I am new to the whole hyped beer revolution. I joined an online forum dedicated to beer lovers in January 2008. It was there that I learned about all the beers in my area, the US and even the world that everyone was talking about. If something was getting built up and I could find it locally, I usually sought it out. And here is the funny thing; they are almost always worth the hype. It’s not like movie trailers that play every commercial break for 3 months and then the movie flops. No, this isn’t Hollywood created advertising hype, this it certifiable 100% consumer created hype. Thanks to this website http://www.beeradvocate.com/ I learned about so many new beers. Can you believe 2008 was the first Darkness I’ve ever had? Well, here’s another shocker, this year is the first time I’ve ever tried the Bell’s Hopslam. Sure enough, again, this is worth all the hype. It pours a nice orange copper color with a little off white head that dissipates quickly but still leaves a nice lacing behind. A little swirling revives the head and aroma. Pretty much clear, maybe just a little haze. I stick my nose in and bam! Hops hops and more hops. Mostly citrusy including grapefruit and some pineapple. But, there is also an inviting sweetness as well. Pretty balanced in the nose despite the extreme hoppiness. Can’t wait to taste it… Yuuuuuum. Just as it smells, lots of delicious hops and malt. Maybe a little dried fruit, a lot of caramel. Not really toasty or bready, just hoppy and sweet. Sweetness may come from simple sugars as excessive crystal malts can make a beer dextrinous and cloying. In spite of the bitterness this beer is still incredibly smooth. A must have if hop bombs are your thing.
About a week later I picked up some Sierra Nevada Torpedo, a brand new year-round offering which they are calling an Extra IPA. And then just a couple of days ago I stopped in to Town Hall Brewery and tried their Batch 1000. This beer named simply for the milestone batch number in which it was brewed is similar to both Hopslam and Torpedo but is being marketed at a Strong IPA. I won’t bore you with reviews of each of these as they would sound very similar to the one I did for Hopslam. I can, however say that each of these beers is unique in its own right. don’t settle for trying just one, you will certainly appreciate the subtle differences of each. I’ll give you a few tidbits from each of the brewers about their respective beers.
First, the Sierra Nevada Torpedo…
“Chico, CA (1/05/09) - For a brewery known for its use of hops, it seems out of character to wait nearly 30 years to produce a year-round IPA. Torpedo is worth the wait. Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is proud to announce the release of Torpedo Extra IPA as the newest addition to its year-round roster of beers. This is the first full-production IPA to come from the brewery and the first change in its year-round lineup in over a decade.”
I would have to agree, not that we had a choice, but definitely worth the wait. Makes me excited for all the other great beers we're waiting for???
– from Sierra Nevada's website
Next, Town Hall Batch 1000…
“Today is the day for the release of Batch 1000. This is a Strong IPA (8.5% abv) that used about 11 pounds of hops per barrel (another way to celebrate our 11th year). This is limited in supply and I do not think it will be around long.”
– Mike Hoops, Brewer, Town Hall Brewery in an email newsletter 2/24/09.
Congrats, Mike on batch 1000, it’s a good one!
Since we’re on the subject of big IPAs I feel compelled to mention that Surly 16-Grit is returning. In an email to Surly Nation, owner Omar Ansari told loyal drinkers that the brewery “got some new 60 bbl fermentors a few weeks ago. The 1st beer we brewed into it - 16 GRIT!” (bbl = beer barrel - one bbl = about 31 gal) They made this beer late 2008 and sold it the last week of the year. Brewer Todd Haug and company made a small amount, 30 bbls and they sold it in growlers only. State law allows breweries to sell growlers (large take-out jugs of beer) if they produce less than 3,500 bbls annually. Well, in 2008 they far exceeded that, so as of January 1st 2009, no more growlers. To go out with a bang they made this huge IPA and sold it December 27th-31st. You can imagine how excited I was. December 30th being my birthday I decided I would go that day and pick up my growler. Unfortunately they sold out on Dec 29th. Good for them, bad for me. Oh well, if you are one of the 3 people who regularly read this blog, you know what happened on my birthday. I probably wouldn’t have made it there anyway. There have been a lot of questions since then about whether they will remake this beer sometime and I guess our questions (prayers) have been answered. I am so excited to try this beer. Let the hype begin!
Well, that’s all for this episode of BEER THIS! I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this almost as much as I enjoyed drinking the beers I wrote about. Next time you read or hear about a beer that’s all hyped up, I would encourage you to go out and try it.
Please also visit www.lutherpublichouse.com for more fun with beer.
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