FuzzyBrew

Mike told you a few weeks ago about brewing and bottling our Modus Hoperandi clone, an American IPA by Ska Brewing out of Durango, Colorado.

I sampled a few of the brew while on a post-conference vacation in Frisco. It was a fairly fancy restaurant where everyone was drinking wine but I held strong and ordered an Odell IPA. The good man offered that I might like Modus Hoperandi instead.

“It’s very hoppy,” he said, “it comes in a can.”

Why sure, I’m game. Good choice.

Well, we only bottled about 20 days ago, but I could not help myself Sunday. Popped one in the fridge early in the day and waited as long as I could, which was after a couple Abita Purple Haze (left in my fridge by a sucker who shall remain nameless), so I suppose my palate could have been jacked.

It was decently carbed, an improvement over our Evil Twin red ale, which still hasn’t carbonated, though it tastes better each time I try one. Must learn to wait …

Popping the top produced a satisfying “tsspah” and a nice cloud of fog in the neck. I tried to play it cool and pour it correctly and got about a quarter-inch head. As I neared the end of the bottle it didn’t look like I was getting any yeast residue, so I got ambitious and poured the whole bottle into my glass. This was probably a mistake — the clarity wasn’t so great, but it eventually settled down to nearly clear. It actually did look exactly like the pint of the real deal up top.

The aroma was strongly hoppy enough that I just inhaled off the bottle, then the pint, for a good 30 seconds before I took a taste.

I think it’s gonna be a winner. No, it doesn’t really taste like the Modus Hoperandi I remember. It’s hoppy, sure, but it’s not as smooth and also somewhat hot, which is to say a bit of the alcohol came through. My original gravity was 1.064 and my final gravity was 1.012, so I should be hitting about 6.93 ABV. Modus is supposed to be 6.80. First similar brew that came to mind was Dogfish Head 90 Minute, because I thought that one was a bit hot, too. It’s 9.0 ABV. Hitting anywhere close to that fine brew seems pretty ambitious though. I’m willing to bet our clone will improve with time, if I can keep from drinking it all straightaway.

A close friend is coming into town tomorrow, so I’m going to toss a couple more in the fridge tonight and get her take on it. Good beer should be shared.