All in good time…

Eleventh Hour (9% | 73IBU) showed up just in time for our 11th birthday, and is LOADED with a clock-stopping amount of Alora, Mosaic and Simcoe hops. Cryo tech takes the profile up to 11, unlocking time-twisting tropical fruit aromas and ample notes of bright pineapple and sun-kissed melon. To get the last-minute details on our 11th anniversary brew, read on!

Reviews are done by our Sensory Specialist Travis Houston, a Certified Cicerone and FoBAB judge.

Malts: Pilsner, White Wheat, Dextrose

Hops: Alora, Mosaic Cryo, Simcoe Cryo, Talus

Eleventh Hour is an Imperial IPA. We’ve been working on lots of innovations in this style. What does this one bring to the table?

This brew uses a fairly new product called Cryo Hops. By using an ultra-low temperature cryogenic treatment process, the hop oils and acids (lupulin) desired by brewers can be physically separated from the plant matter in hops (bract) that contribute unpleasant vegetal notes. This allows the hop derived flavors and aromas to be turned up to eleven, reaching intensities never before seen in beer. Another other great thing about this process is that it’s 100% natural, since the only thing used to separate the lupulin from the bract is extreme cold. Eleventh Hour uses both Mosaic Cryo and Simcoe Cryo to impart an intense bouquet of tropical and citrus fruit.

Eleventh Hour also features an exciting new hop called Alora, which was just made commercially available in November of last year. Alora is unique in several ways due to the care put into selecting for specific genetic traits. Many of the hop oils found in this varietal aren’t present in any other hops, which bring exotic citrus flavors like Calamansi and Yuzu to the finished beer. Along with this, Alora also contains an extreme level of thiol precursors- compounds that yeast will convert to intense tropical fruit flavors. Finally, Alora was also developed to be very resistant to disease, meaning less fungicides are required on the growing bine.

What are the notable characteristics of this beer?

This beer is an absolute hop bomb in the best possible way. Juicy Apricot, fuzzy peach, freshly cut mango, grapefruit zest- all these amazing aromas come from the hops I mentioned above, and go beyond the expectations for a traditional Imperial IPA. The flavor delivers on all these intense hoppy fruit notes, but manages to stay light, nimble, and refreshing, avoiding the potentially negative vegetal, leafy notes that usually result from the over-addition of hops. Medium-light bitterness is matched with a touch of crisp malty sweetness, resulting in a quick, refreshing finish that lingers with bright, juicy, hop-derived fruit flavors.

What makes you want to drink this beer?

If all the amazing things I mentioned above don’t entice you to try the beer, hopefully the party we’re throwing on June 29th to celebrate our 11th birthday will draw you to the taproom to drink some Eleventh Hour. 

Are there any other Imperial IPAs you dig right now?

Creeper by Columbus Brewing Company, Big Hearted from Bell’s, and MadTree’s Seeing Colors are all great Imperial IPAs that are very accessible.

Appearance: Light gold with good clarity and thick, fluffy white foam.

Aroma: Hop derived notes of passionfruit, apricot, peach, mango, grapefruit, with the slightest hint of sweet malt. The high alcohol is well hidden.

Taste: The flavor delivers on massive fruit flavor, with medium-light bitterness taking a backseat to the massive tropical and citrus notes. Mild malt sweetness balances the bitterness perfectly, allowing citrus fruit notes to linger pleasantly in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Light bodied and refreshing with medium-high carbonation.

Overall: Eleventh Hour bursts from the glass with massive tropical, citrus, and stone fruit notes. Medium-low bitterness and just a hint of balancing malt sweetness allow these fruit notes to dominate from first sniff to final sip, elevating hop-derived citrus and tropical flavors to eleven.

What foods would pair well with Eleventh Hour?

Eleventh Hour would go great with an intense, flavorful dish, like curry or vindaloo.

Ideal glassware for Eleventh Hour?

A glass with a slight inward curve at the rim to trap and release all those intense aromas.