Bosuns Moustache (Bocmano Ūsai)
Raudonų Plytų Alaus Dirbtuvės (Brick By Brick Beer Workshop)

Shared 330 ml bottle, as Brick by Brick Bosun’s Moustache, at local tasting. ABV is 6%. Deep golden to orange colour, slightly hazy. Low white head. Moderate aroma, hints of crushed white grapes, grain and dust. Dry flavour, light bodied. Not much hop flavour besides a distinct and sharpish bitterness in the finish.

 

 

 

Sampled from bottle

Medium copper in color with a small head and light lacing. Smells and flavors are more subtle than a lot of ipas but it's still a flavorful beer. Smooth in texture and easy to drink. Not a knock you over IPA but a solid good beer.

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a medium coppery amber with a half finger white head with good retention and lacing. Aroma of lightly caramel and biscuit malt, citrus hops, light tropical fruit. Flavor is caramel and biscuit malt, slightly grainy, citrus and grassy hops, hints of apple and orange citrus. Finishes with moderate grassy and citrus hops. Medium bodied with good carbonation. A nice balanced IPA in the biscuit and grassy hops style, which is more European than American. Not quite to style, but a pretty good and enjoyable IPA. I like the malt bill on this one, the lightly grainy flavor is reminiscent of a saison, which adds a little interest to an otherwise standard European IPA. Closer to style and not as experimental as some of the other ales from this brewery. Worth a try.

Reviewed from notes taken Summer 2014 at a bar in Wroclaw.

6% ABV. AIPA. 330ml brown glass bottle. 14 plato. 60 IBU. Best before: 13.05.15.

HEAD: 1.5 fingers worth of white colour head. Average consistency and complexion. Average (~2 minute) retention. No lacing clings to the sides of the glass as the head recedes.

BODY: Clear translucent copper colour of average vibrance. Clean, lacking any visible yeast particulate or sediment. Appears adequately carbonated. Not a unique or special appearance.

AROMA: Pale malts, floral hops, and a hint of piney hop character.

I detect no yeast, alcohol, or overt off-notes.

A generic aroma of average strength.

TASTE: A generic but cohesive build for an IPA: pale malts, floral hops, helles malts. Very mundane, but balanced and adequately hoppy. Average depth, duration, and intensity of flavour. I do like it in a general sense, but the build is rather tired.

TEXTURE: Smooth, wet, unrefreshing, light=bodied, overcarbonated.

OVERALL: Drinkable albeit generic for an IPA. Not bad for its country of origin, but I wouldn't want another.

C (2.88) / AVERAGE

 

Raudonų Plytų Alaus Dirbtuvės "Bosun's Moustach" (AKA Bocmano Usai)
11.2 fl. oz. brown glass bottle, "Best Before: 15.07.16
$2 @ Wegmans, Collegeville, PA

"Brick By Brick Beer Workshop" is the translation of the name of the brewery given on the bottle, although a more straightforward translation might be "red-brick brewery".

So, this is labeled an American IPA. It's deep-amber/copper in color (11 SRM) which fits the bill, and 6% ABV with 60 IBUs which works as well. Where it goes off is within its use of European malts, and its heavier than expected caramel component. It's caramelish and grainy in the nose which is perhaps OK, although a bit odd because we should be finding bright citrusy hops, but in the flavor Pilsner and Munich malts clearly come through, and that's not really right. Or is that OK because it's unique? I think it is. Why just repeat what's already been done? But back to the hops, it's somewhat citrusy but also herbal and grassy. In the flavor it opens up to reveal some pine and woodiness, and it's floral as well. If it is an American-style IPA, and I do think it fits the bill, I find it to be very "east coast" with a heavy English reference in the caramel maltiness, and with just enough citrusy and piney hops to get by. I think there's a lot of Chinook in use as I get that herbal, piney, floral character it can give; and in fact, it kind of reminds me of a small version of Arrogant Bastard (although that's technically an American strong ale). I find it somewhat unique, bold but balanced, and satisfying.

From the 750 ml bottle in a snifter. This AIPA pours a bright
golden amber with a decent head of white foam that settles to
a thick ring, thin pool, and light sudsy lacing. Nose of citrus fruits,
grassy and herbal hop notes, and sweet caramel malts. Flavors
follow the nose with pineapple and light mango notes on the front
and sides followed by herbal and hop notes that finish with a nice
lightly bitter hop and solid caramel malt backbone. Nice mouth feel,
refreshing and crisp with a lightly dry bitter finish. Overall I am
surprised that this is not better received since it has a solid malt
backbone and decent IBU's for the hop head out there that likes
a decent malt backbone.

A great session brew.

Cheers

 

 

Amber orange with quickly dissipating head that leaves a thin collar.

Hop aromas are lighter fruits, apple and grape.

Flavors of cracker with light apple and grapefruit.

Light and slightly astringent.

 

 

 

 

 

Labeled as Bosun's Moustache for the US market.

Batch number: BU 003. Best before: 3/19/16.

Pours a hazy honey orange with a foamy beige head that settles to a partial film on top of the beer. Foamy rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, candied citrus zest, earth, and herbal hop aromas. Taste is much the same with candied citrus zest, grapefruit juice, and slight brown sugar flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is an above average beer that is drinkable, but nothing too memorable here.

Serving type: bottle.