Hoppin' Frog - Hop Heathen

I love beer trades!  Today's beer I would normally never have had access to were it not for a trade catalyzed by "teh interwebz."  The new trading partner responsible for this brew, Eric (http://itsmedoublee.wordpress.com/ ), assures me that this brew, Hoppin' Frog Hop Heathen (Imperial Black Ale) came right off of the bottling line and I'm not one to sit around and let the hops fade away.  So let's pour!

Aroma 9/12

The aroma is not as strong as I would have hoped for considering that this brew utilizes some ingredients that are quite easily accessible to olfaction.  Pine is readily present as is a grapefruit citrus, but otherwise fairly clean as far as hops go with the exception of a distant, peppery, spice note.  As this beer warms the malts take over and they do a fine job.  The dark roast is first and initially seems somewhat mild (relative for the style) until the cocoa aroma blends with it and brings a bit of toffee along for the ride.  The three together are an excellent harmony.  Granted, I'm on the tail end of a cold, so my sniffer might not be 100%, but I can still breathe rather well through my nose, so I assume everything is in working order.  Boy!  Do those cocoa and toffee scents really ratchet things up as the beer warms!  Even the ABV shows up to play!  Spectacular.  I only wish it was a more powerful smell, because what they have here they should be proud of.

Appearance 3/3

All things appear to be black as night in this IBA, but when held to a window, the bottom of my glass revealed a nice coffee brown hue and even a ruby glint or two!  Unexpected and welcome!  The head is just over a finger high and the same creamy texture and tan shade you might find on top of a Guinness (ok, so initially it's more soapy).  It leaves a little lacing on the way down and maintains a higher than average retention.

Flavor 19/20

You're given a brief warning shot of cocoa and toffee before being flooded with burnt, roasted malts and a resinous hop.  It's a great combination that is bitter and means business, even if it is eventually cut with a lactose.  In any case, they settle down a bit and allow other flavors to play their part.  The resinous hops also show a piney note and the toffee comes in to sweeten the lot.  The reprise of the toffee is gently brought in, as well as an occasional, very authentic grain note, like toasted whole wheat bread (you know, the good kind with the nuts in it).  As it is held in the mouth the charred, bitter malts are primary, but now bring a strong, peppery spice with them that settles all over the surface of the tongue.  The finish enjoys the strongest collaboration of the brew as the pepper, charred notes, prickly alcohol warmth, and hop bitter all come together at just the right time and the result is fantastic!  All those flavors even allow for a bit of the hops' grapefruit to peek out and truly showcase the complexity of this beer.  Can't say enough about this beer's finish!  The aftertaste is bitter and in a way that is more char and less hops.  It doesn't linger long though and I attribute that to the other hops characteristics present in this beer.  Please ensure that you only drink (or serve) this beer lightly chilled.  Even as this bottle warms, the beer as a whole becomes so much sweeter as the toffee and lactose sugars become increasingly bold.

Mouthfeel 5/5

I'd say that the carbonation is dead on for this brew, even down to the end of the bottle.  I also enjoy a lot of the tactile sensations that the beer gives: the eventual warmth, the peppery prickle, and the moderate-full body.  Nothing is distracting and the things that are distinct go well together and contribute to the overall experience.

Overall Impression 9/10

The beer starts out as a solid IBA, but as it warms it truly sets itself apart as the sweetness of the contributing flavors rises to the level of the primaries and creates a more balanced, delicious beer that is both dark and hoppy.  I've had some IBAs before, but this one seems to stand alone.  It has slightly less sweetness that some of the super-agressive IPAs have (120 Minute, etc), an equal alcohol presence, much less hop profile, but replaces the majority of that hop profile with dark, roasted malty goodness.  Excellent technical qualities (appearance & mouthfeel) only add to the experience.

Total 45/50

While IBAs might not be my favorite style on the planet, it would be impossible to deny that this is a damn tasty beer.  Now is this beer all hops?  Despite the name, no.  Rather, they are presented in a fashion that most are not accustomed to (including myself).  Allow me to explain:  most hop-laden beers are several groves worth of citrus, a pine tree or two, some grass, and a healthy dose of resin.  This brew focuses instead on the hop spiciness and a lesser amount on the resinous quality.  In fact, I get more of the dark malts than I do the hops.  That said, hop heads might be a bit disappointed if they are looking for nothing but hops.  However, those open to tasty experiences regardless of the label's description will be pleased nonetheless.

Big Muddy - Big Muddy Monster

The first time I tasted Big Muddy Monster beer was at the inaugural Midwest Brewers Fest (2012 date TBA), with Nik from ChicagoBeerGeeks & Wes from TGBOAT, and it was served up by none other than Big Muddy Brewmaster himself Chuck Stuhrenberg.  At that time we were told it was not widely available and we had good reason to believe him as I had never seen nor heard of it before.  Fast forward several months and I happen to see some bottles at Artale Wine Co. in Rockford, IL.  Regardless how these bottles passed me up in the middle of the state and went to one of the northernmost cities was not my concern.  All that mattered was that I finally found some and could give it a thorough review.  Let's pour!

Aroma 10/12
Even when poured at a bit of a colder temperature than it should have, this beer was rife with pine scented hops, pineapples, and wood - in that order.  It's a rather sharp, aggressive hop smell that makes me think this beer might try to strip the enamel from my teeth (gladly!).  There is a malt sweetness behind it that compliments the sharp hops, yet adds a touch of chocolate.  I am a curious and a bit scared to see how this plays out on the palate.  That seemingly out of place malt does combine nicely with the touch of alcohol warmth.  As the beer warms, the malts balance out the sharp hops very well and almost threaten to take away their spotlight.

Appearance 3/3
It pours a nice enough brown, but appears much darker in the glass.  Only when held to light does any "brown" in this India-style Brown Ale become apparent.  The underside of the surface shows a cola brown, and the bottom revealed some nice shiny copper colors.  It's a god looking beer, but tries to hide it in all that darkness.  The head is remarkable.  It's not too big, not too small, but still generous.  It's a great tan shade for this brown ale, pours in two tones, lasts very well, and leaves great lacing.  What more could you want?  It shows great craftsmanship in the making of this ale.

Flavor  17/20
There is no time wasted beating around the bush!  This beer begins bold with such a darkly roasted brown malt that at first I thought it might be coffee!  It is made to seem even darker by incorporating a nice hop bitter with it.  This flavor continues into the backbone where it dims slightly, but also gives rise to a faint creamy sweetness.  It's an interesting flavor to find in a beer this shade and a bit unusual to find a creamy sweet flavor this far removed from when the beer first contacts the tongue.  A quick slurp really helps bring that flavor to the front.  The finish is the most robust portion of this beer!  All the hops have been playing nicely with the malts until this point, but in the finish the hops apparently decide to throw an impromptu party!  The finish starts much more bitter than the backbone and is full of grassy and resin notes.  It's quite tasty and a great send-off for this beer!  The aftertaste is still those dark-brown malts and a pleasant lingering bitter.  This beer finishes strong.

Mouthfeel 4/5
The mouthfeel does not contribute to the "monster" promised on this bottle, but that doesn't make it bad.  It's medium bodied at best, and enjoys a refreshing level of carbonation that foams slightly in the mouth which helps lend the beer a slightly silky quality.  There's no warmth except for the bit detected in the aroma.

Overall Impression 8/10
This is a nice big, brown ale.  The malts are dark and mean business, the aroma is balanced (after warming), the appearance is flawless, and it is more than a sound value for the price.  Not a huge "monster" beer, but definitely more than your average brown ale thanks to a very nice inclusion and presentation of some great hop varieties.

Total 42/50
When I first smelled this aroma, I thought I was in for a shock.  The hop presence was crazy and I was ready for a big, aggressive experience.  However, that's not what this beer is all about.  Sure, they want to incorporate a strong hop presence (hence the label art and "india-style" in the name), but the overall beer is more important to them and rightly so.  The hops do diminish as the beer warms, but that's when the beer truly comes into its own.  All those wonderful malts play their part, not just as a balancing act, but as a contributor to the beer.  Now if the beer had continued its strong hop presence, it certainly could have been considered more of a "monster," but that monster would've also been a one trick pony.

This treads an interesting border between styles.  I feel the "India-style" portion was right on!  Great hop presence, though not much to speak of regarding caramel sweetness.  The brown portion is certainly robust enough, especially with the presence of hops, but felt it was a bit lacking as far a sweetness or nuttiness is concerned.  Overall, as a brown this beer is phenomenal!  It says monster on the bottle, but don't let that lead you into thinking "imperial" or "full bodied."  Instead, it's a beer chuck-full of flavor (Brewmaster pun not intended), that remains very drinkable and thankfully not as heavy as some of the more "extreme" beers available.  I would not be afraid to introduce this to my more experienced and serious craft beer buddies.  If you've ever enjoyed a brown ale, but wanted a more serious version, this is it!