It has been a very sad week at the Starr house. Our little buddy Yoshi (amazing kitty) suddenly passed away. And without going in to too much detail I will just say that he will be sadly missed. With that said, this session of The Hopry is dedicated to him. Recently, I was able to get a hold of a bottle of Hop Henge Experimental IPA by Deschutes Brewery out of Bend, Oregon. I had enjoyed it so much last year when a friend of mine brought one back from Denver that I vowed to get another one to put it on the show. My overall “witty” impression of Hop Henge is that it’s much like Shrek (or onions) – it has layers. As I started the beer I was pulling out very fragrant citric flavors like orange peel. Then I began to get a lot of the dank sweet hops. As I worked my way through the rest I began to pull out other flavors like honeysuckle and fresh flowers. But each new sip brought a slightly new experience. It was every bit as enjoyable as I remembered last year when I rated it an A on Beer Advocate. Now, if I could only bring myself to break into the Abyss bottle I bought not long ago. Ehhh…I think I’ll be hanging on to that one for a little while longer.
R.I.P. Yoshi (1996 – 2010)
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This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: Box Elders
It should be common knowledge by now that the mighty little craft brewery from Milton, Deleware called Dogfish Head brews some of the most experimental beers on the market. It should also be common knowledge by now that many of these beers are very extreme in their alcohol levels. Raison D’extra is a prime example of both. It’s considered to be an American Strong Ale, and I’m not going to argue with that one bit. While not necessarily experimental with flavors (brown sugar and raisins), Raison D’extra does reach a heightened level of intrigue based solely on the viscosity and size of the beer. That’s because this version (which is the bigger brother of the Raison D’être), is like drinking a rum or style of wine like Sauternes. I have to say, though, that I’m just not fully on board with this beer. I like it quite well in terms of its taste, but it tends to move a little too far away from “normal” beer territory for me to feel a full connection to it. Not to mention that it actually took me two sittings to drink this small 12 ounce bottle. You really do taste the “boat loads of raisins” and brown sugar that make up a good portion of the recipe. However, I will definitely make sure I have a friend over the next time I venture down the extreme avenue of Dogfish Head. 120-Minute IPA…you’re next. Who wants to stop by and split it with me?
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This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: Dan Auerbach
Brewery: Dogfish Head
Beer: Raison D’extra
Style: American Strong Ale
Location: Milton, Delaware
ABV: 18.5%
Rating: 86/100
I’m not even going to lie, when I received a direct compliment from the De Struise Brewery on my review of their Pannepot, my head got a little enlarged. It’s a compliment to hear from the brewery that you’re reviewing. They liked the way I described and reviewed their Pannepot, which is a beautifully complex Belgian-style strong ale. Well, I hate to say it, but they’ve gone and done it again with this insanely deep and complex Belgian Royal Stout called Black Albert. How that’s exactly different from an Imperial Stout I don’t know. Maybe I shouldn’t care. What I do know is that this HUGE monster (sitting in at 13% ABV) is really one amazing beer. It drinks more like a 9% – 10% stout. Perhaps it’s that I found this thing on a whim, or perhaps it’s just that it’s so damn easy to drink at this high of an ABV that it just makes you scratch your head. Either way, this is very deserving of a high score. With as much flavor as you get out of this beer, it just seems to balance everything very well. But, you know what? At the end of the day it is 13% and you can feel it by the time you’ve drained this small bottle of stout goodness. This Belgian brewery really does things well. And this is no exception.
It took me until I was about 35 years old to become a fan of Scotch. It always tasted like mud water to me as a young man. But then one day I became fascinated with peat-smoked Scotch. I read a lot about they Islay styles, but was never adventurous enough to try it. Then again, I’ve always been willing to expand my palate, so that’s what I did. I bought a bottle of the most intense Scotch out there: Laphroaig. I’m not even going to lie; it was one of the most offensive things I ever tasted in my life. But I was bound and determined to make myself like it – because hell…I’d just bought a whole bottle. Needless to say I love it today and am happy to see that they are using some of the same types of barrels to make the beers I love just as much. Harviestoun’sOla Dubh 16 is one of those beers. It was on last years Top 25 Beers of the Year in Draft Magazine. Of course I greatly value their opinion so I quickly set out to get a bottle. Having sat on this one for nearly ten months, I have to say it was well worth the wait. This lovely beer is only subtly perfumed by the Highland Park barrels for which it was housed. Though the claim is that this beer is an “old ale,” I have to admit that it fooled me into thinking it was a stout. It’s dark and inky with a lot of the same characteristics of a stout. But really at the end of the day, this is just a great beer to share with a friend in a couple snifters. It’ll make you feel like you should be sitting in your grandpa’s old winged-back chair reading poetry and smoking a cigar.
The Saison is slowly becoming one of my favorite lighter styles of beer. One of the reasons is because they are easy drinking, but another is that they have a slightly heightened amount of flavor and booze. There’s really no other way to say it – and the Saison Dupont is no exception. It’s pretty much text book. I will say the only drawback to this beer is the green bottle because unfortunately it adds a small amount of skunkiness to the smell of the beer. And I’m pretty sure these are fresh as they just arrived in our stores…which come to think of it…doesn’t really mean anything. What I will say is that there is zero “skunk” on the palate. When this beer hit my tongue I was more than pleasantly surprised. It has that classic Saison taste. Light, ester-y, citrusy, and well-balanced. Now, it’s not as great as the Boulevard Saison Brett by any means, but… Certainly check this one out if you haven’t. If you are a fan of Saisons then I’m sure you’ve had this one multiple times. I’m also pretty sure you can find this one in a lot of stores across the country.
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This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: BEAK>
Brewery: Brasserie Dupont
Beer: Saison Dupont
Style: Farmhouse Ale / Saison
Location: Tourpes-Leuze, Belgium
ABV: 6.5%
Rating: 91/100
One style that I have not spent as much time on as I’d like is the German Doppelbock. People who know me well know that I really favor American craft beer at the moment. I just think we have a lot to offer in this country and we are doing things that others are simply not willing to do. Having said that, I know there is a lot to be said about beers from other countries like Belgium and Germany — I have had more Belgian than German, though. This particular beer, the Celebrator by Ayinger, comes from Germany. Though I’ll admit that most of my knowledge is in the Hefeweizen category I am also quite fond of a good Doppelbock. Our very own Boulevard Brewing Company here in Kansas City just recently released a very nice one aged on cedar chips called Seeyoulator. But the Ayinger is typically heralded as the best in this style, so that’s why I have decided to make it my first Doppelbock on the show. Digging in to the first smell and taste was nice to say the least. The Celebrator is a very well-balanced beer with a subtle amount of bitterness, aroma, and great flavor. This is definitely a darker beer you could enjoy in the winter months without going too big on bitterness or ABV. Look for more of these in the future as I’m excited to see how some of the other greats stand up to this one. Leave me a comment below of which ones are your favorite and I’ll be sure to search for them next time I’m out and about at the stores.
There has certainly been a trend around The Hopry lately – and that is the fact that I’ve been drinking a lot of great canned craft beers. For the most part, they have all been IPAs…until now. On this night we moved to Abt/Quadrupel territory. I have to admit that the first time I heard someone was selling a Belgian-style Quadrupel in a can I just had to search for some to get on the show ASAP. As such, I was able to get a four-pack of the Monk’s Blood from 21st Amendment out of San Francisco. I was very surprised, too, with the amazingly nice packaging. It comes in a square cardboard box with the beer’s information on all sides (seen here and borrowed from here). Since this beer came to me via Minnesota, I figured I would have my good friend Martin back over to share it with me (he’s originally from the area). What we had was a very nice beer that met the expectations of the can, which says “Belgian-style dark ale brewed with cinnamon, vanilla, oak chips and dried figs.” They were pretty spot on with the description because that’s exactly what it tasted like…oh and some with dark cherries.
This is it guys — the holy grail of beer for me. I don’t know how else to put it except to tell you that Bell’s Hopslam is the single best beer on the market. Released only once a year, people stand in line, leave their name on waiting lists, or just outright stalk liquor stores for it. I’ve done all three…so I know. Last year I only purchased two six-packs and I’ve regretted that decision all year. So this year I opted for not just one case, but two. Call it panic, call it crazy, call it whatever you want — but I’m sitting on enough Hopslam to last me for at least three or four months (maybe longer since it’s all sitting in cold refrigeration). The second this gorgeous Imperial IPA is poured, the aromas waft up out of the glass so strongly that you know you’re in for a special treat. TONS of pineapple and mango (even luxurious papaya) just begin to wreak havoc on your nostrils and make you glad you’re alive. It’s virtually a clear golden color with the perfect amount of off-white head, its smell (again) is out of this world, but the taste is the real star here. Let’s just say this is pure perfection as I know it. And that’s all I’m going to say. Go steal some from your friends. Or go drive two states away. Or pay $10 for a bottle on eBay. Whatever you do – get on board with this beer because you’ll truly see what the hype is all about. And don’t forget… REFRIGERATE YOUR HOPS PEOPLE!!!
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This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: Atlas Sound
Lagunitas, from Petaluma, California, is known mostly for their amazing (and value-driven) Imperial IPA called Hop Stoopid. Luckily, we have finally been given the okay to get Lagunitas in Kansas and Missouri — so I have not been deprived by any stretch of the imagination. The first day I saw Hop Stoopid available here in Kansas City I purchased eight bottles right on the spot. At only $3.50 for an amazing 22 ounce bomber of hop goodness, how can you go wrong? So when I saw their barley wine called Brown Shugga getting ready to hit the shelves I jumped at the opportunity to buy some of them as well. A fan of barley wines already, I figured this couldn’t be too bad of a beer knowing that the brewery knows a thing or two about hops. But what struck me about Brown Shugga the most is how light the hop presence is for such a big beer. It’s easy to pick up a small amount of hops on the nose, but it doesn’t translate over to the palate as much as it should. Barley Wines are known for having a large amount of hops, but the focus here is more on the malts and sweetness from the brown sugar that is added to the beer. All in all, I would say this is a good beer from Lagunitas. However, loads more hops to bump up the bitterness and aromas would definitely turn this one into a great beer.
Ahhh…Goose Island’sBourbon County Stout – it’s such a behemoth of an Imperial Stout. At 13%, it’s enough to take the edge off any situation very quickly. Rewind a couple years ago…The BCS was my first real experience with an extreme beer. Just smelling it come out of the glass as my waiter poured it for me led me to fear what I might feel like afterwards. With its intense aroma of bourbon, I knew I was at least going to enjoy something for the ages. Two problems exist with these beers, though, and that is the fact that they are very heavy and potent. I’d even go so far as to say that these little 12 ounce bottles could be shared with one or two other people. But I can tell you based on this review that they clearly do well with a couple years of age. I’ve been sitting on a few bottles of the 2007 vintage for a while just to see what the experience would be like after having the 2008 and 2009 consecutively, and the result was phenomenal. A lot of the alcohol burn has dwindled but the flavor profile from the bourbon barrels still remains. Matched with a great amount of coffee, chocolate, toffee, and vanilla, this beer is much more approachable than it was in 2007. But granted…my palate is a lot more susceptible to these extreme beers now, so you make the call. Buy a couple and let them sit down in the basement for a couple years and see what happens.
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This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: Bill Callahan
Brewery: Goose Island
Beer: Bourbon County Stout
Style: Imperial Stout (Barrel-Aged)
Location: Chicago, IL
ABV: 13%
Rating: 94/100
