Which is as close to Sacramento as I could get this time around :-).
This is, says the label, an 11.5% ABV beer, with 131 IBU thingies, 131!!!!, and in a US Pint bottle, of 650ml to the metric. Which in NZ this should be 5.77 Standard drink units, however the importer labels this at 10% ABV and 5.12 units. In the USA this would only be 4.12 standard drink units, the only time when the US has something smaller rather than bigger.I'm using this tool to work some of this drink unit measure out.
Triple IPA brewed with Citra and Simcoe hops. There are many brewers using this variety today, but to get a clear understanding of what this hop variety smells and tastes like, one should look no further than the Weyerbacher Double Simcoe IPA. With a very high alpha acid, this is a hop that isn’t bashful with its pine, citrus, and cat urine characters. In fact, this is commonly referred to as the “cat pee” hop. Try it!
Big big nose of grassy hops on opening, Fantastic orange golden pour, with a lively and fluffy head, cracking carbonation, and a continuance of that really hop laden aroma, but not only the hops, I get a pepper and I can also get caramel.
My quick check indicates that in general the IBU numbers does not go to 131, (mostly going to 120) but I can tell you that this is a bogglingly bitter beer that, surprisingly, even knowing what was coming, caught me by surprise. Even the second mouthful
It has a lasting palate, mostly of grass on grass, with little to dampen it down any, you're left with a not unpleasant but lingering grass. And burps.
To be fair it's not all about the resinous hops, there is some tanging citrus like grapefruits in this, but it ends up very dry to the finish.
This would be best with something strong by way of a food to keep it in check, but in and of itself it's a remarkable beer, and it did surprise me, in a good way. I liked the bitterness, I like the citrusness, I enjoy the caramel warm aroma that it settles to. Even the burping was pleasing. What is most surprising is that this is such a high ABV beer with no real indication that you're getting all your recommended Hop Weed Therapy in a one startling beer.
The Pdubyah-O-Meter things that this is a cracking great 9 things on it's ever arbitrary scale of things. I like this, but I don't know that it would be the beer I started drinking at beer-o-clock, and this is a beer 'session' of one bottle, two if you were really going for a headache, so 'session' it isn't.
I have two bottles of this, an oversight on my order, but I'm glad I do, because this is now in my fridge alongside A Chatoe Rogue OREgasmic Ale, and I'm going to do a taste off, at some point, not tonight. Paul if you're reading this I have an idea of a round-table for a couple of weeks time. And Mark when were you going to mention The Marfa Lights and Other Stories ?
This is one of the beers that I brought with my beer voucher from my old team, and I think they'd be pleased I'd made a great choice. Thanks people you've again made me smile.
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