Tag Archives: Softly Spoken Magic Spells

SingleCut Beersmiths Are you Ready Steve? & Harry Doesn't Mind (or does he?) and Jenny Said...

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(C) popsonhops

Are You Ready Steve? by SingleCut Beersmiths

Tasting: May 26, 2017
Style: IPA
Beer # 1,067
ABV: 7.0%

Like most of SingleCut’s beers, the name comes from the lyrics of a song. This time Are You Ready Steve? comes from the song Ballroom Blitz by Sweet.

A lot of unripened fruit going on in this beer. Very succinct and potent orange rind, green pineapple and some herbal qualities. Another solid beer from SingleCut Beersmiths. I’ll say 90 points.

Harry Doesn’t Mind by SingleCut Beersmiths

Tasting: May 27, 2017
Style: IPA
Beer # 1,068
ABV: 8.0%

Harry Doesn't Mind Imperial IPA by SingleCut Beersmiths

(C) 2017 popsonhops

Another beer, another song lyric. Did you guess? The dog may be from the Dire Straits video, Money for Nothing but the specific lyric is from Dire Straits, Sultans of Swing. Not sure why but every time I hear that song it reminds me of Freshman Baseball practice. I think I just bought the 8-Track (yes, I’m old enough to have bought those). I played the bejeebers out of that song.

As far as the beer, really nicely polished with a lot of complexity. Peach, mango and definitely some citrus rind. A boozy astringency cuts through a syrupy sweet base. Very drinkable, 91 points.

Jenny Said Singlecut Beersmiths

Tasting: June 10, 2017
Style: Double-Dry Hopped IPA
Beer #: 1,069
ABV: 7.7%

SingleCut Jenny Said, Double Dry-Hopped Imperial IPA

(C) 2017 popsonhops

And we go to Lou Reed’s song, Rock & Roll. “Jenny Said that when she was 5-years-old, you know that nothing’s happenin’ at all”

Lots happenin’ in this Double-Dry Hopped IPA. Peach, nectarine, white grapes. Jenny said this is an easy drinker, I said, 90 points.

While you’re here, read about SingleCut Softly Spoken Magic Spells

Visit the Brewery Website

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Softly Spoken Magic Spells by Singlecut Beersmiths

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Softly Spoken Magic Spells Imperial IPA by Singlecut Beersmiths, Astoria, Queens.

(C) 2016 popsonhops

Tasting: June 10, 2016
Style: Imperial IPA
Beer # 966
ABV: 8.6%

Softly Spoken Magic Spells

Singlecut Beersmiths makes music a regular feature in the names of its beer. While some are subtle references, Softly Spoken Magic Spells is immediately recognizable as lyrics from Pink Floyd’s song Breathe from the legendary music collection, The Dark Side of the Moon:

The tolling of the iron bell
Calls the faithful to their knees
To hear the softly spoken magic spells

The Wall from Pink Floyd introduced me to the group and it served as the soundtrack of my high school years – you know – “We don’t need no education” and all that. I went on to collect the group’s albums and wore them out in my tape deck and on my turntable. The Dark Side of the Moon was an immediate and immense success; it topped the Billboard chart for one week and remained in the charts for 741 weeks from 1973 to 1988. The album sold 50 million copies and is one of the best-selling albums worldwide.

Puzzling to me that Singlecut Beersmiths doesn’t create the same whipped up hysteria of fellow New York breweries like Other Half and Grimm. For that matter, any of the other regional breweries. Maybe its the lack of cans. Who knows but as long as I can regularly find their beer I’m happy to keep it a secret. I recently read that the brewery was so overwhelmed by the acclaim of this beer that they will be making it as part of a regular rotating offering. Maybe their days as hidden gem are already gone.

This imperial IPA certainly has a assertive tangerine citrus up front and follows with a dank, smokey flavor. Pithy hop punch. Finish is mellow and pleasant. Not as pillowy as a Trillium beer but nonetheless, it’s an outstanding imperial IPA. 94 points.

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