Thursday, June 30, 2011

IF IT’S THURSDAY NIGHT, MUST BE ODELL “MOUNTAIN STANDARD” TIME

My recent trip to Kansas City had me prowling my usual haunts in search of weird and fantastic beers to take home. Mark Starr, “starr” of THE HOPRY beer blog/vlog, gave me the lowdown on the Lukas Liquors Superstore just over the Kansas state line up Missouri way (or as I like to call it, “Missoura”), and I made my way up there to see what treats I’d be able to stuff into my suitcase. So far the big winner is this ODELL “MOUNTAIN STANDARD RESERVE” that I found there. Odell, who are a Colorado brewer whom we’ve feted before on this site, actually sell their wares in Kansas too, where I was staying – but my usual Kansas beer stores weren't carrying this one, so thank you Missoura for getting this excellent ale into your “show-me” state.

You could probably call this beer just about any style you’d like. I hadn’t done any research on it before grabbing it, so I didn’t know that Beer Advocate has it classified as an “American black ale”. You know what I called it in my notes? A Belgian Imperial Amber – that’s right folks, get out your style books because I may have just invented a new one. MOUNTAIN STANDARD RESERVE is very dry, with good strong hopping and rich, chewy malts. Pours nearly black in the glass, but it tastes like a deep & murky amber ale. Some taste of melon, cough drop (the good kind!) and some exotic spicing. Bitter, yet very pleasurable and with 8.5% alcohol, not too much of a belly- and head-buster. I am incredibly impressed with ODELL BREWING’s imperial/seasonal beers, and can’t wait to try the amazing SABOTEUR again. I’d drink Mountain Standard Reserve again in a Missoura minute as well. 8/10.