Austin Beerworks 16 ouncers

Completely agree on the bitterness statement. Very well done guys.

 

Bring it on, sounds awesome. Loving this DIPA, keep up the great work ABW.

 

I bought four 4 packs yesterday and will do a side by side by side with Stone Enjoy By 7-4-13, and Southern Star Valkyrie. Will report back. Wish I could open a Hop Delusion next to these 3, but I will compare my notes from my review on that one.

 

Not a 16 oz'er but I did see a couple Pearl Snap Pils on stage at the Mumford and Sons show. Also some Zoe...good to know Brits appreciate our local beer.

 

Holy crap, I went on my normal Sunday beer run and you bastards already gobbled this up at CM Westgate. Who still has this on the shelf in South Austin so I can grab a few today?

PS: stop being crazy.

 

Just go to Whole Foods, they have a ton. If you don't buy it up then I surely will. Your Colorado beers sure are sounding tasty right now

 

Just go to Whole Foods downtown. They have a bunch, and they also have a bunch of Enjoy By and Valkyrie in case you want to compare the lot.

 

Awesome. Got 2 4-packs today.

Austin Beerworks' signature humor shines through on the packaging really well.

 

I got a 4 pack yesterday at the Whip In. Along with an enjoy by.

 

YES! I love Heavy Machinery, but then loved it a little bit less after 16oz x 2 cans x 10% ABV + unicorn tears. Would love a super delicious pale ale in the same family, but less ABV.

 

Wow...I guess I just lucked out on seeing it. I was not actually looking for it when I got it.

 

I was thoroughly impressed by this DIPA. None of the disgusting harshness from boiling too many hops for too long. Nice smooth beer with a ton of hops flavor and aroma. Fantastic.

 

So the other night I had Heavy Machinery DIPA and Enjoy By next to each other.

Enjoy By was a bit smoother, the ABV was hidden a bit better, it had more floral notes to it, a lighter mouthfeel, and overall more complex IMO. The carbonation and lacing was more evident in this one as well.

With Heavy Machinery, at least on my first pour the lacing and head didn't stick around too long. After an aggressive pour that changed. The thing I loved about it is the huge piney and resinous notes. I actually enjoyed the thicker mouthfeel, but as it warmed a little I could start to notice the ABV.

Score wise I would rate Enjoy By higher. I love how complex that beer is with floral, grapefruit, and resinous tones. BUT! I actually preferred to drink Heavy Machinery. At least that night and for right now. It better aligns with what I want in a DIPA at the moment. It kind of reminds me of Palate Wrecker which I absolutely love.

To even consider Heavy Machinery in a conversation with Enjoy By is impressive by the work done by ABW.

 

Not to worry! Super delicious pale ale is up next.

 

Appearance: Off top I notice the Enjoy By is lighter in color, but not by a whole lot. They are both great looking beers. The head retention is there on the Heavy Machinery as it dissipates faster on the Enjoy By, but the lacing on the Enjoy By is really nice.

Smell: I could smell the Enjoy By as soon as I popped the cap, and it opened up big time as it was poured. Heavy Machinery has a nice aroma, but it isn't quite as bold as the Enjoy By. In Enjoy By I get heavy citrus notes, some floral, mild pine and just overall dank resinous hops. Heavy Machinery is more balanced as I get some citrus notes coming through, but more grapefruit, apricot, and peach on the nose. I drank a Heavy Machinery in a snifter the day after and it really brought the nose out more, but I still have to give the edge to Enjoy By.

Taste: Enjoy By falls in line with the nose and you get in your face hops. It's bright, citrusy, and piney and it's got a clean crispness to go along with it's complexity and brilliant bouquet of flavors. It has a subtle malt presence that has a great bitter finish, and the alcohol is damn near undetectable. Just a fantastic beer. Heavy Machinery is also citrusy, but more in tune with it's other complimenting flavors. I get some apricot, peach, grapefruit, subtle pine and a nice malt backbone which rounds out a really balanced DIPA. It's honestly pretty mind blowing that this is below 50 IBU's. If I had to guess, I'd notch it somewhere on the mid to higher end of 80-90 IBU's. The Enjoy By has a more vibrant, clean profile, but Heavy Machinery is more balanced.

Mouthfeel: Heavy Machinery has a thicker mouthfeel which I think compliments it's balance more so than it would Enjoy By. Enjoy By is sticky, resinous, and oily and Heavy Machinery is a little less carbonated than Enjoy By. I believe the mouthfeel of each of these beers adequately suits their respective profiles, so this area is pretty much a toss up. Both are spot on, IMHO.

Overall: I think this comes down to preference, but I have to give a nod to Enjoy By. It's more in line with what I like in a DIPA, but that statement is in no way intended to put down Heavy Machinery. Like Alex said, to even have the 2 in the same conversation is an achievement in itself. These are both extraordinarily well-crafted beers, and Austin Beerworks should be patting themselves on the back for putting out such a top quality product. Well done fellas!

*And just an interesting tidbit from the tasting, I poured a pint of each and after my notes I casually drank each one. I wound up finishing my glass of Heavy Machinery before I did the Enjoy By.

 

Review flawed. HM is clearly more oily. Your review would have been better had you finished it with "Pairs perfectly with Little Caesars Hot-N-Ready."



(sarcasm)

 

I do think that my initial sips of HM were overly sweet. Either my palate got used to it or it went away as it heated a bit.

 

You should have to forfeit your ABW glass for this comment.

 

Did you by chance singe your palate with a cup of hot cocoa?

That's a rhetorical question because pine notes dominate that brew. I'll finish your 4-pk for you.

 

I had to scrub ABW toilets for that one. #RareGlass