-
Stop lurking! Log in to search, post in our forums, review beers, see fewer ads, and more. — Todd, Founder of BeerAdvocate
Mecha
New Orleans Lager & Ale Brewing Company (NOLA)
- From:
- New Orleans Lager & Ale Brewing Company (NOLA)
- Louisiana, United States
- Style:
- Imperial IPA
- ABV:
- 8.8%
- Score:
- 87
- Avg:
- 3.85 | pDev: 11.95%
- Reviews:
- 40
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Apr 13, 2020
- Added:
- Sep 22, 2012
- Wants:
- 15
- Gots:
- 64
For some people, hops belong on the basketball court and IBUs should run like shoe sizes. This beer is not for those people. This one’s for the hop hungry. This is our monster, hoppy and heady. Formerly known as Mecha Hopzilla, this is an American Imperial IPA with a unique combination of four different hops and a half-pound-per-barrel, dry-hop process resulting in a powerful flavor that’s not for the faint of heart.
81 IBUs
81 IBUs
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by MJSawyer:
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by woodychandler from Pennsylvania
3.86/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
3.86/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
Tonight, I am CANcentrating on The CANQuest's (tm) problem children. They are those beers who do not know how to behave in (especially) warm/hot weather & decide to test the limits of their aluminum CANtainer. If I CAN identify them in time, I will move them up in the queue of the backlog & throw them into the reefer in the hopes of salvaging it. Other times, I only hear a metallic "TING!" followed by a gushing explosion. 8={} In those cases, the CAN is dumped, rinsed & placed in The CANQuest (tm) Bag o' Shame to be displayed whenever I go for a lecture.
From the CAN: "This 'Hop Monster' is an American Imperial IPA boasting Bravo, Columbus, Centennial and Citra Hops. Beware of Mecha's powerful flavor and its attack of half pound per barrel dry-hop aroma. Not for the faint of heart or palate. Hop heads, this one's for you! Brewed with love, brewed in New Orleans."; "'Laissez la bonne bière versez' (Let the good beer pour)".
I had a little trouble with getting the vent to Crack! open, but I am an old hand at this sort of thing with many tricks up my sleeve. Once it had been acCANplished, I went with an extra-gentle, extra-slow C-Line Glug so as not to rouse any flocculate. So many times, when a beer is over-hopped, as this one may have been, the dry hops will settle out as powder & I wanted to let them lie in state. There was a good deal of foaming, but it settled into two-plus fingers of dense, foamy, rocky, tawny head with excellent retention, leaving a LOT of lacing behind in its wake. Color was an oh-so-faintly-hazy Amber to Deep-Amber/Light-Copper (SRM = > 13, < 17). Nose was pungent with hops, overlaying a caramel malt backbone underneath. Mmm. Mouthfeel was big and full, as is usually the case with the style. The taste was extremely bitter, really loaded with hops, enough to make even my hophead eyes water in response! Once I got past the initial shock, awe & burn, a minty coolness beCAN to take 'hold, followed by a wash of sweet caramel. Phew! My real bugaboo here was that it was impossible to parse one hops variety from another in the general mélange. I love hops, but I would prefer a little more differentiation in my beer. Finish was hot, dry, bitter, just a real hop monster. Haha.
Aug 07, 2019From the CAN: "This 'Hop Monster' is an American Imperial IPA boasting Bravo, Columbus, Centennial and Citra Hops. Beware of Mecha's powerful flavor and its attack of half pound per barrel dry-hop aroma. Not for the faint of heart or palate. Hop heads, this one's for you! Brewed with love, brewed in New Orleans."; "'Laissez la bonne bière versez' (Let the good beer pour)".
I had a little trouble with getting the vent to Crack! open, but I am an old hand at this sort of thing with many tricks up my sleeve. Once it had been acCANplished, I went with an extra-gentle, extra-slow C-Line Glug so as not to rouse any flocculate. So many times, when a beer is over-hopped, as this one may have been, the dry hops will settle out as powder & I wanted to let them lie in state. There was a good deal of foaming, but it settled into two-plus fingers of dense, foamy, rocky, tawny head with excellent retention, leaving a LOT of lacing behind in its wake. Color was an oh-so-faintly-hazy Amber to Deep-Amber/Light-Copper (SRM = > 13, < 17). Nose was pungent with hops, overlaying a caramel malt backbone underneath. Mmm. Mouthfeel was big and full, as is usually the case with the style. The taste was extremely bitter, really loaded with hops, enough to make even my hophead eyes water in response! Once I got past the initial shock, awe & burn, a minty coolness beCAN to take 'hold, followed by a wash of sweet caramel. Phew! My real bugaboo here was that it was impossible to parse one hops variety from another in the general mélange. I love hops, but I would prefer a little more differentiation in my beer. Finish was hot, dry, bitter, just a real hop monster. Haha.
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado
3.78/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.78/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
a sturdy and well made double ipa here, honey colored with a faint actually honey character to it, heady and mostly clear, with a ton of hop bitterness, oiliness, fruitiness, and dankness, the full spectrum, and in an appreciably west coast fashion, i dug this one, but could not have a ton of it, its a bit sweet, awfully bitter, and not overly subtle on its alcoholic prowess, it was an easy pint, not necessarily a slow sipper, but a ton of this would ruin a man. hard to place the hops with all the bitterness and countering juiciness here, its both worlds, and while i think more classic northwestern types on the back end, the aroma has me more on a citra and new school, even australian track, tough to place but really complete and delicious, with some stone and tropical fruit, cannabis, and overall intensity. smooth and fuller bodied, well carbonated, sticky even in its dryness, pretty awesome feel here. in a recent extended session of beers from these guys, this was probably my favorite, or darn near it. classic approach, bold and big, i liked this a lot.
Nov 21, 2017Reviewed by smcolw from Massachusetts
3.83/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
3.83/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
Darker golden color. Clear. Plenty of streaky lace from the smaller head.
Mild but well-balanced nose.
Brief malt that succumbs to the strong hop bitterness. Long, bitter finish and aftertaste. Good carbonation with a lighter body. Not extreme but definitely hoppier thank most.
Nov 01, 2017Mild but well-balanced nose.
Brief malt that succumbs to the strong hop bitterness. Long, bitter finish and aftertaste. Good carbonation with a lighter body. Not extreme but definitely hoppier thank most.
Rated by Nicolaiw from Denmark
4/5 rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Really hoppy, lots of pine with a great malt backbone,
Oct 17, 2017Reviewed by TX-Badger from Texas
4/5 rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a clear coppery amber color with off-white head. Pine, citrus, caramel, and some grass on the nose; follows onto the palate. Full bodied. Finishes with a lot of pine and citrus.
Jul 31, 2017Reviewed by Boto from Connecticut
3.96/5 rDev +2.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.96/5 rDev +2.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
16oz can: this one pours a hazy orangish golden color. There was a small off white head that leaves some lacing. Good nose! Almost old school by today’s standards, as mainly pine and grapefruit hop notes. Perhaps some lemon too. the taste is good too. Lots of hops, and a big bitter bite. The malt sweetness is hiding in the background. Pine, grapefruit and lemon hop flavors. A decent beer!
May 18, 2017
Mecha from New Orleans Lager & Ale Brewing Company (NOLA)
Beer rating:
87 out of
100 with
361 ratings
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!