Punk in Drublic
Brewery: Stone Brewing
Style: American Hoppy Lager (Mixed-style beer 34B)
Package: 12oz Can
Purchased: Whichcraft Mueller, April 2018
Packaged Date: 3/13/18
Best By: 7/29/18
Consumed Date: 5/1/18
Details from the Brewer
ABV: 5.8%
IBU: 47
When Fat Mike of NOFX told us he was interested in brewing a beer, the first thing we said was, “Why are you calling us at 3am and how did you get our number?” Turns out he was serious (for once) and after completely ignoring the advice of our legal team, we figured we would give it a shot. The result is Stone & NOFX Punk In Drublic Hoppy Lager. Which, against all odds, is really f***ing good.
Review
Aroma – 8/12
An herbal, and peach skin hop note can be smelled first at a low-medium intensity. There is a grainy, and slight biscuity malt character at a low intensity. A very low level of sweetness, some crackery character and maybe a hint of corn peak out as it warms. Clean fermentation character.
Appearance – 3/3
Pours a deep straw color with great clarity. The head forms with small and fine white bubbles, at an average height. Retention is above average, but eventually collapses to a thin ring.
Flavor – 13/20
The peach skin from the aroma is also seen first in the taste at a low-medium level. This turns into more of a melon character, but is matched by some vegetaliness. These flavors slowly fade throughout the taste, being joined by a low grainy, doughy malt character in the back half. The beer dries out in the finish, where a medium bitterness appears. Not much flavor lingers on the finish, except for some bitterness and a touch of the vegetal. Clean, well lagered fermentation character.
Mouthfeel – 4/5
A Moderate carbonation, with a medium body. The mouthfeel is bigger than expected, but leads to a nice drinking experience with the dryness. No astringency. The finish has a nice softness to it, punctuated by the bitterness from the flavor. Low-medium alcohol warmth in the back of the mouth.
Overall Impression – 7/10
An interesting take on a hoppy lager. The hop character is very subdued, but noticeable. The fruity hop character matches well to the “Hoppy American Lager” style, but is lower than I would expect. The bitterness is also a bit out of balance with the rest of the beer. It lingers in the finish and doesn’t fit well with the other delicate aspects.
Rating – 35/50
This beer was brewed with Fat Mike as a collaboration beer for the Punk in Drublic festival. I could see this quenching your thirst well, while in the sun at a festival. The slight fruitiness of the hops help it go down smooth, but it does have an overly bitter, lingering finish. The rest of the beer drinks like a German lager, if brewed with some American malts. We don’t see many of the IPL style in Austin, so this one is definitely worth checking out, especially if you’re going to the festival on Saturday.
