Drake's Brewing Co - Aroma Coma

Drake's says: "Aroma Coma India Pale Ale – 6.75% ABV, 75 IBUs —Our summer seasonal India Pale Ale delivers an olfactory hop assault that lives up to its name. Made with almost all 2-row barley malt and a touch of Caramalt for body, abundant Cascade, Chinook, CTZ, and Citra hops add huge citrus, pine, and floral notes. A double round of dry-hopping then amps up the aroma to a new level. Breathe in the hops, and enjoy."

This beer is distributed only in CA, from the small brewery out of San Leandro, CA. Like their blurb says, it's summer only. I'm finally getting to it after a rash of trying an insane amount of great IPAs that were released this summer. Fortunately, it's only about a month young, so it still has fantastic fresh hop flavor and an inviting hoppy aroma as well.

Appearance: Rusty orange, with a modest head of about two fingers that leaves stringy lacing along the sides of the glass.

Smell: Great citrus aroma, with tangerine coming across particularly. There are also pungent hits of grapefruit, and a slight dank undertone. The nose is basically all bright hops -- it smells great.

Taste: Much like on the nose, there are great citrus notes here, including orange and grapefruit. I also get a few more tropical-like flavors-- perhaps mango and passion fruit? There is a bit of resin and biscuit on the palate that isn't as evident from the nose, and the dankness I smelled doesn't really make an appearance in the taste, either -- it's all juicy, fruity hops with a slight resin character that seems to add sturdiness.

Mouthfeel: Aroma Coma is light to medium bodied and is neither particularly dry nor particularly slick. It's a pretty standard mouthfeel for this style, and I have no complaints.

Overall: This is a seriously good IPA. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: there a finite amount of flavors that one typically picks up from an IPA, so just by looking at tasting notes it's difficult to pick up which ones are great and which ones are so-so. It comes down to things like balance, and the particular composition of the flavors, and the complexity. Having a beer that smells as good as it tastes is a huge plus too! Suffice it to say, this hit all the right notes for me, especially considering it's not an Imperial or Double IPA, and that it has a slightly lower ABV. It just goes to show that it doesn't necessarily need to be bigger and stronger to have great flavor!

4.5/5

Stone Brewing Co - Enjoy by 09.21.12 IPA

Stone says: "You have in your hands a devastatingly fresh double IPA. While freshness is a key component of many beers - especially big, citrusy, floral IPAs - we've taken it further, a lot further, in this IPA. You see, we specifically brewed it NOT to last. We've not only gone to extensive lengths to ensure that you're getting this beer in your hands within an extraordinarily short window, we made sure that the Enjoy By date isn't randomly etched in tiny text somewhere on the label, to be overlooked by all but the most attentive of retailers and consumers. Instead, we've sent a clear message with the name of the beer itself that there is no better time than right now to enjoy this IPA."

Like Stone said, this is a 9.4% DIPA, bottled 8/17/12, that absolutely must be had fresh. My understanding is that after 9/21/12, they're supposed to force all retailers to pull this from the market. The Stone blog says that initially, this batch will hit the Southern CA, New Jersey, and Chicago markets, but that they will continue to brew batches with the same 35 day freshness window and eventually get those out to cover more of their usual markets. Good stuff!

Appearance: Completely clear golden wheat colored, with a modest head and minimal lacing on the sides of the glass. Carbonation is visible and appears sparse.

Smell: Huge. Dank hoppiness, pine and tropical mango, lemon zest, and a touch of sweetness.

Taste: More great tropical fruit flavor, with citrus coming in as well to join the trifecta of wonderful hop flavor (resin, tropical fruit, citrus fruit.) It's definitely bitter, and a little peppery as well, with the tiniest hint of biscuit that remains on the tongue after swallowing.

Mouthfeel: Wow -- this is smooth, medium-bodied, and it finishes bone dry. Incredible. There is no heat from the alcohol, which is quite a feat, and despite a bit of initial oiliness the beer finishes perfectly clean. Very nice.

Overall: I'm really impressed with this. Between Enjoy By and Ruination 10, Stone has knocked it out of the park lately. Any hophead would love this. Critically, since I feel I should at least try, I do think that in their effort to give this a short shelf-life, they compromised a bit on the balance with the malt bill. As the beer warms, it loses some potency and the taste becomes thinner, as the hop aromatics become less obvious and there doesn't seem to be much of a foundation in malt to bolster it. That's a nitpick though, because it's still tasty, and the "problem" is easily avoided -- don't let the beer get warm. Anyway, if this reached your market, definitely grab a bottle, but don't wait to drink it!

4.5/5

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

Hill Farmstead Brewery - Society and Solitude #4

Hill Farmstead says: "Our experimental Double IPA experience continues. Hybrid Imperial IPA... Think Double Citra Meets Double Galaxy. 8% abv"

This is my second and last Hill Farmstead brew from a recent acquisition, and like all of their beers, it's extremely limited in quantity and availability. Further, I am not sure what the status is with these "Society and Solitude" batches, whether they are one-offs or experiments that they may repeat at a later date. As I'll get to in my review, I really hope they make this again, because it's amazing!

Appearance: Hazy bright orange with a creamy head that tops out at about two fingers in height. The head leaves web-like lacing on the sides of the glass.

Smell: Crisp grapefruit and mango, a touch of sweet grass, very slight notes of caramel, and a touch of clean hop bitterness and floral aroma.

Taste: Bright, juicy citrus and sweet earthy character over a solid malt backbone. Flavors of tangerine and pineapple are at the forefront, with some mango contributing a sweetness that is not sticky or overwhelming. The earthy and floral notes come through toward the back end of the palate to provide balance to the fruity sweet character.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and creamy but not slick or oily. The carbonation level on this feels just right. Dry, but not extra dry finish.

Overall: This was really great. I think I prefer it to the Double Citra that I had most recently. It is a bit more balanced, and the bitterness at the end is much less medicinal or astringent tasting. There is a wonderful range of hop characteristics present here. I wish I had gotten more of this, since I am not sure if it is going to be brewed again, but I feel fortunate to be able to have tried it while it was available.

5/5

Hill Farmstead Brewery - Double Citra

Hill Farmstead's website says: "An American Imperial Pale Ale bittered, flavored, and dry hopped exclusively with Citra hops from the American Pacific Northwest. 8% abv."

I've talked a little about about Hill Farmstead before; it's the teeny brewery in rural Vermont that produces fantastic, sought-after beer. I have in hand today their Double Citra, a beer of theirs I've been dying to try. Kern River Brewing Company's Citra DIPA is my favorite beer, and as a fan of Hill Farmstead's offerings and respect for their small, quality-focused operation, I have been anxious to taste their version of a citra-hopped DIPA. 

Appearance: Hazy golden orange, with a dense 1-finger foamy head that leaves tight rings of lacing around the sides of the glass.


Smell: Ah, citra -- bright orange/tangerine and grapefruit, with some tropical mango notes. A bit of "dankness" and resiny pine come through at the back end. It's all bright, fresh fruit with a bit of solid earth underneath, crisp and lovely.


Taste: It tastes like how it smells, which is fantastic. The bright citrus and tropical fruits are there, and there is a little bit of grain on the finish. There is also a bit of residual hop bitterness that, when combined with the warmth from the alcohol, does result in a tad of astringency, particularly as the beer warms. It's not unpleasant, but it's there. 


Moutfeel: The beer has some nice weight to it on the tongue, and a bit of perceived oiliness from the hops, but it still finishes relatively dry. I've mentioned before that I like that dry finish in my IPAs, so for me, this is great.


Overall: This was a really fantastic beer, and as an avowed disciple of citra hops I was probably bound to love it. Since I implied a comparison with Kern's Citra, I think I do have to give the edge still to Kern. This is for two reasons: 
1) This might be entirely my perception, but I think Kern's Citra is a bit more balanced than the Double Citra I'm drinking today. Though the taste of the malt backbone isn't perceptible, the sharp bitterness of the hops and the aforementioned astringency don't really occur on the palate in Kern's brew as they do here. 
2) Homerism 
Direct comparisons aside, this is still an excellent beer, and one I will go out of my way to get again.


4.5/5

Lawson's Finest Liquids - Triple Play IPA

From the label: "A trifecta of hop varieties deliver a symphony of juicy tropical hop flavors and a wonderful bouquet of aromas. Brewed and dry hopped with Citra, Simcoe, and Centennial. 7% ABV. Brewing News 2011 National IPA Champion."

Lawson's Finest Liquids is another teeny, out of the way Vermont Brewery, though it's not so much 1 Where Am I? Avenue as Hill Farmstead is. It's definitely not super easy to get a Lawson's brew if you're outside of their small region of distribution; fortunately for me the same angelic chap who provided Hill Farmstead in the past has passed this IPA along to me as well.

Appearance: It looks pretty nice in the photo, but in person this is really something special to look at. A deep, bright orange, with a clean short (~1 finger) of head, and some sparse lacing. It's a bit murky, but catches the light in a warming way.

Smell: All kinds of great fruit aromas, like citrus: grapefuit and pineapple; and tropical: mango and, well, doesn't pineapple also apply here? Such a rich, hop-forward smell.

Taste: The same great fruit notes that come through in the nose are present on the palate, with the grapefruit being a bit more dominant. I can also taste a bit of the grain toward the back of the palate. As it is so hop-forward, it's bitter, but the actual flavor profile from the fruit (not the malt, which is so nice) is sweet.

Mouthfeel: The body is nice -- medium, perfectly carbonated, and a pretty dry finish.

Overall: Surprise! I like an IPA with Citra hops! No, really though, that's not a surprise. This is a really bright, fresh, fruity, delicious, and clean-tasting IPA. The aroma is also wonderful. I definitely recommend grabbing this if anyone happens to be in Vermont at the right time. I'm very lucky to have been able to try this one.

4.5/5

Three Floyds - Zombie Dust

Zombie Dust is a 6.5% ABV single-hop Pale Ale that's brewed several times a year. I'd guess the brewing schedule has a lot to do with the availability of Citra hops, which are the only hops used in this beer but are not always available in large quantities. So when it's brewed, it has pretty normal Three Floyds distribution, but the batches don't tend to stick around very long because people snatch them up. As with almost all midwest beers, I grabbed Zombie Dust in a trade.

Appearance: Hazy honey-orange, with a nice, full head that tops out at about three fingers in height. There is tons of sticky lacing left on the sides of the glass.

Smell: Amazing. This is one of the best-smelling beers I've ever had. Sweet citrus leaps to the nose -- grapefruit, pineapple, tangerine, and a bit of mango thrown in for good measure! And the notes here are not bitter or sharp at all, like rind; they are the sweet aromatic qualities of the fruits themselves.

Taste: It tastes how it smells, which is to say, fantastic. All of the citrus fruit flavors from the nose are there, plus some nice resin flavors on the backbone which keeps everything from being too fruity and sweet. Though all of these flavors are lent from the hops, there isn't any residual bitterness here at all. It's so tasty and drinkable.

Mouthfeel: Mostly light, a bit oily, but completely palatable.

Overall: This is one fantastic beer. I usually try to refrain from editorializing in the tasting notes, but you can probably tell I was ecstatic about this one. I love Citra hops, and this pale ale is a delicious ode to the possibilities.

5/5, and it's a new favorite going on the side of the blog.

Kern River Brewing Co - Citra DIPA

DIPA, 8% ABV, bottle released Thanksgiving day.

Holy crap guys, I hit the motherload on this one.
"THIS BEER IS ALL ABOUT THE HOPS. Cirtus, mango, and pineapple aromas abound; but make no mistake, there is no fruit here, just a serious dry-hop regimine (sic) of Citra and Amarillo hops. We put in just enough malt backing to balance out the flavor, but Citra Double IPA is as close as it gets to chewing on a hop vine. Enjoy this one fresh --  at least while you can get your hands on it!"

Appearance: Hazy orange, with a thick, full head that leaves nice lacing on the glass.

Smell: Lovely aromatics include citrus and mango, with an undertone of honey and sweet grain.

Taste: Hoppy as hell, but balanced too? How does that even work? A bouquet of grapefruit, pineapple, mango, orange zest, and floral notes are backed reliably, but not overpoweringly, by resin and caramel malt.

Mouthfeel: Unique and fantastic. Full and robust, but then finishes perfectly clean and dry. They've gotten this exactly right.

Overall: My reviews are becoming more concise, which is probably good. I'm worried though, that in this case, my shorter review is doing Citra a disservice by sneakily implying I don't have much to say about it. On the contrary, I could probably go on for hours about how delicious this is, not to mention balanced and finished perfectly. This is as close to a perfect brew as I've ever had, and it's definitely at the top of my favorites list. I wish it was easier to come by, and I wish I had a spell to magically make this cellar-able, so that I could have it on hand as I pleased.

5/5