Boulder Mojo IPA

Re-Review, August 2007:
I've grown quite fond of the Boulder beers that I've been able to get fresh as of late. The Hazed & Infused has been a staple in my `fridge for quite a while -- review forthcoming, if I ever get around to it! -- and the Mojo IPA has been welcome in my beer `fridge, too.

How come? Only in that this is a very solid American IPA, is all. Enough of a malt bill backbone to provide some real support to the hops -- without being anonymous or limp. And the hops? None of those astringent high-AAU% wonders (at least, not in the flavor or aroma additions), so none of that classic West Coast "throat-grabbing" over-hoppiness with this one.

Perhaps not as sheerly poundable as the the Hazed & Confused (an APA that I've blown through quite quickly sometimes while watching the Padres). But even still, loads better in the grand scheme of things than, say, Stone's too-dry and too-drool IPA. And let's not talk about the Ruination, eh?

Overall, this works well for me.... Recommended, shady distributors not withstanding.

Original Review, September 2006:
~ 22oz bottle. Purchased and consumed in Tampa FL.
Weird. I remember I used to see Boulder beers all the time, when I first starting to take my first steps in Beer Geekhood (e.g. the "make-your-own-sixer" at Cost Plus). But they backed out of the SoCal marketplace, presumably due to (a) the rise of the burgeoning San Diego craft beer scene, (b) the brewery unable to provide enough product -- *fresh enough* -- to make it worth their while, or (c) all of the above.

Now, if (b) is correct, then how the heck does a beer from CO end up in FL -- a state that often has distibutorship issues, due to it's geography and lack of truck-board exportable product? Or, in other words, how can FL get this, but no CA?

Either way, I think FL is getting a fairly worthy product with this particular IPA. Not a pristine, stellar example of the style IMO, but still a worthy beer indeed.

"4th in the Looking Glass Series", which also means that this is an Amarillo beer. And while that may be somrthing of an anathema to some folks, I generally take Amarillo beers on a case-by-case basis.

And in this case? Not bad, though does have some elements that I think could use some tweaking -- most notably in the mouthfeel and the backend. Nicely sharp in the front and middle, but fades fast, and gets a bit softy-soft and messy in the backend. Some of the "chalkiness" or "chewing on aspirin" aspects that more than a few folks find fault with Amarillo tends to actually come from a malt bill that doesn't mesh well with the hop in question. In other words, it seems to me that faults placed on the hop might be better directed at the brewmaster's formulation of the malt-bill. But that's just my opinion.

Regardless of the malt bill and mouthfeel letting things down a bit, the overall impression I got from this beer was positive. A decidely different IPA from the ussual avalanche of "C-Hop" monsters that are a dime-a-dozen these days. So kudos for reaching out some, there.

Not something I'd buy again, but not something I'm sorry I tried. Now, if we can just get more Boulder Beers back in SoCal, I can give this long-running brewery a second- and third-chance!
//TB