Face Of New Orleans

Those of you that have ever been to New Orleans have, no doubt, come across Abita Amber. It essentially replaces Budweiser in most places that serve draught beer. I wouldn’t say that it is an especially great beer, but it has enough going on in it that makes it quite enjoyable.

On the other end of the spectrum, Abita has hit us with a one-two punch of hops in their latest brew: Jockamo IPA.

Much more robust than their amber, Jockamo has a nose of cherry and birch with a silky mouthfeel. This one is excellent a bit warm, not super frigid like most beers are served. The bitterness it presents is quite pleasant, not overwhelming like some IPA’s and barleywines can be.

For those of y’all that are uninformed, it takes its name from the song Iko Iko. Something that’s also fun about the name is that you can replace “fin année” with IPA and the rhyme still fits.

Be sure to enjoy this one sittin’ by da fay-o. It’s truly delicious.

Photography by Emily W. Kincke.

I love beer that’s so thick you can chew it. I adore heavy stouts and I.P.A.s make my bottom all tingly, but there’s a special place in my being that’s purely reserved for barleywine. Just the fact that the IBUs can get well over 100 in this wonderful style of beer is enough to intrigue…well, anyone. I went through three of said style of brew recently (it would have been four, but the frickin Rogue barleywine was something outrageous like $16 for a pint and some change).

We’ll start off with Sisyphus from Real Ale Brewing Company. The label is actually quite plain, although it is metallic blue and silver. I’m not quite sure why they chose a name for a person forced to move/be trampled by a boulder day after day, but the ale is delicious nonetheless. It comes off creamy and syrupy. The nose/mouth of it is grassy with apple notes. It’s quite bitter, but the alpha acids are balanced really well with sweetness. It has a medium acidity to it and I suggest serving it slightly chilled, nowhere near what a store’s beer cooler will keep it at.

The next in line is Chicken Killer from Santa Fe Brewing Company. In contrast to Sisyphus, this one needs to be served cold. It has a thin, more carbonated mouthfeel and is dark redhead in color. The hop body isn’t all that complex, but it does have a nice grassy nose. The amount of carbonation detracts from mouthfeel/taste. The taste comes off with maple syrup and apple tones, but the bitterness isn’t quite balanced with the malt. This is definitely a beer that pairs well with salty food. It would also be much better if you opened it and left it sit in the fridge for about 20 or so minutes prior to pouring.

Last up is Old Ruffian from Great Divide Brewing Company. This one has a medium rare carbonation, slightly syrupy mouthfeel, and a wonderfully fresh, almost pinching nose. There are distinct coffee tones in the malt and it’s a bit more bitter than sweet (not quite balanced, but great for hopheads). I only prefer it chilled, because it gets far too bitter when it warms up. It weirdly had an aroma of apple in the back of my throat as I drank it.

Overall, I preferred the Sisyphus. It was just thick enough, just bitter enough, and just a baby bit of carbonation to tie all things together.

Photography by Emily W. Kincke.