Addendum to The DIPA Project - Review #22 - Stone Ruination 10th Anniversary IPA

Posted by: Tyler Rippeteau

July 21, 2012

Well, we have reached the midpoint of The Barleywine Project here at 20 Beer in 20 Nights, so for your halftime entertainment; here is another addendum to The DIPA Project – a review of Stone’s 10^th Anniversary Edition of Ruination.  I’m thrilled to have a crack at tasting this beer.  The regular Ruination has become a favorite of mine since I first reviewed it last March.  And since the original was a part of The DIPA Project, I figured it would be appropriate to add a review for the celebration of its anniversary.   

The 10^th Anniversary Edition is the same recipe as the original except a healthy portion of malt has been added to raise the ABV from 7.7% to 10.8% and two and a half pounds of Citra and Centennial hops per barrel have been thrown in for good measure.  Sounds delicious. 

ABV: 10.8%

IBUs: 110

Brewery Location: Escondido, California

Style: American Double/Imperial India Pale Ale

Average Beer Advocate Rating: A/4.46

My Beer Advocate Rating: A+/4.88
Current Number of Reviews: 234

Brewery Description: Stone Ruination 10^th Anniversary Edition

Bottled On: June 2012

APPEARANCE:  (4.5 out of 5) Unlike the original version, the 10^th Anniversary Ruination is not a straw-yellowish color; instead this is a nearly perfect shade of light orange.  A large, fluffy white head sat on top for a good three minutes, not moving anywhere for the first two and then suddenly settling into a few small mounds of foam scattering across the surface.  The fallen head leaves behind a good dose of lacing, but as the beer level recedes, the lacing becomes a little less impressive.  This is a gorgeous beer.

SMELL:  (5 out of 5) Big, delicious, grapefruit completely dominates here.  It is clear that this is a 5 out of 5 in the aroma department.  I love that grapefruit and a nice hint of pine, flowers and tropical fruits lingers beneath it.  Wow.

TASTE:  (5 out of 5) Ah, a beer that tastes like it smells - this generally makes me happy, especially when it smells this good.  Again, grapefruit is out in front with a hefty dose of bitterness, followed by a bit of lemon.  The Citra hops are shining through and as the beer warms, more of their complexity, the sweeter, tropical fruits begin to develop.  These fruity notes combine with the extra malt to provide a very well balanced beer.  In fact, it is one of the better balanced DIPAs I have ever had and rivals Pliny the Younger in that respect.  Now, of course this is an unfair comparison, but the PtY never, at any point, during any sip becomes unbalanced in any direction.  The 10^th Anniversary almost gets there, but about three-quarters of the way through each sip the malty sweetness takes over a touch too much.  That said, I think this still gets a 5 for taste.  This is unbelievably good beer.

By the way, the finish is a bit less bright and a little more earthy, but it sets the palate up very well for more.  Aftertaste is grapefruity.

MOUTHFEEL:  (4 out of 5) The carbonation is fairly light.  Lighter than I typically like, but with the sweet, stickiness of the malt, that may be more appropriate.  While it is mouthcoating, the citrus provides enough dryness to clean the palate a bit. 

OVERALL:  (5 out of 5) This beer is most definitely still Ruination, and will still rip a novice’s palate to shreds, but to the hop head, this is luxury.  As Homer Simpson once said “Sweet, merciful crap!”  This is an amazing beer.  Stone Brewing has completely outdone themselves.  Either that, or I am just a sucker for more and more and more hops being tossed into a brew.  It isn’t magic I guess, when you double the amount of hops of the hoppiest beer you make (5 pounds per barrel – at least one of which is Citra and one of which is Centennial) and load it with malt to balance, you’re gonna end up with a good brew.

This is definitely a better beer than Pliny the Elder and probably Maharaja.  It also gives Pliny the Younger a run for its money, not something I say easily.

Addendum to the DIPA Project - Review #21 - Sierra Nevada Hoptimum

Posted by: Tyler Rippeteau

June 2, 2012

For those of you who have been reading the blog since the beginning, you know that we began here at 20 Beers in 20 Nights with The DIPA Project – an effort to drink and review each of the 20 most reviewed Double IPAs on Beer Advocate.  That project was finally completed last fall when my beer trading buddy, Ren, was able to send me a bottle of AleSmith’s YuleSmith (Summer) Ale. 

The YuleSmith turned out to be one of my absolute favorite beers on The List, but it occupied the 20^th spot (in terms of how many times it was reviewed on BA) on the list and on top of that it is a seasonal beer from a brewery that does not have very extensive distribution.  It was destined to fall out of the Top 20 at some point and two months ago it was finally overtaken by two different beers; Green Flash Imperial IPA and Sierra Nevada Hoptimum.  The Hoptimum, however, now holds the 20^th position 19^th position (Also surpassing Moylan’s Hopsickle) and given that nearly 300 people have reviewed this 2-year old release from Sierra within the last three months alone, I would imagine that it will continue to rise in the rankings before this year’s batch is all dried up.

Although the project is technically complete, now that the Top 20 have changed I feel as though it is isn’t.  So, with that in mind, I tracked down a 4-pack with the intent of updating The Project with Beer #21.  The first time I tried this beer was on tap at The West End Tavern here in Boulder.  I thought it was alright, but not worth all the hype.  This review, however, will be done from the bottle, at home, with much better conditions for tasting and without all the distractions of a bar.  So we’ll see how this second chance goes. 

ABV: 10.4%

IBUs: 100

Brewery Location: Chico, California

Style: American Double/Imperial India Pale Ale

Average Beer Advocate Rating: A-/4.06

My Beer Advocate Rating: B+/3.73
Current Number of Reviews/Rank in the Top 20 on Beer Advocate: 889/19^th

Brewery Description: Sierra Nevada Hoptimum Double IPA

Bottled On: NA

APPEARANCE:  (4.5 out of 5) Brilliantly clean, light orange in color, the Hoptimum has a nice, big, thick, foamy and stark-white head.  Good retention as the head has only receded about halfway in the past few minutes.  A big, thick, sticky ring of lacing is also clinging to the edge of the glass where the head has fallen from.  As the beer level recedes, that thick lacing continues.  It is covering nearly 100% of the back side of the glass – gorgeous. 

SMELL:  (2.5 out of 5) Dank is not a word I use very often to describe the smell of a beer, but in this case I do believe it is the only appropriate description.  The resinous pine has a very funky and earthy aroma to it and while I can see how many beer drinkers would enjoy this, it isn’t for me.

TASTE:  (4 out of 5) Although the aroma seems to be too earthy and a little overboard, the funky flavors are nicely muted by a big dose of malt and a bright, slightly bitter fruit profile.  The grapefruit is really sharp in this beer and very pleasant.  That weed-like resin from the aroma is still very strong, but it works really well with the rest of these flavors.  I have to say I am happy I gave it a second chance.

MOUTHFEEL:  (4 out of 5) The Hoptimum has an interesting mouthfeel.  It is sweet and a little sticky, but it’s also very crisp and refreshing.  It would be a little more crisp and refreshing if there were a decent amount of carbonation and sparkle, and the lack of that is a drawback, but it is still has a pretty good feel.

OVERALL:  (4 out of 5) I think I finally understand what people are getting so excited about with this beer and I really do enjoy it.  That said, the aroma is really a turn off for me and (this is the first time I have ever said this about a beer’s aroma) if it were toned down a bit I think I would enjoy the overall experience more.  As a side note, at $9.99 for the 4-pack, this is one of the most affordable, high-quality DIPAs available at the moment.

Barleywine Review #10 - Mad River John Barleycorn Barleywine Ale

Posted by: Tyler Rippeteau

May 18, 2012

I actually reviewed this beer last November during a trip to Oskar Blues in Longmont, but my words have been hiding in the notes on my phone for months.  I kept meaning to break the Mad River John Barleycorn Barleywine review out, but never remembered to.  Now that most of the low hanging fruit in The Barleywine Project has been picked, however, I figured it was time to scroll back through dozens of beer reviews and random thoughts to resurrect the Barleycorn. 

With this being Post #10 of The Barleywine Project it will be time for some half-time entertainment soon.  After that, onto half number two.  One beer is already reviewed for the second half, but it might get tough to track down the remaining nine beers.  Barleywine is no longer in season and many of those that are distributed here in Colorado have dried up for the year.  So, I anticipate the project not coming to a close until late winter or early spring next year.

Anyhow, how bout some specs on the Barleycorn?

Location: Oskar Blues Liquids and Solids, Longmont, CO

Cost: About $8/10oz. pour

ABV: 9.5%

IBUs: NA

Brewery Location: Blue Lake, California

Style: American Barleywine

Average Beer Advocate Rating: B+/3.73 – Very Good

My Beer Advocate Rating: B+/3.88 – Very Good

Current Number of Reviews on Beer Advocate/Rank: 318/18th

Brewery Description: Mad River John Barleycorn Barleywine Ale

Bottled On: NA

APPEARANCE:  (4.5 out of 5) The Barleycorn pours a pretty mahogany with a medium opaqueness.  The head is creamy, white and a quarter-inch thick in the 12oz. snifter.  It isn’t huge, but it is absolutely locked in place even after a few sips.  The lacing is very solid at the top covering about 95% of the back of the glass, but it eventually slides down as the snifter empties creating some holes.  This is a good looking beer.

SMELL:  (3.5 out of 5) Chocolate aromas make a strong appearance in this rich, malty smelling beer.  Some dark fruit and caramel also lurks in the background along with a hint of spice. 

TASTE:  (4 out of 5) The Barleycorn starts out surprisingly mild, but grows throughout the sip.  The ride begins with a semi-sweet maltiness that comes along with some dark fruit; cherries, maybe even strawberry?  A big wave of citrus and hops washes the sweetness away about half way through.  It teeters on going too far in the citrus department, but just as it’s about to go over the edge a wave of brown sugar covers it up and provides enough balance to pull it back.  This is really a complex, rollercoaster ride of a beer.

MOUTHFEEL:  (3.5 out of 5) This is a creamy and smooth beer.  It walks the line between dry and sweet, but ultimately falls on the dry side.  Actually, after a few sips that becomes even clearer, this is a pretty dry Barleywine, there just happens to be a couple little bursts of sweetness in each sip.

OVERALL:  (4 out of 5) The Barleycorn certainly improves with air and warmth.  It is a bit harsh and sharp at first, particularly in the citrus department, but as it warms the puckering lemon flavor fades away and the sweet, malty and sugary flavors emerge.  By the end it is a nicely balanced Barleywine.  It really does need time to warm if it is served cold though.  Oskar Blues does a great job of keeping all their draft beer cold.  I imagine that it was under 45 degrees when it was served to me and I probably should have waited to start it until it was a bit warmer.  Once it was finally there it really did show itself off as a strong Barleywine.

Barleywine Review #7 - Green Flash Barleywine Style Ale

Posted by: Tyler Rippeteau

Mar. 9, 2012

I tracked down the Green Flash Barleywine Style Ale a couple of weeks ago in Denver at Seventeenth Street Liquors.  As a Boulder resident I don’t get to Denver as much as I would like, but Mountain Sun’s Vine Street Pub was calling me with Pliny the Younger.  Yes, I finally managed to track down some of Russian River’s super-hyped-up-but-probably-worth-it Double (or Triple) IPA.  That story is for another time, however.  The point here is that since I had driven an hour for one beer, I was going to check out the local selection and try to bring something back with me.  So…I found Seventeenth Street.  The selection was limited, but decent and the prices were pretty good. 

I ended up snagging two bombers of Green Flash beer; the Imperial IPA, which I have had before and thoroughly enjoyed and the Barleywine Style Ale.  As you can see above, I thoroughly enjoyed it again this past week (along with a hop flavored cigar) when we had a gorgeous 73-degree day here in Boulder earlier in the week.  As for the Barleywine, well, that was saved for a quiet night at home when I could split it with Emily. 

So, last night I finally cracked it open, poured a glass for each of us and wrote this review.  Here’s what I found:

Location: Seventeenth Street Liquor, Denver, Colorado

Cost: $6.99 for a 22 oz. bomber

ABV: 10.9%

IBUs: 85

Brewery Location: San Diego, California

Style: American Barleywine

Average Beer Advocate Rating: B+/3.85 – Very Good

My Beer Advocate Rating: A/4.38 - Outstanding

Current Number of Reviews on Beer Advocate/Rank in Top 20: 357/14^th

Brewery Description: Green Flash Barleywine Style Ale

Bottled On: 2011 Vintage

APPEARANCE:  (4 out of 5) Deep mahogany, typical Barleywine color with a very light brown, half-inch head that stuck around for about 90 seconds or so.  Once the head settled a thick layer of multi-sized bubbles hid most of the reddish surface of the actual beer. 

SMELL:  (4 out of 5) The Green Flash is spicy, fruity and very bready.  There is a ton going on in the nose of this one.  The spice is cider-like and accented with some caramel and toffee notes.  Of course, apple is part of the fruity smell, but so are banana and a touch of citrus.  The breadiness is distinctly wheat.  Overall, this is a great smelling beer.  I would give it a higher rating, but it is of only a moderate intensity and I wish it were stronger.

TASTE:  (4.5 out of 5) This is one of the more interesting Barleywines I have experienced during The Barleywine Project.  It is solidly bitter all the way through the sip, but unlike Avery’s Hog Heaven, this isn’t really a slightly mislabeled Triple IPA, it still has a boat load of malty richness along with a lot of spicy and fruity flavors.  Banana, caramel, toffee, pine, tart apple and fall-like spices all make appearances in each sip, but a subdued grapefruit and orange along with a hoppy bitterness carry this beer from start to finish.  Speaking of the finish, the Barleywine Style Ale ends on an enormous note of wheat bread.  I’ve tasted bready beer before, but this is a bready monster and the aftertaste might as well be the crust from some wheat toast.  I thought it was odd about 15 minutes ago when Emily said “You know what would be great with this?  Some toast with cheese melted on it.”  Now, it makes perfect sense, and oddly, I’d recommend some cheesy wheat toast with this one – never thought I’d write that on this blog, but there you go.

MOUTHFEEL:  (4.5 out 5) Rich and very full-bodied.  The carbonation is moderate (more than I expected for the flavor) and a nice tickle along with the dry, bitter finish helps cleanse the palate following the slightly sweeter mid-sip.

OVERALL:  (4.5 out of 5) My experience with Green Flash so far has been very positive and this is no exception.  However, most of the other beers of theirs I’ve had have been great due to their accuracy in style.  The Barleywine is certainly an exception to that rule.  While drinking this beer I am reminded of Founders Devil Dancer in the respect that it never breaks out of the style, but it pushes the envelope and uses all available space within the style’s parameters. 

In light of my last review, one of the things that really stands out to me about this Barleywine is how wonderfully it works fresh.  The hoppy bitterness is certainly part of that reason and even once that fades I’m sure the beer will still taste great, but I really wish I had a second bottle to split at the moment.  I will be purchasing this again in the near future.

Barleywine Review #3 - Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Ken & Jack's Ale

Posted by: Tyler Rippeteau

Oct. 23, 2011

The Sierra Nevada 30^th Anniversary – Jack & Ken’s Ale was pretty easy to find.  In fact, I believe that Liquor Mart in Boulder still has a couple cases left.  I had tried this bottle once in the past, shortly after it was released, but I never reviewed it.  I do remember it tasting a little maltier and sweeter last time I had it, but this time here is what I found:

Location: Boulder Liquor Mart

Cost: $15.99

ABV: 10.2%

IBUs: 60-70? (speculated, but not confirmed - if you can confirm or correct let me know)

Brewery Location: Chico, California

Style: American Barleywine

Average Beer Advocate Rating: A-/4.08 - Excellent

My Beer Advocate Rating: B+/3.93 – Very Good

Current Number of Reviews on Beer Advocate/Rank in the Top 20: 362/14th

Brewery Description: NA

Bottled On: Summer of 2010

Photo Courtesy of Legal Beer

APPEARANCE:  Dark as night.  There is no light penetrating this beer whatsoever.  The head, no matter how softly it is poured swells up into a nice, homogenous group of tiny bubbles that forms a finger and a half of off-white head.  The dissipation is rather quick, but a ring of lace and a wispy thin layer of foam cap the beer after it has settled. 

SMELL:  The nose is medium to strong and dominated almost entirely by a sweet, milk chocolate smell.  Some coffee is present and a tiny touch of hop aroma creeps in, but this nose belongs to the cocoa.

TASTE:  The big, sweet, chocolate aroma blends into the first sip, but about halfway through the hops take over in a big way.  The 30^th Anniversary is a much stronger and much hoppier Barleywine than I am used to.  Citrus and dank bitterness flavors steal the show from the chocolate mid-sip.  The chocolate returns for a big finish, but the sweeter chocolate flavor has turned into a bitterer, darker chocolate.  As the beer opens up it mellows and while it remains a bitterer, hoppier Barleywine than most, it does begin to resemble the style a little more closely with a boatload of roasted malt and sweeter flavors beginning to expose themselves.

MOUTHFEEL:  The mouthfeel is fantastic and spot on for a Barleywine.  It is nice and oily, but has enough fizz to let the palate know that it is still a beer.  The only deviation from the standard Barleywine is that it is much more dry than most, but that is not a bad thing.

OVERALL:  I think I would classify this beer as more of an enormous and malty Black IPA than a Barleywine, but that does not change the fact that it is a solid beer.  If you find yourself with a bomber or two share it with your friends who love IPAs and dry porters, die-hard Barleywine fans may be let down.  Also, do not introduce anyone to the style with the 30^th Anniversary, it’s more of a riff on a Barleywine than a traditional American Barleywine.

Barleywine Review #1 - AleSmith Old Numbskull

Posted by: Tyler Rippeteau

Oct. 7, 2011

It seems appropriate that the first beer reviewed for the Barleywine Project – AleSmith’s Old Numbskull – is from the very same brewery as the last beer of the DIPA project – AleSmith’s YuleSmith.  Yes, Review #1 of the Barleywine Project is from what is quickly becoming one of my more sought after breweries, AleSmith.  In addition to this beer coming from the same brewery, it also came from the same dude – ren, from Beer Advocate, who I think I can now officially call my “Beer Guy in San Diego”.

Ren and I have worked out a couple of great trades since I have moved here to Boulder.  I’ve been able to find him some amazing sour beers, including Immitis from Avery and he has provided basically all of the AleSmith beer I’ve ever had.  I am grateful for that.

Anyhow, tonight Emily and I finally split the bottle of Old Numbskull that he sent me a couple of weeks ago.  What a treat it was and although I am about to discuss this in greater depth below, I have to mention it here as well, AleSmith makes some really good beer, but they seriously make some of the best looking beer I have ever seen.

Alright, onto the specs:

Location: Home

Cost: In Trade – One bottle of Avery Immitis + (Cost of that bottle $6)

ABV: 11%

IBUs: 99

Brewery Location: San Diego, California

Style: American Barleywine

Average Beer Advocate Rating: A-/4.17 - Excellent

My Beer Advocate Rating: A-/4.1 – Excellent

Current Number of Reviews on Beer Advocate/Rank in the Top 20: 340/15^th

Brewery Description: Old Numbskull

Bottled On: NA

APPEARANCE:  (5 out of 5) After just a very limited experience with AleSmith’s brews, if there is one thing I know about them it is that they know how to brew an amazing looking beer.  The YuleSmith (Summer) took home the 20 Beers in 20 Nights award for the best looking beer of the entire DIPA project.  Well, as the first beer in the Barleywine Project, the Old Numbskull is sure to be in the running in the same category.

The color is a solid, opaque, copper penny red with an exceptional, big, foamy and white, two-finger head.  The retention, as it was with the YuleSmith, is outstanding.  I poured this beer, then prepared myself a plate of cheese and crackers, then ran around the house for three minutes doing small errands for Emily, then sat down and began to write this review…and guess what?  The head is still there.  It is just about an eighth of an inch thick at this point, but this is retention at its finest.

The lacing, again, just like the YuleSmith is exceptionally strong, covering roughly 80% of the back of the glass, about 50% on the sides and somehow managing to keep a few wisps hanging in there on the side that I am drinking from.  I am stunned that one brewery has been able to produce two different beers with such a great look.

SMELL:  (4.5 out of 5) A quick sniff under the freshly popped bottle cap reveals hints of a big, booming aroma.  My initial reaction was that it smelled like a big, malty Double IPA.  As it pours into the snifter that malt aroma become more apparent.  A boat load of caramel hits the nose right up front as vanilla and a touch of piney hops sneak in as well.  As the head fades the aroma does as well, but it remains strong even after a coaster-thick head settles into place.

TASTE:  (4 out of 5) The first impression the Numbskull gives the drinker is that of balance.  A nice, moderate, brown sugary sweetness greets the palate with each sip.  That sweet, caramel-laced flavor slowly fades and gives way to a fairly bitter finish that showcases a surprisingly grassy taste along with a touch of anise.  The wave of flavor from front to back and from medium-sweet to medium-bitter is one of the smoother rides of balance that my palate has ever been on.

MOUTHFEEL:  (3.5 out of 5) The carbonation is there, but only provides a slight tickle.  Otherwise, this is a sticky, yet not a mouthcoating beer.  The dry, hoppy finish (in fact, much dryer than most Barleywines) cleanses the palate quite nicely for such an otherwise sugary beer.  It feels like a big Belgian with the finish of a big, crisp and bitter DIPA like Ruination.  I only wish that the carbonation was stronger.

OVERALL:  (4 out of 5) This is a dynamite example of a Barleywine.  In fact, it almost seems like a prototype for the style; big, complex, malty and hoppy.  While this is not the best Barleywine I have tasted it is right up there amongst the finest and it really is an excellent example of what the style should be.  If someone were to ask me to give them a beer that epitomized Barleywine, this would make an excellent offering.