Local Beer and the Fabled Hop Secret 393.

Normally I don't review or even think about local beers from brewpubs, simply because they often follow a typical formula that the brewmaster can't see passed.

I.e. The Rock Bottom Brewery. Typically speaking, most of their beers taste relatively the same, because they're limited with the ingredients. - 2 or 3 beers will have an identically roasted malt that gives a similar after taste, or the hop content from 1 beer to the next is the same. Could be the fermentation process that adds a similar taste, as well.

EVERY once in a while, I find something unique, however.
I.e. The Rodeo Rye from the Mahogany Ridge in Steamboat Springs, or the second exception to the "no dark malted IPA" rule I carry, that I found in Hayward, Wisconsin.

The exception of the day is the "Scottish Ale" (which is wonderfully indescript) from the Rock Bottom Brewery.

What: ??? Scottish Ale
Who: The Rock Bottom Brewery (16th & Curtis, Denver CO, 80202, or Boulder and others.)
Contents: Carmel Malts, ???? Hop content. I've tasted this hop before, in a beer titled only "Hop Secret" which was served in the Taproom at Odell Brewing Co. The hop was only called "Hop Secret 393" I believe. For lack of a better way to put it, this hop is fabled as being almost completely unavailable on the open market, so some brewers that get their hands on a sizable enough volume, do amazing things. (That I know of, Sierra Nevada and Odell.)

With that, I'd have a hard time believing that the Rock Bottom would end up with it, but... who knows?

Ultimately...

The trick that I've discovered, tasting what I believe to be the second beer brewed with Hop Secret 393 is temperature.

The hop provides a DISTINCT maple sweetness with a light hoppy bitter toward the end. Paired with a caramel or lighter malt, it's like drinking a combination of maple syrup and amaretto, only without the weight.

Here's the fun part - I mentioned last week that some beers get better as they warm. This is the hop that made me realize exactly that. If enjoyed extremely cold, it won't have the distinct maple character it should. So... if you get your hands on a growler of this (it's worth the trip to the Rock Bottom JUST for it) pour your beer, and let it get to about 42-48 degrees before you enjoy it. I.e. Put it in a big glass and sip it over the course of an hour. Temperature has SUCH a huge effect on this beer, it's like drinking a different beer almost every time you pick up the glass.

So, this is perhaps more a tribute to Hop Secret 393. If that's what the Rock Bottom used, awesome. If not, their brewmasters are far more in tune with good beer than I give them credit for. Either way, Points on this ale.