"Expo" is a triple (!!!) IPA that is 11% ABV. Yes, it's a whole lotta IPA. It's a very limited release from Alpine, which is a tiny brewery in a tiny town (Alpine, CA) a bit east of San Diego. You won't see it outside the brewery (or eBay...) and they're threatening to not even bottle it anymore, so we'll see what the fate of this beer is. A friend was able to grab one for me down there, which is why I was lucky enough to be able to review it today.
Appearance: The beer is light in color and pours flaxen gold. It isn't until the glass is more full that you start to notice its red tones. It's definitely cloudy, and the head doesn't top 2 fingers, but there is definitely some lacing left on the sides of the glass.
Smell: Pine, tropical fruit. It's earthy, floral, and fruity. Surprisingly, this 11% beer brings no heat to the nose. I'm very pleasantly surprised!
Taste: This is how I remember Pliny the Younger tasting last year (February 2011): very strong hop character, with a solid backbone of sweet grain. Fruits are very present, including notes of mango, peach, and apricot; the fruit notes are all on the sweeter side. There is a bit of earthy pine, but the lingering taste is bready grain. There is no alcohol burn, even once the beer warms up. Again, for an 11% IPA, this is shocking.
Mouthfeel: It's a bit syrupy and thick in the mouth, not the most refreshing mouthfeel, but certainly appropriate for the boldness of flavor and the style. If it were possible to make it lighter, that would be incredible, but I'm so in awe that I don't taste alcohol that I don't care how thick the beer feels.
Overall: This is a QUALITY triple IPA. I alluded to this earlier, but I was disappointed with the reigning deity of triple IPAs -- Pliny the Younger -- this year. It drank kind of hot and lacked balance. This batch of Expo, on the other hand, is hoppy as hell, but it somehow still doesn't come across as overly aggressive. This is definitely a beer that all hopheads should try if they can get their hands on it. It is pretty sought after as it is, but for me this holds its own with Younger and should rank up there with it. Younger is currently the #1 beer in the world on Beer Advocate, but I'd put money on Expo holding up in a blind tasting.
5/5
Smell: Pine, tropical fruit. It's earthy, floral, and fruity. Surprisingly, this 11% beer brings no heat to the nose. I'm very pleasantly surprised!
Taste: This is how I remember Pliny the Younger tasting last year (February 2011): very strong hop character, with a solid backbone of sweet grain. Fruits are very present, including notes of mango, peach, and apricot; the fruit notes are all on the sweeter side. There is a bit of earthy pine, but the lingering taste is bready grain. There is no alcohol burn, even once the beer warms up. Again, for an 11% IPA, this is shocking.
Mouthfeel: It's a bit syrupy and thick in the mouth, not the most refreshing mouthfeel, but certainly appropriate for the boldness of flavor and the style. If it were possible to make it lighter, that would be incredible, but I'm so in awe that I don't taste alcohol that I don't care how thick the beer feels.
Overall: This is a QUALITY triple IPA. I alluded to this earlier, but I was disappointed with the reigning deity of triple IPAs -- Pliny the Younger -- this year. It drank kind of hot and lacked balance. This batch of Expo, on the other hand, is hoppy as hell, but it somehow still doesn't come across as overly aggressive. This is definitely a beer that all hopheads should try if they can get their hands on it. It is pretty sought after as it is, but for me this holds its own with Younger and should rank up there with it. Younger is currently the #1 beer in the world on Beer Advocate, but I'd put money on Expo holding up in a blind tasting.
5/5
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