For this #beersaturday I have a new beer to review (its an IPA), along with an oldie but a goodie (Guinness) and just for fun as a bonus I've added in a fancy purple Gin drink. Let's get to it!
Lone Pine West Coast IPA
Brewery: Sawdust City Brewing Company Origin: Gravenhurst, ON Canada Style: West coast style IPA Abv: 6.5 IBU: 65 SRM: 11 O.G: 14.4P / F.G: 2.5P Hops: Summit, Simcoe, Columbus Chinook.
Marketing: The beer comes in a Cream colored can with orange and forest green accents. Orange specks add texture to the overall design and kind of remind me of terrazzo tiles in a way. A simple cliff and tree on the water image for decoration create some interest.
There is a long blurb on the back, as well as a lot of additional information about the beer on the side which is always a plus. Overall I like the design and think that its has a West Coast vibe to it which is very fitting. I think of California when I look at it, even though I've never actually been there.
Color: The beer poured a bright yellow straw color with a decent head that left some lacing on the glass. The liquid was very clear without even a hint of haziness.
EDIT: I poured this one in two batches because I used a small glass and on the second pour there was quite a lot of haziness in the beer. So maybe this one is unfiltered.
Nose: Very fruity in the nose with strong notes of pineapple, grapefruit and maybe some pine needles in the background. Very nice aroma overall. Smells fresh to me.
Taste: Big punch of flavor for me in this one. Predominantly bitter but some sweetness in the begining and a distinct tartness as well. Tart and bitter for me. I got a lot fruity flavors like pineapple and possibly bubble gum??
Texture: Nice carbonation, strong angry bubbles, and a smooth silky mouthfeel underneath. Pleasant.
Impression: I don't normally drink IPAs and haven't tried many of them but this one was pretty good to me. It had a lot of flavor and it tasted fresh and crisp. It also had a tropical quality about it that I often get when I do drink the odd IPA. Overall I might actually buy this one again.
Guinness Draught
Origin: Ireland Style: Irish Nitro Stout Abv: 4.2% IBU: Unknown SRM: Unknown
Guinness doesn't need an in depth description in my opinion. Its common enough that I think many people have a general sense of it.
For me, I would describe it simply as a beer with roasted notes, a slightly sour taste and a watery mouthfeel. Its like the O.G. of nitro beers. Its a "starter stout" for those wanting to give a dark beer a try.
Its not my favorite stout beer, or my "go to," but I do like it overall.
I usually buy Guinness when I'm out at a restaurant and there is nothing local or craft being served, only premium domestic beers on tap.
In this case I bought it because the beer store was limited this week and nothing was appealing or stood out to me. I knew what I was getting into with this one.
Empress Gin and Tonic
Liquor: Empress 1908 Indigo Gin Distillery: Victoria Distllery Origin: Sidney BC Canada Abv: 42.5% Ingredients: Eight Botanicals including Pea Blossom.
Purple Gin is all the rage. Pink as well I think. Maybe its just colored liquor in general? This one is produced in Canada and states that its all natural including the color, which I believe comes from Pea Blossoms.
My wife drinks gin with tonic. I had a sip and liked it but I didn't analyze it enough to do a proper review. I'm not a Gin aficionado so I can't say how this one compares to others either. I mostly liked the look of the drink and wanted to show it off. It looks nice don't you think? The only thing missing is a garnish of some sort. I'm thinking even just a mint leaf would do it, to contrast the purple and make it really pop. It was served in a ribbed glass with gold rim and the color was certainly eye catching. What do you think? Does it look refreshing?
