Dogfish Head: Aprihop

I think Dogfish Head Craft Brewery created a new word: Aprihop. What is an aprihop? Definition: (n). A beer combining large amounts of apricots and hops.

Fruit in beers may seem strange at first glance but in reality a ton of breweries are using fruit; including real apricots, apricot juice, or apricot flavoring in a variety of beers these days. What is interesting about Dogfish Head's interpretation of the apricot brew is that they throw in pitted apricots into their IPA recipe. Yes, an India Pale Ale. Not just any india pale ale, but a 7% ipa. So while most apricot beers provide a nice fruit flavor to a wheat beer or a lighter ale, Dogfish Head adds apricots to a borderline imperial ale.

As mentioned in my surmised definition, I think an aprihop has tons of apricots. I make this educated guess because the IPA does not drown out the fruit flavors. The initial burst to the mouth is like a traditional IPA, but the back-end and after taste screams apricot flavors. As the beer warms there is really three stages to this brew. The first is a mild IPA, that is not too hoppy and surprisingly smooth. While there is obviously a lot of hops to get this beer up to the high alcohol threshold, but it is not nearly as hoppy as Dogfish Head's 60, 90 or 120 minute IPA. The second stage is a sweet alcohol burst that matches the 7% label, and the final course is a coating of apricot flavor after a every gulp. All combined on a quick slug, the three stages works together pretty nicely. While I don't add fruit to my beer and I rarely reach for a fruit flavor brew, this aprihop is quite drinkable despite the uncommon aftertaste. Maybe next time I brew I'll add some apricots and try to invent a new word of my own. Cheers.

Smuttynose Brewing Co: Pumpkin Ale

The fall seasonals have arrived!

The last Smuttynose I'll review (at least for a while) is their Pumpkin Ale. Pumpkin Ales seem to be a common seasonal brew, especially on the East Coast (maybe I'll dig up one or two more). I think it probably presents a bit of a brewing challenge, because when you think of pumpkin you probably think both sweet and spicy, two flavors that you don't often find combined in a beer.

Smuttynose's take on the brew is interesting, and certainly pumpkiny, but it is a bit far out there for my tastes. First off, the "base" seems to be an amber ale, which lends this brew a pronounced hoppiness, which clashes a bit with the pumpkin's sweet flavors. The beer is a rollercoaster taste-wise, leading with a strong pumpkin-sweet-malt that deveops into an earthy spiciness before finally wholloping you with a pretty substantial dose of hops. The earth tones and the hops linger on your pallate for quite a while, giving the brew a very strong aftertaste. This is a bit of an issue, since the bitterness will probably still be lingering on the back of your tongue by the time you take your next sip, meaning you'll be simultaneously tasting the bitterness and the sweetness.

Overall, it's an interesting beer to be sure, but it will probably appeal to a narrow range of tastes. Maybe I'm just a big enough fan of pumkin pie or something...

Anheuser-Busch: Bud Light Chelada

A few months ago, Mattie alerted me of the existence of Chelada, Anheuser-Busch's latest foray into the Latino market. This peculiar new product from the makers of America's favorite beer was not available in my current home of Massachusetts, so I had to wait until I returned to California to give it a try. Some of you might remember my obsession with V8 Juice, and by extension, love of bloody maries. It was only natural that I write this review.

First off, the Chelada is a (some would say unholy) union of Bud Light and Clamato. The latter concoction is made from some of the best stuff on earth: reconstituted tomato juice concentrate, reconstituted clam broth, and high fructose corn syrup. Mmm, that's good stuff. I've never really been a drinker of it, but since I'm okay with tomato juice, I can handle it. I didn't really notice any "clam" flavoring, but I'll assume it's there. As for the Bud Light, I'm sure you all know what it tastes like going down (as well as back up).

Apparently the Michelada is a popular beer based drink in Mexico, and it's based off of the bloody mary. The drink dates back to the 1940s, and has many different variations. It's basically a combination of lager, clamato, lime juice and salt. That said, the result is a combination of lager, clamato, lime juice and salt. The flavors are pretty much all there, and they all hit you in the face. I was able to find another bottled version of the Chelada here in Boston, but it was missing the crucial tomato ingredient that made reviewing this beer so essential. Can keep an eye out for that one. Anyways, Beer Advocate rates the Anheuser-Busch Chelada as a "chile beer" (sic), but it tasted about as spicy as ketchup. But we all know how my last experience with spicy beers went, so too much can really be a bad thing. Thanks, Habo!

Due to its distinct cultural connection with Mexico, the Chelada has been unleashed primarily in the southwest. That means that those of us living in the winter-blighted northern cities not blessed with a concentration of la raza will probably be out of luck. One can only hope that this alluring potion will capture the hearts of America's Anglo population, and will one day spread throughout the country so that it can be imbibed in its colder extremities.

I was finally able to stumble upon a can of the stuff at a shifty truck stop outside of Coalinga, CA. After reaching San Jose and playing a few games of Beirut, I finally prepared myself for what could be my death. I made sure I had put the can in the freezer, as nothing could possibly be worse than warm beer combined with warm mollusc-tomato juice. It only comes in tall boy cans; once you open it up, you've got a long way until the end, so drink up!

Once popped, a faint aroma of salty tomato juice filled the air. The taste, well... it tasted what it sounded like, and slightly less repulsive than I had imagined. The consistency was far less thick than normal tomato juice, and the carbonation kept it feeling light. The lime and salt complimented the tomato juice quite well, contrasting with the standard piss based Bud Light.

I prepared myself for a possible gag reflex, as it's happened to me in the past with previous attempts at gross beers. It never came. I had another sip, and was relieved that I could drink it with ease.

Despite this, Chelada is not for the faint of heart. But faint of heart is one who simply cannot stand tomato juice. Honestly, if you like bloody maries, you're probably going to like this. It's light, and possibly great for a summer day (brunch, maybe?). If you can't get past the whole "BUT THERE'S CLAMS IN IT!" mindset, there's no way you're going to like it. If you can, bébala! Besides, if you were already concerned about your health, you probably shouldn't be drinking beer anyways. You might as well kill a few brain cells and get a dose of something else besides the carbs.

Unfortunately, I was only able to procure one can. Since I was already a bit inebriated, my taste buds were likely not as sensitive as I would have hoped. That said, feel free to post your own reviews of this stuff. I honestly thought it was not as bad as expected, but nonetheless unsettling that I was enjoying such a combination.


Anheuser-Busch Chelada, also known as the "red one," is available at shady truck stops off of California highways and other privileged locations.

Craftsman Brewery: Orange Grove Ale

Though I've never actually found this beer in stores, it appears prevalent around Pasadena and downtown LA. Unfortunately, it's usually sold out. Craftsman is a small brewing company based in Pasadena that was formerly run out of some guy's garage, until it got too big and they moved to some storage unit somewhere.

Orange Grove Ale is a fruit beer, brewed with Valencia oranges. Upon first taste it feels similar to a Hefeweizen, but its surprisingly lighter. It's also crisp: the orange flavor dies out quickly upon sipping, at which point the drinker is treated to a salvo of hops and malt. It's a beer that your girlfriend would probably like, but you wouldn't feel like a pussy drinking it with her.

It's also worth checking out Craftsman's other brews, particularly their IPA. Tasty shit!

Available at select bars throughout the Pasadena area (including Lucky Baldwin's) and a handful downtown.