Work/Life Balance

There are some days when going offline early are necessary. Today is one of those days... and it was worth it. Biggest reason why? Wii Golf and brewskis.

To round out the weekend that just past, I gotta tell you about the two brews I had first. The one I had never heard of before, actually was recommended to my at the LHBS, and it was the Brew Dog Hardcore IPA; An imperial IPA from these guys over in the UK. After checking out what they were all about, I realized they were exactly what I want to be. Two guys, 24 years old starting out, and in 3-4 short years later they are leading the way of on the edge brews. They actually made a 32% brew called Tactical Nuclear Penguin. Ridiculous, I know. Anyways this Hardcore IPA had a ton of fruity flavors, as well as a syrupy/alcohol flavor to go along with it. Definitely not a beer you can drink a 6-er of, but still great tasting.

Next up was the beer-before-I-passed-out Founder's Pale Ale. Listed as a dry hopped pale ale and "a testament to Cascade hops in a bottle." I'd be disappointed if I didn't get that Cascade hops flavor that was promised to me... and luckily I wasn't. Cascade hops are used in most of the homebrews that get cooked up in my place so I've gotten a pretty good handle on how it tastes and effects the beer. I think that this brew is an excellent choice for an everyday drinking beer. A go-to at the end of the day, that you can find on shelves every day of the year. Not too aggressive with its flavor or bitterness.... most people should like this one.

Now that I've gotten those two out of the way, I can mention the beer for today: the Left Hand 400 Pound Monkey. It's an English Style IPA and has a much more malty flavor than the American counterpart. The hops are there but not as prominent, as the caramel malt takes up the majority of the taste profile. I want to say that "I think I like this beer." It's definitely different, but I'm not sold that I will enjoy the sweet maltiness on a regular basis. I would order this up at a restaurant again, yet only have one most likely.

In general I've come to realize that Founder's is one of my preferred breweries. Hailing from Michigan, just like Bell's, is making me believe that if a beer comes from the Mitten State I am pretty much going to like it. Maybe its the water up there?

Left Hand Brewing Co.
400 Pound Monkey
India Pale Ale
7.0% abv
"Brewed on the banks of the mighty St. Vrain"