Asystole
Rainhard Brewing Co.

 

Not my style of DIPA at all. A nice assertive hop bitterness is completely drowned out by a very sweet caramel malt presence. The malt bill also masks what would otherwise be a nice citrus and pine hop profile. If the malt bill was toned down, I could see this being a very good DIPA.

 

I don't have too much to add over what biegaman already so eloquently wrote...

To begin with though, I didn't have a whole lot of expectations. We were in the area, I had heard about the place just starting up, so thought we'd grab what they had in bottles and judge them by their first offerings. I'd have to say that this first one is steady, a decent DIPA, lovely to look at, and nicely balanced.

Lovely amber colour, lots of frothy head that lasts a long time and sticks nicely to the glass. Nose is pretty dominated by the piney/resinous hops, I think the Amarillo sticks out, it always has I feel a bit of this pungent aroma to it. On taste, again, very piney, lots of spicy malts, herby, lots of malt, and finishes quite sweet. It is definitely hoppy, but not that bitter, back of the tongue bitterness. Again, body is well balanced, quite smooth. My major complaint would be that I guess it is filtered, which I see no point to. I feel in the quest for crispness and drink-ability, you lose something when you filter the beer. Overall a nice DIPA for this new brewery and hopefully a sign of better things to come, and not the reverse.

Contrary to its name, Asystole is full of life. Between the tiny snowflake-like bubbles and red-hot highlights, this beer, despite what's written on the label, is neither literally nor figuratively flat. It is, however, rather dark amber in colour, which suggests a more malt-focused recipe.

That being said, all it takes is one quick sniff to be assured that hops have not been forgotten, not by any means. The nose is quickly overcome by a delicately pine-scented, very resiny bouquet. Notions of fruits (tropical, citrus, or otherwise) are fairly present too, and smell so overripe as to be practically rotting.

But malt is a big piece of the puzzle; there's much more biscuity, crunchy caramel flavour than usual. On the palate it's honeyed, toasted grain first and then green herbs and fruit peels second. As it warms that profile of citrus, spice, and toffee-ish sweetness becomes more and more reminiscent of bourbon.

...except, of course, without the burn. Asystole is really quite composed for a DIPA. Granted it clocks in at a relatively mild 8.5% but the fact that hops can linger for such a length of time and never become obnoxious is no small feat, especially considering that there's really not a ton of body to this beer.

One's opinion of Asystole will largely depend on the drinker's definition of a Double IPA. This isn't likely to satisfy those looking purely for gum-cutting acidity and tongue-scorching bitterness. But this amped-up yet not aggressive, oversized but not outrageously so, husky but not hyper hoppiness should please the vast majority of others. Heck, I really can't find anything to complain about.