IIPA - New Glarus

NOTE: due to a posting snafu this ended up being the 2nd post, but I submitted it earlier and the blog site screwed up. Oops

This is the first entry in the first blog I've taken seriously so I'm not exactly sure how to get going on this type of thing.

The first beer I am going to review is a Double IPA (IIPA) from New Glarus' "Thumbprint" Series. Beer stats are as follows:

Name: IIPA (creative, eh?)

Style: Double IPA / IIPA

IBU: 85

ABV: 9%

Gravity: 19.2 Plato --> ~1.080 original gravity

Purchased at: Riley's Wines of the World as part of a create your own 6 pack.

Availability: Not only is this a seasonal brew, but it's a special release from New Glarus, so get it while you can.

It occurred to me while typing the above stats that it may make sense to define some of the abbreviations used above.**

IBU - International Bittering Units, representing the most accepted method of measuring and expressing hop bitterness in beer. Beers will typically range from 5 IBU to 100 IBU. The human threshold is approximately 6 IBU and 6 IBU also represents the required change for a human to discriminate between levels of hoppiness.

ABV - alcohol by volume - if you went to college you don't need me to tell you this...

Gravity - gravity is an approximate measure of the amount of alcohol that may end up in a finished beer. Expressing this in terms of "Plato" is a European and American scaling which is based on a percentage of pure sugar cane in the wort. For instance, a 10 or 12 degree Plato beer would have original gravities of 1.040 and 1.049 respectively...meaning they are 4% and 4.9% heavier than pure water.

The descriptions:

In pouring the beer into my glass, I was quite surprised that it didn't have more head on it (insert perverted joke here). However, I looked into a beer book I have to see if I was pouring it correctly (I had the glass tilted and was giving it a slow pour). Turns out I was not - the book prescribes "boldly pouring down the center" (so I guess those old Bud Light commercials with the Asian guy whacking that dude with a reed and telling him to "Pour down center to release aROma and carbonation" were actually more than just annoyingly funny b.s. commercials). At any rate, I am obviously a newbie at this, so we will let my poor pour (ha ha, get it?) slide this time.

The beer came out a brilliant, a hazy deep gold or pale amber color. It doesn't help that I wasn't able to use natural light, but in my experience beer drinking is much more acceptable after the light of day has faded.

I know I will love this beer just from the smell - a completely hoppy/piney aroma accompanies this beer and it completely makes my mouth water. Pale ales are my weakness.

This beer is a pretty solid IIPA - I would honestly expect nothing less from the fine folks at New Glarus...they truly know how to make beer and if you are ever in Wisconsin you need to get some (they don't sell anywhere outside of the state). The beer gets a huge hoppy flavor without too much bitterness (relatively speaking, less than I originally expected). At 85 IBUs, it doesn't necessarily feel that way to me, not completely hitting me over the head from the onset, or even a lingering bitter flavor. It's a dry mouth feel, especially at the finish of the sip. The beer smells a bit sweeter than it actually is, as I have taken a few more whiffs and sips. Again, I am still learning how to do this stuff, so perhaps take what I say with a grain of salt.

I am thinking that they used a light biscuit malt in this beer, similar to a Hopslam (from Bell's Brewery in Kalamazoo, MI). It's also somewhat fruity, maybe orange or grapefruit? It adds a nice kick to the beer.

Overall Grade: A-

Comments: Try this out if you can and if you like really hoppy and pretty bitter beers. It is limited so you need to move quick - another great brew by New Glarus!!

Cheers,

Hurls

** Definitions quoted from Tasting Beer: An Insider's Guide to the World's Greatest Drink by Randy Mosher