569. Lazy Magnolia Timber Beast Imperial Rye IPA

I like that I have friends who feel compelled to bring me back beer from their vacations, because it means that I get to try things like that I would never get on my own, like Lazy Magnolia from Kiln, Mississippi. And yes, I am drinking this beer out of a jam jar, mostly because it goes with the lumberjack theme on the label, and the sweet-ass name. It’s like the Brawny dude finally decided to do something worthwhile with his life: he stopped chopping down trees to make paper towels, grew a beard, and opened a brewery. Get some, Brawny dude! While the Mississippi location did initially give me pause—this is, after all, our first beer from Mississippi—Lazy Magnolia brings it with the beer as well as the packaging. 

Timber Beast pours a hazy orange copper, with an emphasis on the orange. The head is pretty minimal—the last bottle had more carbonation, while this one is a bit under-carbonated—although when I swirl the beer to re-rouse the head, I can see tiny bubbles fighting through the beer. In this case, however, they lose. The nose is spicy rye and resin coupled with orange and grapefruit; there is some bread crust and toast behind this, along with some pine, but the rye spiciness and resin hop aroma do a good job of smothering them under a flannel shirt of love. Flavors start with warm bread and toast mixed with spicy pine resin; bitterness picks up in the middle, turning to orange and pine as the beer heads toward the finish, closing with some lingering orange marmalade—there is a jammy mouthfeel in the finish, too—and bright evergreen bitterness. The chewy, rounded malt body and hop flavors balance well in this beer—it drinks deceptively easy for a 9.0% ABV beer, although there is a hint of warmth on the back of the throat as it warms. Still, a well made and enjoyable beer, one that is far superior to many of the other double/imperial IPAs we’ve tried, rye or not. The bright hoppy bitterness and rye spiciness dance on the palate, with flavor and complexity to spare. Timber Beast, I’m gonna miss you.

From the bottle: “Timber Beast is the first in Lazy Magnolia’s Back Porch Series. A spicy, full-bodied Imperial Rye Pale Ale balanced with a generous does of Zythos hops. Retreat to the Back Porch and be a little Lazy. Big Cheers, y’all.

ABV: 9.0%
IBU: 80
Malt: Rye, Pale, Carapils, Caramel
Hops: Zythos, Nugget, Cascade, Centennial

P. S. Art and Chloe rule!

(7/25/2013)