“Hoppy beers are the strongest-selling style, so it was time to bottle one,” says Peter Gentry, owner of One Barrel Brewing Company. Gentry’s latest packaged release is a big double IPA that’s strong and flavorful, with a name that sums it all up — Behemoth.
What is it? Behemoth Imperial IPA from One Barrel Brewing.
Style: The Imperial India Pale Ale (IIPA or Double IPA) has deep golden to reddish-amber color and is medium- to full-bodied. It’s known for a strong hop profile with a malty-background that lends spicy, warm complexity to the flavor. They are strong beers at 7.5–10 percent ABV.
Background: With Behemoth Imperial IPA, Gentry is venturing into the top shelf of competitive beer styles. Many craft breweries feel an obligation to add a robust IPA or even an Imperial version to their portfolio.
Gentry is stepping into that hoppy game with Behemoth, a showcase of four hops: Centennial, Cascade, Warrior and Simcoe. The bitter tones of the Warrior tend to stand out, however, hop aficionados may pick up light hints of citrus from the Centennial and Cascade hops. Altogether, there’s roughly three pounds of hops in every barrel of beer. Gentry estimates its bitterness at about 100 IBUs (International Bitterness Units). It’s worth noting that “estimated” IBUs, especially that high, are subject to great debate among hopheads as to what can, and cannot, be tasted.
Munich malt provides the beer’s amber color and a smooth caramel background. That maltiness also contributes balance against the hops and spicy alcoholic warmth. This is a beer that you can cellar; however, it’s likely that the fresh citrus notes will diminish over time.
It’s sold in four-packs of 12-ounce bottles with bright pink labels with the image of an elephant. Two bottles in each carton have the elephant facing forward, while two bottles show the elephant’s backside. Behemoth is one of Gentry’s original home brews that he first brewed for One Barrel when he started it five years ago. Since then it has appeared periodically as a draught-only taproom beer, until now.
Bottles of Behemoth are expected to be around for several months. It’s being released primarilyin the Madison and Milwaukee markets where four-packs sell for around $12/each. In the Madison taproom it sells for $5.50/glass.
Tasting notes:
- Aroma: Light piney and herbal hoppiness. There’s also a layer of citrus, too.
- Appearance: Clear amber with a thick, soft, tan head.
- Texture: Full-bodied and bubbly. Alcoholic warmth builds over the course of a bottle.
- Taste: The piney and resiny tones are up front; some lighter hints of citrus emerge before the bitterness of the Warrior hops comes in and lingers into the finish.
- Finish/Aftertaste: Mild bitterness, spicy complexity and lingering dryness.
Glassware: Use a clear, heavy glass mug to insulate the beer and keep it cool. This is a beer to sip slowly. Serve this beer cold to bring out more hop character.
Pairs well with: entrees with spicy heat. A pleasant and unexpected discovery was how well Behemoth matches with Cajun grillers (seasoned tenderloins wrapped in bacon) on the barbeque. IIPAs are also great companions to well-aged sharp cheddars and blue cheeses.
The Verdict: Behemoth is one of the better imperial IPAs to be introduced of late. I like it because it's assertive in pine and herbal hoppiness, yet it remains approachable. While there's still a bit of a bite of raw resiny bitterness from the Warrior hops, it's not over the top because of the Munich malt and its counterbalance of caramel and biscuit tones. The results is a complex spicy finish. This is a nice beer, one I think hoppy beer lovers will enjoy. Just know that at 9.2 percent ABV it lives up to the Behemoth image in strength with noticeable alcohol warmth throughout.
