207. Rock Art Brewery American-Belgo Style IPA

I had no idea what to expect with this one, what is an American-Belgo Style IPA?? Apparently it is an IPA using Belgian yeast to give it a mix of 2 entirely different styles. The beer pours a copper color with very little head which disappears almost immediately. The photo here is after an aggressive pour and you can see almost no head. Aroma was great with lots of yeast and fruit. Taste seemed a bit off with the mix of the Belgian yeasts and hops. I enjoy Belgian style beers and I enjoy IPAs just not sure I enjoy them mixed together. Certainly not a bad beer but if you want a Belgian beer get one, if you want a double IPA get one - no reason to try to get them in the same beer. 
Pros: Unique

Cons:  Odd combination of styles

Alcohol Content: 7.5% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 70
Rating: 3 / 5 
Brewers Website: Long Trail

Brewers Description: This is an American IPA fermented with our house strain of Belgian yeast. The beer has a soft copper body, malty and balanced with 70 IBU from our Columbus bittering hop addition. The hops then transition into flavoring hop additions during the last 30 minutes of brewing. At the end of the brew we add buckets full of aroma hops and ferment at a warm temperature. Then to capture even more hop flavors and aromas we poured more buckets full of hops directly into the beer (dry hop) and allow the beer to rest and absorb all the delicious hop goodness.

171. Ale Asylum Bedlam

This is the fifth of 12 beers from the Wisconsin beer trade I received last week and I am really excited to try the rest of them. This one probably should get a higher rating but it was not quite as good as the Double Trouble reviewed earlier this week so 3.5 stars is what it gets. I really should change up my rating system but having already reviewed 170 beers it may be too late for that. Appearance is a nice deep orange (not as bright as Double Trouble) but has a similar aroma. Strong grapefruit and fresh hops. Taste is sweet but well balanced with plenty of fruits and hops which is what I would expect from a Belgian IPA. High ABV but that is masked well with all the flavor of the beer. 
Pros: Aroma, taste

Cons: 

Alcohol Content: 7.5% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Ale Asylum

Brewers Description: An amalgamation of styles, Bedlam! was made on the condition that if our brewmaster (a style purist) didn’t like the first batch, it would go down the drain, never to see the light of day. Since that day, it has gone on to become our most popular seasonal. One beeradvocate.com member by the name of “Cokes” summed up the Bedlam! experience quite nicely:

76. Clown Shoes Muffin Top

Ended up with an interesting selection of beer from my sister-in-law as she went to Mass this week and picked up a few bombers and other local beer. This is a Triple IPA from a brewery called Clown Shoes. I do not care for IPAs so a Triple IPA is not something I usually enjoy. This beer poured a beautiful light orange with a cloudy look and small head. Left lots of lacing on the glass but unfortunately the taste did not live up to the appearance. Being a Belgian style beer there is a fair amount of fruity flavor but the orange taste was more from the peel than the fruit and left a bitter taste in the beer. I made it through the first glass of this one but did not go back for more. 

Pros: Color

Cons: Not pleasant orange peel taste

Alcohol Content: 10% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 60+
Rating: 

Brewers Website: Clown Shoes
Brewers Description: Not currently listed on their site.