12 Sep

The Hopry Says Goodbye

Posted by thehopry in Updates.

Nearly two years ago I sat down in front of my video camera to share my beer collection with others. I had no idea how many people would eventually come to watch my sessions, and how many people would ultimately get something out of it. Including myself! Either through comments, personal messages, or donations, many of you have expressed your appreciation for my work here, and I am forever grateful for that. Having recently reached my 200th unique beer review means that I have shared a great deal of info and have experienced a good amount of beer. But today I find myself at a stopping point for the site. Call it “going out on top” if you will, but for me today marks an end to something I hold very dear to my heart…The Hopry. Please take a moment to watch the above video. I’m happy to receive any comments you may have. And please know that I have deeply enjoyed my (our) time here.

Best Wishes and Cheers!
Mark Starr

9 Sep

Pelican The Perfect Storm

Posted by thehopry in Barleywine, Pelican Brewery, United States.

Session # 200
Pelican | The Perfect Storm
English Barleywine | Pacific City, OR | 13.5% ABV

One year ago: Hoppin’ Frog Barrel-aged B.O.R.I.S.

There were some days I never thought I’d make it to 100 reviews, let alone getting to 200 reviews. But alas, today I have made it and Tim Pratt joins me once again to share a beer I’ve been staring at on my shelves for a long time. The Perfect Storm! It’s a beer I wanted to try so badly that I actually reached out to the brewer of Pelican Pub & Brewery. I was lucky enough to get one sent to me and I’ve been hanging on to it for a special occasion. Today is that day. As Tim and I poured this monstrous beer in our glasses, we noticed a couple things. First, was that the room instantly smelled like a bourbon barrel explosion. Second, was the fact that this beer didn’t pour as gooey and big as we thought it would. It had a nice dark mahogany color with a fair amount of head resting on top, but we could see the bottoms of our glasses. We thought this was a bit odd. The nose was of dark fruits, burnt caramel, brown sugar, and TONS of booze. One sip set us back further than planned because the amount of heat coming off this beer was numbing. Once this burn subsided, toffee, oak, and vanilla laid on our tongues for a few minutes. But at the end of the day, the annihilation of that booze was too much to take. Was their good flavor? Yes. Was it drinkable? Ummm…no. I can tell you that our score was collaborative but mine was much lower than Tim’s. I was pretty disappointed for a beer I’ve been waiting ages to drink. Firestone Walker’s Abacus eats this beer’s lunch all day long… So get it instead.

Check out all sessions of The Hopry here.
This beer has been retired.
Listening To: Joy Division “Atmosphere”



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8 Sep

Odell Deconstruction Ale

Posted by thehopry in American Wild Ale, Odell, United States.

Session # 199
Odell | Deconstruction Ale
American Wild Ale | Fort Collins, CO | 10.5% ABV

One year ago: Odell India Pale Ale

Over the course of the last year or so, Odell Brewing out of Fort Collins, CO has been making their fair share of barrel-aged beers. At least five that I can think of off the top of my head. Today’s beer, Deconstruction Ale, is a blend (if you will) of three different beers. One aged in oak barrels; one aged in bourbon barrels; and one aged in wine barrels. There is also a portion of it that is just Strong Ale. But there was definitely some thought put in to the blending of this beer. Out of the bottle came a huge jet of white foam before I could even pour it into my glass. It kept creeping throughout the review. The vibrant orange color, however, was amazing. That soft pillowy white head rested right on top. Aromas of funk, oak, citrus and spice abounded. The flavor didn’t stray too far and really reminded me of Orval or Russian River Temptation. Lots of Belgian yeast funk, citrus and oak were predominant on the tongue followed by a nice dry and effervescent finish. Definitely an enjoyable beer if you like funky barrel-aged flavors.

Check out all sessions of The Hopry here.
This beer can be found in these states.
Listening To: Menahan Street Band “Home Again”



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7 Sep

Boulevard Imperial Stout ’11

Posted by thehopry in Boulevard, Imperial Stout, United States.

Session # 198
Boulevard | Imperial Stout
Imperial Stout | Kansas City, MO | 11% ABV

One year ago: Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout

Today is the first time on The Hopry I will have reviewed the same beer twice. I have generally stayed away from this because I want to get to as many different beers as possible. However, I enjoyed the 2008 release of the Boulevard Imperial Stout so much, that I actually gave it a perfect score (one of only three beers). So I just had to revisit it in the form of this 2011 release. More specifically, though, I wanted to revisit the “un-infected” batch # 1. I missed this in the review, but 46% of this one was aged in barrels, while the 2008 was only 10%. The color was near pitch black with touches of ruby red coming through when held up to the light. A chocolaty head formed on top before a nice bourbon aroma filled the air. Immediately this beer smelled great with dark fruits up front followed soon by oak and vanilla. It smelled very Belgian for sure. On the palate, not quite as big as you’d think for an 11% ABV beer, but there was definitely enough barrel and bite to make you happy. It finished with burnt caramel and dark fruits and that signature Belgian stamp that Pauwels is so good at doing. Not as good as the 2008 for sure, but definitely better than the infected batch # 2 from 2011.

Check out all sessions of The Hopry here.
This beer can be found in these states.
Listening To: Wilco “I Might”



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6 Sep

De Struise Black Damnation IV

Posted by thehopry in Belgium, De Struise, Imperial Stout.

Session # 197
De Struise | Black Damnation IV
Imperial Stout | Oostvleteren, Belgium | 13% ABV

One year ago: Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout

When a stout coming from Belgium clocks in at 13% you know you’re going to get something massive. That’s just exactly what I got from this iteration of the great Black Albert from De Struise. What the fine gentlemen from this brewery have done is taken their Black Albert Imperial stout and created numerous variations of the beer. There’s the Mocha Bomb, Black Mes, and Coffee Club to name a few. Today we look at the Coffee Club (aka IV). It poured so dark that I didn’t even have to hold it to the light. I knew nothing would come through it. A nice chocolaty head formed on top and started to unleash some rich coffee aromas into the air. After digging further, miles of dark roasted malts and deep dark burnt caramel followed. The flavor was pretty much the same with tons of bitterness from the coffee that even finished a bit tart like espresso. The chocolate and burnt caramel soon followed and left my tongue on the side of the road for dead. Another huge stout from Belgium. If you like them big, you’ll probably like this one.

Check out all sessions of The Hopry here.
This beer can be found in these states.
Listening To: Joni Mitchell “The Hissing of Summer Lawns”



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