then there's no need to worry.

Rating
7.9/10

The Top 10 Beers of 2016

It's time for the 3rd installment of the Top 10 Beers list and 2016 was a pretty darn good year (pardon my French).

Admittedly, I did not review as many beers as I wanted, but I guess my resolution for 2017 would be to buckle down and produce more content. In spite of that, I still have put together a top-notch Top 10 and have had fun going back and reminiscing about so many good beers.

As with the years past, I did set some parameters for compiling this list...

• The beer had to be reviewed on the blog in 2016. If I had it at a bar, a bottle share, fest, etc, then it doesn't qualify.
• No re-reviews. I typically don't re-review beers, but sometimes an occasion calls for it. So sorry, Trillium Headroom, you do not qualify for the list.
• Multiple beers from one brewery are allowed. Frankly, if the brewery makes that many good beers (in my opinion) then I'm not going to fault them for it.

 As with last year, I will do Class-B categories before counting down the 10 best of the year. Thank you for your continued support and I hope to entertain you more in 2017.

Let's Go!

Most Disappointing Beers of 2016

Like last year, the following entries weren't necessarily bad, but to me, they fell below my expectations. We won't get into a philosophical argument over whether or not I (or anyone else) am entitled to expect nothing less than a great beer, but we all have those moments where you buy a beer and say "Oh, this sounds good", but then it doesn't knock your socks off. Again, not bad, but not what I personally expected.

3. Other Half 2nd Anniversary IPA

Other Half Brewing and I don't have a solid relationship. I have found almost all of their offerings to be middle-of-the-road, but I have remained hopeful. When I landed a can of their 2nd Anniversary IPA way back in February, I was hoping this would be the one to change my mind, but it didn't.

Like most of the others I have tried, this had a strong West Coast taste that leaned heavily on spicy, onion hops. The East Coast has built a reputation for hazy, juice bombs, but Other Half doesn't follow that lead. Granted, there's nothing wrong with trying to pay homage to classic West coast IPA's, but OH doesn't seem to please either side of the country.


2. Kern River Citra

 I got serious about craft beer about five years ago and one of the most sought-after DIPA's on the planet was Kern River Citra. I may be remembering this incorrectly, but back then (2012), this was a Top 10 beer on Beer Advocate (if not that, then a Top 20). Today the rating still holds steady thanks to years of high scores, but in a world today where everyone is producing hazy juice nukes, this West Coast offering doesn't stand out.

Those classic garlic and onion notes dominate throughout. I think with this all Citra DIPA, I was expecting pure juice, but this stayed true to its roots, which caught me off guard. It wasn't a bad beer, but its reputation preceded itself.

1. Lawson's Finest Liquids Double Sunshine

Now here's one I did not like (but not enough to get on the "Worst of" list).

I had this beer for the first time years and years ago and loved it...LOVED it. It was years ahead of a lot of the current Massachusetts breweries that have defined the typical "New England IPA". When I got my latest bottle this year, I was severely let down.

Gone were the tropical fruits and instead they were replaced with an odd assortment of butterscotch and burnt popcorn to go with dirty, grassy hops. The bottle I got was only a couple of weeks old, so freshness was not the issue. I don't know if the recipe had changed or something, but this was not the beer I once loved. It cost an arm and a leg to trade for, but I think I would have given them my other appendages (including "Death Proof") to take it back.

The Worst Beers of 2016

I've said it before, but I usually don't go out of my way to purposely review "bad" beers. I buy what I want and hope for the best with each beer review. Sadly, not everything goes as planned.

3. Ballast Point Pineapple Sculpin

I love me the standard Sculpin (though I've never reviewed it). The variations out there on the market are all okay for the most part. I enjoy the Grapefruit Sculpin, and the Habanero, while not my ideal flavor, was okay. Pineapple on the other hand was a different story.

As opposed to the others, this one tasted particularly artificial. More reminiscent of a pineapple shandy with a metallic aftertaste, Pineapple Sculpin was easily the least favorite of the series.



2. Samuel Adams Nitro White Ale

Earlier this year, Sam Adams released a series of Nitro beers. I reviewed all three and found their Coffee Stout to be a decent offering, but the other two were nearly undrinkable.

The Nitro White, while bad, still had touches of familiar macro brews like Miller Lite, which still helped the beer maintain some form of drinkability. This one at least started off with subtle (VERY subtle) orange and lemon, but they still disappeared in a flash. This was basically Nitro Same Summer, and that's not something I'd dive back into.


1. Samuel Adams Nitro IPA

As opposed to it's Nitro White brother, the Nitro IPA had no redeeming qualities.

I think a forest fire had burned inside the can because the taste was heavy on roasted everything. Caramelized malts, wet tree bark, metal, and dirty dishwater were the best adjectives I could bestow upon this.

Leave it to Sam Adam to try and get in on a trend and just produce something most people don't want to drink.

Honorable Mentions

Compiling these lists is never easy and some unfortunate (but deserving) souls must be left behind. So, here are a few that JUST missed the cut for the Top 10 list.

3. Trillium Double Dry Hopped Scaled

Trillium seems to be a sure bet to produce a fantastic IPA and this was no different.

A one-two punch of El Dorado (a personal favorite) and Citra hops made for an explosion of peaches, oranges, sherbet, and even some dank hops. Trillium likes to put out DDH versions of all their IPA's and it wouldn't suck if they brewed this one more often.

2. Monkish Relax Your Mind

If you're heavy into the craft beer world, then you know Monkish has become as sought-after as Tree House beers. I was lucky enough to get a variety of Monkish beers in a trade, and they did not let me down.

Relax Your Mind was a near perfect combo of both juice and hop nuke with tropical goodness and hop flavors joining forces to combat evil. The creamy mouthfeel and familiar milkshake appearance were all gravy on this mound of mashed potatoes. I really hope I get to try more Monkish beers in 2017.


1. Bissell Brothers Swish

Much like the previously mentioned Relax Your Mind, BB Swish was another sublime combo of dankness and tropical fruits.

Swish is hard to come by in trade. As a MA resident, anything I usually have to trade is something that people from Maine buying the Swish have already had. So, I personally had to make the trip up North to wait in line and get this. It was actually a nice time talking beer with the other people and in the end I got a world class DIPA.

So, does that mean that personal touch elevated this above the Monkish beer? Maybe so, but those intangibles are what push it over the edge.

Now for the big show...

No, not that one!

As you read over the Top 10 list, you may find that they aren't necessarily ranked by overall rating. Beer A might be rated lower than Beer B, but Beer A is ranked higher on the list. When I went back and looked through all of my reviews, I had to not only take into account rating, but also whether or not the beer was memorable. Scrolling through page after page, some beers had me going "Oh, that one was good" and other outbursts of joy. So while some beers may have scored higher at the time, the lasting impression they left on me was also a huge factor. But hey, they were all great and that's why we're here.

Now here is what we've all been waiting for...The Top 10 Best Beers of 2016. Thank you for visiting the blog, the Facebook page, Instagram, Twitter, and Untappd and showing your support (FYI...please like and share all of these!). Here's to a 2017 full of great beer. Cheers!

10. Small Town Not Your Father's Root Beer (10.7%)

Ok, Ok, Ok, OKAY!!!! I can hear all of you screaming at your computer screens right now. What would a good list be without a little controversy? Yes, I get it. It's not technically a beer, but you need to hear me out.

While NYFRB isn't a beer in  your typical sense and might as well be lumped in with your Smirnoff Ice and Twisted Tea, the fact is I can't deny how delicious this really is.

I've ranted about this before, but in short, everyone loved NYFRB before it hit nation-wide distribution. Only when you were able to find it at every store that sold PBR, people revolted. Well, motherf***ers, I don't care because the 10.7% bigger brother is an accomplishment. With such a high gravity beverage being able to make the alcohol smell and taste and tasting exactly like god damn root beer, this was as pleasant to drink as it was impressively made. You can lie to yourself when you say you don't like the series, but I know the truth.

9. Cigar City Hunahpu

It seems like everyone is getting on this Mexican Hot Chocolate or Mole craze. Chances are, even the casual consumer has come across a stout on their local shelves that was brewed with chili peppers, cinnamon, vanilla, and cacao. Hunahpu was one of the first and it has not gone out of style just yet.

I used to never like the style, but this vintage was delicious in all aspects. Hot chocolate, fudge, cinnamon, and a lot of chili flavor (without the heat) all blended perfectly to add a kick in the pants to an already superb imperial stout.

It's hyped for a reason. If only I could get my hands on the barrel aged variants.

8. Carton Regular Coffee

I'll be the first to admit that I am in no way, shape, or form an expert on beer. When it comes to Cream Ales, I am even more clueless as it is not a particular type of beer that I have regularly had in my fridge. When it comes to the Cream Ales, Carton Brewing seems to have dialed it in and Regular Coffee is easily the best I've had of the style.

While not only a great coffee beer, this also had unexpected notes of vanilla, cream, and chocolate to make for a complex offering from a style not known for its world class library. At an unbelievable 12%, this is dangerously drinkable and it's really just a fun beer to experience.

7. Trillium Double Dry Hopped Congress Street

Congress St is already a Galaxy hop overload and one my favorite Trillium IPA's. The DDH version is beloved by fans and tends to sell out quickly. So quickly in fact that the most recent release last month saw Trillium put a limit on 4-packs just to make sure they could spread it around and frankly, I can see the hype.

I keep saying that I prefer my IPA's to have a balance between the tropical juices and dank hops. Some of the other beers mentioned had that great combo, but DDH did it slightly better with the marriage of pure hop juice and wave after wave of peaches, lemons, apricots, and grapefruit. It truly is one of the best uses of Galaxy hops that I have ever experienced.

6. Barrel House Z Sunny & 79 (Tequila Barrel Aged)

Pilsner? Barely knew her!

Still here? Thank you.

Have I ever reviewed a pilsner before this? I'm too lazy to check, but my gut feeling is a big, fat no. BHZ is a new brewery to Massachusetts and they barrel age everything. A truly unique operation, but I don't think I could have expected to be blown away by their very first offering.

A pilsner aged in tequila barrels? Yes, it works, and does so masterfully. The crisp pilsner base followed by some awesome lime, salt, and oak from the barrel, but without any heat, made for a truly memorable beer. I actually pounded two full crowlers in one night it was so good. I paid for it the next morning at work, but it was worth it.

5. Stone Enjoy By Unfiltered 2/14/16

I think I say this every year, but I'm not a big fan of Stone IPA's. Their generic West Coast style has been a constant in their hoppy beers and I didn't think I'd see them attempt to change. Now with the "New England IPA" taking the country by storm, even Stone had to give it a shot by releasing an unfiltered version of their Enjoy By series. Again, I was not a big fan of that series and couldn't expect leaving the beer unfiltered to have that big of an effect. I was pleasantly disappointed.

Tangerines and peaches swimming in pure hop juice made for an orgasm in a glass (which I'll never try again). Some nice dank qualities and incredible drinkability for a near Triple IPA, and this was easily my favorite IPA made by Stone.

4. Alchemist Heady Topper

As I said in my review: What else needs to be said about Heady Topper?

A can full of hop juice, pine needles, grapefruit, and it's all encased in this wonderful bitter, dank quality. So many IPA's try to be either juice bombs or hop bombs, but Heady is an example of perfectly balancing out the two worlds. It's influence on the beer scene is undeniable and it still holds up to every new brewery that tries to imitate it.




3. Fremont Bourbon Barrel Aged Dark Star

Easily the best BA Imperial Stout I had in 2016, Fremont BA Dark Star had everything you know and love about the style, but was also ahead of the competition.

Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, oak, vanilla, marshmallow, creme brulee, and the list goes on and on. Barrel complexity plus all of the dessert-like flavors made for a massive sipper that was a pleasure to imbibe on for hours and hours.

I recently reviewed the coffee version, but the straight BA Dark Star wins out big time and does so without needing any further flavors.


2. Tree House Very Hazy

I celebrated my birthday in 2016 with a trip to Tree House Brewing. Standing outside in line in the cold, February winter, I think the world imploded into itself when the employees announced that Very Hazy would be on the menu. I guess I was just in the right place at the right time to enjoy what is considered one of the best beers on the planet.

Taking the original Haze and cranking everything up 12 notches, Very Hazy is essentially a glass of orange juice and sherbet with a perfect bitter hop finish and no resinous aftertaste. Everything from the look, aroma, and taste was almost worthy of perfection. I'm not one to buy into hype, but one sip in and I understood why it had the reputation it did.

1. Castle Island Swipe Ripe

You can call it a homer pick all you want, but to that I will kindly say "Merry Christmas to all and to all shut the f**k up".

Beer trends come and go and 2016 saw an emergence of IPA's aged on or brewed with fruit. Seriously, I don't think a week goes by where you won't see a brewery's Facebook post that says something along the lines of: "Brewed with Galaxy, Citra (etc)...and a heapin' shitload of peaches, mangoes, apricots, etc etc etc" Instead of letting the hops do their work, we are seeing so many IPA's infused with tropical or stone fruits. A lot of the time the beer ends up more of a shandy than an IPA, but holy crap, when a beer comes along that uses the fruit to enhance rather than overpower, then you have found a gem. Swipe Ripe did it the best in 2016, and may stand alone for the foreseeable future.

One of my biggest factors in a great beer is: Would I buy it again? In this case, I bought my 4-pack, destroyed it, and went back to the brewery on three different occasions to get more. The sheer amount of apricots in this can was ludicrous, but not to be outdone, the overload of juicy and dank hops just added to the complexity. Swipe Ripe was part of Castle Island's rotating Imperial IPA series which produced so many complex DIPA's, but swipe Ripe was the clear winner for me not just for Castle Island beers, but for the best beer of 2016.

See you next time. Thank you for your support.

Memory Lane

2014 Top 10
2015 Top 10

Castle Island Palmside

The Stats
Style: American Porter
ABV: 6.4%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 3.96/5
- RateBeer: N/A

"Smooth and silky with an uplifting coconut blast, Palmside is a tropical riff on our favorite porter recipe. We blend seven specialty malts for a rich, roasty backbone, then layer in loads of toasted coconut for a fragrant sweetness to keep it balanced. So find yourself some shade, kick those feet up, and go nuts."

The pour is pitch black for the most part except for hints of glowing, ruby red on the sides. There was a little less than a finger of khaki/almond-colored head.

The coconut is bold, but not overpowering. Then there are notes of rich chocolate, vanilla, and iced coffee.

Toasted coconut up front. Like the aroma, it is flavorful, but not overdone. Surprisingly, the black coffee flavor shares just as much time (probably more) with the coconut, almost as if the base porter still holds center stage despite the abundance of coconut in this beer. The good news is that the base porter is also excellent, so this isn't a big issue with me. The second half is actually all dark roast coffee/burnt coffee grounds, which again points to the base porter recipe being what you taste first and foremost. It isn't too bitter and it drinks more like cold-brewed iced coffee. I wish there was a bigger coconut component to this, but seems to go away after the initial burst at the start.

Mouthfeel seems relatively standard for a 6.4% porter. It's calm, but doesn't leave a lasting, coating feeling. That burnt coffee leaves an aftertaste, but nothing too extreme.

In the world of coconut porters & stouts, Palmside is a solid entry. If this was featured in my Coconut Porter Versus, then I would have ranked it between the Maui Coconut Porter and the Baxter Window Seat. As I said before, I wish coconut was more present throughout in order to create a great dessert beer, but the coconut was more for accenting the base recipe instead of being the star. A solid porter that needed a larger emphasis on the showcased ingredient.

Raitng
8.2/10

Castle Island Swipe Ripe

The Stats
Style: Imperial IPA
ABV: 9%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.65/5
- RateBeer: N/A

"Amarillo, Citra, Mosaic, and apricot puree: It's a match! This massive Double IPA blends all four for a gigantic burst of juicy flavors with the soft texture of ripe fruit. You don't have to share, but it's bound to be a whole lot more fun if you do. Like what you see? Swipe Ripe."

Pours a completely hazy, sunset orange. You can't see a thing through this beer. The pour produced over a finger of white head.

Orange rind and apricot pit dominate the aroma. Fresh hop bitterness and doughy malts are here too.

Somebody call Harry S. Truman because I think Castle Island just dropped a Juice Nuke on me. To quote Inspector Gadget: Wowsers! The sheer amount of apricot influence in this is borderline insane and reminds me of Trillium's Hundred Thousand Trillion. The great part though is that while the apricot puree casts a shadow over the entire beer, the sheer amount of hops contribute just as much to make a nearly perfect tasting experience.

Obviously the first thing you'll notice is apricot juice up front, but if you hold it, then a dank hop character shares the stage. The hop lineup has you anticipating juice bomb before you take a sip, and boy does it deliver what it advertised. Massive orange juice and pineapple provide a break from the apricots, but Mosaic comes in and blindsides you with some cedar, wood, and a touch of spicy black pepper. An overall dessert-like sherbet flavor is here throughout. The transition is borderline orgasmic as apricots part like the red sea to reveal a delicious, dank, weed-like taste which lets the hop bitterness shine. On the finish we go back to more of a glass of fresh-squeezed juice with some grapefruit acidity and more apricots and orange. This is just awesome.

Mouthfeel is full and soft. The 9% abv listed on the can must be a mistake because this drinks far easier than a DIPA bordering on a Triple IPA. At no point is this too thick or syrupy and it feels more like a standard, single IPA rather than an Imperial. Without knowing it, you could gulp this down no problem. Drinkability is higher than high, but the 9% will make you slow down even though it is so hard to do so.

Swipe Ripe is not only Castle Island's best beer by far, but in a state with so many breweries topping the "Best of" lists with their IPA's, Swipe Ripe deserves to not only be in that same company, but it surpasses many of them. The big guns around the state are usually Tree House and Trillium, but this offering from Castle Island is right up there and beyond a lot of what they have to offer. It's a nearly flawless combination of juicy and dank IPA's and has insane drinkability. I really, REALLY hope they bring this brewery exclusive back again because (and I don't ever say this lightly) this is one of the best IPA's I have ever had.

Rating
9.5/10

Castle Island Juice Patrol

The Stats
Style: American Pale Ale
ABV: 7%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 3.89/5
- RateBeer: 3.45/5 (two ratings)

"Packing an all-star combo of hops, including Columbus, Cascade, and Centennial, Juice Patrol is a style-pushing pale ale with a gigantic citrus nose and a sumptuous texture. Ripe for the picking, enjoy this succulent hop bomb straight out of the can"

I didn't enjoy this out of the can. Sorry, I'm not sorry.

Pours a hazy dark orange with a finger of white head.

Lots of acidity and spice on the nose with pine and orange candy.

I don't know about the name "Juice Patrol" because this is actually a spice bomb. The overall feeling is oily spices and black pepper. The bitterness can't be ignored as it has an amazing amount of bite for a 7% pale ale. It's actually impressive for the style and feels more like a standard IPA. The pine is back from the aroma, but with more of a tree bark and sap character, which, while complex, isn't the smoothest ride on the planet. I think they were going for more citrus juice in the name "Juice Patrol", but it's hidden so far in back, that it's barely worth mentioning. As this warms though, I do detect some grapefruit, but I think that accounts for some of the acidity as well.

Mouthfeel is more like a standard IPA, but that's no surprise since this a 7% pale ale, so the body is right given the circumstances. A lot of the flavors wouldn't go well for a hot day, but they are still good in their own right, and if you dig the hop varieties used, then this will be easy to go through.

I expected something different with a name like "Juice Patrol", but the end result was still satisfying. While not the citrus nuke I was hoping for, the Cascade and Centennial still provided a good variety of flavors that made for an incredibly bitter and spicy pale ale.

Rating
7.5/10

Castle Island Big Ern

The Stats
Style: Imperial IPA
ABV: 8.5%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.39/5
- RateBeer: 3.58/5 (4 ratings)

No commercial description available on this one. Big Ern is a Double IPA from Castle Island Brewing out of Norwood, MA. You can find a lot of their stuff at local stores, but this was a brewery-only exclusive and their biggest beer to date brewed with Citra, Mosaic, and Columbus hops.

Pours a transparent dark orange with less than a finger of white head.

Acidic grapefruit and dank qualities on the nose with candied orange and subtle black pepper.

A small thud of bitterness on the front of the tongue. Some more orange on the taste too, but not candied like the aroma. It's more of a sherbet or creme flavor which I am really into. It transitions to a small amount of pine and a lot of dankness on the second half. Malts are sweet and very much present throughout from start to finish. The finish takes a unique turn with more of that pine and dank qualities which seems like a weed-covered pine tree air freshener. That's possibly the weirdest simile I've ever written, but I'll challenge anyone to tell me otherwise.

Mouthfeel is full-bodied. Considering it's an 8.5% DIPA, it isn't thick or syrupy. It feels like the big beer it should be, but doesn't have any alcohol or warming at any stage. It feels calm in the mouth with the right amount of carbonation.

When a beer is named after one of the best Bill Murray characters of all time, it better deliver. Castle Island has succeeded in that aspect with a big boy of a DIPA while retaining high drinkability and flavor. It's not your typical New England juice nuke, but it does have more balance between the juice and hops as opposed to others. Definitely worth a look if you have access.

Rating
8.9/10