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Garrick van Buren

Garrick van Buren's picture
Beer Judge

Garrick is a National Judge as ranked by the BJCP and a Certified Cicerone®. He started training his beer palate and vocabulary in 2012. You can find him in his suburban Minneapolis garage brewing a long-forgotten historical beer style or another medal-winning Belgian-style beer. 
 

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My articles

A must have for every brewer, the hydrometer measures the gravity of beer. (Photo by Daniel Spiess)
As Mythbusters' ballistics expert, Adam Savage, has said: "Remember kids, the only difference between screwing around and science is writing it down...

My reviews

Judges Rating:
82
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
20 / 24
Flavor:
33 / 40
Mouthfeel:
6 / 10
Overall Impression:
17 / 20

A rich and complex aroma lead by bittersweet chocolate and roastiness followed by caramel and raisins envelops your nose from this opaque, black beer with a rocky, brown, persistent head. On the palate, the complex malt notes continue; raisin, plum, caramel, and chocolate all rounded out by... Read More

Hinterland Pale Ale

Hinterland Beer Pale Ale
Judges Rating:
84
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
24 / 24
Flavor:
34 / 40
Mouthfeel:
6 / 10
Overall Impression:
14 / 20

The pale ale is as straightforward as the label on the bottle. Huge piney and floral hop aromas introduce the beer and are supported by light notes of bread and caramel. Pour this beer into a glass and contemplate how such a stunningly still, beautiful, brilliantly clear, amber body can support... Read More

Yeast Wrangler

Holy City Beer Yeast Wrangler Double IPA
Judges Rating:
86
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
22 / 24
Flavor:
36 / 40
Mouthfeel:
8 / 10
Overall Impression:
14 / 20

Assertive grainy malt sweetness and bold citrus hops combine with some moderate pear esters for an inviting aroma. The appearance is a hazy gold -- likely from dry hopping -- with a dense, persistent, white head. A nice-looking beer to be sure, but it's in the flavor where this beer excels; the... Read More

Judges Rating:
92
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
22 / 24
Flavor:
38 / 40
Mouthfeel:
8 / 10
Overall Impression:
18 / 20

The aroma of this beer is complex and intriguing; huge notes of toast, toffee and light chocolate combined with equally large notes of grapefruit and grassy hops are all laced together with a hint of strawberry esters. It has a brilliantly clear, brown body with amber highlights and a rocky,... Read More

Hinterland Oktoberfest

Hinterland Beer Oktoberfest
Judges Rating:
82
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
20 / 24
Flavor:
32 / 40
Mouthfeel:
10 / 10
Overall Impression:
14 / 20

The Oktoberfest style may not be the Oktoberfest you remember. For two decades now, German brewers have exported a historic version of Oktoberfest to the U.S. The bold, rich, malty, amber Oktoberfest you might remember – that I certainly remember – has long been replaced. The modern German... Read More

White Cap

Hinterland Beer White Cap IPA
Judges Rating:
82
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
20 / 24
Flavor:
34 / 40
Mouthfeel:
6 / 10
Overall Impression:
16 / 20

The White Cap is in the nascent White IPA style, a merging of the American IPA and the Belgian Wit styles, though this example is of "Session" strength.

White Cap's aroma and flavor both provide huge citrus notes of orange and grapefruit along with apricot and blueberry, hints of clove... Read More

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