Somehow, knowing you’re the one that has brewed the beer you’re currently drinking just makes it taste even better. And somehow, if you’re all sweaty, that helps too.
So it’s a good thing
that I was quite sweaty when I took my first sip of Lupulin Lu, the beer that me and my family brewed a couple Saturdays ago. Also, as a quick aside, my dad has apparently been pointing out my blog URL to everyone he’s given a bottle to. So, to everyone who has been referred to this site by our beer bottle or my dad, welcome, and I’m sorry it takes me forever to post a new review.I would give you an overview of the brewery, but that was just my family, and I’ve already told you about Barleycorn’s. (Although I was quite harried when I wrote that post. Let me reiterate how awesome Barleycorn’s is: IT’S AWESOME.)
I can, however, give you a bit more background on our specific beer. I’m not quite sure why it’s called Lupulin Lu, except that it may be a play on words for the Latin name for hops, which is humulus lupulus. Also, it’s extremely fun to say, as I pointed out in my last post. The specific gravity is 1.051, which gives this beer a 7.6 % ABV. I’m not sure of the math required to translate that, but if you’re a super beer geek, you’ll appreciate the statistic.
As you’ve probably figured out, this beer is an IPA and therefore hoppy. And if you taste it just after you’ve come back from a run and are sweaty and craving some sweet, sweet, carbonated, hoppy goodness, then this is great.
Color: A slightly dark amber color. It was a bit cloudy, but not too dense. It’s the kind of color that makes you think of summer afternoons, with a bit of a breeze, and you’ve put your feet up for afternoon “tea” with cheese and crackers or chips and salsa. Or at least that’s what I thought of. It pours with a good sized off white head.
Aroma: Definitely hoppy, and it had that grapefruity, fruity, lazy summer afternoon smell. You kind of just want to keep inhaling it. And then maybe that leads to more problems because you’ve taken up inhaling beer instead of drinking it and there are some who say that you have a drinking problem as a result, but that’s your problem and not mind.
First Impressions: Hops! Hops! Hops! There’s a hint of fruityness in there too, though it’s not noticeable at first. My first impression is that this is a good, solid, hop beer, even though it’s not very complex. But ah, sometimes the sweetest things in life are the simplest. And sometimes you just crave a good, solid, beer, and that’s what this is.
Mouthfeel: Definitely not smooth. Almost sharp with the bitterness from the hops. There’s a bit of carbonation, but it’s not overwhelming. After rolling it around in my mouth for a little bit and “chewing” on it, I could definitely taste more of the fruit flavor.
Aftertaste: I’m left with a fruity taste on my tongue, though this beer is definitely more bitter than it is sweet.
Overall, this beer wants to be your best friend. It’s dependable. It’s solid. It’s there to comfort you, to guide you, and to keep you company during those long summer afternoons. “I’m delicious,” it says. “Drink me! Go on, you deserve it.” And, if you are one of the select few to get this beer (because this is even rarer than the hundred barrel series), then you know it can’t get any more local than this. Fresh ingredients and hilariously crazy people giving you this beer. It can’t get any better than that.
