Terrapin - Big Daddy Vlady's Russian Imperial Stout

Dead Reptile

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Big Daddy Vlady's Russian Imperial Stout
Side Project Volume 13
Terrapin Beer Company
265 Newton Bridge Road
Athens, GA USA
Est. 2002
www.terrapinbeer.com
 
Brain Damage Quotient = 10.25% ABV
Fluid Oz. = 22.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Dark as the night and pours with a thick viscosity.
Roasted malts, chocolate and a bit boozy on the nose.
Minimal one finger, tan colored head.
Strings of lacing stick to the glass.
Starts with sweet chocolate taste. Finishes with roasted malt flavors and slight twinge of alcohol.
Minimal carbonation.
Not too complex, but full bodied with a viscous mouth feel. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
From its gold foil neck label to the sinister looking comrade on the label, right down to the giant imperial hops marquee, you get the feeling this is going to have a lot going on in the bottle.  Thick, viscous and a creamy smooth taste melted on the tongue. Big Daddy Vlady's was a fairly good rendition of a Russian Imperial Stout.

We served this up in small snifters, though the bottle recommends shot glasses are also appropriate. No squabble there as the 10.25% ABV starts right in on you. This is great to imbibe on a winter's evening, preferably at home. And be sure to share, after all there's 22 oz. in that bomber. That's just what we did.

Remember, to commune with your friends, comrade!

Terrapin - Big Hoppy Monster Imperial Red Ale

Dead Reptile

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Big Hoppy Monster Imperial Red Ale
Terrapin Beer Company
265 Newton Bridge Road
Athens, GA USA
Est. 2002
www.terrapinbeer.com
 
Brain Damage Quotient = 8.3% ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Dark amber color that pours with a thick viscosity.
Sweet malty, brown sugar and stunning hops on the nose.
Slight off-white to tan colored two finger head.
Stringy traces of head cling to the glass.
Starts with big hops up front and switches to a rich malt backbone on the finish.
Viscous mouth feel.
Good amount of carbonation.
Medium bodied. Paradoxically, interestingly complex, yet simple. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Pungent hops and sweet malts are at play in this seasonal release.  The label warns, "WATCH OUT! THIS MONSTER BITES!" Although it falls into the style classification of an American Amber or traditional Red Ale, the label backs up the warning by declaring it in a style of its own, an Imperial Red Ale.

Now when you attach the word Imperial to a beer, you ust know that the brewers have gone into the lab to make something bigger thatn what is usually expected. Usually it falls into a darker or murkier body and you can be sure that big malts and big hops will be used in the lab.

Overall, I liked it. I found it had a surprising Jekyll and Hyde component as the flavors switched up from hoppy to malty. Very unique.

Watch out this snapping turtle doesn't bite you!

Left Hand - Oxymoron

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Left Hand - Oxymoron
Left Hand Brewing Company
1265 Boston Avenue
Longmont, CO USA
Est. 1994
www.lefthandbrewing.com 

Terrapin Beer Company
265 Newton Bridge Road
Athens, GA USA
Est. 2002
www.terrapinbeer.com
 
Brain Damage Quotient = 7.2 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 22.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Amber golden color.
Hops, some malt sweetness and yeast on the nose.
Nice foaming two finger off-white head that drapes lace on the glass.
Malty backbone with hops bite and noticed yeast after taste.
Moderate amount of carbonation.
Medium bodied. Very drinkable at 7.2%.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
The Midnight Project Brew III from 2010, Oxymoron is aptly named due to its clash of beer styles. On one hand, a hopped India Pale Ale and on the other a Lager Pilsener. Crazy as it sounds, it makes for one nicely hopped lager beer where the lager yeast and the hops varieties share the stage.

Not too complex, Oxymoron is a very drinkable beer, approachable by lager heads and hop heads alike. The hops come into play on the nose while the lager yeast component is more pronounced in the late taste of the brew. In all, a different kind of beer experience, but hey, I like it.

This is a one-off brew, done in collaboration with Terrapin and showcases how brewers will take an out-of-the-box approach when daring to do something really different. Enjoy it if you can still find it, or wait for the IV to drop in the future.

Terrapin - Gamma Ray Wheat Wine Ale

Dead Reptile

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Gamma Ray WheatWine Ale
Terrapin Beer Company
265 Newton Bridge Road
Athens, GA USA
Est. 2002
www.terrapinbeer.com
 
Brain Damage Quotient = 10.8 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Cloudy honey golden color.
Sweet candy like smells with a fruity background.
Very little head; slightly off-white.
No lace on glass, but instead, it leaves syrupy traces.
Sweet honey that keeps coming and has a lingering fruit taste.
Slight amount of carbonation.
Viscous syrup mouth feel.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Part of the "Monster Beer Tour", Terrapin has a WheatWine ale brewed with honey from the Savannah Bee Company. That's right, a WheatWine, not a BarleyWine. Made from Tupelo & Sourwood honey and wheat, instead of barley, Gamma Ray is a 'Super Hero' of a beer.

Deliciously sweet (and boozy), it will make you feel as if you have super powers, too. But remember those powers do not include driving or flying or any other machinery operations....lest I, The Reaper, see you first!  Be careful with your superpowers. They should only be used for good and not evil! Muahahaaahaaaa!

Try some, or get some and put it away for a while. This will keep very well at 10.8% ABV. Terrapin suggests you do the same and then break it out a few years from now, in the hour of need, when a special celebration takes place. You will be hailed as a super hero, for sure!

As stated on the label, "...'CAUSE SOMETIMES YOU FEEL LIKE A SUPERHERO!"

Terrapin Hop Karma Brown IPA

Dead Reptile

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Terrapin Hop Karma Brown IPA
Terrapin Beer Company
265 Newton Bridge Road
Athens, GA USA
Est. 2002
www.terrapinbeer.com
 
Brain Damage Quotient = 6.0 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Ruby colored brown body.
Dense piny hops aromas.
Two fingered tan head that lasts.
Draped lace on glass.
Great taste of hops and brown ale notes. Balanced.
Smooth and creamy like a brown and bitter finish like an IPA.
Not overly carbonated.
Medium bodied mouth feel.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Like brown ales?  Fancy and IPA?  Can't decide?  Well, you don't have to anymore.  Terrapin has a mash-up of both styles in one ale.  "Hop Karma" Brown IPA is complete with a sitar playing turtle wearing Indian regalia.

The brown ale notes are mingled with the hops in the nose.  The first sip says 'brown ale' then it smacks your taste buds with a "ha ha, fooled you" IPA hops pop.  This is very strange indeed.  Hop Karma is so well balanced you really can distinguish both styles rather than just a blurry blending of the ingredients.

Get it "Within You Without You".

Terrapin Hopsecutioner

Dead Reptile

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Terrapin Hopsecutioner
Terrapin Beer Company
265 Newton Bridge Road
Athens, GA USA
Est. 2002
www.terrapinbeer.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 7.3 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Copper color body.
Dense piny hops aromas.
Two fingered head that is slightly off white that lasts.
Leaves streaks of lace.
Great taste of hops throughout.
Nice amount of carbonation.
Medium bodied mouth feel.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Ah, what have we here?  My little shelled executioner friend from Terrapin.  Knew this would be good from the beginning.  Mua ha ha ha!  I especially love the executioner label...it has just the right je ne se qua, don't you think?

Now while the label proclaims this to be a hops bomb, I found it to be up there, but not so much as they led me to believe.  It's a dandy of an IPA all right, but my tongue survived its wrath.  So maybe it won't cut your tongue off.  But you'll find out, what does you in, is the 7.3% ABV.  Beware now, that will take your head off!

Mmmmm. Like your hops?  You'll love this one.

Terrapin - Rye Pale Ale

Dead Reptile

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Terrapin Rye Pale Ale
Terrapin Beer Company
265 Newton Bridge Road
Athens, GA USA
Est. 2002
www.terrapinbeer.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.3 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Honey amber color; translucent.
Rye, malt and delicious hops aromas permeate.
Two fingered head that is slightly off white and lasts to the end.
Leaves streaks and dots of lace.
Rich malt and zippy hops flavor with a nice dry rye after note.
Nice amount of carbonation.
Solid, medium bodied mouth feel. Easy to drink.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Rye and pale ale.  A great combination if done right. Terrapin done it right.

Let's dispense with the bad puns to get them out of the way.

• You'll want to savor this ale and take it slow.
• You'll be happy that you don't have to shell out a lot for this tasty brew.
• Don't fear the turtle, he is your friend in this case.

Okay, do try this rye ale. It's more wry than my droll sense of humor.  It has a great APA character, even if they didn't add 10% rye to the batch.  The malts and hops are nicely balanced.  They are easily picked out in the nose and the taste.  Then comes that dry shot of rye which finishes each sip quite smoothly.

Of note, this is their first beer produced from 2002.  No small feat that less than one year into production it won the 2002 GABF gold medal for the American Pale Ale category.  That alone should make you crawl to the store for some. There were 93 entries in the category.  Got your attention yet?

So if you're looking for a little something more from your average pale ale, try this one.  Next time you see some, snap it up.