1001 Beers

Beer No: 57
Page No: 155
Category: Amber

Try as I might, I just can't seem to get caught up on my beer reviews.  It's tough to do one a day - especially when real life gets in the way.  But, it's still American Craft Beer Week, so I decided to revisit Bear Republic Brewing Company as their Racer 5 was one of the first beers reviewed in this long journey.  The Racer 5 IPA which I loved, but not as much as some other IPAs I regularly drink.  However, this Hop Rod Rye, being a Double IPA brewed with 20% rye malts blew me away.  The hops are definitely out in force with this DIPA, but the rye malts really seem to bring it back to ground and balance it perfectly.  1001 Beers notes that brewing with rye is especially difficult because it has no husk and can turn rock hard during mashing if not careful, but the folks up in Northern California at Bear Republic have it down.  This was a treat and there's truly a reason it's #21 on the list of top 50 Imperial/Double IPAs.  However, it being one spot ahead of Avery's The Maharaja is pretty crazy.  The Maharaja still stands as one of my all time favorites.  But with a rating of 4.2, the Hop Rod Rye is definitely not far behind.

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye Ale from Bear Republic Brewing Company

Aroma: 9/10
Appearance: 4/5
Taste: 8/10
Palate: 4/5
Overall: 17/20

Rating: 4.2 / 5.0

Had from 22oz. bottle from BevMo. Pours dark brown/amber with good head and ample lacing. Aroma is heavy hops and rye bread with good citrus and caramel undertones. Flavor is heavily hopped with a nice balance of rye and barley malts. I wasn’t really expecting to like this one as much as I did. A wonderful IIPA with the rye malts really adding to the complexity. Finishes with a sweet, dry taste. Absolutely wonderful.

Beer No: 41/1001
Page No: 183
Category: Amber

A couple of weeks ago, Paste posted this article on the 30 Best Beer Bars in America, and based on the two that I visited up in San Francisco over my visits there, the list is pretty spot on.  I also have a friend who has been to the Oakland bar and can vouch for it's awesomeness as well.  So if you're looking for a good beer bar in your part of the country, check this list.  It's pretty legit.  Plus, it's got the Brick Store Pub in Decatur, GA on it, so you know it's on task.  I recently completed a 6,000 mile road trip across the U.S. with the Brick Store being my ultimate Eastern destination.  It was a great experience (despite having to wait an hour to drink beer due to antiquated Georgia laws).  Back in 2009, they also posted the 25 best Breweries of the Decade - all of which I'm sure are in the book of 1001 Beers.

It's tough not to compare this Avery Maharaja to the Imperial IPA I had just yesterday, the Beer Valley Reefer Madness.  But even without yesterday's beer as a comparison point, it's quite obvious that this is the cream of the crop of Imperial IPAs (or Double IPAs). As I am writing this post, I am unfortunately out of Maharaja.  All I want right now is another.  So I'm definitely heading down to BevMo in Costa Mesa tomorrow to pick up 10 more that I have on order (6 for me, 4 for a friend).  I have one Sierra Nevada Pale in the fridge that will have to do, but I just want another Maharaja right now.  It is absolutely delightful.  It's just so well balanced - heavy in hops as an IIPA should be, but also nice malts - resulting in a beautiful amber brownish-red color and the perfect amount of carbonation and lacing.

To put it simply, this is in the top 3 in terms of beer I've ever tasted (and rated).  It's technically in the #4 spot on my list, but right up there in the top 3, I have a mead rating, which I don't really classify as a beer.  Better than Stone's Ruination, better than AleSmith's IPA, this Imperial IPA is just heaven in a bottle.  And, to be clear, I'm refering to Batch 11, brewed March, 2010.  If you can find this in your local store, buy them out.  You won't be disappointed.  I can't find it in my three local stores, but luckily I can drive about 20 minutes to get some more.  Hopefully the ones I buy tomorrow will last me for a while.  I'm sure 6 will supplement my daily beer intake just fine over the next few months.

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Avery The Maharaja Imperial India Pale Ale from Avery Brewing Company

Aroma: 8/10
Appearance: 4/5
Taste: 10/10
Palate: 4/5
Overall: 18/20

Rating: 4.4 / 5.0

Had from bottle from BevMo. Batch 11, brewed March, 2010. Pours reddish brown with little head, awesome lacing, and tan film that sticks around to the end. It’s tough not to compare this to the Leafer Madness IIPA I had yesterday, so be prepared...the Avery is a bit darker as more malts seem to be used and it is perfectly carbonated. The flavors all blend together perfectly. Taste of floral, citrus, pine, grapefruit, great malt undertones, and amazing hop finish - smooth, not dry or astringent. The best IIPA or IPA I’ve sampled - definitely best in category.

Beer No: 40/1001
Page No: 174
Category: Amber

Ahh, Leafer Madness, how can you go wrong.  So obviously a reference to Reefer Madness, cult film of the 1930's.  Oh wait, it's not??

Yeah, somehow, according to 1001 Beers, owner and brewer at Beer Valley, Pete Ricks says that this beer is not named for Reefer Madness.  For some strange reason, I don't believe him.  He states that back when hop prices skyrocketed in 2007, a local hop farmer offered him free hops that were about to be plowed under because some plants had been damaged in a nearby fire.  So he drove out in the middle of the night during a storm and started shoveling hops into garbage bags with a five gallon bucket.  This "madness" brought about the name of the beer.

Still not convinced?  Neither am I.

However, this double IPA does know how to pack a punch and the amount of hops crammed into the beer is madness. I found that I started to enjoy the beer a lot better after it had warmed up a little.  Coming from a 22 oz. bottle, this beer pours with tons of head, so I got almost three pints out of it and I started enjoying it more as I got further into the bottle.  Maybe it was the 9% ABV that was warming me up, or it was the hops seeming to mellow a bit as the beer warmed, allowing more of the other flavors to shine through.  I was a bit mixed on this beer while tasting it initially, thinking the hops were just too much even for a hop-head like me, but it really grew on me and I enjoyed the finish of this fine DIPA.

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Beer Valley Leafer Madness Imperial Pale Ale from Beer Valley Brewing Company

Aroma: 7/10
Appearance: 3/5
Taste: 6/10
Palate: 3/5
Overall: 13/20

Rating: 3.2 / 5.0

22 oz. bottle from Total Wine. Pours orange with excellent lacing and a nice head from start to finish. Very sweet, hoppy aroma. Citrus, grapefruit, pine, and orange. Flavor is heavy on hops - very piney, with undertones of malts and caramel. Mostly hops hops and hops. Beer came together well when it warmed up a bit as the hops seemed to almost mellow a bit and the other flavors were allowed to shine. A very well done DIPA.

Beer No: 36/1001
Page No: 206
Category: Amber

After returning home from Haven Gastropub last night, I wanted to keep the beer flowing, so I broke out this bottle of Midnight Sun's Obliteration VI.  While Obliteration VI isn't in the book of 1001 Beers, Obliteration V is.  These experimental brews from Midnight Sun in Anchorage, Alaska are all brewed with heavy hops and different varieties of hops each time.  So I realize that the Obliteration VI isn't the same as the Obliteration V.  The "V" is brewed with Warrior and Nugget hops with Amarillo added in the dry-hopping stage while "VI" is brewed with Summit, Summit, and Summit hops.  But, I have no idea how I could ever get my hands on the Obliteration V, so VI will have to do for now.  Plus, at $14/bottle, I'm not too keen on trying to find an older bottle with an even bigger mark up (and, Google has no shopping results for "Obliteration V").

Back to the beer.  Weighing in at 95 IBUs, I figured this Double IPA would have a really hoppy nose, but surprisingly, it didn't.  The taste is also pretty toned down as the malts blend well with the summit hops.  But there's just something about this beer that didn't sit right.  It was oily and fizzy and the hops just didn't seem to play well with all the other ingredients.  While tasting it, and noting the single-hop blend, I flashed back to the Shipyard IPA I had a few weeks ago which was all Fuggle hops.  Whereas the Shipyard is a standard product in their lineup, this Obliteration is an experimental beer like most single-hop brews.  And while I found it interesting to get the full flavors of the summit hop, I just don't think it stands up well on its own.  A nice hop mixture could have made something special here, instead we're left with an oily, astringent, bitter DIPA.  At least it's experimental.  But I'll keep trying the series if I can ever find them.

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Midnight Sun Obliteration VI from Midnight Sun Brewing Company

Aroma: 6/10
Appearance: 4/5
Taste: 5/10
Palate: 3/5
Overall: 10/20

Rating: 2.8 / 5.0

Had from bottle from unknown shop. Pours dark orange with good sized head and nice retention. Not much lacing. Aroma of fruits, malts, and hops. Though not as many hops as I expected. Flavors of pine, citrus, sweets, and bread. Very oily texture, a bit fizzy, not what I was expecting. I’ve had many better DIPAs and those I shared it with were not impressed either.