Thursday, May 21, 2009
IPAllapolooza -- IV
Last night's IPA was New Holland Mad Hatter. I like New Holland beers...sometimes. But Mad Hatter has just never done much for me. I find it blaring, without subtlety, and shouty. So it was last night when I tried it once again. I was ready to like it: we're getting pretty darned fresh New Holland these days, so maybe that would help. Didn't. Bring me more Poet, I'll drink that all night, but the Mad Hatter just yells "BITTER!" in my mouth, and stomps around like a loonie. I like an authoritative beer, but this one's more like a blowhard.
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4 comments:
"shouty"!!!
Beautiful.
Have you ever had Stone Ruination IPA?? I've had it once and I probably try it again before I completely write it off, but I find that to be similar in that it seems to be hoppy for the sake of being hoppy... It smells nice, but upon tasting it, it screams 'BITTER' without enough malt backing to quiet the 120 IBUs of hops down.
I think IPAllapolooza is a wonderful name for a Brewfest. Someone should get started on this....
A funny thing I find about Hatter is that it's very much a situational beer. When I had it first at the company pub in MI last week, it struck me as very much the beer you described, which surprised me as I had enjoyed it previously. But when I had it again later on, after having had something to eat, I found it quite balanced and pleasurable.
BTW, I also tried a tank sample of a special edition, draft-only Hatter aged in Woodford Reserve oak. It was pretty damn impressive, I must say, and wonderfully balanced in all regards.
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