Annex Ale Project Dimed Out – Triple IPA at 10% ABV | 133 IBU (C$5.17 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 9-Mar-2021, acquired 17-Mar-2021, reviewed 19-Mar-2021)
Appearance: hazy medium gold with a short loose pale ivory head diminishing rapidly to a thin ring, moderate soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, resiny pine, caramel. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-full slightly oily body, moderate carbonation, slightly sticky building bitter warming finish. (4/5)
This one marks their one hundredth batch, and is hopped with Strata, Galaxy, Idaho 7, Simcoe, and HPA016. Aside from a fancy new experimental hop, this is largely a throwback to old(er)-school hop bombs, what with the “more bitter than you can actually taste” IBU rating. (I think this is my third with that experimental hop, a.k.a. “Eclipse”. The last time I had it, a week ago in Bent Stick’s Swap the Hops, I thought it was my first, but a bit more digging suggests that I actually had it back in December in Outcast’s Slay Bells Ring, but that they erroneously called it HPA-014.) Their socials post said “every Annex icon is a sticker you can throw on your growler, bike, or beer fridge. They’re damn near impossible to get off the can. But should you succeed, you will be rewarded with one of twelve Annex-style platitudes. We even threw in a little easter egg and it’s totally money.” I think the Easter egg is the fact that behind the rest of the label, other than the icon, is all dimes – totally money, geddit? My platitude behind their icon said “this might be the best we can do”. Well, OK. I mean, don’t get me wrong, this’ll do. But shouldn’t you continue to strive for better? I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed… (16/20)
8/10 ryansbooze.com #ryansbooze
