When I crossed the halfway to 1000 beers mark, I held a poll to see which beer I should drink to celebrate #500. The 2008 Schlafly Reserve Oak Aged Barleywine won, and I enjoyed that beer yesterday. Since the beer that tied for the second spot has a very visible “Enjoy By” date on the front, I decided to go ahead and crack this one open this evening.
This is a well-hopped double IPA that Stone wants you to drink right away, for fear that the hop flavors will fade or change if it’s enjoyed any later than the date on the bottle. There’s quite an explanation on the back of the bottle (which I’ve included below for your enjoyment).
Location: Poured into a slightly curved pint glass from the 22oz bottle at my home in Bloomington, IL.
Numbers: 9.4% ABV, 282 Calories
Appearance & Aroma: It’s golden in color and pretty clear. The head is bright white with foamy, slightly soapy bubbles, and it actually grew when it sat for a couple minutes. The head left some great lacing on the glass. The aroma was a bright, bold, grapefruit-citrus hop smell.
Taste & Feel: It was medium-to-full bodied with a smooth creamy mouthfeel from the foamy head. However, there was a bit of crispness from the initial hop bite. A honey-grapefruit citrusy flavor starts each sip, with the grapefruit-citrus flavors taking center stage in the middle. In the finish, the bitterness kicks in, and the hop oils seem to stick to the inside of my mouth, lasting for a while in the aftertaste.
Food Pairing: With the big citrusy flavors in this beer, I’d recommend pairing this with something hearty. I’d go with a thick, juicy burger, topped with sauteed onions and mushrooms, as I think the citrusy hop flavors would mix nicely with the earthy and slightly sweet onion and mushroom mix.
Overall Impression: Most big beers beg to be held onto for a while to see how their character matures, but Stone has taken the opposite approach, so you can get the maximum enjoyment out of the big hop flavors and aroma in this beer. There was certainly plenty of grapefruit-citrus aroma and flavor, with only a little bit of honey-like malt flavor noticeable. This beer was meant to showcase the hop flavors and it does that. Even though the hop oils stick to your mouth in the aftertaste, and it was a 9.4% ABV beer, it was still very drinkable and enjoyable.
My Rating:
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