Taxman Mezcal Barrel Exemption Review

Name: Taxman Mezcal Barrel Exemption
Style: Tripel
ABV: 9%
IBUs: 30

Time to look at a new Tripel that I got from my Tavour beer mail and that would be Mezcal Barrel Exemption from Taxman Brewing, based out of Bargersville, IN. It’s a their regular Exemption tripel aged in Mezcal barrels. Doing some research I found that mezcal is very similar to tequila with the exception that tequila is made with solely blue agave while mezcal can be made with any type of agave. Also while the agave pits in tequila is steamed/cooked in industrial ovens, the agave pits in mezcal is cooked over hit rocks in a pit and covered in agave fiber. There’s probably more to it but that’s the big sticking points, for myself anyways.

Appearance – Cloudy orange color with a good amount of visible carbonation. The head is quite thing with some light retention and no lacing left behind.

Aroma – Belgian yeasts and cloves with some candied caramel malts along with light hints of oak and vanilla.

Taste – Caramel malts upfront with some potent Belgian yeast and cloves upfront. On the back end, I’m picking up on some vanilla and oak notes with just a touch of nutmeg. In the aftertaste, I’m getting some mild floral hops with a touch of smokiness and light clove kick.

I’m always down for a good tripel and this one does the trick. The flavor is nice and layered, not to mention just outright tasty! As such, this is a very easy beer for me to recommend, especially if you’re looking for a good Belgian-style ale!

Greater Good DDH Pulp Daddy Review

Name: Greater Good DDH Pulp Daddy
Style: Imperial IPA
ABV: 8%
IBUs: N/A

Well, I've got a beer to look at called DDH Pulp Daddy from Greater Good Imperial Brewing Company, based out of Worcester, MA. As you might've guessed from the name of the brewery, they specialize in making imperialized styles of beer, although according to Untappd, they do make lighter styles of beer as well.

The beer we're looking at is their DDH Pulp Daddy, which is a double dry chopped version of their original Pulp Daddy. Let's take a look, shall we?

Appearance - Hazy orange color with no visible carbonation. There's a thin foamy head that actually gains volume as you let it sit and the lacing left behind is rather abundant.

Aroma - Rich citrus, grapefruit & pineapple fruitiness paired with a light pale malts. Simply put, it smells like orange juice.

Taste - Vibrant citrus and grapefruit with a solid pale maltiness upfront. On the back end of the palate, I'm getting some light orange peel and pineapple notes. In the aftertaste, it's mostly citrus and very light hop bitterness with a touch of booziness.

Normally boozy flavors are a detriment but here, paired with the vibrant flavor profile, it works. If I had to compare this to anything, it would be a hoppy mimosa. For me, this one is excellent!

Blacklist Golden Review

Name: Blacklist Golden
Style: Blonde Ale
ABV: 4%
IBUs: 15

Blacklist might be known mostly for their Belgian/Euro-style ales but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they aren’t willing to branch out into something more mainstream. Which brings us to Golden: A session blonde ale meant for those who aren’t necessarily ready to jump into the proverbial deep end as far as craft beer is concerned. Let’s take a look shall we?

Appearance – Hazy bright yellow color with a mild amount of visible carbonation. The head is nice and foamy and the lacing left behind is abundant.

Aroma – Pale malts and biscuits paired with a light touch of floral hops and earthiness.

Taste – Pretty similar to the nose with nice biscuit/yeast notes followed by some light earthiness. On the back end of the palate, I’m picking up on some pale malts and a light floral/herbal hops with a dry finish.

If you’re looking for a way to support local breweries, yet don’t want to be punched in the face with hops, this is the beer for you! With its simple yet delightful flavor, this one is definitely a crowd pleaser in my book and you owe it to yourself to try this one out.

Humble Forager Gypsy Outpost Review

Name: Humble Forager Gypsy Outpost
Style: Imperial Porter
ABV: 12%
IBUs: N/A

I managed to score another offering from Humble Forager in the form of their Gypsy Outpost Imperial Porter. Described as a Samoa Cookie Pastry Porter, this beer is made with vanilla beans, cocoa nibs, toasted coconut and cinnamon. I’ve had a couple of pastry beers before and while they were good, they’ve always struck me as being a bit on the sweet side, even by my standards, so let’s see how this one is.

Appearance – Pitch Black with no visible carbonation rising up from the bottom. The head itself is quite thin with a dark brown appearance to it and it fades after a couple moments and there’s no lacing to speak of left behind.

Aroma – Strong roasted barley upfront followed by chocolate malts with a light touch of vanilla & cinnamon.

Taste – On the flipside, the flavor is fairly chocolate malt forward with some moderate roasted barley notes following thereafter. On the back of the palate, I’m getting a nice mesh of vanilla & light coconut paired with the roastiness of the flavor. In the aftertaste, I’m getting more of that chocolate maltiness with a light hint of bitter hops and a touch of cinnamon spiciness.

This beer is a nice mixture of sweet, bitter and roastiness and, in my opinion, keeps things in check without one aspect overpowering than the other, so this one is a keeper for me. If you see this, I highly recommend you check it out!

Indeed Pistachio Cream Ale Review

Name: Indeed Pistachio Cream Ale
Style: Cream Ale
ABV: 5.5%
IBUs: 15

It’s been a fairly long time since I looked at anything from Indeed Brewing, so what better way to get back into it than with a beer from them that has caught my attention. I give to you Indeed’s Pistachio Cream Ale, a name which needs absolutely no explanation as far as what the ingredients are in the said beer. I had seen this beer making the rounds on Facebook and Instagram and decided that I needed to check this out since I’m a big fan of pistachios in general.

Appearance -  A clear golden color with a high amount of visible carbonation. The head itself is moderate in size and has excellent retention but the lacing itself is on the spottier side.

Aroma – I’m getting some potent biscuit and pistachio notes on the notes, followed by light floral hops and pale malts.

Taste – Well they aren’t playing around then they called it a Pistachio Cream Ale because they absolutely dominate the front of the palate. Behind that I’m getting some pale malt sweetness and potent bready biscuit notes. In the aftertaste, I’m getting more of that biscuit flavor along with some light floral hops.

Indeed took one of my favorite snack foods and incorporated it into their beer and the end result is a love letter to fans of Pistachios and I love it. If you’re looking for a great cream ale with a twist, then I whole heartedly recommend checking this one out!