All posts by micraftbeer

Dragoon Brewing Dragoon IPA

Nice sweet, sticky hop aroma. Flavor is crisp with hops, then cuts sweet and slick like there is some rye lingering in there. Nice afterwards of some caramel malt sweetness, yeast, and moderate hop bitterness. Easy drinking and very flavorful.

Tucson, AZ brewery. Canned 9/11/2023, drank on 10/14/2023. Can also had a best by date, that was 2 months after canning. They definitely want it drank fresh.

5 out of 5 stars.

Homebrew British Bitter #6

This is about my 10th brewing of a British Bitter.  Bitter was the beer that started me on my homebrewing hobby years ago.  I loved the bitters when we lived in England, and I couldn’t find that beer when we came back to the U.S., so I decided I should start brewing my own beers.  This is the first iteration that actually reminds me of British bitter, so I’m happy to be on the right path now.

Faint mild malt aroma and a slightly spicy yeast aroma as well. First taste has an ever so slight crispness, then a mouthful of malt flavor intermixed with a slightly roast flavor and the presence of characteristic British yeast. Barely noticeable aftertaste of mild malt.

Brewed: 8/4/2023.  Distributed: 2023.

ABV: 4.2%,  IBU: 31

Malts: Maris Otter, Caramel 20L, Caramel 60L, Amber.

Hops: Cluster, Target, East Kent Goldings, Challenger.

Yeast: White Labs WLP002 English Ale.

Homebrew 44 Magnum Birthday IPA

I made this brew originally about 8 years ago, and called it 44 Magnum IPA.  I tweaked the recipe over time a bit and then brewed it for my 44th birthday party (2015).

Slight sweet fruity hop aroma, plus some caramel malt aroma. Crisp hop bite, matched with a caramel malt sweetness. Quickly dries on the palate and leaves a slight residual hop bitterness. A little sweet in the aftertaste.

Brewed: 7/22/2023.  Distributed: 2023.

ABV: 6.8%,  IBU: 108

Malts: Brewer’s 2-row, Caramel 60L, Carapils,.

Hops: CTZ, Citra.

Yeast: White Labs WLP008 East Coast Ale.

Short’s Freedom of ’78

Packaged 4/26/2023, tasted on 5/26/2023.

Fresh aroma of flowery hops and smooth caramel malts. Flavor of hop bitterness is quickly squashed by a full-palate fruit flavor, that finishes slightly thick and sticky with some dry hop flavor lingering in the background. Your mouth recognizes it just had a full flavored beer, but there’s surprisingly little to no heaviness left in the mouth.

4.5 out of 5 stars.