Odell Myrcenary Double IPA - Beer Review

When I was in St. Louis, I made it a point to pick up some beers that aren't available on this side of the Mississippi. One of the best ones that I brought back was Odell's Myrcenary Double IPA. It's a citrusy high gravity ale that tastes like a session beer. It's very dangerous, but very delicious (kind of like the beer version of fugu).

Appearance:

Decanted into goblet from a 12 oz bottle. Typical American pale ale appearance; SRM approximately 6 or 7. Modest carbonation, large bubbles slowly rise. Initially pours with a heavy white head. Scales down to a modest ribbon of small bubbles on the perimeter of the glass; dollop of large bubbles in the center. Swirling the goblet generates a 3/4" layer of dense head with staying power. Bubbles cascade down the side of the glass revealing moderate viscosity. Not thick legs, but a sheen of residual sugars.

Aroma:

Not as heavy on hop aroma as you might expect for a double IPA, but pleasant. Chlorophyll, pears, green apple, grass, grape skin, juniper, lemon rind, kumquat, ginger ale, faint chlorine, biscuity, crackery. Citrus and pine come out as the glass warms.

Body and texture:

Mildly viscous. Slightly flat, but enough carbonation to sustain a high gravity IPA. Initially thick and mealy, but the texture fades as the hop oils take over. Warm and hoppy up front.

Aftertaste:

Sweet greenness lingers with a lemon oil bite, very pleasant. Clean hops dominate, but courteously allow a biscuity aftertaste to accompany them.

Overall:

More balanced than most double IPAs; very flavorful on the palate. Could use more late hop additions or dry hopping to boost the aroma, but that's a minor flaw considering all this beer brings to the table. Myrcenary is deceptively quaffable in spite of its 9.3% ABV (I guessed that it was around 7% before I read the label!). I would recommend pairing it with Gorgonzola and pear slices.

I really wish I could get Odell beers in Chicago. C'mon guys, if Deschutes could make it out here, you can too!