Hell or High Watermelon!

Last night on my beer run, Cohen, my beer analysis buddy and I decided we wanted to try something new. My first choice of beer purchasing is to always look for Oregon beer, however we went to Fred Meyer by our place on Burnside which we've already pretty much "experienced" all their Oregon craft beer, so we settled on 21st Amendment Hell or High Watermelon Wheat which began brewing in San Francisco's historic South Park neighborhood.

Upon first sip we couldn't tell much difference between this and PBR. It's rather light as a summer beer should. The Watermelon “burst” lasted only a second but the entire beer was just watered down mostly. After a while and wanting to experience SOMETHING there was a lot of loaded flavor at first but then just watery and no after taste and I'm ALL about after taste and lingering sensations. The beer is sold in a can and has no robust smell other than aluminum. I do like that it's not too fruity as I do not enjoy fruity beers it's definitely more on the wheat side but seems more like a lager. In small sips you get some mild flavor but the bigger the glup the more diulted it is. No strong flavor and it goes away instantly.

All in all a disappointment, will be used as a "later beer" - start off with your better mirco beer first then when you want to keep drinking move onto this one.

21st Amendment: cool Brewery name cause it represents the reappeal of prohibition but to repeal it with this?! Hmmm...

Today's Beer: Dogfish head 90 minute Imperial IPA

I recently took a trip to Colorado to visit my friend, Stewart. We love beer. We love hops. We would someday love to create our own hoppy beers. Now, living in Portland, OR I feel incredibly lucky to live in "Beervana," "Brewtopia," etc. where we quietly pride ourselves on many things (coffee, wine, art, food) and one of them, B.E.E.R. and Cascade hops. My eyes have opened and palette enlightened by the many varieties of the hoppy ales especially IPA's. I can respect a brew from Colorado, they have some great micros, we went to New Belgium and I feel fortunate to sip IPA's from Fort Collin's Brewing, Great Divide Brewing Co. and a variety of brews from Coopersmith's Brewing Co including an interesting Green Chili beer... So that being said, my beer review is from Milton, Delaware. HaHa! Now Stewart is one to appreciate the finer IPA's in life and ranted and raved about Dogfish Head Imperial IPA. He bragged about how it's the best IPA he's ever had, mmmk I'll try it:

(an insert from my Mac blog)

Dogfish Head - 90 minute Imperial IPA 9% Smooth, creamy, nice light(er) hop balance with alcohol. $10+ for 4 pack - not worth it if you live in Portland, recommended to drink on the slightly warmer side/don’t drink cold in a frosty glass you get a lot of aroma and more flavor, nice floral hop yet smooth cream scent; the best thing about this beer is the creaminess and after taste of citrus, not very at all bitter - maybe a pinch of bitterness in the aftertaste. Once it’s in your mouth you taste a hint of sweetness then after you swallow you finally get the bitter pinch, when I say sweet I mean not the annoying sweet I don’t like. Nice balance of malt and hop, more on the malty side, a cute big beer, high alcohol yet doesn't have the alcoholy flavor, sort of piney as well.

All in all a great balanced beer, I can see from the general public perspective that purchase a Blue Moon, Pyramid or Sierra Nevada for a "special" night of fancy beer this to be a Godsend, I say you people, come to Oregon, you'll find what real beer actually is you're heart will melt, your mouth will love you, your body will thank you, your taste in anything good will be broadened...ahh *sigh* Oregon brewers got it right. Sadly this beer can be "Totally Dominated" by any mirco brew here in the state. Here are a few that can compare according to another fellow blogger, Matt: Compare to Laurelwood, Bridgeport, Hair of the Dog, Burnside IPA, and Paulaner Wheat (German) per Cohen.