Modern Times Sparkle Wolf West Coast Style IPA

Modern Times Sparkle Wolf West Coast Style IPA.

6.7 % ABV, Modern Times Beer, San Diego, CA. 

Let's take a break from drinking those hazy IPAs & pale ales that I don't actually like and just end up getting stuck with, and try one of the styles that I love. And this is from a San Diego brewery, so they have to know how to make one of these. Let's see how sparkly the wolf is....

Clear, with slight chill haze, bright golden hue, large and lasting, lace-leaving ivory head. Looking great. 

In the nose: Bold and beautiful. Beaming with citrus and pine. Out and out hopgasm. (new word I just made up.)

In the mouth: Just a little juicy at the front, then turning swiftly dry, and nearly brittle. Floods the palate with hoppy flavors, more orange, lemon, and grapefruit blended together with a twist of forest floor. A touch of stone fruit, to boot. Mellow malt and excellent integration. A terrific West Coast IPA, from a brewery better known for the hazies. Miracles can happen. 

Pear, watermelon, west coast. With el dorado, mosaic hops. And it's clear

Modern Times Black House Coffee Stout

Modern Times Black House. Coffee. Roasty. Stout. 

5.8 % ABV, 40 IBU. Modern Times Beer, San Diego, CA. 

Solid blackness. Slim layer of creamy brown foam. Complete opacity. 

In the nose: Malty. Earthy. Espresso-rich. 

In the mouth: Sweetness, at first. Cocoa comes along, and then the coffee rises. Medium bodied, exceptionally smooth, and tasty, but I could go with a bit of fullness. Wouldn't mind that at all. 

Perfectly acceptable coffee stout, but nothing I'd make a fuss over. I'll try another Modern Times beer to get a handle on what all the fuss is about. I specifically chose this beer to avoid the styles that they are famous for, because they are the ones I am most tired of. Looks like I'll have to give them a shot. 

It’s so great that you like coffee. I just love that about you. Speaking of which, you’re holding an oatmeal coffee stout positively redolent with coffee aroma and flavor. It’s not acrid. It’s not astringent. It doesn’t taste like that brown puddle at the bottom of the office carafe at 4pm. It kind of tastes like chocolate covered espresso beans, only drier and more like beer. It’s the full-blown coffee beer experience in a sessionable-ish package.