This past weekend, I ventured into the heart of the country, to a little place called Omaha, Nebraska. I know what you're thinking- "But wait a minute...the Little League World Series isn't for another few months and the Justin Beiber concert in Omaha isn't until July 7th! What could you possibly be going to Omaha for?" Fair questions indeed, my friends. As it turns out, I was actually there to watch two of my best friends in San Diego get married. While I didn't know what to expect going in, we ended up having a great time in Omaha and I even got to check a beer I've been wanting to try off my list - Odell IPA.
After trying to find this beers in a few bars downtown, we finally stumbled into a place called Old Chicago. After perusing their extensive (at least by Omaha standards) bottle list for a few seconds, my eyes locked on the prize. I had heard nothing but good things about the Odell IPA, so it was finally time to find out what the fuss was about. At #176, here's Odell IPA.
Odell IPA pours a clear golden color with a really nice one finger eggshell-colored head. The head persisted throughout the life of the beer and left beautiful lacing down the glass. The aroma wasn't huge, but I got some light piney hops, grapefruit, and a good touch of citrus. Unfortunately, whatever towels were used to clean the glasses must have been used to wipe down new tires earlier that day, because I kept getting a strange burnt rubber smell out of the glass. And it definitely wasn't the beer. Bummer.
The taste is loaded with a rich, piney hop flavor. The malts come in around the middle and balance the hops really well with a flavor that's full of both bread and caramel. There's a really great balance throughout this beer between bitter and sweet and neither the hops nor the malt ever really gain the upper hand. The finish brought a bit of pine resin, but it wasn't really allowed to take over, either. This beer is an exercise in balance. A big cheers to my friends, Kyle and Lyndsay Dudley. I can't think of a better beer to toast you two with than this one.
Final Grade: A
Top 250 Beers Tasted: 117
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