Beer – #662 – BrewDog – Jack Hammer

BrewDog Jack Hammer, Ruthless India Pale Ale, is this weeks BeerJerk beer club beer of the week, Get In I say!

For blitzing the mediocre, raising hell and revelling in the aftermath, Jack Hammer is the end of the line.

This is the 330ml bottle of a beer of 7.2% ABV, making it 220 calories a serving size, IBU over >100, and all that adds up to 1.87 standard drink units.

Brewed by BrewDog in the style that is of India Pale Ale (IPA) and they are in the lovely Ellon, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Press the button, go ahead. What are you waiting for? Your mama’s not coming this time. Don’t slow down. Hammer it.

Start with huge grapefruit aroma. Pile on more bitterness than the human palate (or nipple) can detect, ride the anarchy and caramel craziness and let the devastatingly bitter finish drill straight through your taste buds.

Jack the Lad

Put a bullet in the head of mediocrity, raise hell and revel in bitter craft awesomeness.

For blitzing the mediocre, raising hell and revelling in the aftermath, Jack Hammer is the end of the line. The hopped-up, pucker-mouthed terminal extreme of craft brewing.

This beer is bitter. Very bitter.

If you push that button, don’t say we didn’t warn you…

So, what could possibly go wrong? I have no idea the music machine is dialled up high, cooking aroma wafts around the house.

That has a real burst of sweetness as you open it, and then a mellow and restrained grassiness.

In the glass it’s all a bit more rowdy and the lovely orange cloudy pour are chock full or rally strong musty hop and citrus bang!

And there you go, I pressed the button and that it bitter. Not coughingly bitter, not scrunchy eyes and gasp bitter but that really is a wallop.

It’s a short profile drink, everything happens in such a rush, you get a hint of caramel sweetness then the spike of high bitterness, and a grapefruit like thing, then the aridness of the finish.

Bam!

For all its noise and rowdiness it is really well behaved and really nice drinking though, although there is little apparent reason for it to be so bitter, except as a showcase.

Don’t ever change, except to the less feisty Punk IPA perhaps which is a much more manageable beer.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 9 of its things from the thing. There is nothing wrong with this at all, it is as it is, and they’ve not messed about with under-selling it. I love the short profile and I like the sweetness that this has, even the dry finish isn’t so bad and not lingering.

The double dip review

Am I enjoying it? I am, another please.
Would I have another? Oh wait I answered that, yes please, send more.
Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? OF course, although it’s a small bottle so perhaps I’d bring two and share one each. Not a quaffing beer though, and not a session beer, it’s hard work on the tongue and you’d need something to rest your palate between drinks, if you were like to get carried away and have two or three.

Music for this : I’m listening to ” David Bowie ” ” Live in Santa Monica” on Spotify of course, and who doesn’t like a bit of Ziggy Stardust?

INDIA PALE ALE & IPA

India Pale Ale gets its name and unique style from British brewers who were making beer for export to India. This style has an intense hop flavor which was used to preserve the beer for the long voyage. India Pale Ale has a golden to copper color with a medium maltiness and body. The aroma is moderate to very strong. IPAs work especially well at cutting the heat of chili, vindaloo or Sichuan cuisine.