Jul 21, 2017

Maine / Stone DaySlayer

It’s been a while since I’ve crossed paths with an India Pale Lager (IPL). To tell you the truth I though that trend had gone the way of the dodo bird. Apparently, I was wrong as I happened to cross paths with DaySlayer, a collaborative effort between Stone Brewing and Maine Beer Company. And after downing the 7.5% ABV IPL, I’m glad I was mistaken.

Knowing the big, bold beers that Stone has made in the past, one can clearly feel the influence of Maine Beer Company within DaySlayer’s gently hopped character — a complete 180° from the label artwork that adorns the bottle. Delicate floral notes, lemony zest, soft tropical fruits and grassy hops are present in the nose and flavor of the lager.

Despite being described as “heavily hopped,” the bite is of a light to moderate level, teasing the palate as its carried along a lightly crisp mouthfeel. Now, if say you took the aggressive hop profile of Arrogant Bastard and tossed it into an IPL, then I suppose you could say it’s heavily hopped. DaySlayer certainly has a more pronounced hop profile than your standard lager, that’s for sure.

This brew may not be as “hopped” as I personally would have imagined, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the hell out of it. There’s a smooth blend of lager and IPA within DaySlayer that simply makes for a damn good brew. As far as music accompaniment, I don’t believe this one is worthy of Slayer — perhaps a band like Pelican instead as drinking companion.