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Thomas Hooker Brewery: Belma IPA

Thomas Hooker Brewery: Belma IPA

Hops: Belma

ABV: 5.3%

IBU: 38

Availability: Year-round

@untappd says: 3.6/5

We have a very unique beer on the Windowsill today!

Let’s talk about the Belma hop variety. It’s only grown in one place in the entire United States: Puterbaugh Farms in Mabton, Washington. It took a few years to develop, and was introduced by Hops Direct LLC and the farm in the fall of 2012. It’s named after Belma, Washington, a community that was established in 1894, but disbanded in 1909, when the post office moved to Mabton. Yep, that happened back in the day. If your post office moved, your whole town went away. Anyway, here’s hoping this hop never goes away!

The Belma IPA is a single-hopped IPA from Bloomfield, CT’s Thomas Hooker Brewery that uses only the Belma hop. This beer’s most enduring characteristic is its unique aromas of strawberry and pineapple. This made for a very fruity and delicious IPA. It’s smooth and very drinkable, and the low ABV makes it pretty crushable as well. I wouldn’t mind lining up a few of these on a nice summer afternoon, that’s for sure!

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Evil Twin Brewing and Omnipollo: Half & Half Lemonade Iced Tea IPA

Omnipollo and Evil Twin: Half & Half Lemonade Iced Tea IPA

ABV: 7.0%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Rotating

@untappd says: 3.55/5

There’s no half steppin’ on the Windowsill today, just a little Half & Half!  

Omnipollo and Evil Twin Brewing are two of my favorite gypsy breweries, so imagine my excitement when I heard that the two have collaborated on an entire series of Lemonade-based brews. Thus far, in the series, the tag team has released Coffeenade, Rainbownade, Pink Lemonade, Old Fashioned Lemonade and today’s Windowsill brew, the Half & Half Lemonade Iced Tea IPA. I love the collaborative spirit of these two breweries, and am happy that they can make such experimental brews together.

That being said, I didn’t love the Half & Half. First of all, it was very heavy on the lemonade flavor. The sweetness from the iced tea was the next thing I noticed, and that wasn’t bad. In all, this was a very good lemonade iced tea mix. However, I didn’t like the way it worked as an IPA. I look forward to tasting the other collaborations someday, but this one missed for me. Too lemony, too sweet. Here’s hoping for better luck with the next one. I dig the label, though!

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SingleCut Beersmiths: Conform or Be Cast Out

SingleCut Beersmiths: Conform or Be Cast Out

ABV: 7.2%

IBU: 70

Availability: Rotating

@untappd says: 4.16/5

Don’t worry, we won’t cast you out of the Windowsill today, whether you conform or not!

In 1982, Rush released their ninth studio album, Signals. The first track on that album, Subdivisions, says this: “Subdivisions / In the high school halls / In the shopping malls / Conform or be cast out.” Whether you agree with that social commentary or not, that lyric inspired the name of today’s beer from SingleCut Beersmiths. If you’re wondering about the label, you Rush fans should recognize “that Darn Dragon!” The Dragon originally appeared in the live concert tour Rush in Rio, before the band played “One Little Victory,” and eventually returned during their R30 tour. The writing uses simplified Chinese characters generally only used in China (thanks @mindic1782 for the translation) to say the name of the beer. Conform or be Cast Out!

OK, enough about Rush, let’s talk about the beer. This one was really special, and really tasty! It’s an IPA brewed with pink peppercorns—actually a berry related to cashews and not pepper—and Szechuan peppercorns, which is a commonly used spice in Chinese cuisine (is the label situation becoming clearer?). The result is really astounding. The pepper hit my nose immediately when i poured it into the glass, and the tropical flavors combined really well with the late hint of heat from the Szechuan. Really a work of art!

Ready to conform? Well then follow us on Instagram for more great beer!

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Half Full Brewery: Emil (Without Rhyme or Reason Release #5)

Half Full Brewery: Emil (Without Rhyme or Reason Release #5)

Hops: Motueka (dry-hop), Simcoe (dry-hop), Citra lupulin powder

Grains: Canadian 2-Row, Wheat (raw and malted), Flaked Oats

ABV: 7.0%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Limited (in-house only)

@untappd says: 3.98/5

“I found a reason for me / to change who I used to be / A reason for all that I do / and the reason is Half Full on my Windowsill!” – Hoobastank… sort of.

Let’s talk about Emil Christian Hansen! Why? Because he’s the inspiration behind the name of today’s beer, Half Full Brewery’s Emil. Hansen, a Danish mycologist and fermentation physiologist (that title has quite the mouthfeel, eh?), is best known as the first person to isolate a pure cell of yeast, which he did while working for Carlsberg in 1883. The yeast he created from this cell is the yeast from which all yeasts used in lager beers are derived. It was reading about Hansen that originally inspired McLain, Half Full’s head brewer, to enter the winemaking business and, ultimately, bring us this beer.

The Emil is, as you can see, the fifth can release in Half Full’s Without Rhyme or Reason series. It’s a double dry-hopped IPA brewed with Canadian 2-Row, wheat (raw and malted), flaked oats and a touch of lactose sugar. It’s then double dry-hopped with Simcoe and Motueka hops. The finishing touch is Citra lupulin powder. The end result is a hazy, citrusy and delicious IPA that I really loved having on the Windowsill.

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Half Full Brewery: Albert (Without Rhyme or Reason Release #5.5)

Half Full Brewery: Albert (Without Rhyme or Reason Release #5.5)

Hops: Simcoe (dry-hop)

Grains: Canadian 2-Row, Wheat (raw and malted), Flaked Oats

Yeast: Hefeweizen

ABV: 7.0%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Extremely limited

@untappd says: Not enough ratings as of press time

Feel the reason! Feel the rhyme! Get on up, it’s Windowsill time!

Half Full Brewery is back on the Windowsill! Today, let’s talk about “Together We Can,” the brewery’s “Volunteer—Drink Beer” initiative. Once a month, they organize volunteer days where anybody can come together to volunteer at a local community organization. Afterwards, they take it back to the brewery to celebrate. Every beer that sells that day results in a $1 donation to the organization, and a portion of all sales for the whole month get donated as well. If you’re looking to support a business that gives back, Half Full’s a good place to start.

Now, the beer! If you’ve followed my Instagram, you’re familiar with the Without Rhyme or Reason series Half Full has been releasing over the last 5 months or so. The series is known for the special can releases, but the brewery also releases even more exclusive WROR beers that don’t even make it to cans. The Albert—named after Albert Einstein—is one of those. That’s why it’s the “5.5,” and not the 6. I wish they had canned this beer, because it was amazing. It’s a hazy and full-bodied IPA brewed with hefeweizen yeast and double dry-hopped with Simcoe. The Albert has some great notes of peach and banana, goes down super smooth and tastes great!

Make sure you follow us on Instagram, and give Half Full a follow, too!

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Noble Rey Brewing Company: Tactical Combat Firefighter

Noble Rey Brewing Company: Tactical Combat Firefighter

Hops:Citra, Galaxy, Amarillo

ABV: 6.2%

IBU: 70

Availability: Year-round

@untappd says: 3.61/5

The Windowsill’s on fire tonight, we’re gonna need to call the fire department!

Noble Rey Brewing Company has the distinction of being the first brewery from Dallas to grace our Windowsill. It was founded in 2012 by Chris and Kendra Rigoulout. Head brewer Tommy Miller is in charge of the recipes. In some exciting news, they recently struck a deal with Neodif, a french beverage distributor, to bring their cans overseas. The first cans were scheduled to hit the shelves at the end of February. Vive la France!

The Tactical Combat Firefighter is our first brew from Noble Rey, and it came courtesy of my good friend @dawnthegourmand. It’s brewed with three kinds of hops—Citra, Amarillo and Galaxy—and it was overall pretty good. Some good tropical upfront flavor and aroma is followed by a good bitter finish, and there’s not much more you can ask for from an IPA. Very drinkable!

Shout out to Magnificent Beard for the can art. If you’re wondering why there’s only a head, the fireman’s body is on the other side. The cans are meant to be stacked. Cool!

Our Instagram’s on fire today, so go check it out!