Jackie O's Pub & Brewery Mystic Mama

Brewed By: Jackie O's Pub & Brewery in Athens, Ohio  

Purchased: 12oz CAN from a 6-pack bought at And Beer in Athens, Ohio; 2014 

Style/ABV: American India Pale Ale, 7.0%

Reported IBUs: 130

When in Rome...about Jackie O's Pub & Brewery:

Jackie O's is a brewery and brewpub based out of Athens, Ohio. The brewery was founded in 2007 by Art Oestrike and his friend, and brew master, Brad Clark. In 2012 when the production facility expanded, brew master Sean White joined the company. For more info, check out their website or Facebook.

The Mystic Mama IPA is a West Coast inspired IPA, brewed with a blend of 5 hops and punching in at an aggressive 7.0% and 130 IBUs. This beer features a dry hop addition of Citra and Simcoe, because why not.

Typical to the style, this pours into a golden-yellow/amber/orange body that is dependent on lighting and camera quality. There's a finger of golden, hop-fueled head that is as Cali as California girls and California beaches. There's lacing, and all that good shit that no one cares about except the ceasaroni judges at FOBAB that can't tell between Lacto and Brett. 

Jackie O's Mystic Mama

On the aroma: OH MY. This is pungent and citrusy straight up, but that quickly gives way to 130 IBUs worth of super dank resin. This is channeling serious resin, bow rosin, candied guava, dank as hell agave, sugar dusted candy citrus, and grapefruit and orange over-the-top. It's just a nutty assault of too much hops.

This is pretty tasty, and effectively delivers that resinous blast of orange, grapefruit, sharp lemon, and then guava-agave. At 7.0%, you don't get much malt, and this leans towards an Imperial IPA. Aside from the resinous blast of citrus, agave, and resin, is some nice caramel and bread malt backings. I actually think they nailed this.

There's not much to add here...palate depth is good, complexity is good, and this is medium-bodied thanks to good carbonation and the hoppy bitterness. This is above-average stuff without doing anything mind blowing. Up front: resinous citrus; the mids roll into resinous lemon; the back end drops resinous agave, rosin, guava, and some bread and caramel dances in the back. Solid.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average here. This is pretty much a West Coast IPA done Ohio style...I can respect that. Food pairings here include American bar food, spicy foods, and anything that goes well with a West Coast IPA. You know the drill.

Random Thought: Athens is a nice place.

Jackie O's Pub & Brewery Hop Ryot

Brewed By: Jackie O's Pub & Brewery in Athens, Ohio  

Purchased: 12oz CAN from a 6-pack bought at And Beer in Athens, Ohio; 2014 

Style/ABV: Rye IPA, 6.5%

Reported IBUs: ?

When in Rome, Part 2...about Jackie O's Pub & Brewery:

Jackie O's is a brewery and brewpub based out of Athens, Ohio. The brewery was founded in 2007 by Art Oestrike and his friend, and brew master, Brad Clark. In 2012 when the production facility expanded, brew master Sean White joined the company. For more info, check out their website or Facebook.

The Hop Ryot is a Rye IPA that utilizes rye malts and Simcoe hops. Like the Mystic Mama, this pours into a golden-orange body that is hazy and unfiltered. Unlike the Mystic Mama, this produces two fingers of dense, long-lasting, creamy whipped head. The head is probably the result of the rye malts, and is leaving tons of lacing. 

Jackie O's Pub & Brewery Hop Ryot

On the aroma: big rye spice, orange, rye bread, rye crackers, and tons of rye. This really nails the rye in the aroma, and the faint orange hops that are riding underneath make you want to take a sip...yum.

This follows through in the taste, delivering on everything you got in the aroma. Right away you get blasted with big orange and some grapefruit, and then the beer lays out rye spice, rye bread, rye cracker, and tons of rye and orange. It's pretty much typical of the style, with incredible balance and super clean and on point hops. 

This beer is so simple and refined it is criminal. The balance between the rye and the citrus hops is perfection, the palate depth is perfect, and yeah. There's little to complain about here, as this delivers a crisp and carbonated medium-light finish across your tongue, with good bitterness and nice rye spice to boot. The alcohol is even spot on, with a hint of booze but no heat. The only hesitation is that this isn't particularly complex or mind-blowing...it just kind of hits you with orange and grapefruit up front; drops some nice rye spice in the mids; and drops some more rye spice, rye bread, cracker, and lingering bitter hops in the back. The finish is dry and leaves you wanting another sip, but I wonder if this beer will stand out in my mind in a few years down the road. I guess only time will tell. 

Rating: Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Average on this. This is teetering between Average and Above-Average, as I really do like the balance that Jackie O's has struck between the rye malts and the hops in the beer. This beer would be awesome to pair with a pretzel bun burger with mustard, or German food. And really, being a refined and well-crafted beer is high praise. This might just be something to keep in your fridge year-round, especially if you live in Ohio. 

Random Thought: Jackie O-yeah, we got more of these coming down the pipeline. 

Maine Lunch

Brewed By: Maine Beer Company in Freeport, Maine

Purchased: 1 pt .9 fl. oz (16.9oz) bottle bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2014 (bottled on 07/29/2014) 

Style/ABV: American India Pale Ale, 7.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

Yo dawg, we heard you like whales, so we brewed a beer named after a whale that is a whale so you can whale whales while whaling whales. About the Maine Beer Company:

The Maine Beer Company is a brewery based out of Freeport, Maine, founded in 2012. The brewery focuses on American-style ales, with an emphasis on fresh beer intended to be consumed fresh. For more info, check out the brewery's website. 

If you haven't heard about Lunch already, well, fuck you. I'm just kidding! Ha. Ha. DAE Maine humor? DAE the East Coast? The bottle says: "Lunch is a special whale that has been spotted off the Maine coast since 1982. She has what looks like a bite taken out of her fin which adds to her unique character. We dedicate this beer to her determination and persistence." This one is brewed with Warrior, Amarillo, Centennial, and Simcoe hops; and uses a malt base of American 2-Row, CaraPils, Caramel 40L, Munich 10L, and Red Wheat. Let's glass and bang.

This epic whale crashes into the sea like my wife jumping into the swimming pool at Orlando Florida. It pours with spray tan orange tones, kicking up three fingers of just off-white head that is foamy and soapy and has mad hop action. This is hazy like kiddie pool water and has carbonation like Captain Nemo's submarine. From here on out the nautical references are gonna be nuts, yarrrr.

Maine Lunch

I've never smelled a whale until today, and I have to say I would happily smell one again. This smells like pirate grundle, oranges, tangerines, resinous peaches and strawberries, zesty citrus and white pepper, and big kisses of tropical fruits (think mango and pineapple). This whale has beached in paradise, or something. The aroma does meet all the desired criteria in a top notch IPA: pungent, juicy, and just resinous enough that you could use this to chase your bong water.

This is fantastic, with a clean and crisp body that just hints at some cracker and biscuit grain. The main note here is an arrow of straight up orange-citrus and tangerine, straight across your tongue. The trailing aftermath includes some white pepper spice, citrus zest, mild resin, and nice growing hop bitterness. This throws shades of white peaches, sweet strawberries, and resinous lemon/pineapple at you as well. I've never seen a whale juggle that many tropical fruits until I played charades mom. #rekt

Whales in space, this be some low-G whale with little in the way of substantial body. This is light, is what I'm saying. Keep in mind that this is an IPA, not a Double IPA, and things make a little more sense. This is still light to medium-light bodied. It reminds me of....Zombie Dust? It also reminds me of Half Acre's Heyoka!, but I think that beer is better (hold your gasps for a moment). This is really, really good. I mean that. This beer works the hops to their fullest, extracting bold citrus fruit notes that are clean and clear. The 7.0% is nonexistent, and this beer is refreshing and drinkable...which is such a tease, because finding this beer is hard! The palate depth is outstanding, but leans towards the lighter sides...this is like a crushable Pale Ale. Again, I'm reminded of Zombie Dust. This also has a fairly straightforward execution (and look at the ingredient list...it's not a straightforward beer at all). Up front: orange fruit, tangerine, white pepper, citrus zest; that cuts into some nice pineapple resin, tropical fruits, strawberry, white peach, more peppery kick, some hints of cracker/biscuit; the back end trails with clean hops, and finishes nice and dry. I see why this beer is so popular....it's like an IPA Lite. The Lite beer of IPAs. It has clean lines, and it offers all the hoppy punch of a West Coast IPA without the raw aggression of an Imperial IPA. Hmm...

Rating: Above-Average (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average here. I'm giving this beer the exact same rating I gave Half Acre's Heyoka! Fucking checkmate, all you Midwest haters. That's not a slight against Maine or Lunch...actually I have loved everything I have had from Maine Brewing so far. These guys are legit. I think my favorite so far has been the Another One. That beer is just fantastic...I would honestly maybe take Another One over Lunch. And as an added bonus: you can find Another One. That beer sits on shelves because it isn't an epic whale. Anyway...Lunch. Good stuff. I would pair this beer with a nice sandwich, maybe a club sandwich. You could also pair this beer with a nice leafy burger, lightly spiced foods, potatoes and chicken, a nice fish dish, and perhaps even a pasta dish. The light citrus and peppery spice define this beer, and while it has clear cut citrus lines it isn't overly aggressive or bitter or malty. It's delicate but drinkable...finessed and refined. Good job, Maine Brewing. I'd buy this again.

Random Thought: I actually saw this beer on tap in Chicago this weekend...my only regret was not stopping at the bar to try it.

Victory DirtWolf

Brewed By: Victory Brewing Company in Downingtown, Pennsylvania 

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 4-pack 3-pack bought at Capone's Liquor & Food in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: Imperial IPA, 8.7%
Reported IBUs: ?

How appropriate for me to pop my Victory cherry with their filthy and raw Imperial IPA. 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. 

Today's beer, the DirtWolf, is an Imperial IPA featuring whole flower Citra, Chinook, Simcoe and Mosaic hops. This one uses a two-row malt base, and punches in at a big 8.7%. 

Victory DirtWolf

The DirtWolf pours like your quintessential American Double IPA. DIPA her, I hardly know her. Right? Amirite? Gaiz? This one is conditioned, and you even get some yeast floaters hanging around the bottom of your glass. This is a hazy yellow/straw color, juicy in appearance, and kicks up a finger or two of white head. The head is white with elegant lacing, like classical music and the US Constitution. It's a good looking beer and bottle.

The aroma here is all kinds of hops, with raw and earthy citrus, resinous orange, dank orange/tangerine/grapefruit, and just...tons of orange and grapefruit. The citrus is earthy and raw, but it's more sweet than anything. I'm not getting any iced tea or wet leaves here...just straight up dank citrus.

Props to Victory for this one, it is super clean and hop-forward with little malt interference. I'm getting raw and uncompromising citrus, bitter flowers, dandelions, grapefruit/orange, mild citrus rind, and some resinous and pithy lemon notes. This is clinging to the edge of the sweet cliff, almost falling off into something darker and less sweet. But this retains a bright citrus edge, probably thanks to the Mosaic and Citra hops. There's some mild catty notes in here, mostly in the form of dank hemp and resin, and a little spice too. Mild citrus zest and pepper. The finish is clean and dry. It's aggressive and hoppy...the DirtWolf title seems apropos. 

This is medium-bodied, and actually pretty full/heavy. I wouldn't crush more than two of these in a sitting, I think. Although I'm not getting any booze, this definitely has that 8.7% vibe. It's a big-ass American Double. Palate depth is great, with good duration. The complexity isn't far behind. Up front is a big assault of razor sharp and clean hops. We're talking about citrus, orange, grapefruit, and some nice citrus zest. The mids are where the bitterness starts to build, and you pick up some rind; it's still pretty dank in the middle. The back end drops more bitterness, with some catty Simcoe, resinous lemon, dank citrus, and a nice dry finish. It finishes clean and beckons for another sip, which is always a welcome quality. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. This is a solid contender as far as Double IPAs go, especially @ 11.99 a 4-pack. It's probably not the most economic Imperial IPA, but it drinks so clean and refined. It's really a beer without any faults, it just seems to lack some edge to really push it into that world-class echelon of beers. At this point we are just nit-picking. Food pairings here include a pantheon of American bar foods, leafy burgers, or pizza. I'm planning on making zucchini pizza with mozzarella cheese and homemade tomato sauce -- I think this beer would pair perfectly with that.  

Random Thought: If you are wondering about the 3-pack thing, when I bought this beer I discovered that someone stole a bottle from my 4-pack and replaced it with a bottle of Southern Tier's 2XOne. I would be more pissed, but the 2XOne was pretty tasty. Still, that's a dick move. Proof that the beer community does have some bad apples. 

Maine Beer Another One

Brewed By: Maine Beer Company in Freeport, Maine

Purchased: 1 pt .9 fl. oz (16.9oz) bottle bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2014 (bottled on 03/25/201) 

Style/ABV: American IPA, 7.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

The Lunch will continue to elude me, for now...about the Maine Beer Company:

The Maine Beer Company is a brewery based out of Freeport, Maine, founded in 2012. The brewery focuses on American-style ales, with an emphasis on fresh beer intended to be consumed fresh. For more info, check out the brewery's website. 

The Another One is the brother/cousin/step-child of the Weez. The back of the bottle reads, "When we expanded our brewery the stress was something, to say the least. I ran out of creative juice for a minute so I decided to have another for inspiration. 

Another One IPA and Weez use the same hops but different malts. The result - Another One is very light in color and Weez is very dark. Each, however, allow the hops to shine out front."

At 7.0%, the Another One features a malt base of American 2-Row, Red Wheat, and Carapils. The hops on display here are Warrior, Cascade, Citra, and Simcoe. 

Maine Beer Another One

This one pours into a completely hazy, unfiltered, raw and juicy body. The body is yellow/straw in color. The beer kicks up a finger or two of sticky, hop-fueled head. Bright light confirms the same stuff, and you can see tiny streams of carbonation rising upwards quite violently. It's a good, juicy looking beer.

If you like fresh hops and big aromas, this beer has your fix. The aroma on this is exploding outwards with juicy tangerine, spicy orange, white pepper, watery crackers, and tons of spice. This is dank, resinous, and juicy. There's some cut grass and tropical fruits in the mix as well, and it all smells like it is being held together by an affirmative malt backbone. We can only hope. 

My first impression was non-plussed as I picked up watery tangerine, orange, white pepper, zesty citrus, and some water cracker and onion notes. As I sip on this, it's really starting to unfold with big zesty tangerines, peppery orange, resinous hop juice, cut grass, light onion/garlic, and some kisses of citrus sweetness towards the back. It never veers into tropical fruit territory, playing things pretty citrus-straight. The malts here are completely undetectable, minus the shadowy body they provide. This also has a nice growing bitterness. Just super impressive and refined. 

This is a really good take on the American IPA style. It's refined, hop-forward, substantial without being malt heavy...it's just really, really good. The beer is medium-bodied with lots of carbonation, and plenty of bitterness and attenuation to move things along. Palate depth is good, and complexity is pretty high. The only thing that's questionable is the duration, which is suspect at times. I'm not getting any of the 7.0%, and this one seems to have the bitterness expected in a hoppy beer. Up front: a wash of peppery citrus, cut grass, bright tangerine, spicy hop zest; the mids dial up more citrus, citrus rind, a little onion/garlic, catty Simcoe, refreshing hop juice; the back end trails into some welcomed bitterness, with lingering hops and a clean, dry finish.

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'll toss this a Light Divine Brew and give it a serious recommendation, at least fresh. This is a delicious, refined, drinkable IPA that grows on you as you work your way through it. It's a fantastically spicy and citrus-forward beer, and I suspect it would pair well with American bar food, spicy wings, Mexican food, and even something more rustic like oven-baked potatoes or peppery chicken. I will be picking this one up again. 

Random Thought: Free food at work is a gift and a curse. On one hand, free food good. On the other hand, free food makes you fat. My employer made us do health screenings that included weighing ourselves and getting our blood pressure taken. So it seems totes apropos that they would then feed us doughnuts and cake and all that other waistband expanding shit. How about some birthday celery? Oh. My coworkers aren't Peter North. Oh well. 

[Cellar Review] Goose Island Night Stalker (Vintage 2011)

Brewed By: Goose Island Beer Company (pre-InBev) in Chicago, Illinois

Purchased: 22oz bottle from a Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2011 (bottled on 02/06/11)

Style/ABV: American-style Russian Imperial Stout, 11.7% 

Reported IBUs: 60

Doesn't 2011 seem so....long ago? About Goose Island:

Goose Island is a Chicago-based brewery that began as a brewpub on Clybourn, which opened on May 1988. The actual brewery opened on 1995, and is located on the Southwest side of Chicago. The second brewpub, located in Wrigleyville by the Chicago Cubs, was opened in 1999. On March 28, 2011, Goose Island sold 58% of the brewery to Anheuser-Busch. The remaining 42% of the brewery is supposed to be acquired by A-B InBev in the future, and there has been much discussion about the brewery's takeover. On November 16th, founder and CEO, John Hall, announced he would be leaving Goose Island. On January 1st, 2013, Anheuser-Busch "veteran" Andy Goeler will take over Goose Island. Additionally, around the same time as John Hall's departure, resident barrel-program leader John Laffler also announced his departure from Goose Island. There have been many changes regarding Goose Island...so we will see what the future has in store for Goose Island. 

A year ago, I had an opportunity to try the 2012 batch of Night Stalker, and it was "okay." It tasted bold and complex, but it also tasted like soy sauce, and like a militia of Simcoe Hops hurling pissing cats at your mouth. I laid a bottle of the 2012 Night Stalker down, hopefully to revisit someday in the future.

02/06/11

Tonight's review is the result of me having a bottle of the 2011 Night Stalker laying around. I also got to try this beer fresh, back in 2011, and my recollection was that it was much better than the 2012 batch. 

The Night Stalker is a giant Imperial Stout from the InBev shills that brought you such beers as Beaber Country Stout and Honkers Ale. It is created by taking the Cook County Stout (BCS base) and throwing a fuck-load of Simcoe hops into the fermenter. The end result is 60 IBUs and 11.7% of roasty, chocolaty, hop-driven goodness. The InBev-Goose Island website says, "Enjoy within 180 days," but fuck that. F to the T, bitches.

My 2011 Vintage bottle says, "This hoppy Imperial Stout will continue to develop in the bottle for up to 5 years from the bottled on date, cheers! | Greg Hall, Brewmaster." I miss Greg Hall. I guess it's a conflict of interest when he is pissing in glasses at the pub and calling it Budweiser. Whoops. Anyway, you know this beer, and you know the vintage. Let's see how this piece of history has held up over the past three years. 

Goose Island Night Stalker (Vintage 2011)

This 3-year old vintage pours into a pitch black, opaque body, kicking up the sexiest dark brown/mocha/bread-colored head. The head is fat and dense, I rounded up three fingers worth. The beer looks the same in bright light, and I'm impressed with the duration of the head (a finger will not die). There's also nice lacing and big alcohol legs. It looks awesome, like a hearty RIS should.

The aroma here is all sex and candy. The Simcoe cat piss extravaganza has mellowed into orange sherbet, pine, pine sap, maple syrup, and giant Twizzlers. I'm getting big Twizzler-anise-licorice, and there are some plums dancing around in here too, ala a hoppy Barleywine (Green Flash comes to mind). It's sugary. I'm also getting some meaty notes, raspberry puree, and hints of malt goodness. Unlike the fresh bottle of the 2012 Vintage, this 3-year old bottle does remind me of Oskar Blues' Ten FIDY. There are serious malts back-ending the hoppy sweetness. I'm also reminded of Evil Twins' Even More Jesus, and that beer is pop rock blow jobs. I'm getting nondescript roast, chocolate, and ashy, pillowy malts. 

Wow, I can't believe how hoppy this beer still is. I'm getting resinous hops, holy fuck. Like, there is resinous pine and candied citrus in the mix. The beer itself is full-bodied and rich, with velvety malts sugar coating the 3-year old hops with chocolate, brown sugars, molasses, light roast/ash, hints of coffee, and more roast on the back end. There is a ton of chocolate buried in the mix here, and this thing just keeps getting better as it warms up.

After all these years, this one retains a full body, which you sort of expect at 11.7%. What you don't expect is the wallop of hops that accompany the rich malts, sugars, and booze. Seriously, Goose Island, exactly how many fucking hops do you hop this with? I mean holy shit. I'm not complaining, but holy shit. This beer has awesome palate depth; huge, expansive duration; and moderate complexity for the style. This is just a joy to drink right now. Up front: swaths of rich, pillowy malts hug your tongue with roast, coffee, chocolate, woody character, brown sugar, molasses, HUGE mouthfeel; the mids roll into sweet hops, resinous pine, hop candies, citrus, plums, hints of Twizzler, and lingering cat-piss-Simcoe; the back end wraps up the beer on a sticky and boozy note, tying the intense malt sweetness to the hops and fading out with roast and other notes. This is good.

Om nom nom.

Rating: Above-Average (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

Holy shit, what an improvement three years makes. This gets a Strong Above-Average from me, and compared to the fresh bottle of the 2012 Night Stalker...this is like night and day. This is up there with the Ten FIDY and the Even More Jesus. If you are into that type of aggressive, hoppy Stout, look no further, friend. Look...I really like this. Again, I'm not a huge advocate of cellaring beers, but this one seems to work out well with some age on it. Put it in your cellar. Food pairings? Eh, I would sip on this, but that's just me.

Random Thought: While I plan to throw some newer beers into the mix, stay tuned for more random cellar reviews.

Pipeworks Simcoe Ninja

Brewed By: Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: 22oz bottle (Batch #306, 307, 322, 323) bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2014 (bottled ??.??.2014)

Style/ABV: Imperial IPA, 9.5%
Reported IBUs: ?

DIPA her? I hardly know her! Tonight is Saturday, so it's Not Pipeworks Thursday™....but I had a serious Lupulin craving. About Pipeworks:

Pipeworks has humble roots. The brewery was founded in Chicago in 2011 by Beejay Oslon and Gerrit Lewis. The duo were both homebrewers that met while while working at West Lakeview Liquors. In 2011, they began to raise money for their brewery using the online Internet site, Kickstarter. Olson and Lewis were both educated at De Struise Brewery in Oostvleteren, Belgium. With that knowledge, and the money from their kickstarter, Olson and Lewis created a unique brewery that is smaller in size, and intended to brew smaller batches of beer. The company's motto is "small batches, big beers." And indeed, since the brewery has been around, they've been releasing a lot of one-offs and small batch releases. The goal is to release a new beer every week. You can read more about the brewery at their website HERE.

The Simcoe Ninja is is brewed with 2-row, munich, special roast, white wheat, acidulated malt, and caramel 40 malts; this one uses Chinook, falconner's flight, simcoe, and zythos hops. The back of the bottle states:

"A new clan of warriors is ready to do battle with your taste buds. A true combatant, the Simcoe's only foe is the bland. With massive notes of pine and citrus, Pipeworks Simcoe will slash at your senses and leave you thirsty for another battle."

Pipeworks Simcoe Ninja

The beer pours into a pretty typical Pipeworks IPA pour. That is....a hazy, juicy, dark orange color, with a finger of off-white head. The beer has really nice lacing, with sheets of lacing, and the head settles into sea foam and a nice cauldron effect. It's a good looking beer.

Forget the appearance though, you are here for those hops. The aroma on this beer is exploding with hops. As I was pouring this beer into the glass, I was getting tons of hops. This beer reminds me of the Arctic Panzer Wolf. I'm getting huge Simcoe and Chinook: grapefruit, catty notes, spice, BIG orange, pine, and lemon, and some crushed leaves and iced tea. The hops are wet, bright, and sharp. The hint of resin that you do get on the aroma is razor sharp...the exact opposite of drinking an Imperial IPA in a hemp field.

And the taste conveys similar...this is juicy and slightly earthy/woody, with big iced tea and crushed leaves, earthy spice, pepper, and big orange/pine/grapefruit/lemon. Simcoe is kind of aggressive, and this beer definitely has that razor sharp resinous-bitterness thing, veering towards spicy and woody and bitter and dry. It is a little harsh, but there is a blast of sweeter pine/citrus/grapefruit/orange/lemon that helps even things out. This one is pretty dry and hop-forward, I'm not getting a ton of sugar, bread, or malts. There's a hint of caramel sweetness in the back.

I love all things bitter, woody, astringent, and spicy...but it's hard to pull that off. A great example of an aggressively hoppy beer made out of an aggressive hop was the Pipeworks Centennial Ninja. That beer was fucking spectacular. This beer right here is pretty solid. It's medium to full bodied, appropriately carbonated, and nicely attenuated. Palate depth is good, and complexity is alright. The 9.5% is completely hidden. You get wet leaves, iced tea, woody/resin/bitter hops and spice up front; that rolls into more spice, peppery bitterness, coriander, catty Simcoe, PINE, big pine; the back end has a blast of sweet citrus/orange/grapefruit/lemon, and then the finish is spicy and dry. It's formidable, and pretty good for the style. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average on this. Pretty, pretty good...not my favorite Ninja by a long shot. It's vibrant though. The aggressive Chinook and Simcoe are on full display. If you like that fuck-your-face-grapefruit assertiveness you get from Simcoe, along with the catty/woody bitter, and the spicy Chinook goodness, you'll enjoy this beer. Food pairings: peppered steak, chicken, game hen, potatoes, buffalo wings, sausage pizza, and fried chicken. This is bright and fresh, you can't beat this local IPA if you live in Chicago.

Random Thought: I can't believe I'm still finding Bourbon County just sitting on shelves. I do believe that Goose Island can turn Bourbon County into a beer that is a available year-round if they get enough supply, there seems to be a drop in demand.