A few years ago Maharaja was, at least in my experience, the quintessential sledgehammer to the face imperial/double (if not tripple) IPA. It was a hop monster with 100+ IBUs of bitterness, and despite the substantial final gravity, it felt like 102 IBUs. Who knows what the true IBUs were, but it was bitter. Hop flavor also pushed the envelope without going into vegetable hell. I called Batch 9 one of the best beers in the world. I consumed it for almost two months morning its eventual fade. Batch 10 was released just few weeks later it seemed. Just as big and hoppy, but the bottles I received were all flawed with a phenolic character that I personally did not find apealing. It was just slightly phenolic, not what you'd expect with a "Belgian" IPA, but it was not the beer I loved. The following summer, batch 12 came out and it was truely back to where batch nine left off - huge and close to perfection. Unfortunately that was what 2? 3? years ago. Every batch I have had since has been a dissappointment to me. It seems that the beer just couldn't achieve the hop charatcter without going vegetal. The beer in the past 5 releases has tasted like willow bark. For those who are not familliar with the flavor of willow bark, it's also a lot like raw pumpkin. Not very pleasant. I complained here, on beer advocate. Many agreed. Many said I was crazy. But I simply stopped caring when I saw the bottles show up in the store... Until today. Avery just released batch 17. IT'S BACK. That wonderfull sledghammer hit me again - right in the face. What changed? I don't know. Maybe it's the hop harvest. Maybe a beer with this much hops is like a vintage wine - very sensitive to changes in the crop. I don't know. But I'm happy. Get yourself some Maharaja batch 17. It's awesome again.
I actually LOVED batch 13, but everything after that (14-16) has been dreadful. But I agree. #17 is back and better than ever.
