Ska Brewing “Modus Hoperandi” IPA and Dubussion Scaldis ‘07 Vintage

The last time Tyler’s Taproom featured a beer by Ska Brewing Company, I was less than impressed with the glass. Well, it’s the same glass. So, that just leaves the beer to discuss – and that’s unfortunate. Tonight’s beer was the “Modus Hoperandi” IPA. Ska bills it as “…old-man bitter. A mixture of citrus and pine that will remind you of the time you went on a vision quest with your Native American cousin…”.

To me, it tasted like a dirty sock. It was literally difficult to drink, and Mark and I mused that perhaps the tap lines were dirty or something. It was that bad. I have to admit I would probably not be crazy about it anyway, but Mark really likes hoppy beers and he grimaced each time he took a sip. Ska, I really hope this beer was bad in the keg, because I just can’t believe you would produce something that tastes so terrible.

Free Glass Score: Same as before – 4/10
Beer Score? 0. Yes, ZERO.

Update: Ska actually saw this post (who knew?) and called Tyler's to find out what was up. Major class points, Ska, major class. I have not yet had the opportunity to try this beer again, but when I do, I'll write up another review.

Scaldis '07 Vintage
The night was rescued by the Scaldis ‘07 Vintage. Dubussion, a Belgian brewer, makes a family of beer named Bush. Due to trademark issues, it’s distributed as Scaldis beer in several countries, including the United States.

The Scaldis ‘07 Vintage beer was fantastic! For a 12% beer, it had no discernible alcohol taste. Sweet isn’t the correct word, really, because it wasn’t as syrupy as that would imply. It was just not bitter. The caramel and vanilla notes were not overpowering, but added to a very complex flavor that really made this beer stand out.

No glass score for this one – it wasn’t the Pint Nite special.
Beer score: 9/10