Stout, Pale, Rye and Something Freakish

 Every time I plan to drink wine, the beers draw me in. Some came by accident, others by intrigue; the last of them came due after a year in my stash. At their moment, they were at the right temperature. Any connections between them are coincidental.

Green Flash Le Freak
Sampled: Feb. 22, 2012
Forget Chic – Green Flash gives us a new reason to remember Le Freak. Billed as the marriage of Belgian Tripel and Imperial IPA, Le Freak definitely lands on a sublime middle ground.

 The nose is a strange collision of Belgian yeast and IPA hop payload. Orange body with a creamy head, this 9 percent ABV beauty cruises on a lace of gentle cream. A layer of spices headlined by coriander back it up. B Just as the grapefruit of an imperial IPA begins to evolve, the grainy textures and esters arise early.

A heavy dose of burnt orange sizzle mid-palate; the hops and the pale triple malts run into each other with an amazing dose of flavor. By the finish, the hops are long gone, with only residual bitterness to mark their presence. Lemongrass becomes bolder as the beer progresses across the palate.

The entire way through Le Freak, the flavors of imperial IPA and Belgian Tripel seem in constant conflict, but somehow manage to form a complete beer. At this strength, Le Freak must be sipped. But its magical notes of Westmalle crossed with the most fragrant West Coast IPA will urge you to drink more. .

New Belgium Dig Pale Ale
 Sampled: Feb. 24, 2012
 I had largely abandoned drinking pale ale. Every brewer new to Nashville deposits a pale ale at the grocery store, and most collect dust. The glut in the market and more enticing local sources usually win out. Boulevard largely succeeded with the Smokestack Series of high-gravity ales, but could not get its pale ale and wheat lineup into consumer fridges.

Almost by accident, a six-pack of Dig ended up in my fridge. New Belgium has few flops in its lineup (I burned out on the Explorer Series, and rarely reach for Fat Fire), so it seemed like a safe bet. Dig qualifies as hoppy but not in a fashion familiar to pale ales, even American Pale Ale. The nose evolves into a bouquet of peach and spice.

Few pale ales present such a spicy, dry character, thanks to an infusion of the fickle Sorachi Ace, a Japanese hop brewed to great acclaim by Brooklyn’s Garrett Oliver. A layer of lemon pepper springs from this amber body. The leafy Nelson comes next with passion fruit, mainly peach juice and a few fingers of mango (full disclosure – the label includes some of these flavor descriptions, but the flavors in the actual beer cannot be denied).

For a finishing hop, New Belgium went with Cascade, which accounts for the oiliness and leafy citrus character that could even please the IPA crowd. The finish nearly breaks the bank with bitterness but pulls back in time. Dig is balanced for all its hop intricacy, and a surefire salve for the palate worn by too many cookie cutter pale ales.

Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye
Sampled: February 26, 2012

Before I get to Ruthless Rye, a confession – I sorely miss Glissade. Sierra Nevada’s spring bock was a rare revelation among the high-gravity beers available in Tennessee. The slightly sweet golden lager went over well. The California brewer went in a different direction on its new spring season, an IPA with rye malt and whole-cone hops.

A mix of spice and citrus headlines the bouquet. Lemon rises on the finish. Ruthless Rye pushes IPA into dry, spicy territory. In a sitting, I can only drink one; the flavors work well together, but Ruthless Rye runs too ruthlessly dry.

The balance embedded in most Sierra Nevada beers gets upended by the beer's dry bitter character. While a slam-dunk for palate-searing ale lovers, anyone used to milder flavors should tread carefully.  One Ruthless Rye needs to be chased with a glass of water or three.

Sweetwater Happy Ending 2010
Sampled: Jan. 31, 2012

Since I already sampled 2011 Happy Ending, the time for 2010 has arrived. With ease, the cap’s wax seal broke open. Happy Ending 2010 poured dark and foamy. Rich veins of chicory, espresso, cocoa and molasses rise on the nose, followed by toffee and cream. Body is oily, opaque and velvety beyond belief.

The alcohol content gives itself away with a sniff of white pepper that somehow fits into the mix. The overall roasted character of this imperial stout is quite exquisite. The finish lowers a creamy boom. I even detect a little bit of hops embellishing the cream with a subtle bitterness. Happy Ending 2011 arrived in six-packs, not wax-sealed bomber bottles.The quality has not changed, but the larger format has a special quality the six-pack lacks.