Stone Brewing Co. - Ruination 10th Anniversary

Stone says: "Stone Ruination Tenth Anniversary IPA was created as an homage to the almighty hop. As the celebrated Stone Ruination IPA approached its 10th birthday this June, we knew we had to do something special, so we cranked it up from 7.7% to 10.8% and used twice as much hops–a whopping 5 pounds per barrel, including a pound each of Citra and Centennial in the dry hop. The results were GLORIOUS, but don't take our word for it. The only people more bitter than those who don't get any... will be those who do."

Ruination 10th is a limited release beer that is, presumably, only going to be available until they run out of stock of the batch. Fortunately, Stone has pretty wide distribution across the US, so nearly everyone should get a chance to taste this. 

Appearance: Dark hazy copper, with a thick, creamy head that leaves rings of lacing around the sides of the glass.

Smell: Rich tropical fruit, a hint of caramel malt, citrus, and earthy resin on the back end.

Taste: The bottle says "ruining palates for ten years" and this beer absolutely lives up to that. There is huge hop flavor: grapefruit and orange rind, mango, and delicious, earthy pine. Despite the massive hop character and big ABV, there isn't much harsh bitterness or heat here.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, but lightened by the substantial carbonation that feels perfect for the huge flavors here. Neither very oily nor very dry, it accomplishes a light-to-medium feeling. It's somehow refreshing, despite being a massive beer in every way.

Overall: I am really impressed by this effort from Stone. Huge flavor, but not harsh, and the flavor is packed with delicious fruity character. The mouthfeel is not exceptional, but it holds its end of the bargain in not making this beer feel too heavy on top of its massive flavor. I'm definitely planning on picking up another bottle of this -- Stone's pricing is extremely competitive, and there are very few beers of this caliber out there that are likely to be as inexpensive as this one is. Overall, highly recommended.

4.5/5

Fegley's Brew Works - Hop'solutely

Imperial/Triple IPA, 11.5% ABV
I received this as an extra in a trade. I don't know a lot about this brewer or this beer, but it's an east-coast brew.

Forgot to take a picture again. My bad.

Appearance: Bright, clear gold, slightly tinged with red/orange. Quite a lot of visible carbonation and a decently thick head that mellowed out over the span of a few minutes.

Smell: At first it's all booze and astringent hops. A little off-putting. I went back in for a second sniff to try again, and got more mellow floral notes underneath the strong medicinal blast.

Taste: A little more citrus here, and more floral character, but alas -- it's still way too boozy to be remotely balanced or even pleasant. The hops take on a sharp medicinal character and combined with the heat from the alcohol it just becomes a hot mess.

Mouthfeel: A bit oily and saplike. Not unpleasant, but I was so overwhelmed by the taste that I didn't really stop to evaluate the mouthfeel as I was sipping.

Overall: For me, not a winner. A failed attempt to do a really big IPA in the manner of the eminent Pliny the Younger, but it lacks balance and the interesting subtleties of hop character that are present in its much more successful peers. Not recommended overall, but as on the reality TV shows I watch, points for not being safe and boring.

2/5

Three Floyds - Arctic Panzer Wolf

Imperial/Double IPA, 9% ABV
This beer is available year-round from Three Floyds. As with other Three Floyds beers, I received it in a trade because we don't get it here.

Appearance: Cloudy, light honey-colored. Similar to a hefeweizen, actually. Very little head (as you can see in the photo!) and no retention of that head.

Smell: Citrus! Very sweet citrus, almost overripe. I get primarily pineapple, and maybe some orange?

Taste: For me, it's equal parts yeast and hops, which isn't bad, since as you know my main criterion is that it's not too malty. I definitely get some orange and pineapple, with a bready finish. Even though it's rather boozy, the heat from the alcohol is pretty well hidden.

Mouthfeel: Pretty average -- not very heavy or light, and a somewhat sticky finish. If it were a little more dry, I'd be impressed.

Overall: I like it! It's not the best DIPA I've ever had, but I'm pretty picky after trying as many as I have. But this definitely falls into the category of "would recommend, and would have again."

3.5/5

Stone - 15th Anniversary "Escondidian" Imperial Black IPA

As the title says, this is an imperial "black" IPA -- a relatively new term (also sometimes known as "Cascadian Dark Ale" or "India Black Ale") -- to describe a beer with all of the hoppiness of a (double or Imperial) IPA except that it is black in color. Generally, a dark brown or black beer has that color because roasted malts were used in the process of brewing the beer, and those roasted malts have characteristic flavors that are more commonly ascribed to stouts and porters (the traditional "dark" beers.) So, the "black" IPA will have some of the roasted malt character of a dark beer, but those flavors are really supposed to be bit players in the overall taste, leaving the hops dominant. It's a bit of a trendy brewing trick with varied results.

Appearance: As the name suggests, this beer looks like a stout to the unsuspecting eye. It's a deep black in color, with about two fingers of mocha-colored head that leave thick, sticky lacing on the sides of the glass. It's completely opaque, and there is no visible carbonation in the glass.

Smell: The dominant smell is resiny, piny hops. There is a vague hint of a smoky chocolate from the roasted malt, and a less dominant residual hint of acidic fruit from the hops.

Taste: This is a big beer. Hops are predominant, as expected from an imperial IPA, but the roasted malt provides an intriguing and solid backbone to the punchy, piny hops. I've mentioned before that I'm not a huge fan of overmalting an imperial or double IPA to balance it, but roasting the malt is an interesting trick that allows for a strong malt profile without making the beer (to my palate) sickly sweet. I do get a bit of an alcohol bite as the hop characteristics transition to the malt, which is neither unpleasant nor unexpected in a beer as strong as this. One thing that was lost in this hybrid style, for me, are fruity subtleties that can usually be detected in a hop-forward beer. Though I was able to faintly smell some fruit on the nose, perhaps pineapple or grapefruit, the extra bold roasted malt overpowered a bit of the softer characteristics of the hop, leaving behind only the resiny bitterness.

Mouthfeel: The beer was medium bodied, and very appropriately carbonated given the huge taste. At the front of the sip, the carbonation lightens up the beer, contrasting nicely with the huge flavors. Further back in the mouth, the beer is creamy, which gives the contrasting flavors the opportunity to meld on the palate.

Overall: As you can see from the lengthy (or lengthier than usual) description, I found this to be a very unusual and exciting beer. I've only had the opportunity to try two other black IPAs ever, and I've found the three (including this) to be similar; however I think that, despite not doing a detailed profile of it at the time, there was a black IPA offered by Kern River brewing that is probably my favorite, based on memory alone.

If the internet is any indication, there is a bit of contention among beer geeks if this style really deserves to be called its own style. Some feel that there is no reason why there can't be such a thing as a hoppy porter or stout. Though I'm really only a (mediocre) taster and not a beer historian or label expert, it kind of seems to be that this argument is really just a reversal of the current name -- IPA with roasted malt vs. porter/stout with extra hops. If this ends up being a style that grows and isn't merely a trendy brewing idea that dies out within a few years, I don't see any reason why it shouldn't be considered its own style. After all, even within IPAs, there are "American-style" IPAs, "West Coast" IPAs, etc. You get the picture. And the way that styles are today, I wouldn't think that it would be appropriate to just call this an IPA or a porter/stout. It's truly a blend, and as such, deserves its own moniker.

But back to this particular beer. For the time being, I'm going to say I love this. It's easily the most acceptable way that I've had of allowing the malts to have a front-and-center performance in a beer that otherwise showcases hops. I love that the chocolate notes lent by the malt becomes bittersweet chocolate when the hops have had their say. And obviously, I just love hoppy beers in general. I'd love to see with time how this holds up -- if other examples of the style are going to eclipse this in my memory of favorites, or if this is going to remain at the top of the list. As of right now though, all I can say was that for me, this was truly different and great, even if it won't be drinkable for people who don't love hops (because let's face it -- Stone never shies away from hoppy-ass beers, and this is no exception.)

5/5

Avery - The Maharaja (2010)

Imperial IPA, 10.5% ABV

This Maharaja was originally bottled in May 2010, so the one-year aging process was a trial on my part to see how well I was able to age an imperial IPA (the most ageable variety of IPA, apparently.)

Appearance: clear and copper, with noticeable carbonation. When poured from the bottle into the pint, head grows to about 2 fingers depth and the recedes after a few minutes, leaving substantial lacing on the side of the glass.

Smell: I get wood, pineapple, and some vaguely floral notes.

Taste: Wow. So the year of aging definitely deepened the alcohol content compared to what I remember from when I had it on tap and in the bottle a year ago. The alcohol taste is quite pronounced. I also get musk (not in a bad way) and pine. The maltiness is also stronger as well, compared to what I remember. It's bitter at the finish thanks to the hops, but throughout the body everything is slightly tinged with sweetness.

Mouthfeel: The beer feels thick but not chewy or viscous. The carbonation contributes a lightness that I think is quite necessary at this point due to the punch from the alcohol.

Overall: Though I think I prefer the Maharaja fresh (I just purchased another bottle which, thanks to this experiment, I plan on drinking shortly, and perhaps even re-reviewing it!) this wasn't a bad experience overall. I'm definitely curious what the ABV is at a year after bottling, since a few sips in I'm already feeling the effects of the booze. 10.5% is already not messing around, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's closer to 12% now. I first had the Maharaja on tap at the Surly Goat and was instantly impressed by how bold it is; after a year of aging it's certainly even bolder. Overall for me this is one of my favorite IPAs and is definitely a recommended brew. However, I think until I try it fresh again I can't give it full marks because compared to my top two IPAs (Sculpin and Pliny the Elder) I don't get as varied of a flavor profile.

3/5