Imperial India Pale Ale

Ever since I had my first 90 Minute it's been the beer I compare all other IPAs to. That doesn't mean 90 Minute is my favorite IPA, but I think it's one of the best brewed IPAs out there. I happen to like Hopslam a little better, but 90 Minute will never be a disappointment. 90 Minute has a great rich maltiness that really balances out the huge hop content. Then, along came Burton Baton. I'd only heard the name of this beer a few times before moving to Delaware, I'd certainly never tried it. From what I'm told, it's basically a oak aged 90 Minute with a bit more alcohol and lots of vanilla flavor. Awesome.

My first impressions of Oskar Blues were less than ideal. As a guy who doesn't like overly hopped or bitter beers, it probably isn't the best idea to get acquainted with a brewery by trying their hoppiest and most bitter beer... Well, hindsight is 20/20 and I have since gained more respect for Oskar Blues' beer. I've been holding on to these cans of Gubna for a while now, knowing that an Imperial IPA isn't something I want to jump right in to. After drinking the One Hit Wonder last week I'm anxious to try the Gubna to compare the two and see what all the hype is about with the Gubna.

One Hit Wonder is a limited one time release Imperial IPA from Oskar Blues in Longmont, Colorado. I happened to be in the Longmont area over the weekend when the One Hit Wonder was released and made it back home with a few cans. One of the cans didn't make it all the way home, it was enjoyed back at the hotel in Boulder. My memory of that first can of One Hit Wonder is a little fuzzy, it'd been a long day. I remember it being a very solid IPA, fruity and very resinous. Now that I'm back home and I've got a couple cans all to myself I figured I might as well give this beer my undivided attention.

Firestone Walker is one brewery I haven't been able to review before because their beers aren't available in Kansas City. That's all changing in the very near future as Firestone Walker starts shipping its beer to Missouri. 22oz bombers of Walker’s Reserve, Abacus, Parabola, 14th Anniversary and Double Jack should start showing up on shelves around Kansas City within just a few weeks. More beers from Firestone Walker will arrive a little later in the form of six packs, those beers belong to the Nectar Ale brand Firestone Walker produces. All of their beers are held in high regard and I'm excited to welcome them to our neck of the woods.

In terms of hype Bell's Hopslam is right up there with Pliny the Elder and Dark Lord. An important difference here is that Hopslam is actually available down the street from me, even if it sells out in a matter of hours. I've had both Pliny and Dark Lord and only one lived up to the hype. I could see myself happily standing in line for Dark Lord with a thousand other beer nerds. Pliny was a different story, it was good but I prefer a dozen similar style beers, I just didn't see what the big deal was. Pliny is similar in style to Hopslam so I was a bit hesitant to drop nearly $20 on a six pack, but here we are...

Avery's Maharaja is a very solid India Pale Ale. In fact, it's down right strong... With an ABV of 10.3% this beer isn't fooling around. Not only that, but the Maharaja is packing a ton of hops so be prepared. When you take your first sip of the Maharaja you're hit with a bag of hop pellets. It's pretty intense, but the flavor profile is quite a bit more complex than your initial read might let on. If the hops don't deter you then you'll find a subtle honey notes and a fair bit of caramel malt. If you can just make it past that first bombardment on your tastebuds, you'll be rewarded. But that really begs the question, "Why have all the hops in the first place?" Well, the beer's great aroma is due in large part to the abundance of hops. It's all part of being an IPA, without all these hops your beer just wouldn't have made the long trip to India...