When I heard Oskar Blues had a new IPA out I thought I knew exactly what to expect, but upon hitting it a few times I realized it was not what I expected at all and a pretty complex IPA. It's got a huge nose, light body, clocks in at 6.5% abv, big tropical fruit hop kick and I found it to just have incredible drinkability.
It uses all Australian hop varieties: Ella, which has spicy, floral notes, along with
stone fruit flavors; Topaz, which has some of the piney, dank notes that
American hops have; Vic Secret, an unusual hop that imparts earthy
aromas, along with passion fruit and tropical notes; and Enigma, which
offers raspberry and melon flavors and aromas.
And for good measure and since it wouldn't be an Oskar Blues beer without a pot reference, “Blue
Dream” printed on the side of the can (a strain of marijuana). I wouldn't expect anything less.
"Get the behind the scenes story of how #OBIPA came to life and find out
everything you wanna know about this Australian hopped motha..."
My pick for Beer of The Week this week is a beer which for all practical purposes I'd think we could get all over the place here in central Arkansas, but I'll be damned if I've found it here yet. I did however find some in Florida on a recent road trip and it blew me away. Here's the description on the Boulevard website:
Funky Pumpkin – Spiced Sour Ale
Slated for an early September release in six packs of 12 ounce bottles
and on draft, Funky Pumpkin is our unique spin on a pumpkin beer. Spiced
with nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice and ginger, the final beer is a blend
of brewhouse soured beer and beer aged in a stainless steel tank with
brettanomyces. Tart and slightly earthy, Funky Pumpkin features a subtle
toffee/caramel malt character that allows pumpkin pie spices to shine.
ABV – 5.8% IBU – 28
My thoughts? I found enough pumpkin pie spiciness to satisfy on that level with a really pleasant and some Brettanomyces bringin' the funk. It's got a dry finish I thought, making me instantly want another, which is something I rarely do with these "pumpkin style" beers. I'm a big fan of this one and want more. Soon.
And please save all your pumpkin beer hate. It falls on deaf ears here.
I try a whole lot of different beers, as my Untappd account will attest to, and I'm not talking about sharing a 12 oz bottle 4 ways or getting a sampler. When I try a beer for real, it's a bottle or a pint and often I'll visit it several times before I feel I can really evaluate it properly. Maybe it depends on the setting or the mood I'm in or whatever, I just can't see how people can drink 3 oz of a beer then tell you everything about it and rate it and all (I don't actually rate until my 5th visit to it). Beer drinking and beer love to me is getting to know beers, and sometimes my love for a beer isn't all about the taste or color or nose, but the memories. But I guess all this is a whole other post. This post is about my new feature.... *drumroll*... my Beer of the Week! *crowd goes mild*
Well, I figure there has to be a way to pass on some of my favorites I run across. There'll be locals, regionals, imports... I don't believe in limiting tastes according to location. So without further adieu, I present my first choice:
Sierra Nevada/Brauhaus Riegele Collaboration Oktoberfest!
You can find this pretty much everywhere you find regular Sierra Nevada releases, which is everywhere in America it seems. I.ve had some this weekend and in my opinion it's just a damn near perfect Marzen brew. I was so pleased with it I hit the Googles to see what others were saying about it and noticed Men's Journal has called it "the world's best Oktoberfest" as well. It's got a rich malty flavor that makes me think of Fall, from many years of seeking this style out around this time of year. It smells like tailgating and leaves falling. I can't wait to pair this with my kraut and brats.
Seek this! And tell me your thoughts. Here's your primer:
The Perfect Oktoberfest Partners: Sierra Nevada & Brauhaus Riegele
"We partnered with one of Germany’s oldest breweries—Brauhaus Riegele—to create a true festival beer unlike any other brewed in the USA. When knowledge, passion and the right people come together, a great beer emerges. More at SierraNevada.com."
When I heard Oskar Blues had a new IPA out I thought I knew exactly what to expect, but upon hitting it a few times I realized it was not what I expected at all and a pretty complex IPA. It's got a huge nose, light body, clocks in at 6.5% abv, big tropical fruit hop kick and I found it to just have incredible drinkability. 
