Style: Pretty evident based on the name that it's an IPA (India Pale Ale to the layperson). Single, straight-up, O.G. IPA if we must get technical.
Consumption Method: 12 oz. bottle; pint glass. I am of the school of thought that believes beer should be served (and tastes/smells better) out of proper glassware, but sometimes I just don't care to take a glass out of the cabinet to pour my beer into. I try not to do this with any rare or special beer (read: anything I paid more than $5/bottle for). Forthe sake of a proper review, I imbibed one IPA straight from the bottle and one from a proper "beer-clean" pint glass. Props to Odell for sourcing original glass bottles for their beers. The embossed hop cones just below the neck of their bottles is a classy touch. This attention to detail definitely carries over to their beer and asserts the brewery as one of my favorites.
Alkyhol: 7%. Seven percent alcohol by volume is incidentally my personal cut-off point for a session beer. This may seem ridiculous or paint me a raging alcoholic, but hear me out. The loose definition for a session beer is a low-alcohol beer that you can drink a shitload of in a sitting. Now "shitload" is a subjective term, and I don't have a high tolerance, so I tend to push the percentage higher for my session beers as I just don't drink as many ofthem. My shitload is less than your shitload.
Label Analysis: Odell produces some of my favorite labelsin the industry. Their corporate branding is off-the-charts good. Each beer shares a similar design element (I am not proficient in this area- forgive my lack of descriptors) and I'd call them classically classy. The sort of designs an early 1900's English pub would sport if the Adobe creative suite existed back then. Their graphic designer should get a raise. As far as the IPA label specifically- it depicts a small man taming a bucking elephant. I wish I was that small man. I probably don't need to say more, but I will say this: the label is apt visual description of this beer. A hop-forward 7% IPA could come across as a bucking elephant of a beer and Odell has managed to tame it nicely.
Why I Bought This Beer: Odell has earned a place in my pantheon of craft breweries where all beers they produce are automatically considered for purchase/consumption based on past performance. I visited the Odell facility in Fort Collins, CO a couple of years ago and am lucky enough to live in a state within the Odelldistribution network, so I have tried the majority of the beers they produce andhave a hard time finding faults (other than a small lack of differentiation between a couple of their pales- a post for another time). I've actually had this IPA many times before (I've just never reviewed it) and figured it was time to give it some shine.
Is This Beer Any Good: Yes, it's a fantastic example of an IPA. My third favorite beer in my very favorite category. It is almost perfectly balanced between hop flavor/aroma and malt caramel/toast flavors. Go buy it.
This Beer Would Pair Well With: A trip to the zoo (if they allowed drinking), spicy mustard.
This Beer In Haiku: English style beer / Tastes like Colorado pine / But I don't eat trees
Sudoku Difficulty Rating: *** (out of 5 asterisks) - Moderate. I rank this moderate because anybody who loves a bitter pale ale or who favors bitter foods will like this beer (I guarantee it!) but it's a difficult approach for anybody unfamiliar with the territory.
Straight From The Source: http://odellbrewing.com/beers/classic/ipa
