It’s Aaron again with this week’s crazy beer pick, CRAZY MOUNTAIN! Now I know this is not a new beer to the market and maybe you were not that crazy about this beer when you had it in the past, but forget whatever you thought about this beer – IT’S ALL NEW! Crazy Mountain Brewing out of Colorado re-designed there labels with some of the craziest hybrid creatures on the market. I’m not going to explain what they’re like – It’s more fun to come up with your own conclusion. Well….We all know labels don’t always make the beer… so let’s see what is under the cap.
And Now, the Brews
| Hookiebobb | IPA | |
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| Allow me to introduce you to Hookiebobb IPA. As I pour this beer in my glass, I get a nice aroma of fresh hops – not a strong hop aroma but perfectly pleasant balance. The color is a clear, bright golden hue. Now to the taste… I get a lemon and lime zest with a little malt sweetness. If you like a beer with the focus on the hops – this is it. It’s very drinkable, not too bitter even though the IBU is 87. At 6.7 % ABV this did not come off as boozy which is a big plus in my book.
I would rate this 3 out of 5 bottle caps. |
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| 6pk btl | 6.7% ABV | 87 IBU Serving: Pairs well with cold Hawaiian pizza and pork egg rolls. |
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| Emotional Rescue | Double IPA | |
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Next up to bat – Emotional Rescue. I believe this is the definition of crazy that they’re going for. BIG, BOLD and Boozy. This beer weighs in at 9% ABV and a whopping 150 IBU. Your taste buds can only detect 100 IBUs so where did the other 50 goes… I’m not sure but it’s AWESOME. If you consider yourself a big hop head, such as myself, this beer is for you. I feel like I have had all the big hoppy beers out there and then BOOM one more that requires residency in my shopping cart! As I pour it in my glass, I don’t get that big aroma of hops like someone would expect from a double IPA. Instead, I am reminded of more mild, earthy notes. The color has nice a rich copper look to it, and is a lot less clear then Hookiebobb, but that is what you should expect from a double. As I take my first sip, the 150 IBU’s prove to be less shy than an extrovert at a 90’s rave. This is a different IPA then the ones you get from this area, Crazy Mountain Brewing takes you on a different direction than the typical big tropical IPAs. Emotional Rescue is more piney, a little earthy-it has a much darker/richer hop profile -this is a nice change. The dressing on my pallet is thick and kind of sticky with just a little boozieness in the finish. I can confidently say that it’s a well-balanced big beer.
I would give this beer 4 out of 5 bottle caps. |
| 6pk btl | 9.0% ABV | 150 IBU Serving: This beer pairs well with pickled herring and ham and cheese hot pockets. |
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I hope you come in and give Crazy Mountain Hookieboob IPA or Emotional Rescue (or both!) a try and let me know what you think.