Ergot
Tired Hands Brewing Company

 

 

 

Fresh 16 oz glass into a tulip.

Look-
Thin, one inch head. Dark amber, totally transparent.

Smell-
Heavy, rich, nutty, hoppy, and very boozy.

Taste-
First, you taste the earthiness of the cacao and then the bite of the alcohol. Juicy but it is a brief burst before it subsides.

Feel-
Light, but heavy on the alcohol as well.

Overall-
Better than the sum of its parts, surprisingly. Everything blends together well enough to compliment without blurring together. The heavy abv makes it so the four pack has some real longevity, as two of these in a sitting would be unnecessary. Better than the similar style/abv of TH's Runner's High imo.

not bad for 14% but im not into these

Can't recall how I obtained this but I'm pretty sure it was via a trade at the line share in front of Other Half. Been a while since I had something from Tired Hands and this New England IPA turned out to be quite complex once it fully warmed up. Juicy, flavorful, and full-bodied, there was a lot going on here but somehow, it all meshed together in the end!

This had a nice, juicy look to it although the hue of this could have been a bit brighter than the deep mango hue that this had. Not a lot of head topped this off as there was tornado-like spiral of darker sediment barely visible down the middle of this liquid. Melon, candied sugar, and juicy citrus were in the nose as the taste had those present to a greater extent. A white chocolate creaminess could be detected from the cacao nibs as it fit in well with the orange juice and widflower honey stickiness that gave this beer it's sweetness. Hawaiian punch juiciness, body from the wheat, and white wine dryness in the aftertaste from the Nelson Sauvin could be felt with the end result being a brew that had just a bit more depth and variance than I could handle. Certainly tasty, it was hard to pinpoint with so many hops and ingredients competing for my attention!

Canned on 8/03/18 with "WITCH FUNGUS" written above it, this was a beast of a beer that and was even before the 14% ABV was taken into consideration. One of these would be enough for a night but since I had a lot of brews to get through today, this packed a punch that nearly ended my session. This wasn't bad but it covered too many bases at once while never fully nailing any of them. This was enjoyable but allot a lot of time for this one - it's unlike anything I've ever had from Tired Hands...

 

 

 

 

 

Murky, dark orange in color with a deep, hazy, unfiltered appearance. Poured with a moderate, creamy, bright white foam with very good retention. Sweet, candied citrus fruit and dark melon aromas with a mellow underlying dankness. Medium light bready malt aromas. On the heavier side of medium bodied with medium light carbonation. Incredible silky smooth, creamy feel up front that quickly turns very boozy. Citrus juice flavors up front followed by mellow chocolate/coffee flavors. Similar ro the aroma there's a mellow dank flavor throughout. Medium bitterness is followed by citrus fruit and sweet maltiness along with definitive boozy heat that expands to the end. Finished with bready malt and citrus flavors along with undeniable boozy heat. Bready malt, citrus and mild chocolate notes linger at the finish. Reading the description on the can, well there was a lot that went into this one and it is certainly unique. The balance is toward the boozy side, however the alcohol is never offensive and doesn't overwhelm the malt and hop character. On the flip side, the flavor complexity may have been more pronounced without the boozy presence. Interesting, tasty, great feel, boozy, definitely a sipper.

 

 

Canned on 8/3/18

Pours a totally hazy light gold with a thick finger of white cap.

Aromas of bright, deeply green haze shroud crafted notes of dusted cacao and gentle vanilla; incredible how well this bouquet develops, and how naturally each individual aroma reveals itself.

Taste meshes hazy green hops with tempered baker's chocolate and light vanilla; the bitter chocolate and sweeter vanilla battle down the high ABV excellently. Citrus notes of dank mango and peach strike with what feels like an aloe-based softness appropriately along the way.

Mouthfeel is almost surprisingly smooth, with a bluntness expected from such a high-ABV beer; still, this is somehow ultimately juicy...pretty uncanny actually.

Considering all that went into this one, I'm pretty impressed with the results. Notes ranging from sweet to bitter to herbal all interact pretty seamlessly and at no real detriment to the overall product. A great shot at something experimental; if this is how Tired Hands operates, I'd love to see what else they can do.