Top 100 Beers of 2015 (Issue 22)

World Class (100 to 96)

7.
96
by Joseph Formanek
Unsessionable
Revolution Brewing

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Judge's Second Opinion
from Joseph Formanek

When it comes to craft beer brewing in the US, IPA is America’s favorite beer style. Almost every brewery has their version of this ubiquitous style. As the quest for ever stronger hop character and alcohol strength causes brewers to push the envelope, the Double IPA style was developed to provide a middle ground between an IPA and a Barleywine. Of course, just like with regular IPAs, brewers of Imperial IPAs also put their own spin on the style.

Years ago, my brewing mentor ingrained in me that the best beers, no matter the style, should deliver a certain level of complexity. This complexity can be derived from using an interesting yeast strain, appropriate blends of hops and/or malt in the recipe or anything that makes a beer stand out from the rest of the pack. Of course, the brewer should also have a palate that can identify ingredient blends that work best for whatever style they wish to experiment in.

For Revolution Brewing’s Unsessionable IPA, the brewers decided to focus on hop complexity, and they truly deliver! An immediate explosion of fresh, bright pine and citrusy, woody hop aromas welcomes you even before pouring this golden-colored brew into a glass.

As you first sip this slightly hazy brew with a lingering fine bubble head, your first impression is of layer after layer of hop complexity. The depth of the hop flavor is outstanding, with massive pine, citrus and some woody hop flavors combine elegantly with a touch of dankness. Hop bitterness (advertised as 100 IBUs on the can) is also impressively assertive, though there is enough of a mild, caramel base malt backbone to deliver a solid balance. A clean alcohol note is also very evident, delivering quite a bit of warming upon the swallow. The brew has a satisfying medium body and a moderately dry finish for the style, preparing you for the next delicious sip.

It is not an easy matter to craft a Double IPA that doesn’t overwhelm the palate after a short time.  Interestingly, the name of this brew is a bit of a misnomer. For a Double IPA, this one does have some sessionable qualities, though it’s probably best not to force the issue because of its powerful alcohol strength! Revolution Unsessionable is a very impressive, extremely drinkable Double IPA that will delight those not afraid of the almighty hop. Cheers and enjoy!

Brewer's Thoughts
from Jim Cibak

One of two specialty IPA releases from Revolution Brewing we reviewed during 2015, this one scored the highest – with good reason. Head brewer Jim Cibak is quite proud of his brewery’s limited-release IPAs, and, according to him, “Unsessionable has been a very well-received new addition to Revolution’s beer lineup.”

Hops are almost always the star when it comes to American and Double IPAs, but Cibak’s favorite element of Unsessionable was its balance: “What I really like about Unsessionable is that it's a massive Imperial IPA with an extremely high ABV bursting with floral, citrus hops and a dry crisp finish, but it’s also well-balanced.”

His favorite element of the brew, however, is the “crisp, clean finish and the punch of bitterness that seems to clean the palate after every sip, setting you up for a night [or a session] of Unsessionables.”

When asked what his favorite ingredient in Unsessionable is, Cibak was quick to respond. “The blend of American hop varieties we use in the brewhouse is my favorite ingredient in Unsessionable. It infuses these strong aromas and flavors of pine and fresh citrus zest.” Coupled with the tropical fruit aspects from the addition of Galaxy hops, Unsessionable is a Double IPA bursting with delectable hop elements.