(no subject)
Since I've been limiting my adult beverages I have not had the usual metric assload of hops entering my system. It has long been my belief that hops are what has kept me pretty much cold & flu free over the last few years.
The last couple of nights I have been feeling quite rundown and I was getting a bit flushed tonight like I had a head cold coming on. The wife suggested that I needed hops. Not a completely selfless act mind you, as she was looking for me to chauffeur her to the taco shop for dinner. However, I accepted her solution to my situation and made run to BevMo before hitting the fine dining establishment that is Rosaritos taco shop.
I went to the coolers and grabbed a chilled bomber of Stone Ruination. It seemed to be the hoppiest thing they had cold. On the way to the register I noted the Eagle Rare 17 y/o bourbon for $49.95 and made a mental note to come back another day for that. I also grabbed a bottle of Napa Cellars '03 Cab Sauv since it was sitting temptingly close to the check out stand (thanks to Robert for the tip on that one - on sale for $17.99). A bottle of Baileys for the wife and a couple Jones Soda's for the kid and we had a family of drinks to go.
Once the tacos were procured and we returned home, I grabbed my official Ruination mug and poured as much as I could out of the bomber into the glass, then as my acquaintance Stoney would say, Schlgorping the remnants straight from the bottle.
I thought I would give a review a whirl on my recently un-deadened palate. With the reduced hop load of late, regular IPA's have been quite hoppy and pleasing. DIPA's have been a strange experience. I am noticing more caramel in these than I had in the past. Tonights Ruination is not different. It could just be the long time since I have had this but it seems a tad darker in color and a bit more toasty than before. The picture below is a bit darker than it actually is due to the flash, but it seems more tawny than golden. A good head of snowy white stayed for most of the glass and the aroma is pure hops. As I mentioned, there is some toastyness to the malt that I don't remember, but I still find it drying on the palate. I have never found it to be as sweet as some people claim. The hop profile has never tasted like the clone recipe I have for it seems like it should. That clone was from BYO mag and allegedly provided by Lee Chase. There is a bit of citrus, but the dryness and some cattyness prevails almost like there is a bit of chinook and, god forbid, cluster in there too. Maybe it is just the heavy Magnum bittering. Once again, I dont know if my palate is whack for not having drank many beers lately or actually tasting it like it should. Perhaps the strong resinous leftover feeling is what some folks find as cloying. When the carbonation starts to fade, it does get sticky, but I get the sensation of hop stickum, not sugar.
Regardless, I am confident the hops will boost my immune system and disease resistance saving me from feeling like crapola.
I would definitely put Russian Rivers Pliny the Elder and Ballast Points Dorado well above this in the DIPA race but still, it gets a big dog rating of G from me.