Karbach Brewing Company, Houston, Texas:
` This dark orange beer is hopped with German Magnum, Chinook, Amarillo, Citra, Simcoe, and East Kent Goldings, and the malts are Two Row Pale, Medium Crystal, Dark Crystal, Munich, and Biscuit. With 65 IBUs, it's described as a Texas style IPA. It's okay, very bitter, but a bit too caramel-malty for me and with no standout hops taste. Yep, it's not really my cup of tea. I'm not sure what my Cousin David thought, as he had a can as well, but I have the feeling he felt like it was okay. I mean, I want him to be pleasantly elevated by a beer's taste, but we could move on to another choice. On the can it recommends pairing this with Thai food, bleu cheese, red curry, or a grilled steak.Hopadillo IPA (6.6% ABV -- reviewed 15 July 2024)
Kelham Island Brewing Company, Sheffield, South Yorkshire:
` This is basically just Pale Rider, even in a bottle, which I consider to be a pale comparison to Kelham Island's easier-on-the-legs but snappier Easy Rider.Pale Rider (5.2% ABV -- reviewed 1 January 2011)
` This seemed an appropriate beer for the day, as earlier my perfectly good functioning three-way printer/scanner/photocopier suddenly started to make horrible noises and stopped feeding the paper, apparently because of a tiny plastic part that had broken. I was also having problems with trans-Atlantic Zoom and WhatApp connections and other shit. But as it turned out, this beer being the first Kelham Island brew I’d had for a long time, it was zingily hoppily great! And at 4.3% I’d happily drink a couple of these as pints in a pub. Yum! It’s brewed with Centennial and Sultana hops and pale ale and oat malts. And it’s really good! Thanks, Kelham Island!Stop Telling Us What To Brew!!! Session Pale Ale (4.3% ABV -- reviewed 20 July 2021)
Kern River Brewing Company, Kernville, California:
` When I was visiting Bakersfield earlier this year, one Sunday afternoon my sister-in-law and I went to Ethel's Old Corral to see the Canyon River Band who were performing out on the back deck. When I went inside to buy us drinks, I was pleased to see they had a can of this beer, as the two of us had just been up to Lake Isabella, and we'd eaten lunch at the Kern River Brewing Company. Brewed with Saaz hops and with an easy malt background, it was pretty bland. But hey, it was better than a lager. The concert was magical, featuring an audience of classic old cowboys, African-American cowboys, Latino cowboys, Native American bikers, and assorted young people, all enjoying the music and dancing. Next time I'll probably stick to the Lagunitas IPA.Isabella Blonde (4.5% ABV -- reviewed 25 July 2023)
` When I was i Bakersfield in June, my sister-in-law and I drove out to Ethel's Old Corral to have catfish for dinner, and I accompanied my meal with a can of this. Dry hopped with Simcoe and Amarillo, this beer was really satisfying, definitely more of a hoppy experience than I expected to have at Ethel's Old Corral, which is basically a cowboy/trucker/biker hangout on the edge of Bakersfield. It was very piney, pale, and clear, like the treetops in the Pines, where the sunshine actually did shine, and I was definitely not “shiverin' the whole night through,” considering the terrain outside was hot and dusty with a view of oil derricks. Good job, Ethel!Just Outstanding IPA (6.8% ABV -- reviewed 15 July 2024)
Kirkstall Brewery, Kirkstall, Leeds, West Yorkshire:
` This beer comes in a very attractive can, black with a metallic blue William Morris/paisley sort of design. It’s a nice reward after another work week and feeling a bit more hopeful about the American elections. But what hops are in it? And why is it called Spokane? Is it because of the Eastern Washington State hops? So many questions as I sip it and enjoy it...Spokane West Coast IPA (6.0% ABV -- reviewed 23 November 2020)
` This is my second brew from Kirkstall, and the can is equally attractive in a sort of William Morris-meets-paisley kind of way, with green designs on a black background. I can’t figure out what the aromatic aspect is, but it certainly tastes nice and is easy to drink, which I preferred on this particular evening. It’s a delightfully peaceful beer.Virtuous Aromatic Session IPA (4.5% ABV -- reviewed 23 November 2020)
Kona Brewing Company, Honolulu, Hawaii:
` Brewed with Galaxy and Citra hops and Pale 2 Row Premium and Caramel 20 malts, this beer is very pleasant, and it’s hoppier than what I was expecting from a Hawaiian beer. I guess I’ve got a lot to learn about Hawaii, even though one of my favourite cousins has lived there for years. This Big Wave was the second can of beer I attempted to enjoy after sitting in our back garden on a cold lockdown day with a friend. Because we were allowed to socialise outside with a small distanced group, our friend Mike came down to have a couple of cans of beer and some nibbles with us. It was a good idea, and also the only 3D socialising we were allowed to do. But the fact that the temperature hadn’t reached much above zero degrees meant that it was quite uncomfortably freezing outside. I must admit it was very peaceful and quiet, but probably because all of the other people in the neighbourhood were being sensible and staying indoors where it was warm. Big Wave Golden Ale (4.5% ABV -- reviewed 20 July 2021)
Kuhnhenn Brewing Company, Warren, Michigan:
` This beer is made with Citra, Centennial, and Amarillo hops which have been added throughout the brewing process. It also features lots of grapefruit. Grapefruit itself has given me a terrible stomach for years, but fortunately the brewing process tends to denature everything bad about it. This is quite majestically great and reminds me a bit of Ballast Point’s Grapefruit Sculpin’ IPA. Hang ten, the sun has finally come out!Hop Smash Grapefruit IPA (7.4% ABV -- brewed in collaboration with Abbeydale Brewing Company, Sheffield -- reviewed 27 August 2020)
Lagunitas Brewery, Petaluma, California:
` One day after work I relaxed with a can of this offering from a favourite American brewery. The statement on top of the Lagunitas tin read "12 ounces of malt, hops, yeast, love, and vibe in a solution of dihydrogen oxide captured in an alumin-yum wrapper". This particular beer was named after the date "when the River Styx froze, when the final pig took flight, the last winged monkey departed the darkly fragrant netherlands, as wishes became horses and all the beggars rode, under a newly-blued moon at dawn on the very 12th of November the 2nd-to-last draft brewery in America pressed the green 'start' button on their canning line." It also said it was a hop-forward beer, pure, cold, and bitter. I did actually chill it first, in deference to a California craft beer in a can. And yum! I have to say it was extremely satisfying. "A strong statement of hops", said Andrew when he tasted it. "A mighty big beer." Put that on the label, Lagunitas!12th of Never Ale (5.5% ABV -- reviewed 20 October 2018)
` This beer is double dry hopped with Citra and Mosaic and is rated at 40 IBUs. I also had this in Bastrop, later as the evening wore on, and it was just as I expected: hoppily bitter and very yummy-zippy in flavour. But it was also quite strong on a day of overindulgence in general with cousins out in the countryside. yee-haw!The Beast of Both Worlds (8.0% ABV -- reviewed 15 July 2024)
` Brewed with Comet, Sabra, Citra, and Cashmere, this distinctly yellow brew is a bit too sweet for my taste. But the Cashmere lends an exotic perfume which is pleasant. The can is decorated with a dog with a black eye. I'm not sure who the dog is, but apparently Lagunitas is a very dog-friendly brewing company, so it must be one of their canine regulars. This was a nice beer break after a chaotic evening I spent with my friends in Westwood, California.Hazy Wonder IPA (6.0% ABV -- reviewed 4 July 2022)
Left Handed Giant Brewpub, Bristol:
` One day after work I relaxed with a can of this offering from a favourite American brewery. The statement on top of the Lagunitas tin read "12 ounces of malt, hops, yeast, love, and vibe in a solution of dihydrogen oxide captured in an alumin-yum wrapper". This particular beer was named after the date "when the River Styx froze, when the final pig took flight, the last winged monkey departed the darkly fragrant netherlands, as wishes became horses and all the beggars rode, under a newly-blued moon at dawn on the very 12th of November the 2nd-to-last draft brewery in America pressed the green 'start' button on their canning line." It also said it was a hop-forward beer, pure, cold, and bitter. I did actually chill it first, in deference to a California craft beer in a can. And yum! I have to say it was extremely satisfying. "A strong statement of hops", said Andrew when he tasted it. "A mighty big beer." Put that on the label, Lagunitas!Hidden Waterfall Sour IPA (6.5% ABV -- reviewed 19 November 2023)
` Brewed with Idaho 7, Amarillo, Simcoe, and Nectaron hops, with a cold addition of Citra Incognito and Cryo, this beer is described as offering a ripe, tropical spiciness, with flavours of passion fruit, melon, peach, black tea, and pine. There was an interesting graphic on the can which looked like a mosaic of rock layers, fossils, classical ruins, etc. I drank this on an extremely rare day spent home from work because of complete exhaustion caused by over-the-top stress and lack of sleep. But it ended up snowing, so I probably would have been sent home from work anyway. I wasn’t in the mood for snow right then, but at least it wasn’t raining, because we still had wet walls because of the neighbour’s faulty gutter. (Fortunately it’s finally been fixed.) Anyway, this is a comforting beer, a beer to soothe my intensely worried mind. There, there, now, JC, sip some of this, taste all the fruits and the trees, and everything will be all right.Living Labyrinth Hazy IPA (6.5% ABV -- reviewed 18 March 2024)
` This contains sour cherry and peach and is brewed with Extra Pale malt and Chateau White Wheat. The fruit has been soured overnight, and then the beer is lightly hopped with Simcoe leaf, and finally combined with the fruit. Wow, and I mean Wow. It had been a busy day for me, with my mind all over the place, and as I was writing my notes for this beer I was being talked to about a major earthquake and another beer, simultaneously. So it wasn’t exactly a relaxing beer, but it took me on a mini-holiday. Yep.Sacred Souvenir (6.5% ABV -- reviewed 18 March 2024)
Lengthwise Brewing Company, Bakersfield, California:
` I picked a six-pack of this up at the brewery in Bakersfield, as I'd just had a pint of it on draft. The can promises "hoppy goodness" and a bold hop aroma with citrus and pine flavours. It's dry hopped with Citra, Simcoe, Centennial, and Amarillo hops. Nice.Citra Simcoe Centennial Ale (6.5% ABV -- reviewed 4 July 2022)
` This yummy beer is hoppy, tropically juicy, and unfiltered, but the haziness gets a bit smoothie-tedious after a while.Hazy HCH West Coast Hazy Ale (7.0s% ABV -- reviewed 25 July 2023)
Liquid Light Brewing Company, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire:
` The list of hops includes Citra leaf hot side, Motueka T-90, Amarillo T-90, Ekuanot T-90, and Simcoe T-90. So just what are T-90 hops? Looking the term up online, I learned that they are hops pellets that are produced from kiln-dried, whole leaf hop cones which have been hammered into oblivion and formed into pellets, which for some reason makes me think back to when I was a girl feeding my pet hamsters and rats. The tasting notes suggest complex hops, stone fruit, berries and pine, which are just exactly what JC’s doctor ordered. I enjoyed this on a cold crisp clear night after Storm Christof decided to dump lots of rain on the British Isles, and more importantly, it was also on the first day of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris being President and Vice President of the USA. The beer is quite thickly hazy, but ooh, yes, that hops character, especially the tangy fruit and the pine resin. The aroma as I poured it out of the can into the glass produced an audible yem! from me, thick and chewy with a heavenly incense. The nice green can features sketchings of some sort of unicellular life, or perhaps a pattern of green leatherette for a handbag. Or maybe the design is supposed to suggest floating globs of green oil in a green ocean. Whatever it’s supposed to be, it’s green, and I like green. Anything red, green, or black is mighty fine with me.Supernaut IPA (5.5% ABV -- reviewed 20 October 2018)
Little Critters, Sheffield, South Yorkshire:
` Brewed with Columbus, Centennial, and Citra hops with fresh Kaffir lime leaves and citrus peel, I must say that this is a bit sweet in character. But the lime helps temper that sensation. I think I like the can better than the beer, actually. But if I pretend this is a lime sour beer -- that’s “lime sour” beer, not “lime” sour beer -- then I can enjoy it more.
C Monster (6.5% ABV -- reviewed 20 July 2021)
` This is a dry hopped pale ale with whole leaf Columbus, Citra, and various other hops added later in the brewing. It’s a nice reward for a technostressed day amid temperature extremes. After I met a friend for a dogwalk and a 3-dimensional chat, my fingers were frozen so solid I couldn’t operate them at all for zippers or writing a note . And then for dinner, a bite of some absolutely delicious spicy Lebanese moutabal from a nearby restaurant apparently had a tiny bit of the hottest chile I have ever experienced, and my normally high tolerance for heat was completely humbled as I was rendered unable to eat or speak for nearly a half hour. So I’d travelled from the extremes of the Arctic all the way to Death Valley in just one afternoon.The Chameleon Series: Galaxy (5.5% ABV -- reviewed 26 April 2021)
` This is a dry hopped pale ale brewed with whole leaf Columbus hops. Then Citra is added, followed by a dry hopping with Waimea hops from New Zealand. It’s a pleasant splashy wave of hops. If I roll it with just the right rhythm across my tongue, back and forth, I can get that feeling of waiting on my bodyboard for that perfect wave to appear that will make the whole day (or in this case, the can of beer) worthwhile. It’s not a choppy hops or a zingy hops, but a well-choreographed hops, perfectly foaming the top of the base of those Pacific Northwest hops. Nice. Kowabunga!The Chameleon Series: Waimea (5.5% ABV -- reviewed 20 July 2021)
Little Mesters Brewing Company, Sheffield, South Yorkshire:
` I bought this can at a stall at the annual arts festival at Sheffield Botanic Gardens earlier this year, when things were a hell of a lot warmer than they currently are. It was named after Stan Shaw, a Sheffield cutler who worked until he was 93. Stan was a Master Craftsman, and his name was stamped on every knife and blade he made. Buying the beer helps contribute toward raising $10,000 toward a permanent public memorial to Stan, who died age 94 in 2021. It’s a pleasant little beer, not spectacular but hoppy and drinkable.Stan IPA (4.6% ABV -- reviewed 20 December 2022)
London Beer Factory, Greater London:
` This is part of the London brewery's Wanderer series of beer styles from around the world. It is quite a refreshing beer, as one would expect with Citra and Cascade.Fuzzy Recall (6.3% ABV -- brewed in collaboration with Gamma Brewing, Copenhagen -- reviewed 4 May 2020)
` This is a refreshingly cool and hoppy brew, suggestive of tropical citrus and pine. It was great for a pleasant temperate day between the heat waves. It was in a pretty can as well, with a subtle abstract jungle design. It’s a quiet beer.Jungle Trip NEIPA (5.2% ABV -- reviewed 20 August 2022)
` This blood orange and cranberry sour beer is actually red, definitely the reddest beer I’ve ever had, if I’ve ever even had a red beer before. It’s a Berliner Weisse, which makes me think of more of the colour white rather than red. It’s yeasted with Bry-97, which I think is probably the important aspect of both the character and the taste. Wow, it’s a lot of fun. I’ve already been enjoying blood orange as an ingredient in IPAs, but the cranberry addition in this one makes up for any potential lack of superhoppiness. It’s a fun beer, a pure Tier 3 Xmess quaff.Sour Solstice (4.8% ABV -- reviewed 26 April 2021)
Lost Coast Brewery, Eureka, California:
` When I visited my friends Mary and Toep in Altadena, California, we shared a bottle of this beer. The label describes this as a smooth, full-bodied, unfiltered beer that is "radically hopped to give it an intense spiritual aroma." The beer is orange in colour, and there is a distinct bark character to the aroma with nicely punchy and aromatic hops. It was a good appetizer for our evening out in Pasadena.Indica IPA (6.5% ABV -- reviewed 29 June 2013)
Loxley Brewing Company, Loxley, South Yorkshire:
` Brewed with Mosaic and Azacca hops from the Yakima Valley, this beer also has a good dose of Crystal Malt, giving it a dark golden colour and depth of character. The can also proudly announces that Loxley Spring Water is used as well. Of course, one needs to use some water in their brewing, as the older of us remember from the Olympia Beer TV commercials, whose catchphrase was "it's the water". But those ads were referring to artesian well water, whereas I assume--as Sheffield is the city of seven rivers--the brewery is obviously referring to natural springs from the River Loxley. This beer offers a powerful taste, and it's very chewy, if you know what I mean. Wait a minute--coincidentally, is that Chewy, as in Chewbaca, on the can? On second glance it's more like Big Foot standing in the shadows. But after examining it even more closely, I think it's a threatening raven, standing in front of a ceiling fan that's been attacked by a sally of machine gun fire. But who, or what,is Kasper? It's not spelled the same way as Kaspar Hauser, the German boy who supposedly grew up in a totally dark cave. In Persian the name Kasper means "bringer of treasure". Hmm, it could mean anything, and only the brewer truly knows. So I'll just drink this beer and wonder instead about that ceiling fan.Kasper West Coast IPA (5.5% ABV -- reviewed 24 March 2022)
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