Notable Releases - DC/NOVA/MD

If I had to choose I would go with see the light. Mostly because it was kegged on Monday. Still has that juicy fresh flavor to it.

 

I went to Ocelot Thursday and I have to say that these were two of the best IPAs I've had on the east coast. I got a growler of See The Light but couldn't bring it back to CA with me.

 

Have been in Tampa for the last week, any Gose Gone Wild sightings here?

 

I saw it at a couple different places, including Calvert Woodley.

 

It's getting to the point where every time I review one of their hoppy beers I feel like an Ocelot homer. They're brewing exactly what I want to drink IPA wise.

 

Are they? Or are you just an Ocelot homer?

 

Tried See the Light on Wednesday. Solid beer but I think Reissue: Mosaic is still my favor beer from Ocelot and did a better job showcasing Mosaic hops. I will say I'm starting to notice that all their IPAs/DIPAs taste similar to one another. Not a bad thing, I just don't rush to the brewery to try every new IPA they release.

 

Anything's possible, but there's been plenty of their beers I haven't found to be outstanding.

 

Just had my first visit the other day, which is odd as I live about 10 min down the road. I was super pumped walking in and left entirely disappointed. Maybe it is because I recently had Julius, Heady, and Dinner, but to me all the Ocelot beers (including their porter) were just one-note hop bombs. Very little nuance and balance there for me, just really really harsh. I know I am in the minority there, but I will take fresh OTWOA over anything from there, and by a long shot.

 

Sounds like an East Coast vs. West Coast thing using broad strokes. Every palate is different. Seems like you lean toward more balanced IPAs. Nothing wrong with that.

Ocelot is intentionally not looking for balance.

 

Kidding with you. They are very quietly under the regional radar. If they canned and moved to New England, half the folks there would be off the Tree House wagon and onto Ocelot.

 

I am a huge Ocelot fan and I thought that both See the Light and Planets Align were just solid. I thought Home, Watch Me Disappear, Our Elaborate Plans, and Embrace the Loss were all better to me. Given the hype and ratings on these two beers I expected more.

 

I don't think Ocelots stuff is anywhere near what is coming out of NE. Different strokes for different folks I guess.

 

We do a blind tasting of a bunch of really good IPAs every year in January (poor Hopslam always loses), so I will be sure to include something from Ocelot and at least one IPA from the NE (Treehouse/Alchemist/etc).

 

Me personally, I'm pretty excited about Ocelot. Watch Me Disappear was damn excellent, a great showcase for Citra hops. Now, if only they would start canning their IPAs...

On another note, I've heard Manor Hill is going to start canning Citra Splendor soon. Have they tweaked the recipe since I last had it some months ago? Or is it still as bland and citrus-devoid as ever?

 

I would agree with you, I think that almost all their beers are hop-bombs which are just not my thing. Again, I know tons of people that absolutely love Ocelot, so I am in the minority. I was really disappointed that they didn't have any sour beers on when I went, since I have heard that they do well there also.

 

Finally went to Hellbender last night - had never been in person despite living relatively close and them being open for just over a year now. I've had their basic stuff (Red Line, Bare Bones Kolsch) at other locations and found them pretty unremarkable, and I liked their Ella Kolsch this past summer (although I kept comparing it to Forbidden Planet, our other Australian-hopped local kolsch, and it inevitably comes up short in comparison). The taproom is very unpretentious, but clean and with a fair amount of room.

I'd have to say their drafts were pretty uneven, but with some reasons for optimism. They had a scotch ale on tap that I couldn't even finish. Too sweet and sticky, and the smoke flavor came off as sour. But I thought the other three seasonals - a simcoe/spruce tipsblack IPA, a coffee stout, and a hoppy wheat lager with Mosaic hops - were all good to very good. The black IPA wasn't the best I've had in the style, but the spruce-simcoe combo worked surprisingly well with a mix of herbal and hoppy bitterness. I thought the coffee stout was quite good, especially at 5% ABV - not overly bitter, with a ton of fresh coffee/roast flavor. And the Hells Horn IPL - collab w/Lost Rhino - was the biggest surprise. Super fresh and juicy, with a very soft mouthfeel from (IIRC) 70% wheat malt.

I took home growlers of the coffee stout and IPL. Left feeling like they hadn't 100% dialed in yet, but that the newer beers (with the exception of the scotch ale) were pretty solid. I'll definitely give them another go at some point - seems too early to write them off, and I'd really like to see them succeed. Thoughts from others who have been there recently?

 

All:

Going to out myself a bit here. Some know me. But my name is Jace and I'm the Beverage (Beer) Director at Meridian Pint, Smoke and Barrel, and Brookland Pint. This thread seems to be civil. So here goes.

(Everything expressed here is my personal opinion)

Citra Splendor as I've had it is semi-turbid, hugely flavorful and aromatic with a sweet malt backbone. From the most recent batch.

Having had Julius, Haze, Green, Eureka Citra, Fort Point (Galaxy, Mosaic), Artaic, Upper Case, plus many offerings from Alchemist/Hill Farmstead/Lawson's/Fiddlehead) I absolutely think that the best Ocelot (Home, See The Light, Watch Me Disappear, Two Lost Souls) is on par with those. Others may not. And that's totally fine.

From my discussions with them, Ocelot isn't making NE IPA, they're making West Coast IPA. Some people love that and some don't. They're pale and dry with huge hop flavor and aroma but without all the yeast character.

Ocelot IPAs are intended to be very pale (Pilsner malt) with the focus on hop flavor and aroma. If this is your style of IPA (like me), you'll adore them. If you like some malt with your hops, these will likely not be your favorite. But at the end of the day, they're executing exactly what they want.

Ocelot canning isn't going to happen, at least for now. However, 500 mL bottles (brewery only) will be here sooner than you think.

At the end of January, you'll see a Meridian Pint/Ocelot Collaboration called "Talking Backwards" - This will be an 11% Triple IPA. 99% Maris Otter malt with lots of Simcoe, Citra, and Mosaic hops. Draft only. I'm very curious to hear how you all think it turns out.

Jace

 

There are a few reasons I really like Ocelot.
A. They make what they want to make and they don't apologize for that. They aren't looking to brew something for everyone.
B. They love to brew west coast style IPA's and Jace summed it up perfectly.
C. They aren't interested in brewing the same beer over and over. They believe(as do I) that many beer drinkers are interested in the latest and greatest and not drinking the same thing over and over. So they are constantly trying to brew something new and interesting.
I have really enjoyed their beers and how they approach brewing. And they are making the best IPA's in the DC area, in my opinion.

 

I don't think their sours were very good, and from what I've heard, they were unhappy with them too. They were all kettle sours, and I've heard that they don't plan to do many more until they have the capability to do real barrel-aged sours. That might mean a separate brew and barrel house, so it could be a while before we see that.