Ipswich IPA Ipswich IPApours an attractive, hazy, deep coppery-amber color with a big, pillowy off-white head that leaves good lacing. On the nose it offers up a rich caramel malt base that lends a somewhat cake-like quality, along with a generous dose of floral, herbal hops. Take a sip and the big malt profile cascades over the palate with a deep toastiness, a bready quality, caramel, and some fruity notes. All 60 IBUs are apparent here as the flavorful, resinous hops command your attention, but the full and satisfying malt backbone keeps this IPA quite balanced for the style. Smooth and medium-bodied, this brew goes down super easy. Excellent with spicy Pad Thai, or rosemary & garlic lamb. Serving Temperature: 45-50°F Alcohol by Volume: 6.5% Int’l Bittering Units (IBUs): 60 Suggested Glassware: Pint Glass or Mug Malts: Carapils, Cara 30-37, Roast Hops: Columbus, Cascade Wurzburger Hofbrau Wurzburger Pilsners are often not given enough respect because of the horrendously cheap imitations that have spread throughout the world like some kind of plague of poor taste. The Wurzburger Pilsner, however, is an example of exactly how the style is supposed to be done. In fact, we feel this German-style pils (there are Czech-style pilsners as well) is a great example of why the style became so popular in the first place. On the pour, look for a somewhat hazy, sunny, light straw color with a big, fluffy white head. The aroma offers up a base of crackery and biscuity malts, but it’s the hops that really take center stage here and are a true delight, offering a lemony, floral, noble hop character with a slight herbal and vaguely minty impression. We found this pilsner very smooth, crisp, and bright on the palate with light bready malt notes overlaid by spicy hops which persist into the finish with an herbal note and light lemony acidity. Extremely well-balanced and eminently drinkable – enjoy! Serving Temperature: 40-45°F Alcohol by Volume: approx 5.0% Suggested Glassware: Pilsner Glass, Flute, Mug or Stein, Stange Kostritzer Schwarzbier Kostritzer SchwarzbierIf you think dark beers are all big and heavy, Kostritzer will challenge those notions. Not only is its level of alcohol relatively low at 4.8%, it is not a thick, chewy beer; in fact, a beer’s color actually has nothing to do with its body. Nor does this brew present a particularly bitter, overly-charred character. On the pour it certainly is dark, with some garnet flashes when held to the light, and a rich, creamy looking light brown head. But sample the aroma and notice how delicate the character. There are some chocolaty notes along with bread dough, and a lightly sweet creamy impression. There’s a hint of an almost lactic note which makes the chocolaty character seem more along the lines of milk chocolate than bitter dark chocolate, and additional impressions of leather, tobacco, and cola peak in and out of the malty background. While the hops are mild, they do offer a lightly spicy quality that brightens the aroma. On the palate, Kostritzer is light-to-medium in body, with a pleasantly clean and crisp character. Notes of brown bread are prominent, with an excellent roasted malt flavor than never comes across as acrid or gets out of hand, and a Tootsie Roll impression that appears on the mid palate as the beer warms. Finishes balanced with a toasted grain character and a nice light spicy hop note. Prost! Serving Temperature: 45-50°F Alcohol by Volume: 4.8% Suggested Glassware: Flute, Pilsner Glass, Mug or Stein Garde Dog Garde Dog is brewed in the French Biere de Garde “farmhouse ale” style, although, like most of Flying Dog’s beers, they’ve put their own spin on it. On the pour, Garde Dog offers a clear, golden, light-amber color with a generous fluffy head. Look for a distinct earthy quality to the aroma, which we were really quite fond of. There’s a slightly off-dry impression with some hints of underlying fruity esters tending toward apple, lemon, and apricot, with a floral and somewhat herbal hop note atop the soil-like earthiness. On the palate, this brew comes across very juicy, with the hop bitterness expansive across the palate but restrained in power, and there’s a spicy quality attributable to the Saaz hops and rye malt. We found it somewhat bready, as well, with a hint of tartness towards the end and a nice cereal grain note in the finish. Super clean and smooth drinking. Salut! Serving Temperature: 45-50°F Alcohol by Volume: 5.5% Int’l Bittering Units (IBUs): 27 Suggested Glassware: Tulip or Snifter Malts: 2-Row Pale, Rye Malt, Malted Wheat, Flaked Wheat, Biscuit Malt Hops: Perle, Saaz

February Beers of the Month Wurzburger Hofbrau Wurzburger Pilsners are often not given enough respect because of the horrendously cheap imitations that have spread throughout the world like some kind of plague of poor taste. The Wurzburger Pilsner, however, is an example of exactly how the style is supposed to be done. In fact, we feel this German-style pils (there are Czech-style pilsners as well) is a great example of why the style became so popular in the first place. On the pour, look for a somewhat hazy, sunny, light straw color with a big, fluffy white head. The aroma offers up a base of crackery and biscuity malts, but it’s the hops that really take center stage here and are a true delight, offering a lemony, floral, noble hop character with a slight herbal and vaguely minty impression. We found this pilsner very smooth, crisp, and bright on the palate with light bready malt notes overlaid by spicy hops which persist into the finish with an herbal note and light lemony acidity. Extremely well-balanced and eminently drinkable – enjoy! Serving Temperature: 40-45°F Alcohol by Volume: approx 5.0% Suggested Glassware: Pilsner Glass, Flute, Mug or Stein, Stange Kostritzer Schwarzbier Kostritzer SchwarzbierIf you think dark beers are all big and heavy, Kostritzer will challenge those notions. Not only is its level of alcohol relatively low at 4.8%, it is not a thick, chewy beer; in fact, a beer’s color actually has nothing to do with its body. Nor does this brew present a particularly bitter, overly-charred character. On the pour it certainly is dark, with some garnet flashes when held to the light, and a rich, creamy looking light brown head. But sample the aroma and notice how delicate the character. There are some chocolaty notes along with bread dough, and a lightly sweet creamy impression. There’s a hint of an almost lactic note which makes the chocolaty character seem more along the lines of milk chocolate than bitter dark chocolate, and additional impressions of leather, tobacco, and cola peak in and out of the malty background. While the hops are mild, they do offer a lightly spicy quality that brightens the aroma. On the palate, Kostritzer is light-to-medium in body, with a pleasantly clean and crisp character. Notes of brown bread are prominent, with an excellent roasted malt flavor than never comes across as acrid or gets out of hand, and a Tootsie Roll impression that appears on the mid palate as the beer warms. Finishes balanced with a toasted grain character and a nice light spicy hop note. Prost! Serving Temperature: 45-50°F Alcohol by Volume: 4.8% Suggested Glassware: Flute, Pilsner Glass, Mug or Stein Garde Dog Garde Dog is brewed in the French Biere de Garde “farmhouse ale” style, although, like most of Flying Dog’s beers, they’ve put their own spin on it. On the pour, Garde Dog offers a clear, golden, light-amber color with a generous fluffy head. Look for a distinct earthy quality to the aroma, which we were really quite fond of. There’s a slightly off-dry impression with some hints of underlying fruity esters tending toward apple, lemon, and apricot, with a floral and somewhat herbal hop note atop the soil-like earthiness. On the palate, this brew comes across very juicy, with the hop bitterness expansive across the palate but restrained in power, and there’s a spicy quality attributable to the Saaz hops and rye malt. We found it somewhat bready, as well, with a hint of tartness towards the end and a nice cereal grain note in the finish. Super clean and smooth drinking. Salut! Serving Temperature: 45-50°F Alcohol by Volume: 5.5% Int’l Bittering Units (IBUs): 27 Suggested Glassware: Tulip or Snifter Malts: 2-Row Pale, Rye Malt, Malted Wheat, Flaked Wheat, Biscuit Malt Hops: Perle, Saaz