Chris' beer of the week 7/20/11

July 20th, 2011 8:32am - Posted By: Chris Lamson

Avery Maharaja 10.54% ABV

Cody and I switched hats this week and I am writing up a beer while he talks about wine. Crazy, right? Keep your guard up, you never know what will happen next around here. I await the arrival of The Maharaja each year like a fat kid listens for the ice cream truck. This massively hopped imperial IPA drinks more like a wine than your regular session ale; it needs to be sipped, savored, and reflected upon. Recently I left a bottle of Maharaja in the freezer for three hours (I planned thirty minutes to chill it, but I have short-term memory issues). It was on the edge of frozen but still seemed liquid, so I put on my safety glasses and popped the cap: no explosion, no volcano. When I poured it, it looked and flowed like caramel. It was transformed, all amber malty sweetness and bitter orange. Its usual alcohol note was hidden, the grassy hop tang gone with it. The magic lasted but a few minutes and I was left with a glass of my favorite beer and an ethereal memory. Should you choose to try this I am not responsible for the mess in your freezer if you fail to extract at precisely the right moment. Either way this might be the maltiest, hoppiest beer you drink this summer. Just don’t tell the folks at Avery how I abused their beer.

Posted in: Chris' Beer of the Week

View / Add Comment | 0 Comment(s) | Rating: 0 of 5 | Share: Twitter, Facebook, Google +