Pliny the Elder (bottle) - 4.4

Pliny the Elder
Double IPA
Russian River Brewing Company
Santa Rosa, CA
ABV: 8%

Jon:
This is now the second time that I've ever been able to find this in stock at a liquor store (found on the first occasion by my wonderful girlfriend!). Very light color, clingy. Smells citrusy and overly hoppy with a hint of sweetness. The first sip is the reverse of that, with a far more balanced honey sweetness on the front with the hops leaning more toward pine flavors than citrus. Amazingly drinkable for the amount of hops and alcohol; I'm pretty sure someone sold their soul to pull this off. I guess I'll need to make some friends at the liquor store to have a chance of finding this on a semi-regular basis...

4.7	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 4/5 9/10 4/5 10/10 5/5 5/5 10/10

Mark:
This is exactly what I want in a nice IPA. Humongous hops straight to the face on your first sip, mellowing into a slight sweetness with a bitter white grapefruit aftertaste. Delicious.

4.8	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 5/5 10/10 5/5 9/10 4/5 5/5 9.5/10

Jere:
Pretty strong on first intake, but the intensity wears off as I go. A tad sweet but mostly bitter, I'd probably have to be in the right mood to down more than a half pint.

3.6	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 4/5 7/10 4/5 7/10 2/5 5/5 7/10

Mendocino Imperial IPA (bottle) - 3.7

Mendocino Imperial IPA
Mendocino Brewing Company
Hopland, CA
ABV: 8%

Jon:
Fairly opaque, reddish hue, thick head. Smells like a million bucks: bitter orange, honey, molasses, grains, fig. It's less sweet on the tongue than the nose, as the sage/herb flavors are more dominant. Serious alcohol heat, it just can't be hidden. Wonderfully complex. A little overwhelming.

3.9	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 5/5 9/10 2/5 8/10 2/5 5/5 8/10

Mark:
Light caramel color. Lots of carbonation with a creamy, buttery yellow head. GREAT aroma after pouring. First sip: zing! Citrus and piney hops come right through. Very little malt flavor (just how I like it). There's an odd mouthfeel and aftertaste; sort of a pollen feel with a slightly sweet taste of honey.

3.5	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 5/5 8/10 2/5 6/10 2/5 5/5 7/10

Jere:
Packs a punch, but for the price I'd expect nothing less. After a few more sips it isn't quite as potent but it still has some spirit.

3.6	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 5/5 8/10 2/5 7/10 2/5 5/5 7/10

Hop Czar (bottle) - 3.4

Hop Czar
Imperial India Pale Ale
Bridgeport Brewing Company
Portland, OR
ABV: 7.5%

Jon:
Reddish and coppery. Smells... soapy? Not sure what to think about that. First sip... Holy hell that's bitter. Tastes kind of soapy too. Not distinguishing a ton of flavors, just mucho bitter. I'm on the fence, but this amount of hops is worth it for $7 per 6-pack.

3.1	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 3/5 5/10 3/5 6/10 4/5 4/5 6/10

Mark:
Slightly floral, bitter aroma. Bitter, bitter, bitter! Not a lot of flavor beyond the hop. I do detect a slight coffee overtone. Bitter floral finish.

3.5	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 4/5 5/10 4/5 7/10 4/5 4/5 7/10

Jere:
Perhaps the color/appearance factor is influencing my judgement, but I do like this particular brew. It also could be my thirst factor enhancing my enjoyment level. Not detecting quite the same bitterness as my bandmates... perhaps a touch of hazelnut.

3.6	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 4/5 7/10 3/5 7/10 4/5 4/5 7/10

Lagunitas Maximus (bottle) - 3.5

Maximus IPA
Double India Pale Ale
Lagunitas Brewing Company
Petaluma, CA
ABV: 7.5%

Jon:
I'm pretty sure that this qualifies as an "extreme" IPA at +70 IBUs, but honestly, this is not nearly as face-meltingly hoppy as I expected it to be. There's a fair amount of caramel and molasses sweetness going on here; maybe that's what's starting to balance this out. This would be a really great intro for a new hophead into the world of extreme IPAs who doesn't want their face to melt off just yet.

3.6	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 3/5 6/10 4/5 8/10 3/5 5/5 7/10

Mark:
Nice creamy head, clean amber color. Lots of bitterness nicely balanced by an understated caramel malt. Nicely crisp with a slightly mineral finish.

3.5	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 4/5 7/10 4/5 7/10 2/5 4/5 7/10

Jere:
I probably shouldn't have sampled the Republic Organic Tequila first, as it has colored my palette somewhat. Still working on my first pint, which would seem to indicate the high potency of this "Double" IPA. Hopefully I can get through this one.

3.3	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 3/5 7/10 3/5 7/10 2/5 4/5 7/10

The Maharaja (bottle) - 4.1

The Maharaja
Imperial India Pale Ale
Avery Brewing
Boulder, CO
ABV: 10.54%

Jon:
Smells of burnt orange and... intensity. Tastes a tad sweet, like molasses, plus a burny taste similar to the aroma. Interesting approach, good complex brew.

4.2	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 4/5 9/10 4/5 8/10 4/5 5/5 8/10

Mark:
This is intense! It starts out with a huge hop burst with lemony and floral flavors coming through. There's almost a sweet raisin-type thing going on, trying to balance out those hops. Of course, at 10.54% ABV, there's a warm mellow alcohol taste and fairly warm finish with a nice bitter aftertaste.

4.0	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 5/5 9/10 3/5 7/10 3/5 5/5 8/10

Jere:
Raisins, you say? Here?! I must warn the others--oh no, I've been shot!! By a 10.54% beer, that is. I've heard of 3.2 beers, but this is ridiculous. Not a good idea for a productive night of band practice.

4.0	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 5/5 8/10 4/5 8/10 2/5 5/5 8/10

90 Minute Imperial IPA (bottled) - 4.0

90 Minute Imperial IPA
Imperial India Pale Ale
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Milton, DE
ABV: 9%

Jon:
Grassy nose, clings to the glass well. Sugary on the tongue, but a firmly bitter finish. Intense stuff.

4.0	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 4/5 9/10 3/5 8/10 3/5 5/5 8/10

Mark:
It's like hoppy liquid bread. Mmmm... beer meals. :)

4.2	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 4/5 9/10 4/5 9/10 3/5 5/5 8/10

Jere:
Definitely thick, and my, what a kick! But at $10 for a 4-pack, this one won't be added to the favorites list anytime soon.

3.8	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 3/5 8/10 4/5 8/10 3/5 4/5 8/10

Mojo Risin' (bottled) - 4.5

Mojo Risin'
Imperial/Double IPA
Boulder Beer Company
Boulder, CO
Alcohol Content: 10%

Jon:
I was really stoked to try this super-charged version of Mojo, and it doesn't disappoint. The relatively mild citrus aroma doesn't prepare the drinker for how amazingly bitter this beer is. The lemony hop flavor just wrecks your face in an instant. As intense as it is, it's surprisingly balanced (as much so as an Imperial IPA can be). Great stuff.

4.4	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 5/5 9/10 4/5 9/10 3/5 5/5 9/10

Mark:
Oh my... This is like drinking two Mojos in one glass. Super-charged. Great citrusy flavor with an intense bitter finish followed by an alcohol "glow." I think it made my ears red. Great!

4.8	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 5/5 10/10 5/5 10/10 3/5 5/5 10/10

Jere:
Long build-up for trying this out, and it was worth the wait. We didn't think Mojo could get any better, but slap a "Risin'" on that and you're good to go. We'll be hard pressed to top this next time. But our wallets will thank us if we try something else.

4.4	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 5/5 10/10 5/5 8/10 2/5 4/5 10/10

Ruination IPA (bottled) - 4.4

Ruination IPA
Imperial/Double IPA
Stone Brewing Co.
Escondido, CA
Alcohol Content: 7.7%

Jon:
Bitterly hoppy to the point of cottonmouth and tongue-tingling. For hop addicts, that's not a bad thing at all. Too intense for everyday drinking, but at this price I'd be pretty upset if I wanted it every day. A feat of hops.

4.5	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 4/5 9/10 5/5 9/10 3/5 5/5 10/10

Mark:
Holy crap. Bitter perfection, like this girl I knew once. I actually like this a bit more than Arrogant Bastard. Oddly enough, if you drink enough, you sort of become numb to the hops and suddenly it tastes almost sweet! Mmmmmm... bittersweet perfection.

4.4	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 4/5 9/10 5/5 9/10 3/5 5/5 9/10

Jere:
For the alcohol content, you can't do much better than this. The Ruination ruined us the first time we tried reviewing this, so this time we split a bomber and stayed coherent.

4.3	Appearance Aroma Palate Flavor Price Buzz Overall 5/5 8/10 5/5 10/10 2/5 5/5 8/10