From the Beer Writer: There are beers you remember long after they first hit your taste buds. I don’t mean I had a really good beer from XYZ brewery but I don’t remember what it’s called good. I mean, I recall exactly where I was sitting when I had that beer, exactly how it tasted and recall thinking, ‘man, that’s nice’ good. Such is the case with me and Big Mother, a triple IPA brewed by Vista’s Mother Earth Brewing Company. The first time I had it was in 2012, when the family-run Vista brewery debuted it as an anniversary offering. I immediately fell in love with its brash, unapologetic hop presence. Dried mango, peach and papaya show up in the nose and the front palate, giving way to a combination of burnt sugar and tree sap. Everything about the beer, including its 10.5 alcohol-by-volume stat, is big, which is what makes it such a throwback. There are far more triple IPAs being brewed now than when Big Mother was birthed. Today’s models are more balanced and often engineered to come in extra-low on the IBU (international bittering units) scale. That can certainly make for an enjoyable drinking experience, but when it comes to a double-imperial beer style, I think it’s OK to want to be walloped in every sense of the word. Each year, Big Mother arrives ready to deliver a solid one-two (or ten-five) to the kisser of the loyal fans who appreciate her tough but lovely brand of love. She recently returned during Mother Earth’s “Eight Mother Lovin Years” anniversary festivities and can be found on tap and in four-packs.
From the Brewer: “Once a year, I get to create something outside of our Four Seasons program that is really over the top, like Big Mother. The 10.5% alcohol-by-volume (ABV) gives me the opportunity to load up on hops in the brewhouse, starting with an aggressive first-wort addition and holding strong through late additions and whirlpool. Typically, this kind of hopping leads to something too bitter by today’s standards, but in this instance, it balances the ABV and finishing gravity. The only trick is making sure wort comes out of our heat exchanger! Our house yeast is adept to a higher ABV and finishes appropriately dry while masking the booziness typically present in a triple IPA. The dry-hop is a mixture of Nelson Sauvin, Citra and Mosaic, an awesome combination full of tropical fruit and citrus in the aroma that hangs on through the flavor. If that wasn’t enough, this year is our first step into 16-ounce cans and I can’t be more excited. Drink up. This one won’t last long.”—Chris Baker, Head Brewer, Mother Earth Brewing Company