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.
