One of our engineers – not one of those fake,self-titled engineers – but a real, full-fledged AutoCAD using designer of stuff (that goes into other stuff) brews beer at home.
He doesn't do it alone. He has the help of his girlfriend, April, and his brother-in-law, Mike. Matt says he would have a lot more spilled beer if it wasn’t for April. And, she's awfully darned cute, too.
Anyhoo, Matt was kind enough to share a six pack of his homemade beer in a variety of styles and flavors. Yay me!
Anyhoo, Matt was kind enough to share a six pack of his homemade beer in a variety of styles and flavors. Yay me!
Over the course of an afternoon I sampled each and every brew. I wasn't necessarily surprised by the quality of the beers; from my experience, homebrewers put a lot of love and passion into their creations. I wasn't disappointed by any of them.
All of Matt's brews were true to style and well crafted; the colors, flavors, and mouthfeel delightful.
S.T.A.T. (Double IPA 8.2%) - Aside from being a good tasty IPA, I especially liked the effervescence in S.T.A.T. It has a playful, tingly mouthfeel; much like a sparkling wine. I liked that a lot.
Swigs of Centauri (Double IPA 8% aka Sip of Sunshine) - I like Swigs much better than Sip of Sunshine. The hop profile was more to my taste. So much more drinkable.
Space Case (Double IPA 7.23% aka Fuzzy Baby Ducks) - named after the spacey instructor who taught Matt about NE IPAs. I really wouldn't compare it to Ducks (which I love). Space Case can stand on it's own as simply a good IPA.
Curious George (Belgian Strong Dark Ale 8.5% ) - Although I'm a big fan of IPAs and Matt did a great job with all of them, I think my favorite was the Belgian Strong Ale; it was really quite nice and super flavorful.
Pumqueen (Spiced vegetable brown ale 9.2%) - Pumqueen was delish. Well spiced but not overdone. A yummy pumpkin ale.
Mounds out of mole hills (Chocolate Coconut Porter 6.5%) - My only "disappointment" was that I would have liked more coconut in the Mounds. With a hint a coconut and chocolate, overall it's a nice solid porter.
Our employer may not appreciate me saying this, but Matt and his partners could do well for themselves as brewers.
I can't wait for him to bring me more of his creations!
Cheers!
I can't wait for him to bring me more of his creations!
Cheers!