Magnify Woah Amarillo

Poured from a 16 oz. can. About a month old at this point.

Much like my Magnify Woah Equinox review, this beer also pours a cloudy, hazy, pale yellow. This makes sense, as they are exactly the same beer with the only difference being the single hop that was used to brew this: Equinox used Equinox hops, this one uses Amarillo hops.

Amarillo hops tend to be floral, tropical, and citrus-y, and their impact in this beer is exactly that. I'm getting a lot of orange, tangerine, mango, and pineapple in the smell, but also a funkiness that is reminiscent of a saison. Make sense, since this is a farmhouse style IPA. The funk is a little more pronounced now than I remember it being when the can was fresh off the canning line.

The smell is stronger than taste. It still tastes good, don't get me wrong; this is just a beer that smells phenomenal and tastes really good. The star of the taste is the orange, the pineapple is a close runner up. Farmhouse funk throughout (think like the taste of a sweet tart - not really sour, not really bitter, a kind of strange can't-quite-put-an-exact-label-on-it kind of funk). Works really well with the other flavors and I think I prefer this with a little bit of age on it than fresh - which is strange for an IPA because hop flavors tend to fade over time (and therefore you generally want to drink hoppy beers as fresh as possible).

Overall a really, really good NJ beer. I've been trying to drink more local, and Magnify has definitely not been letting me down. Can't wait to try Woah Citra (the next in the Woah series after Nelly, Equinox, and Amarillo) to see how it stacks up.

Overall Rating: 9.25/10

Carton/Other Half Collaboration: All Orange Everything

Every once in a while two great breweries get together to make something truly remarkable:

All Orange Everything is truly one of the better beers I've had recently.

It pours a honey orange and smells of sweet candied tangerine, orange, lemon, and lime. They were serious about packing as much orange-y citrus into this beer as possible.

The taste is pure candied tangerine and orange with a little bit a booze. The first time I had this, I got a little bitterness at the end, but a week or 2 has mellowed that out. It helps that the beer is smooth as anything. Goes down like a tangerine candy, which is dangerous considering you can tell this is a boozier IPA (or triple IPA), and at 10.5% abv, it really packs a punch, especially since it's packaged in a 16 oz can. If it weren't for the alcohol percentage, I could drink this all day.

Another home run from Carton. And it didn't hurt that the guys over at Other Half helped to brew this, they've been making some really good IPAs out of Brooklyn.

Overall Rating: 9.8/10

Carton Grape Swisher

Had on tap at the Cloverleaf Tavern in Caldwell, NJ.

Carton Brewing is an interestingly unique beast. I'm almost convinced that they have 2 dart boards - 1 with beer styles and another with random ingredients. Augie (the owner) throws 2 darts, and that's what they brew: Russian Imperial with astronaut ice cream? Sure. Belgian tripel with honey and white truffle? Fuck it, why not? Smoke porter that's reminiscent of cheap, gas station grape cigars? Make it happen.

And the video has it spot on. This beer (as I hinted at above) smells like a cheap, gas station grape cigar. It looks like purple tinged tobacco. And it tastes like you're smoking a cheap, gas station grape cigar.

Now, you'd think this is a bad thing. But it's not. For me at least. It created in me a sense of nostalgia - these are the kind of cigars I used to smoke my freshman and sophomore year in college.

This beer is not for everyone. In fact, it may not be for most people. My recommendation though? Try it. It's a supremely unique beer. Carton isn't really in the business of making subtle beers. They take a flavor profile and run with it. And most of the time it's a home run. This one, I think, falls just short, but is a great example of what brewers can and are doing with hops, malts, and adjuncts to keep craft beer innovative and exciting.

Overall rating: 8.55/10

Magnify Brewing Company/Jersey Spirits Artisan Distillery

Normally, I only post about craft beer. However, there's a place that's trying to convert me away from beer. I'll get into that in a bit.

Magnify Brewing Company. One of the newest craft breweries in NJ. And already making great beer. Their funky saison, Search, is one of the most well crafted saisons I've had. Their Woah Equinox farmhouse style IPA is fantastic (as are the other Woah variants - Woah Nelly and Woah Amarillo - named after the single hop they used for each batch). And their It's Dam Cool Turkish coffee porter is perhaps my favorite they make. It's one of the few breweries I've been to where I didn't have a beer I didn't like.

The brewery itself is a little small, and, as it's growing in popularity, gets a little crowded. The staff is friendly, and they do their best to make sure no one sits in front of an empty glass for long. Plus, they have pretzels on the table. Sure, they're store bought, but it's a nice touch, and something that's definitely helpful if you're going to sit around and have a couple on the way home from work.

You can learn more about them here: Magnify


Right next door to Magnify is Jersey Spirits Artisan Distillery.

This place is awesome as well. Friendly staff, great spirits. I've had more hard liquor here than any other place since I've gotten back from China, and the quality is good enough to make me consider hopping off my beer only trend.

The Maple Whiskey is phenomenal and I haven't had a mixed drink from them that I didn't like. - the Autumn Orange was particularly good. I can't wait till they get the label approved for the infusions and can start selling the maple in addition to their fantastic rum and whiskey (and other variants). I've heard the vodka, gin, and various hooches (legal moonshine) are great as well, but I'm not the biggest vodka or gin drinker, and they were out of hooch every time I went. You also get a free tour if you want it. They describe the process of distillation (the first half of the process is almost identical to brewing) and aging spirits in great detail and are open to any and all questions.

They also provide some cheddar goldfish to snack on while you try all of the drinks.

Great spot for a drink or after work drink. Or to grab a bottle to go.

You can learn more about them here: Jersey Spirits


This one-two combination is sure to bring a lot of people to the small industrial complex they're located. I would definitely recommend a trip, it's worth it if you're in the area.

The Process of Beer Trading

I mentioned beer trading in my previous post about Odd Side Ales' Hipster Brunch. It's not something I do frequently, however, usually when I do it's so I can experience something I couldn't normally get with my access to what's distributed to the NY/NJ area.

Beer trading is a kind of complicated process. I choose to limit my trading to a website called Beer Advocate, on which I am a regular user and poster, and a every-once-in-a-while trader.

The process begins by either creating a post or viewing already created posts. All posts are in the same format, using two acronyms: ISO (in search of) is what you are looking for and FT (for trade) what you're willing to give up. Once you've found a post you like, you send that person a private message on the website and work out the details (dollar for dollar value, shipping, etc.) Beer advocate has a nice system that is kind of like a virtual handshake in that you have to press an additional button, after working out the details in private messages, to create a trade. This is important for after the trade, because you then leave feedback on the entire process so that you can show a completed trade on your profile. These completed trades are ranked either good, okay, or bad. The feedback generally served to encourage other BA's (beer advocate users) to either trade with you or to stay away from some of the shadier traders (those that delay shipping, don't respond to messages for weeks, etc). There's also a forum dedicated to bad traders.

Once the trade is set up, you need to gather all that you've promised plus a couple of extras. Extras can range from cheap local craft brews that you know the other guy (or girl) can't get, to something close to what you know they'd like. They don't have to be anything crazy expensive. Just a little extra thank you for helping you to get some beers you wouldn't have otherwise had. I have always shipped (or brought with me, for in person trades) a couple of extras, and have almost always gotten some in return.

In this particular trade, I sent 8 cans and one 750 ML bottle. The package was about 12-13 lbs and cost about $13 to send to Connecticut.

Packing is particularly important, and bubble wrap is a must. Generally, the shipper is responsible for making sure the contents of the package arrive safely, and, if they don't, doing their best to make up for any damaged bottles (if possible).

Once you receive your package in return (after shipping yours), you leave the appropriate feedback and drink a celebratory beer.

If you are really into craft beer, trading is a great way to try new things and become better acquainted with the craft beer community. Be careful though, because with most sites, you're trading at your own risk (and I've seen trades of $350+ worth of beer! - myself not involved).