Stone - 16th Anniversary IPA

In the interest of drinking beers before their hop profile has deteriorated, I have decided to crack open my bottle of Stone's 16th Anniversary IPA.  This beer promises to be a doozey with Stone stating right on the bottle that they're brewing this one with lemon verbena & lemon oil.  Now I had a pretty good idea of what lemon oil was, but I had not heard of lemon verbena, so if you need to look it up like I did, then click here.  Whether you know or you don't, new ingredients get me excited and I'm always ready to try one out.  So let's pour!

Aroma 12/12

Starting off, things were pretty impressive.  Excellent lemon and pineapple notes from the hops as well as a lesser herbal quality and a dash of pepper.  The warmth arrived calmly and easily, while the malts provided a dark bread (almost earthy) & roasted qualities.  Very nice all around!  I then sat down to do some typing and the like and came back to it after it had warmed and let me say this... LET THIS BEER WARM!  I know that it's fairly common knowledge in the craft beer universe that beers open up as they warm, but rarely can I recall a beer that so aptly provides such an example to that lesson.  This beer became infinitely richer and nearly succulent with hoppy goodness.  This is what world class IPAs should smell like!  The original flavors intensified greatly, but also brought in a great resin aroma, a surprising floral essence(!), some reminders of the hops' Cannabaceae relatives, gooey caramel malts, and upped the booziness just a little bit.  Fantastic!

Appearance 3/3

This is a beautiful beer.  It pours a color that nearly matches the shade on the bottle and is bright and clear as a crisp fall day.  When I poured it, the head overcame the top of the glass, but was so sticky that it continued to ascend in the shape it left the glass.  Almost like a Play-Dough Fun Factory, but for head.  I'm very impressed.

Flavor 19/20

As difficult as it was to stop sniffing this beer, my mouth wouldn't stop watering and I finally gave in and tasted it.  I was given a smooth salutation from some silky caramel malts, but before long the other flavors begin to slide their way in as well:  pepper, resin, very subdued apple/mango notes, and an undying caramel.  An unusual citrus is present as well presumably from the lemon verbana and/or lemon oil used in the brewing process.  It's definitely a more candied, sugary lemon flavor, but its appearance is not unwelcome.  In fact, this particular type of sweetness goes remarkably well with the caramel sweetness from the malts.  What a fan-freakin'-tastic balance of an intense sweetness and a big, strong bitter.  If held long enough in the mouth the sugary lemon can be easily detected on the tip of the tongue, but eventually transforms into a peppery, resin-laden concoction.  This type of complexity is SO satisfying.  The last two flavors in the mouth (pepper and resin) are a Stone's ridiculously talented way of foreshadowing the finish before it actually happens.  The finish removes 90% of the sweetness that was experienced in the backbone of the beer and instead gives the drinker a bitter, very peppery, resin-dripping, bitter affair that quickly leaves a moderate dryness.  The aftertaste is largely remnants of the bitter, but eventually the entire mouth is salivating for the next gulp.

Mouthfeel 5/5

This beer is a little more than medium-bodied, but made to feel like much more thanks to the buried carbonation and the ridiculous amounts of smoothness that provides.  It is insanely silk relative to its body.  The gads of peppery spice give the illusion of carbonation but make no mistake, any carbonation involved in this bad boy is far beneath the surface.  Warmth is used appropriately and also contributes to the big beer feel of this brew.

Overall Impression 10/10

What's not to like about this?  The balance of sweetness and bitter is fantastic, the mouthfeel is to die for yet avoids being a chore to drink, complexity abounds, and my mouth and nose are left extremely happy.  Some folks could argue that their DIPA has been made too sweet.  I understand that.  Some folks want their IPAs and DIPAs a little more one-sided than others.  For me, this really hit the spot with big flavors on both sides just slugging it out.

Total 49/50

I'm not sure why this beer is rated as low as it is by so many people.  Maybe there are more hopheads out there, who don't like any stupid malts sweetening up their beers, than I had originally assumed.  For me, I dig it.  Not only that, but I didn't find out until much later how much rye Stone used in brewing this beer.  That makes perfect sense!  The pepper spiciness and the earthy bitter now come clearly into focus.  Though admittedly, the bitter was easy to confuse as hops due to... well, the abundance of hops.  This is the second Stone beer in a row that I review that has received a 49/50.  The first was their 10th Aniversary Ruination and while this beer is much less intense than the 10th Anniv Ruination, it should not be overlooked.  ESPECIALLY because of its $7.99 price tag.  This beer is a steal and I can't believe I can still find it on shelves.  Do yourself a favor and take advantage of its wide and plentiful distribution.  You shan't be disappointed.  Good on ya Stone for another variation of the IPA style!!  Happy anniversary and many, MANY more.

Great River - Hop-A-Potamus

Friends!  It's only May 9th and you've already made this my best month ever!  With a little extra love from Goose Island, it's not only my best month, but I also breached 20,000 hits.  I'm feeling pretty good about things right now and with that in mind, today's review will be for a brewery who also has quite a few things going for them.  Today, I'll be reviewing Great River's Hop-A-Potamus.  Don't worry, if you haven't heard of it.  They're a local brewer in Davenport, IA (just off the Arsenal Bridge, for those wishing to find it), but are enjoying a pretty good local distribution and really coming into their own with some unique, flavorful beers.  Also they recently won a "Canny" Award at the first ever Cannys.  The Cannys are "a competition that recognizes the high-quality, captivating graphics featured on craft beer in cans. Awards were presented during the Craft Brewers Conference, May 2-5 in San Diego, California." (Source: craftcans.com)

Photo blatantly stolen from Great River's Facebook page.

The best part about Great River?  Their craft brewing spirit.  They've embraced cans.  They collaborate like crazy with a local distillery, Mississippi River Distilling Co, to the point where both business have been out at local supermarkets giving out samples.  They have a great presence at local festivals.  They try creative things at their bar ("We have organic brown beer and vanilla beans?  Throw 'em in the firkin!").  They seem to embody everything that is right about craft beer and I hope that attitude continues with their deserved success.  The can for Hop-A-Potamus reads,

"Hop-A-Potamus is a double dark rye pale ale made with a ton of pale and six kinds of rye malt for a 'full' body.  This double dark rye pale ale is fiercely hopped with a Northwest blend for a stampede of flavor and aroma.

Beware: Hop-A-Potamus will charge if provoked!  Hop-A-Potamus is not for the foolish for the faint of heart."

With a description like that, who can wait?  Let's pour!

Aroma 10/12

I initially poured this beer a bit too cold and it changed the aroma completely.  Initially, the hops and rye were fairly minimal but the sweet malt was bursting from the glass.  The malt was so laden with caramelized sugars, I could've sworn it was an overripe banana.  Really weird considering the style.  The hops materialize soon enough and provide a light citrus and what could be a peppery spice, though that is likely from the rye. While the malts never fade away entirely, the rye becomes more noticeable in that earthy, slightly sour way that rye has about it.  Thankfully, the sour of the rye helps to bring out those faint citrus hops.

Appearace 2/3

Simply sitting in the glass, this beer appears like a darkly stained cherry wood.  Deep walnut browns and blacks abound, but not without ruby facets shining from time to time.  When held to the light, the red shades become even more striking and allow for all sort of brown-red combinations like maroon and even magenta.  The head was small, less than a finger, but appeared creamy, wet, and thick.

Flavor 18/20

A lot of earthy, yet not spicy, rye gets things started and quickly moves into a backbone that is quite reminiscent of the aroma.  The sweetness returns in that uber-caramelized way that I swear reminds me of an over ripe, caramelized banana!  Is there Belgian yeast in this?!  Despite the sweetness, the beer remains remarkably crisp, and enjoys a faint, bright citrus note.  An earthy note from the rye casts its shadow over the proceedings to bitter things up quite a bit (and add a moderate peppery spice), but only an occasional glimpse of hop resin is available from time to time.  The finish is a strengthening of all the ingredients that would cause you to buy this beer in the first place.  The hop resins bite at ya, the rye is earthy and bitter, the alcohol (9.0% ABV) even shows up a bit, and there's a finish almost like mouth-watering, bitter, brown ale. Aftertastes are a reprise of the rye's sour and a dark, lingering bitter down the back of the tongue.

Mouthfeel 5/5

 I dig this.  For a beer that claims to have 9% ABV (I believe it) and 99 IBUs (I am skeptical), this beer drinks like it has neither.  It's full-bodied (as advertised on the label) and offers a carbonation that is not aggressive enough to compliment or bring out a rye's spiciness, but neither does it leave the beer feeling flat or syrupy.  Keep in mind, not feeling syrupy is no easy task with he amounts of malt the brewers have crammed into this can.  The warmth is all but invisible throughout the beer and two pints of this on an empty stomach will leave you laughing at all sorts of internet nonsense.

 Overall Impression 8/10

This is a tasty beer, but I'm having a difficult time determining the borders after these worlds collide.  On one side, you have a ton of malt (rye and pale).  This results in a lot of sweetness, a great color, and a full body.  Got it.  However, if six kinds of rye malt are being used in this thing, I rather expect it to be insanely earthy, peppery with spice, and bitter like a custody battle.  While I get lesser amounts of bitter and earth, the spice is all but absent.  And on the OTHER hand, you have a pale ale - traditionally, a biscuity.crackery tasting, dry, lightly hopped delight of a beer (pale ales are rapidly becoming one of my favorite styles).  I'd venture that none of the pale ale characteristics remain.  There is an abundance of sweetness in the malt, despite the rye's attempt to bitter things up, and... OK, I guess I can see how some folks could argue this an "imperial" version of a pale ale.  Abundance of (attempted) dry malts up front and a nice hop presence behind.  However, if that argument IS to be made, then the malts up front need to be made even more dry and crisp (the hallmark of a great pale ale) with the rye, and the hop presence at the end could be made even stronger.

Total 43/50

I can nitpick all I want, but in the end this is a damn tasty beer.  Big, earthy, with high marks in the technical categories, and a well hidden ABV, this beer is one I would encourage more locals to buy if it was available.  This beer sold quickly once it hit the shelves.  It truly is a unique beer and I have trouble measuring it against other styles... but I'll try anyway.  It's not as rye heavy as Sierra Nevada's Ruthless Rye, but then again it's also trying to blend in the pale ale style.  It's much more bitter than a good pale ale (like, say, Three Floyds Alpha King), but lacks some of the hop intensity one might expect give the abundance of malt (and the high IBUs).  This review was written on my last two 16 oz cans, but I happened to find a lonely 4-pack in the back of a grocery store cooler.  Huzzah!  If you're planning a visit to the Quad Cities, make sure that Great River is on your list.  They completely understand the craft beer vibe and they make some damn good beer to boot.  Cheers Great River!  Keep up the great work.

Stolen from the Great River website.

Sierra Nevada - Ruthless Rye

I may be a little late boarding this train, but I had to write a review of a rye this potent.  Well, I had a pair of the bottles out of my sixer a few weeks back and they almost turned into sippers.  It seemed like it truly was "ruthless!"  Instead of most brewers stance of letting the rye stand in for some other malts, Sierra Nevada truly seemed to accentuate and showcase the rye in a beer all its own, not covered up by smoke or syrup or another featured flavor.  I'm ready to get this show on the road.  Let's pour!

Aroma 10/12
Not an especially strong aroma present, but does live up to its bottle descriptor.  There's plenty of sweet, earthy rye, which at times is almost reminiscent of cocoa nibs.  However, one can quickly replace the cocoa sweetness with the rye's spiciness and imagine a rough likeness.  As the head settles, and not a moment before, the hops become more apparent in a grassy, citrusy blend; a welcome addition to the rye's spice.  The first bottle I had difficulty smelling much of anything, but the second bottle I had, showed much more aroma.  I don't expect that lack on consistency from a larger brewer like Sierra Nevada.  However, the second bottle is more in line with what I recall my previous experience with this brew, so I've adjusted the score accordingly.

Appearance 3/3
The appearance is nothing less than what we have come to expect from Sierra Nevada.  An ample, well-formed, sudsy head with excellent retention adorns a glassful of sienna shades, amber hues, and the unmistakeable color of maple syrup.  I wouldn't normally expect a beer of such high clarity to have such a variety of shades, but clearly I underestimate the body of this beer and the malt/rye content that created it.  Careful, not to pour this one too aggressively or you'll have a monster head on your hands.  Tons of lacing.

Flavor 17/20
This beer's start is sweet, mellow, with a nice bready malt.  The backbone arrives gently, but adds the great flavors of rye.  The beer quickly becomes more earthy, obtains a bit of citrus sour from the hops, and a bitter that prefers to hang in the background.  Slurping the beer really brings the earthiness of the rye forward!  Holding the beer in the mouth allows it to foam up enough to cover the tongue and the pepper becomes very apparent.  The finish is a stronger bitter, a reprise of the earthy notes, and both of these flavors really allow the peppery flavors to stand out.  The aftertaste is milder bitter, but definitely a very dry one.  There's a great hop presence there as well.

Mouthfeel 5/5
Even the bottom half of the bottle has more than enough carbonation for this beer not to lose any of its mojo.  The pepper causes quite a bit of prickliness on the tongue and that can be easy to confuse for the carbonation.  However, the carbonation is done superbly, and in this beer it can be found as buoyant and bubbly. The body is medium-light and makes no show of the 6.6% ABV.

I love the graphics on this bottle. In the upper corners, it gives old school sayings like,
"Purest Ingredients" and "Finest Quality," and then contrasts it with a rather
comic book looking illustration of a chick with a scythe in a field.  Choice.

Overall Impression 8/10
Obviously, this beer ranks highly with any aspect regarding the technical aspects of the brewing (clarity, color, mouthfeel).  If there is one thing big breweries can do above an beyond their smaller competitors, it is definitely within those categories.  However, the less subjective areas of the beer are more up for grabs.  The aroma wasn't particularly strong (even after a warming) and the flavors were simple, albeit very complimentary.  This beer would be very accessable to those that already enjoy Sierra Nevada and enjoy the occasional twist.  However, I was expecting something a little more "ruthless" and a little less accommodating.

Total 42/50
This is very drinkable, well-made, and makes excellent use of the complimentary flavors (earthy, sweet rye + bitter hops + pepper).  Those flavors all sound pretty dark, but the high clarity, hop citrus, and lively carbonation all keep this beer from becoming boring and monotonous.  I enjoyed this beer, but I suppose I was looking for something more to break up the earthy, bitter drudgery.  In my head I would've liked something akin to a blackstrap molasses, but I know that would take the focus off of the rye.  While I really appreciate Sierra Nevada making a beer that focuses more on the rye, perhaps I enjoy it more as an additional flavor, and not so much a featured attraction.  This is not fault of the beer however.  If you like rye, by all means, pick this bad boy up while you still can!  In the meantime, it was something that I'm glad I tried.  It focused on a ingredient, I tried it, and I learned something.  In tasting, it doesn't get any better than that.

New Glarus Brewing Co. - Unplugged/Smoked Rye Ale

Well, gang as that not two weeks ago I made a beer run to New Glarus, WI with some dear friends of mine, there are going to be a few (ok, more than a few) New Glarus brew reviews coming in the near future.  However, I will try to spread them out.  This will keep you from getting bored, me from drinking all my New Glarus at once, and will keep me trying different beers.  Win-win-win.

This week's selection is from their "Unplugged" series.  To paraphrase from their bottle, this is where they let their brewmaster do whatever the heck he wants and see what happens.  This particular bottle is from his "Smoked Rye Ale" doings.  I like smoked beers and I love rye (the hard alcohol AND the bread) so I am pretty stoked to sample this.  Let's pour!

Picture is my own.  Bottle art image used without permission for educational uses only.

Aroma 10/12

Smoke greets the nose first.  It is not the sweet smoke of mesquite, nor the dark smoke or a darkly roasted malt, but the smoke of campfire.  Just regular woodfire smoke, I do not say "regular" to put it down, only to give an accurate description of the beer.  There is also a sour smell that comes from the rye and some spices.  In fact, if you "smell the forest for the trees," these scents all combine to make the smell of, well, chaw.  If you've even opened a fresh tin of non-flavored chewing tobacco, this beer smells remarkably like that.  I personally do not care for chewing tobacco so I am a bit wary of the rest of this beer.

Appearance 2/3

A dark copper color with shades of red pours easily from the bottle.  It produces somewhere between a small and medium amount of beige-colored head.  It dissipates quickly but does leave a small amount of lacing on the glass.  Even toward the end of the pint a collar remains.  The effervescence of the head was interesting to watch: loose bubbles hung low underneath the head, but eventually rose and became part of the tighter-knit whole.  I know most beers function this way, but this beer's did not all happen at once.  The effect was almost like a lava lamp or those old water toys people used to keep on their desks where the drops of color would fall down ramps or spirals or turn wheels.

Picture is my own.

Flavor 17/20

I could see this category varying for different people.  Not everyone likes smoked beer and not everyone likes rye.  I happen to love both.  The first taste is the tartness of the rye, it fades very nicely (and quickly) into the sweet roasted malt flavor.  The sweetness of the malt is the primary flavor, and if held in the mouth long enough will even turn sugary sweet for the finish.  The sweetness is not overpowering thanks to the unfamiliar flavors of the rye.  My first sip finished buttery which then revisted the sweetness before settling into a bit of a dry aftertaste.  The buttery flavor was hard to  discern the rest of the pint, but did result in an "Oh my gosh!" during that first sip.  Thankfully, the chaw flavor was absent, but occasionally makes itself present during an exhale.  Fascinating drink!

Mouthfeel 3/5

Nothing jaw-dropping here, but nothing distracting either.  A medium-light body is accompanied by a higher level of carbonation than the style demands.  Keeping in mind that this beer is a sipper, the high carbonation may be necessary to have an adequate level by the end.  Smooth.

Overall Impression 8/10

A tasty brew!  This addition of unique ingredients makes for a very interesting experience.  The mature flavors sacrifice drinkability, but not for a hefty price.  The taste of actual sugar was an especially interesting moment.  It is a bit malty in the balance, but overall a flavorful, rich, smooth, unique, and worthwhile beer.  

Total 40/50 (Excellent)

It is a cruel irony that it is hard to review a beer that does not have a particular style, but I love drinking beers that experiment and vary from styles.  This beer certainly provided that challenge.  Talk about a chord of unusual flavors, especially in a beer!  Having just written that sentence, I cannot imagine the challenge that it must have been to not only incorporate these strong, different flavors into a beer, but to do so accurately and without overwhelming the drinker is quite a feat.  Long story short?  I love smoke beers, I love rye, I love Reuben sandwiches, and the sugar was pretty cool too.  Big kudos to New Glarus on this one for the technical creation, the imagination to create it, and for having it all come together nicely.  Cheers!