Accelerated Stall Double IPA
Barnstormer Brewing & Pizzeria

 

 

 

 

 

A: Hazy translucent dark yellow brown. A small amount of subsiding creamy head.

S: Lots of pleasant smells. It smells a little sweet. There's herbal, floral, lightly citrusy with grapefruit and somewhat resiny piney hops. Also some toasty caramel malts.

T: Bold and flavourful, but not overpowering or too bitter. The hops are quite balanced or even subdued by malts that are more roasty and toffeelike than in the smell. From the hops there is not so much variety as in the smell. There is some light resiny pine and a mix of the herbal, floral, and citrus tastes although the citrus is more rind than grapefruit. There is some spiciness from the yeast. The aftertaste is somewhat strong and bitter.

F: Medium carbonation. A little creamy but on the thinner side of thickness. Not very coating but rather drying.

O: Nice bold and rather complex flavour that is quite balanced or maybe even lacking a little in hoppiness. It's not as bitter as the IBU would suggest. The strength is about right for the high alcohol percentage.

473 ml can served cold into a tulip. Stamped with a sticker that reads 020317. Listed at 8.4% ABV.

Appearance - Hazy and auburn, kind of like a muddy honey brown. A finger of white head on top, recedes quickly with minimal lacing.

Smell - Earthy with plenty of grapefruit. Some mango in the background to up the citrus quotient. Decent grainy malt backing too.

Taste - Resiny with lots of grapefruit flavor. Mango sweetness not really present. Some earthiness. Fairly bitter overall and not the most balanced beer.

Mouthfeel - Smooth, plenty of astringency, but a little to sticky and heavy overall. Not a bad feel, but not great either.

Overall - Accelerated Stall DIPA is a decent if unspectacular, resiny DIPA. For those enjoying those flavors and don't mind a slightly too sticky body, this isn't a bad one, but better DIPA's abound even here in Ontario.

Can from the lcbo for around $3

 

 

Tallboy can from the LCBO; packaged Feb 19 2017 and served just below cellar temperature.

Pours a cloudy golden-amber colour, supporting a full inch of pillowy white head that recedes steadily over the next 6-7 minutes or so. A lovely, thick coat of lacing is produced as it seeps away unevenly, leaving behind a bumpy, creamy cap of foam roughly one centimetre high. It's quite attractive, visually speaking, but the aroma is far too subtle for this style - I am barely detecting anything, save for some herbal, leafy notes, hints of bready caramelized malt, and an earthy, potted soil-like note. Fruity apricot and citrus are more noticeable from the can than from the glass. What's the opposite of "fragrant"?

It's a DIPA, sure, but it's a pretty unremarkable one IMO. There's a decent backing of bready malts and caramel sweetness, with suggestions of apricot and melon leading into an unrepentantly well-hopped finish. Grapefruit and bitter citrus oils are followed up with an earthy, herbal finish that is positively rife with pine-resiny bitterness which lasts into the aftertaste. Moderately boozy, but not any more than you'd expect from an 8.4% brew. Medium-full body, with subdued carbonation that weakly prickles the palate; smooth and somewhat creamy texture. Tolerable for sipping, but one is enough for me tonight (or any night, really).

Final Grade: 3.69, a B grade. Accelerated Stall Maverick's IIPA definitely isn't a bad beer... but as far as Ontario DIPAs go, I'd say that it's lagging well behind the front of the pack. I will give Barnstormer some credit where it's due - the price tag on this beer is fantastic compared to most of the competition, with Muskoka's Twice As Mad Tom being the only other DIPA I can think of in the same general, under $3.50/can range. Give it a try, but please ensure that your high expectations remain secured during flight.