Brewgod #MashTag16

Hey everyone Keiran here,

So I know this a little later than I anticipated but this is the BrewDog post I promised last time.

Since this is the first time I've done a BrewDog beer I should let you know a bit about the brewery but I'm sure most people into craft beer will know who they are and what they are all about.

BrewDog are probably the most well known and largest craft beer brewery in the UK, and arguably one of the most well known in the world. They are from Fraserburgh near Aberdeen in Scotland originally (so not far from where Clark grew up), but these days they brew in a massive state of the art eco friendly facility in Ellon. They style themselves as craft punks making beer for the people and for me they they are everything that is awesome about craft beer.

From my point of view they really kicked off the craft beer trend and they are definitely the main reason I am so into craft now.  I'll probably talk about them a lot in the future so I reckon that's enough back story for today, lets get on to the main event. 

Bottle design by Marty Breslin

For this one I've chosen one of BrewDog's special editions, because I'm sure most people who drink craft beer have already tried the core range and don't want to hear me go on about it. I'm drinking the #MashTag16, which Clark actually told me about when he was over in Scotland this summer. The concept is that every year BrewDog ask people what beer they want to get made and by voting with #MashTag16 they decide what to make. This year its a 10.5% Triple IPA! Yeah it's crazy and it's fantastic.

This is a big bold beer that really isn't for the faint of heart. But if you like your IPAs you are gonna love this. Right from popping the cap you can smell the hops in this and you know its gonna be a good one. And sure enough right as you take the first drink the hops hit you. Its got a woody nose with a lot of pine in the aroma as you drink but then the bitter hops take over on your pallet. It's bitter enough that you know it's an IPA that means business but not so bitter that its undrinkable for people who aren't used to it. The finish has just a hint of sour cherry that comes from cherries added to the beer during the ageing process. Lastly the alcohol warmth comes and its big with the beer at 10.5% abv.


 The hops used in the #MashTag16 are Simcoe, Citra, Mosaic and Amarillo. I guessed it was Simcoe, Amarillo and Cascade so I'm quite happy I wasn't too far off. The malt isn't a very big flavour in this one as its really all about the hops but there are biscuit notes in there if you look for them, but if you aren't into IPAs it could be hard to spot, same goes for the cherry actually.

After about half a bottle you get a lovely warm feel and a sense that this is not a beer to be taken lightly. Definitely not a session beer this is one to take your time with, to savour and enjoy. It's a great example of what an IPA can be when its let loose. This beer is strong, uncompromising and truly brilliant. It's a real shame that it's only about for a limited time because it feels really special. At the time of writing it's on draft and in the bottle shop at BrewDog Doghouse Merchant City, so get there and try it if you can! In my opinion it's one of the best beers from BrewDog's recent offerings and I've bought a few to save for a later date.

I hope that you have enjoyed reading this even almost as much as I enjoyed writing it (and drinking the beer). If you have I would love the feedback since I'm quite new at this. Also if there is anything you didn't like let me know too. Feel free to tweet me or leave a comment below.

Uncle Billy's Green Room IPA

Hey, it's Clark!

Alright, now I'm finally getting my act in to gear and writing a post from the other side of the Atlantic, in Austin, TX.  And what better day to do it than National Beer Lovers Day?!

Like Keiran, I have decided to kick off with a favourite local brewpub of mine.  I stumbled on this place about a week after moving here on the way back from a free show nearby (at the Shady Grove, for those who know Austin!) and knew that I would be coming back over and over, not only because their beer is so good, but they have the chillest of vibes here too.  They always have a solid playlist of classic rock on the go, with a bit of country music peppered in for good measure, so it's fun to hang out here at any time of day.

Their flagship beer, as long as I've been here, is the Green Room IPA.  So that's what I've decided to choose as my first post. 

A mug of the Green Room IPA.

It's a pretty solid representative of the IPA style, coming in at 6.5% ABV and 70 IBU - so not for the faint of heart!  Actually, on the night that inspired this post, it was reading 7.6% ABV on their board, so I guess they decided to kick it up a level for a hot minute!  This just made it even more tasty, and a nice reminder that brewing is more of an art and little things can change for whatever reason from batch to batch.

Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be any information anywhere about the hops or grains being used in this beer, so I can't go in to as many details as Keiran did for the Gladeye from Drygate (which, I might add, is another delicious IPA and you should definitely trust him on how great that place is too!).  The Green Room IPA does have a very citrus-y edge to it though, which almost disguises the high IBU.  In fact, overall this is quite a light IPA and very refreshing.  Uncle Billy's also have a variation on tap right now called the Boxing T-Rex, where they've taken the Green Room and added grapefruit to it.  So I guess they decided to play on the citrus taste!

All the beers here at Uncle Billy's are delicious and this IPA is one I keep coming back to.  They also can some of their beers so it's good to be able to pick them up in the store too.  The Green Room used to have the most awesome can art actually.

The old can design, with an Uncle Billy's glass.

Anyway, hopefully I've managed to persuade you how much I love this place and their beers.  I'll try and find some more amazing beers to talk about soon.  I imagine they'll almost all be from Austin.  The beer scene here is so great that I rarely drink beer that wasn't brewed here!

Happy National Beer Lovers Day y'all!!

Clark \m/