Victory Variety Pack Round-Up: HopDevil

Brewed By: Victory Brewing Company in Downingtown, Pennsylvania 

Purchased: 12oz bottle from Victory's Variety Pack bought at Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: American India Pale Ale, 6.7%
Reported IBUs: ?

I realize that reviewing Victory's heritage brews is like reviewing Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale or Anchor Brewing's Anchor Steam. Here's the thing. The four beers contained in this Variety Pack (PrimaPils, HopDevil, Headwaters Pale Ale, Golden Monkey) are classics in their own right. But the times, they've been a-changin'. So it reasons that what was once a classic might be viewed differently today than in retrospect. You know. Plus this is my blog/LiveJournal. If you don't like it, suck on deez nuts. But  About Victory: 

Victory Brewing Company is a brewery based out of Downingtown, Pennsylvania. The brewery was founded by Ron Barchet and Bill Covaleski, two avid brewers and lovers of beer. Although Victory opened on February 15, 1996, the duo were brewing brewing beer long before opening their own company. You can read more about their accomplishments on the brewery's about page. The brewery uses German malted barley and European and American whole flower hops (the use of whole flower hops is one unique aspect of Victory). Victory is currently working on expanding to Parkesburg. For more information about Victory, check out their website or their Facebook page. 

Like the PrimaPils, the HopDevil is also a classic, with the review from the Bros going back to 2001. This beer is brewed with a 2-Row German malt base, and whole flower American hops. 

Victory HopDevil

This is pretty much your typical American IPA circa early 2000s epitomized in appearance. The copper tones are dark, the ambers are various ranges of orange, brown, red, and copper, and the head is caramel-tinged. The lacing and carbonation is on point...in many ways this beer is heritage and mundane, but I think most people who really enjoy beer stopped giving a shit about the appearance pre-2008 BJCP, so whatever.

This has a heavy aroma. It dials up the pine and orange, and the malt base is really welcome. I was just about to shit on the aroma for lacking sweetness, but the malt base is surprisingly present and provides some nice rye notes in conjunction with the hops. The aroma still has the forest-like, crushed leaves, pine-orange character typical of the era. I don't know what hops this uses, but it doesn't use any of the sweet ones. Probably Cascade or Centennial or both, and that's about it. Still...despite my reservations, this has really nice depth in the aroma. It's not like Finch's very average IPA, or Dark Horse's Crooked Tree. 

The malt depth is what makes this beer worth your time. This has a pretty standard pine/citrus attack that is earthy and dank, with some resin to boot. The malts provide all sorts of complexity with some shifts towards dark breads, rye, and sweeter notes that even vaguely suggest caramel or dark cakey desserts. Maybe even fruit cake. It's like...in the year 2014...there has been a proliferation of hops. This beer falls back on some American standbys, and wins you over with Victory's unique malt base.

6.7% is about right...it's drinkable, clean, refreshing, blah blah. The heavier hops don't hold this beer down or back, and it has good palate depth and complexity. The bitterness is actually really well integrated against the complex malt backing which is largely unobtrusive but also present. Victory clearly know how to engineer thoughtful beers. I do have to hand that to them. Up front: a nice attack of citrus and pine that is largely in the earthy range; that shifts into really nice peppery spice, rye, dark breads, and more hops; the back end kicks up the bitter and resin, with some resiny pine and lemon coming along for the ride. The finish is actually really nice and this one grows on you if you can get past the aroma and first few sips.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average. This one is actually growing on me the more time I spend with it...which is a good thing. This is a fairly robust and complex American IPA, and something that was probably on the cusp at the time. Considering that this relies on one or two American hops, it has a lot of complexity. Some of that definitely comes from the malts....I'm even getting some brown sugar notes as this warms up. In my mind, this beer is really about where and when. I wouldn't reach for this as my go-to IPA, but when paired with heavy or rustic foods, I think this would hold up well. That's my 2 cents.

Random Thought: Overall, the Victory Variety Pack is pretty solid at 20 dollars. It features a bunch of above-average classic beers, but nothing that is going to rock your world. Actually...I haven't had anything from Victory that has really blown me away. Just a bunch of Above-Average beers. Maybe that's okay. Anyway...

Sapporo Premium Beer

Brewed By: Sapporo Breweries in Tokyo, Japan (or wherever it's contracted)  

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 6-pack bought at Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2014 

Style/ABV: Japanese Rice Lager, 5.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

This is my beer. This beer has ushered me through countless sushi and Chinese food meals. This light, cheap, refreshing rice lager is a little slice of beer culture...and frankly, one of the best macro lagers available. And it's made by Sapporo, my guys!

Sapporo is the oldest brewery in Japan; and was first brewed in Japan by German-trained, lager brewer, Seibei Nakagawa. Sapporo Premium beer was brought to the USA in 1964 to save sushi lovers like me. 

The Sapporo Premium is a staple and classic, and features rice in place of corn. DAE Japan? This beer pours into a nice dark gold color, kicking up two+ fingers of dense, off-white head. This actually has head retention, and leaves webs of lacing. It's like a Lager...with hops. What a concept.

Sapporo Premium Beer

This actually smells quite hoppy out the gate, especially at lower temps. In particular, you get a lot of grassy hops, floral hops, and some cracker/biscuit that is going to totally betray you when you taste it and realize this beer is rice-based. It smells incredibly bright, clean, vibrant, and fresh....words that often DO NOT describe the typical saccharine sweet and skunky pale lagers that typically cross paths with hobos and 7-11.

At cooler temps especially, this is just a treat to sip on. It has a lemony zest like club soda, with some nice funk and malt backing from the rice. This does provide some of that "lager funk" typical of the style, but it's much cleaner and more refreshing than other examples. There's a touch of apple in here, completely intentional. And the grassy and floral hops that were in the aroma show up in the taste. This really punches in all the flavors you'd want from a Lager, without any of the saccharine sweetness, skunkiness, or weird gasoline flavors that you might find in a 40oz of malt liquor. 

You have to be a cold hearted bastard to rate this beer like it's some sort of fancy thing. This is the epitome of clean, functional beer...sort of like Japan. I mean, what sort of weird tentacle candy that doubles as a dildo for young men will they think of next. This is just light-bodied, refreshing, clean on the palate, and fairly complex for the style. How many Lagers provide that clean Lager funk and malt base, with some gentle apple notes, and then bring it all home with crackers, biscuit, and grassy/floral hops. This is my sushi slayer, and maybe my desert island Lager.

Rating: Divine Brew (5.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Divine Brew on this. Leave it to Japan to make the quintessential sushi-beer pairing. Ignore BeerAdvocate or RateBeer in regards to this beer.

Random Thought: You do want to drink this beer fresh. 

Victory Variety Pack Round-Up: Golden Monkey

Brewed By: Victory Brewing Company in Downingtown, Pennsylvania 

Purchased: 12oz bottle from Victory's Variety Pack bought at Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: American-style Tripel, 9.5%
Reported IBUs: ?

I realize that reviewing Victory's heritage brews is like reviewing Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale or Anchor Brewing's Anchor Steam. Here's the thing. The four beers contained in this Variety Pack (PrimaPils, HopDevil, Headwaters Pale Ale, Golden Monkey) are classics in their own right. But the times, they've been a-changin'. So it reasons that what was once a classic might be viewed differently today than in retrospect. You know. Plus this is my blog/LiveJournal. If you don't like it, suck on deez nuts. But  About Victory: 

Victory Brewing Company is a brewery based out of Downingtown, Pennsylvania. The brewery was founded by Ron Barchet and Bill Covaleski, two avid brewers and lovers of beer. Although Victory opened on February 15, 1996, the duo were brewing brewing beer long before opening their own company. You can read more about their accomplishments on the brewery's about page. The brewery uses German malted barley and European and American whole flower hops (the use of whole flower hops is one unique aspect of Victory). Victory is currently working on expanding to Parkesburg. For more information about Victory, check out their website or their Facebook page. 

The Golden Monkey is a big-ass, American-style Tripel brewed with 2-Row malts and whole flower European hops. They also throw some coriander seed into this one. This is another classic example of an American-style Tripel, albeit one that the Bros didn't like very much back in 2001/2002. Oh wells. 

This pours very much like its name implies: into a golden body, kicking up two fingers of dense, fluffy, golden-tinged head. This is nicely carbonated, and looks the part of a Tripel, albeit less cloudy than some of the Belgian ones. This is conditioned, however, and you do get some yeast sediment in your glass.

Victory Golden Monkey

The aroma here is also classic Tripel, with vibrant grains, clove, banana, funky yeast esters, and deep hops that include notes of citrus, lemon, and coriander. This actually smells really appetizing, especially for a fresh beer. Part of the allure of the style is that you get these aged bangers from Belgium, but us Americans tend to ratchet up the candy sugar and ride the booze and spice train.

This is super drinkable, with big clove and yeast funk crashing down like a tidal wave. It coats your entire tongue, and also delivers some really clean grain and bready notes. This is stupid drinkable, as the style should be, and you would never guess this is 9.5% until it knocked you on your ass. Along with all the clove is a ton of lemon, floral and grassy hops, and some notes that are probably wheat malts (but go unlisted on Victory's website). This is actually super clean, despite being a very straightforward affair.

And despite being straightforward, this has fulfilling palate depth and complexity. It's just big and drinkable and refreshing...without any of the bullshit. Granted, it's not very adventurous, but it doesn't hit you over the head with too much spice or any of that. It lays out the clove and big funky yeast; and then rolls into some coriander spice, dough, bread, banana esters, and big lemon and floral hops; the back end fades with wheat, more clove, and a surprisingly estery and bready finish. I like this beer a lot.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average on this. I really like how simple but refined this beer is. It's not blowing anyone away, but this is a good effort for an American Tripel that has a few bells and whistles...namely a super smooth body, coupled with an insane amount of clove funk, and lots of depth and complexity. I'd bang this again, and pair it with some white pasta, meats, and cheeses. Fantastic, available brew. If you are stumbling onto this beer and are new to the Tripel style, check it out.

Random Thought: One more to go...

Victory Variety Pack Round-Up: Headwaters Pale Ale

Brewed By: Victory Brewing Company in Downingtown, Pennsylvania 

Purchased: 12oz bottle from Victory's Variety Pack bought at Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: American Pale Ale, 5.1%
Reported IBUs: ?

I realize that reviewing Victory's heritage brews is like reviewing Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale or Anchor Brewing's Anchor Steam. Here's the thing. The four beers contained in this Variety Pack (PrimaPils, HopDevil, Headwaters Pale Ale, Golden Monkey) are classics in their own right. But the times, they've been a-changin'. So it reasons that what was once a classic might be viewed differently today than in retrospect. You know. Plus this is my blog/LiveJournal. If you don't like it, suck on deez nuts. But  About Victory: 

Victory Brewing Company is a brewery based out of Downingtown, Pennsylvania. The brewery was founded by Ron Barchet and Bill Covaleski, two avid brewers and lovers of beer. Although Victory opened on February 15, 1996, the duo were brewing brewing beer long before opening their own company. You can read more about their accomplishments on the brewery's about page. The brewery uses German malted barley and European and American whole flower hops (the use of whole flower hops is one unique aspect of Victory). Victory is currently working on expanding to Parkesburg. For more information about Victory, check out their website or their Facebook page. 

The Headwaters Pale Ale is brewed with Victory's typical 2-Row malt base, and whole flower American hops. Of the four beers in this variety pack, the Headwaters is the least famous. I believe this beer is also newer stock for Victory. 

Victory Headwaters Pale Ale

This one pours into a stereotypical amber/copper body, kicking up a finger of just off-white, hop-fueled head. This looks very much like an American IPA/APA, with clingy lacing leaving webs on the glass, and dots of carbonation.

The aroma here is a nice departure from a lot of the dull Session IPAs and vibrant/exotic hop Pale Ales that we have been seeing as of late. It's quite resinous and dank, with far reaching pine and sweet hemp, floral sweetness, lemons, and grassy notes. There is also a nice and prominent malt backbone, which features some cracker and biscuit. 

This is actually a very good example of a straight-forward American APA. At 5.1%, this feels a lot more full-bodied than many other examples in this style. It reaches far with its big American-style hops, and you get a lot of floral pine, lemony citrus, earthy dankness, light and sweet tobacco, and generous amounts of the gentle cracker/caramel/biscuit malt backbone. The end result is surprisingly clean and well-made.

This is medium-bodied, but well carbonated and clean. In that regard it is light. The 5.1% is surprising, as the body feels much more substantial. You don't get any booze, which is nice. In a lot of ways, this is that big and complex APA you should be looking for, but it doesn't come with any bullshit strings like an inflated ABV or the use of 10 Australian hops. Really, this unfolds with clean grassy hops, lemon zest, sweet tobacco, and floral notes up front; that rolls into more hops, with burgeoning caramel and bread; the back end stays hop-forward, but adds a touch of cracker and biscuit. The finish is dry and clean, and reminds me of beers like Bell's Two Hearted. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. While in many regards this beer is very much the epitome of an American Pale Ale, it also goes above and beyond in terms of execution. This is truly a sleeper APA, and I could see myself regularly stocking my fridge with a 12-pack of this for the warmer months. This would be a beer I would take camping or fishing, and it also should pair well with lightly spicy foods, warmer weather, barbecues, and certainly things like pizza. This is a fantastic entry from Victory, and it's a shame you don't hear more hype around this beer.

Random Thought: DAE Zombie Citra hurr durr Austrian hops wooo. 

Victory Variety Pack Round-Up: PrimaPils

Brewed By: Victory Brewing Company in Downingtown, Pennsylvania 

Purchased: 12oz bottle from Victory's Variety Pack bought at Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: American-style Pilsner, 5.3%
Reported IBUs: ?

I realize that reviewing Victory's heritage brews is like reviewing Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale or Anchor Brewing's Anchor Steam. Here's the thing. The four beers contained in this Variety Pack (PrimaPils, HopDevil, Headwaters Pale Ale, Golden Monkey) are classics in their own right. But the times, they've been a-changin'. So it reasons that what was once a classic might be viewed differently today than in retrospect. You know. Plus this is my blog/LiveJournal. If you don't like it, suck on deez nuts. But  About Victory: 

Victory Brewing Company is a brewery based out of Downingtown, Pennsylvania. The brewery was founded by Ron Barchet and Bill Covaleski, two avid brewers and lovers of beer. Although Victory opened on February 15, 1996, the duo were brewing brewing beer long before opening their own company. You can read more about their accomplishments on the brewery's about page. The brewery uses German malted barley and European and American whole flower hops (the use of whole flower hops is one unique aspect of Victory). Victory is currently working on expanding to Parkesburg. For more information about Victory, check out their website or their Facebook page. 

The PrimaPils is literally a classic, with the BeerAdvocate review dating back to 2002. This overly-hoppy American-style Pilsner is brewed with imported 2-row German malts, and a fuck load of whole flower German and Czech hops. 

Victory PrimaPils

This is an admittedly good looking beer, with a bright lemon-yellow body and a finger of nicely defined white head. Head retention and lacing both excel, courtesy of the hops.

The aroma is aggressively hoppy and floral, with overt flowers and grass smashing your nostrils like Mike Tyson's Punch-Out. Embedded with the floral, Sweet Tart-candy-like aroma, are some serious malt characters. I'm getting cracker and biscuit on the nose for sure. There is also a suggestive minerality note in here. 

On the taste: a lot, actually. This is fairly complex, albeit overly hoppy to a fault. This beer drops a ton of floral, Sweet Tart hops. The hops are laid down with a solid backbone of deep biscuit and cracker, and some nice minerality. This beer is oddly familiar, but I can't place it...it is also incredibly unique. The grains do stand out, imparting fantastic aromas of a brewery making beer. 

In terms of depth, this is far-reaching and has a long duration. It's complex, and it also drinks well at 5.3%. I'd call this light-bodied, refreshing, and carbonated. I think as the style goes, this could tone the hops down a notch and ratchet up some of that complex malt base. Still, this is an effective delivery for floral hops up front, a mineral-driven biscuit and bready middle, and a back end that finishes clean, grassy, and dry. This beer has held up well over the years, and is still relevant in 2014. It's very much an American interpretation of the style.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average on this. This is actually not my favorite American Pilsner, but it is a good beer...this beer must have been quite the revolution 10 years ago, and I see why it is historically rated so highly. For me, this is almost too hoppy, which throws off some of the malts. But the malts still come through in here in a big way, so if you are looking for an aggressively hoppy American Pilsner, you really need not look further. Pair this beer with pizza, because that's the best thing to pair this style with.

Random Thought: And so begins the Chicago Bears meltdown of 2014. 

Revolution Unsessionable Imperial IPA

Brewed By: Revolution Brewing Company (Revolution Beer LLC) in Chicago, IL

Purchased: 12oz CAN from a 6-pack bought at Sheridan 'L' Lounge in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: American Imperial IPA/Strong Ale, 10%

Reported IBUs: 100

Let's be real, the session beer fad sucks. Most session beers are American Pale Ales rebranded using the popular but equally obnoxious "IPA" tag. They are nothing new, and more often than not, incredibly predictable. Tonight's beer is a big fuck you to all the session IPAs...a big ass, all-American, Imperial IPA brewed with 6 hops, that punches in at 10%. Suck on that. About Revolution:

Revolution Brewing is a brewery and brewpub based in Chicago. Revolution's roots are tied to founder Josh Deth, a homebrewer who began working at Golden Prairie Brewing. A few years later, while working at Goose Island, Josh dreamt up the idea for Revolution Brewing. In 2003, Josh and his wife opened Handlebar, while Josh worked as an Executive Director of Logan Square Chamber of Commerce. While working for the Chamber of Commerce, Josh found an old building on Milwaukee Avenue, and the wheels began to spin to open up a brewery. After three years of raising funds, Revolution Brewing opened its doors on February 2010. In July of 2011, Revolution added a 2nd floor Brewers' Lounge. And in 2012, the company opened a new production brewery and tap room. The brewpub is located in Logan Squre on 2323 N. Milwaukee Ave; the brewery is located on Kedzie Avenue at 3340 N. Kedzie Ave. For more information on Revolution, check out their history page here! 

The Unsessionable IPA is pretty ridiculous, and honestly, I am surprised this came in a 6-pack. This beer is brewed using 6 hops, including: Centennial, Chinook, Amarillo, Galaxy, Citra, and Cascade. Punching in at 10% and 100 IBUs, this beer rides that line between a Strong Ale, Barleywine, and American Imperial IPA. 

Revolution Unsessionable Imperial IPA

The appearance is everything you'd want: hazy orange, with a finger of caramel-tinged head that lasts forever thanks to the hops fueling it. This is clearly well-carbonated, and looks the part of the best American Imperials. It's like California girls and sunsets. Totally, Hollywood.

I can't remember the last time I smelled something this good coming out of Chicago. This challenges The Unicorn Hits Rock Bottom with ease, and makes Zombie Dust look like the mid-ABV IPA that it is. This smells like fat oranges, giant tangerine candies, and I shit you not: gummy peach orange ring candies. The sweet peach and tangerine notes flirt with peach iced tea, dank West Coast vibes, and tropical fruits...but it's all grounded in that sweet peach goodness.

This hits with your tongue with honey-like sweetness. The hops gloss over your palate leaving traces of orange, tangerine, and sweet peaches. This is insanely sweet, with hints of caramel sugars between the aggressively dank and resinous hop punch. This rides the imaginary line between an American Strong Ale or Barleywine...I'm reminded a bit of Dogfish Head's 120 Minute IPA. I'm also reminded of the Pipeworks/Rock Bottom collab, Unicorn Hits Rock Bottom. This is just an insane fusion of intensely sweet hops propped up against a huge malt profile. The hops are equally fruity as they are bitter and dank. The bitterness provided much needed contrast to the sweetness. But this keeps things cool and sweet. It's very West Coast, and reminds me of Florida. 

Soak these in alcohol and walla

At 10%, this beer is way too fucking drinkable. I'm serious, I killed 12oz of this in like ten minutes. That's how you get wasted. Despite being drinkable, this is till heavy-handed and full-bodied. The carbonation and hops cut through a lot of the fat, but this is a curvy beer in every way possible. The palate depth here is outstanding, and this is about as complex as something like this is going to get. It's not quite the 120 Minute...but it's flirting with that Unicorn Hits Rock Bottom. I mean really, this unfolds with sweet orange, peach gummy rings, and tangerine up front; that gives way to intense caramel sweetness, rich sugars, and dank as hell hops lurking beneath; the back end trails with intense hop sweetness, resin, and a sticky-sweet finish. This is truly an aggressive, big, over-the-top interpretation of an American Imperial IPA. A true "fuck you" to all the session bitch beers out there.

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Divine Brew on this. If Revolution can keep this around on a regular basis, well, then Chicago is going to finally have a coveted Imperial IPA. For all the good work that Pipeworks is doing, they aren't releasing beers on the regular. Chicago is seriously lacking in the Imperial IPA category, and this beer right here has potential. I'd also love to see this barrel-aged. Food pairings: spicy foods. Seriously. Get this beer to go with some over-the-top wings, and thank me later.

Random Thought: At 100 IBUs and 10%...you'd expect this beer to hold up to spicy foods. And it does! I've now paired this beer with homemade taco salad and nachos. In both situations, I piled on the hot salsa (homemade, with fresh habaneros, baby!). This beer cuts through the spice with ease. 

Stone 18th Anniversary IPA

Brewed By: Stone Brewing Co. in Escondido, California

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at Walgreens in Chicago, IL; 2014 (Bottled on 084/04/2014)

Style/ABV: Imperial IPA, 8.5% 
Reported IBUs: 75

Oh man, I don't even know why I'm drinking this two months past the bottled-on date. I guess I'm just a beer hater, but whatever. About Stone:

Stone Brewing are one of the more prominent breweries in the American craft brewing scene. They were founded in 1996 in San Marcos, California, and moved to Escondido, California where they recently expanded their operations. Stone was founded by Steve Wagner and Greg Koch. Koch has a reputation among the craft beer community for voicing his opinion, not putting up with shit, and standing behind his beer. Also...farking woot and fizzy yellow beer is for bitches. 

How about that 18th Anniversary Ale? This one is brewed with El Dorado hops (they dry-hopped it with two pounds per barrel). This also features English Brown Coffee, Cara Munich, and Chocolate Wheat malts. This pours into a caramel-orange body that is surprisingly clear in bright light. It's very much a caramel-affair, with a finger of caramel-tinged head. There's good lacing and head retention, and carbonation. It looks very Stone. 

At 2 months past bottling, this has some faded iced tea hop notes. But it's not one-dimensional in that regard. I'm getting some earthy/herbal and medicinal notes, and big orange: orange juice, orange freezer pops, and big resinous pine. The big orange juice notes flirt with lemon. This smells dank as hell too. There are trace hints of some caramel/malt backings as well...although I'm not getting the coffee, cocoa, and roasted malts as described on Stone's website.

Stone 18th Anniversary IPA

This is very much Stone in the taste. The surprise here is the depth and complexity of the malt...the back end drops some really nice grain and malt characters on your palate. It tastes very much like how a brewhouse smells. And once you lock into that malty flavor, you can dig grain out of this, with biscuit, bread, and even some of the described coffee/toffee that was missing from the aroma. This is actually quite complex for an IPA, and if you served this to me blind and let me dwell on it, I would say/write very nice things. In a lot of ways, the malt complexity infuses a fresh, draft-like quality to this beer. I'm reminded of sessions at Solemn Oath. The hop notes in here lean towards orange, orange juice, lemon, and hints of pine/iced tea. This is balanced...not too sweet, not too bitter, not too dry. But it does finish relatively dry and clean. 

At 8.5%, this is pretty drinkable. Being an anniversary ale, and an anniversary IPA, you probably won't pick this up more than once. So this review is stupid. I realize that, but I'm mostly here for me. Anyway...this has good depth and complexity. Stone knows how to do many things well, but they mostly know how to cram a bunch of hops into a beer and make it taste solid. In that respect, this has above-average complexity thanks to the edition of the malts. This unravels with some good lemon, orange, and pine hops up front; that gives way to resinous pine and iced tea, with a little malt sweetness showing up; the back end drops the biscuit and bready malts, and subsequent sips unravel sweetened hops and malts, with fresh malts that add a nice touch of complexity. I can't fault this beer, but it's pretty par the course for Stone at this point.

Rating: Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Average on this. Yup, I'm gonna toss this an average. But it's really like an Average+. The "+" comes from that nice malt depth. I'd recommend passing on this at this point, since it is now 2 months out from bottling. Grab some Enjoy By or Stone's classic IPA instead. But I'm happy to have Stone around doing their thing...I'm pairing this with homework. Ah, the life of a grad student, amirite?

Random Thought: What the fuck is going on with the Chicago Bears? Holy drama. Holy suck. I'm a sports radio guy and you're damn right I'll be tuning in to Boers and Bernstein tomorrow. 

Stillwater Artisanal Even Less Jesus (Remix) - collaboration with Evil Twin

Brewed By: Stillwater Artisanal at Twelve Percent in Westminster, MD (with some help from Evil Twin Brewing)

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at Fischman's Liquors and Tavern in Chicago, IL; 2014 

Style/ABV: Adjunct Stout/Imperial Stout, 12.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

Evil Twin's Even More Jesus is one of the best Imperial Stouts available anywhere. But how is it going to taste with the addition of burgundy grape juice? About Stillwater Artisanal Ales: 

Stillwater Artisanal Ales are a Gypsy Brewery based out of Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 2009-ish, the beer is brewed by Brian Strumke. You can find more info at the brewery's blog or their website. 

My bottle of Even Less Jesus reads: "Sometimes less is more and more or less we tend to stay on the delicate side of things with our beers. But to get down with the hip cats we decided to give a go at a big dog of a brew and mix up Evil Twin's beast. But of course in a true existential Stillwater Fashion. -Brian (Stillwater Artisinal)"

Even Less Jesus (Remix)

This couldn't pour into a more prototypical black/opaque body. This is still an impressively dark beer, even for the style, and the dark brown head conjures up images of cocoa krispies left sitting in milk for half an hour.

On the aroma: insane amounts of deep roast, chocolate, cocoa, molasses, and fruity grape sweetness. Like the regular Even More Jesus, this has cake or fudge like density. Also like the base beer, I am pulling out some hints of meat, with layers of complex malt. The addition of the burgundy grape juice imparts huge fruit notes, with purple grapes, jam, and legit dark fruit notes ala a Quad or Belgian Dubbel.

First off, I want to say this tastes really good. Is it better than the base beer? I'm not sure yet. I'm going to dwell on this bottle for about 45 minutes. This is rich stuff, with tons of brown sugar, molasses, and turbinado. There is also some muscovado sugar in the mix. Between all the sugar is serious fruit character, with grapes, jam, and lots of grapes. The fruitiness is in some ways nondescript. This reminds me of fruited Stouts that have included cherries and raspberries. What sets this beer apart from other Stouts or other fruited Stouts is the base beer. It's just an incredibly dense and layered beer, with layer after layer of complex sugar. 

As this warms up, the base beer really starts to emerge...and I find myself back at square one. I really like the base beer. At 12.0%, this masks the alcohol well. It's still incredibly dense, and requires some patience and respect. Palate depth is insane, and the complexity is middling. Where the complexity shines is with the base beer. The base beer layers this deep roast and meaty character with layers of sugar. Up front: fruity notes and brown sugar give way to huge roast, brown sugar, turbinado; the mids continue to unravel with molasses, caramel, turbinado, muscovado; the back end trails with lingering roast, some coffee, dark fruits....the fruit veers into scented candle territory and sadly doesn't add as much complexity as I was hoping for. C'est la vie, I guess. 

Rating: Above-Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average on this. And really, I think if I had more time to sit on this, I might bump the rating to "average." Yeah...this is a huge beer...the fruit isn't blowing me away. It's adding some nice grape/raspberry/cherry notes, but the notes are nondescript and artificially sweet and jammy. I'm also getting some scented candle which is...ughhh. But what saves this experience is the fantastic base beer. I really like the base beer. Food pairings here: probably nothing, this beer is calorie-laden and boozy. Maybe a dry chocolate cake with ice cream? 

Random Thought: I'm going to have to hunt down the barrel-aged version of this. I bet that is good. 

[EPIC THROW DOWN] #Midwest vs. Fucking Vermont

Rawwwrrr

IN CORNER #1 we have....Heyoka!:

Brewed By: Half Acre Beer Company in Chicago, Illinois

Purchased: 16oz/1 Pint CAN bought at Half Acre in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: India Pale Ale, 7.0%
Reported IBUs: There's a cat hugging a dinosaur. It doesn't get any more bitter than that.

IN CORNER #2 we have....Vermont Whalez:

Brewed By: The Alchemist in Waterbury, Vermont  

Purchased: 16oz CAN generously beer-mailed/gifted to me; 2014 

Style/ABV: Imperial IPA, 8.0%
Reported IBUs: 120+????

When life gives you lemons, you have a lemon party. Tonight we are doing a throw down between these two completely overrated beers. Seriously, these beers suck, don't buy them. 

Appearance: 

Heady Tophers

Heady Topher is hazy like grandpa's memory with champagne bubbles, and orange juice comparisons are incoming. It figures that Vermont would basically ferment orange juice and call it beer. Heyoka! has less head, is a bit more refined, and goes to church on Sunday. It's basically the #Midwest. Winner: No one. Does anyone except neckbeard BJCP warriors give a shit about the appearance? NEXT.

Aromas: 

Toppling Tophers greets the olfactory with dank ass pine, resin, weed...this is basically That 70's Show. This veers into some weird agave and guava territory, and then lays out orange juice for days. You might get iced tea at colder temps but only noobs drink freezer beer. Hey Yoko smells super bright, like 5th graders in accelerated math. This is a zesty citrus show with some grass and citrus spice. There's also cracker malts to mix things up, I mean why not. And some grapefruit rind to remind everyone that the Midwest vicariously lives through Florida and California's fruit supply. Winner: me. I bench pressed like 215 this week.

Gag Reflex Potential:

Chiraq doesn't mess around, Hanukkah! is refreshing like lemonade, with razor sharp hops that assert dank lemon and orange zest on you like getting femdomed by citrus. It suggests grassy, tropical fruit notes, with water chestnuts (wut) and grapefruit rind. Minimal cracker character shows up like a snorkel to save you from the hypnotic citrus-thigh assault. Handy Tophers is expansive and full-body, truly a BBW in the world of 8% IIPAs. This literal whale is dank like weed, with tons of orange juice. You get some pine, guava, and agave, but this mostly drops that fresh OJ with no malt interference. Winner: OJ Simpson (relevant). 

Lemons. This was literally torture. 

Quaffabilly:

The Heady Doppler is clean and refreshing, but full-bodied. A rare trait that is mitigated just slightly by low complexity. Still, this isn't a moped. This is a dank, sticky weed affair. It rips a bong load of dank orange juice that will impress your stoner friends. Namely, Steve. The Midwest shelf turd, Hey-yo!, is on the opposite end of the spectrum. It's also clean and refreshing, but has a cracker malt backbone that reminds me of a Pilsner. Both beers are bangable, but Hey-yo! is slightly brighter and more zesty. Can you fault the Midwest for trying to channel that grapefruit rind and tropical fruit vibe? Winner: mopeds. 

Rating/Winner: Strong Divine Brew (5.0/5.0) for both these bangers. Both of these beers show up in clutch time, and deliver what they promise. Like a fresh corpse, you want to hit these when they are fresh. The Topher is a big-bodied, orange juice affair. The Halo, K?! is a zesty banger with citrus zest/rind, balanced sweetness, and cracker malts. Both of these beers come in a 4-pack. Both of these beers can be consumed out of the can, or in the can, or out of the can in the can, or in a glass, or wherever. Both of these beers excel in their respective category, and at this point Handy Topher is pretty much a classic staple of beer despite its status as a #whale. 

If you think this review is a cop out, it totally is. But between you and me, I'd probably take the Heyoka! to my deserted island because it seems to be slightly more refreshing. On the other hand, if you age that Vermont whale I hear it turns into a pretty awesome Barleywine. 

Random Thought:

The new Bongripper album is dope:

Jolly Pumpkin / Anchorage Calabaza Boreal

Brewed By: Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales in Dexter, Michigan  

Purchased: 750ml bomber bought at Fischman's Liquors and Tavern in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: American Sour/Wild Ale, 7.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

An American Sour/Wild Ale brewed with grapefruit peel, juice, and peppercorns, aged in oak barrels, and bottle conditioned? And brewed in collaboration with Anchorage Brewing? Oh my, yes, yes please. About Jolly Pumpkin:

Jolly Pumpkin has three enterprises: a restaurant, brewery, and distillery located in Traverse City; a cafe and brewery in Ann Arbor; and a factor for their Artisan Ales in Dexter. The brewery itself was founded by brewmaster Ron Jefferies. Ron began brewing professionally in 1995, and quickly became known as a respected brewer among the Michigan craft beer scene. In 2004, Ron opened Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales. Jolly Pumpkin is known for brewing beer that is aged in wine barrels containing brettanomyces. Brettanomyces is a naturally occurring yeast that is typically unwanted in beer because it imparts a "sour, leathery, barnyard, horse funk" profile. When used properly, beers made with brettanomyces can have desirable flavors. These flavors are often found in Lambics and Geuzes, and more recently in American Wild Ales.

If you are not familiar with Anchorage Brewing, they are a brewery based out of Anchorage, Alaska. The brewery was founded by brewer Gabe Fletcher sometime around 2012, and has since been kicking ass and taking names. Check them out on Facebook, or whatever. The back of the bottle of Calabaza Boreal reads: 

"He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you. -Nietzsche

When introspection fails, it's time to look outward for inspiration, perhaps Northward! One of the people who inspired me this past year is my friend Gabe Fletcher, of Anchorage Brewing Co. We brewed this beer together. I hope it inspires you. Northward!

Jolly Pumpkin / Anchorage Calabaza Boreal 

Warm regards, 
RON"

This is the most stereotypical blank slate beer you'll find in appearance. It looks like any number of Saisons or Belgian Ales, with a slightly hazy, well-carbonated, yellow/orange body. There are two fingers of fluffy, cloudy, white head. As the head drops off you get some nice lacing...blah blah. Is there anything shocking here? No. 

The aroma is anything but a stereotypical blank slate, however it does have that characteristic Jolly Pumpkin aroma with huge oak, vinous barrel character, pineapple Brett, massive orange/pineapple, and tons of tropical funk. The grapefruit takes the Jolly Pumpkin Brett-barrel character to some absurd level, like Minion in Twisted Metal. This layers on some faint medicinal notes, with layers of Saison-like white and black pepper. If I had to guess, this was dry-hopped pretty well; this has a quality similar to Orval, with lots of Brett funk juxtaposed with grapefruit juice and giant citrus hops. There is maybe a mild sulfur note on the nose as well. 

This is pretty solid stuff...it reminds me of Orval. It's a hoppy, juicy beer. This strikes a nice balance between that Brett funk, grapefruit/pineapple Brett, and juicy hops. The grapefruit juice pushes this over the top, and the addition of peppercorns adds some much needed complexity which shows up as peppery spice. This is reminiscent of a Saison in some ways, dialing up orange and grapefruit sprinkled with pepper. 

I'm a big fan of this beer, but this isn't doing anything that I have not experienced from Jolly Pumpkin before. But if you love the combination of that super dry, Brett funk, combined with giant waves of grapefruit and orange...well, you will be right at home here. And I'm drinking this beer kind of young, my guess is this will be fun to age. I bet this will be pretty funky in 1~2 years. Having said all that, this is incredibly drinkable at 7%. Palate depth is fantastic, and this has low to moderate complexity. This opens up with huge waves of Brett-infused pineapple, orange, and grapefruit; the mids roll into grapefruit juice, pineapple, white and black pepper, spice, and light woody tannin presence; the back end dials up huge dryness, with lingering hops, Brett, light Brett-aspirin notes, and lingering funk. This is winey and vinous. Fantastic stuff, really.  

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. This is whimsical and delicious but it's not exactly pushing the envelope. Then again, does this need to push the envelope? As far as fruit beers go, this is done really well. The addition of the grapefruit juice is non-intrusive. Food pairings here include peppery dishes, pickled things, strong cheeses and meats, and pizza. 

Random Thought: I love Jolly Pumpkin. They are maybe one of my personal favorite breweries...certainly in my top Midwest breweries. It's a damn shame that they are so underrated on a national level. And if you really want to get the full Jolly Pumpkin experience, you need to drive up to Michigan and check them out. 

The Alchemist Heady Topper

Brewed By: The Alchemist in Waterbury, Vermont  

Purchased: 16oz CAN generously beer-mailed/gifted to me; 2014 

Style/ABV: Imperial IPA, 8.0%
Reported IBUs: 120+????

Honestly, I never thought I would be drinking Heady Topper in my immediate future. I don't really beer trade...I'm pretty happy with finding local IPAs (midwest shelf turds). And yeah. Tonight's beer was generously sent my way by a cool dude...so I guess I'm tributing these thoughts to him. I'm also going to do a Heyoka! vs. Heady Topper throwdown tomorrow (which makes no sense because one is an IPA and the other is an IIPA...but more on that tomorrow). About The Alchemist:

The Alchemist are a brewery based out of Waterbury, Vermont. The brewery is small, local, family owned, and famous for Heady Topper. The brewery has been cranking out Heady Topper since 2003, but up until 2011 the beer was a tap-only exclusive. In 2011, the Alchemist Cannery was built, and since then the brewery has been selling so much Heady Topper they hardly have time to brew anything else. The brewery is currently closed to the public, and the Alchemist Pub and Brewery was demolished in Tropical Storm Irene. For more info, Facebook it or whatever. 

Heady Topher

If you aren't familiar with Heady Topper I don't know what to say. Literally, I am not going to say anything else about it. Heady Topher. You know. This is a cloudy, unfiltered beer. It's well carbonated, and has a radiant orange juice body. It produces a wispy finger of cloudy, dense head...and it just kind of looks like the quintessential American hop bomb. It's pretty pale, and dresses well. At times during this review I noticed the beer had a smug smirk. Needless to say, I would definitely bang it, but casting it in Spider-Man 3 was a big misstep. Donna had nice boobs. DAE?

Obviously the aroma is hops, but where do they go? What do they do? How many fingers do they use? Honestly, this smells like super dank orange and pine. It dials up that West Coast sweetness, with hints of guava, tropical fruits, agave, and bongwater. It's in the realm of Maine or even Pipeworks. But that's just a comparison for me. I think a baseline West Coast double IPA is probably Green Flash's. You really need to start there. You should lift too. 

Yum...this is really tasty, and I see why this is immensely popular. This is really good shit. First off, this is a thick beer. At 8.0%, they managed to cram a lot of body into this. Second, this is really hoppy. Obviously. This dials up huge notes of pine, orange, guava, resin/hemp, and subtle notes that suggest tropical fruit, agave, and weed. There is enough sweetness in here to balance out the immense bitterness, so you end up getting a lot of welcomed resin notes. This is also pretty dank. The malt backbone is completely unobtrusive, as it should be. I think that is really what differentiates this beer from so many other Imperial IPAs. This beer doesn't have any malt notes or caramel sweetness...it's clean and hoppy, but it is still substantial through and through. 

Heady Toppler ftw or something

I dunno, there's not much to say. This is immensely drinkable at 8.0%. It is clean, full-bodied, carbonated, and it has good depth and duration. The one knock here might be complexity, but it's not an inherently complex style. Really, this is just a fantastic beer that lives up to its hype with huge orange, grapefruit, pine, guava, resin, and tropical fruit punching your mouth up front; the mids roll into orange juice, resin, weed, grassy notes, and more hops; the back end drops OJ, resinous dankness, and a dry clean finish.

Rating: Divine Brew (5.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Divine Brew on this. This lives up to the hype. It really does. This is one of the better Imperial IPAs I have had. This is a huge beer that thrives within the confines of 8.0%. It's also super clean, with virtually no traces of malt. This is a hop-forward experience through and through, but it is also fairly balanced and drinkable. I would suggest pairing this with spicy foods, pizza, a burger, wings, or anything that benefits from tons of dank, juicy hops. This is an OJ explosion and I am happy to have tried it. 

Random Thought: I guess I can tick this whale off my list. Woohoo. Also, forget the whole "drink from the can" noise. This is going into a glass.