Beer of the Week: Executive Pour

From the Beer Writer: Being summoned by the big cheese at one’s place of employment can really wreck a work day for even the cleanest-nosed subordinate. Palms sweat, the heart races, the spine shivers. What could they want? Whatever it is, it’s probably not good. But in the case of a beer taking inspiration for its name by corporate structuring, Executive Pour from Rancho Bernardo’s Abnormal Beer Co., this is a sit-down worth standing up and cheering for. Inhaling the beer’s bouquet reveals aromas of the orange candies the boss-man’s executive assistant leaves in a dish for visitors, plus a faint whiff of the special cigarettes that help get her through to five p.m. Taking a sip transports you to the type of luxury resort you can’t afford, but your island-living superior visits on the reg. Coconuty Sabro hops marry with Mosaic-borne mango and papaya notes, plus a leftover peach from the Four Seasons welcome basket. Like any good boss, this beer throws its weight around. It’s less than half a percentage point shy of being a triple IPA after all, and it needs you to know that. But for all its lording and grandstanding, there’s no denying this double IPA’s qualifications. It’s truly “boss.”

From the Brewer: “Many years back now, we started brewing Boss Pour IPA, a 7% (alcohol-by-volume) Citra- and Mosaic-heavy thirst-quencher. You have all loved this beer over the years, so it only made sense to brew a big brother for it. Enter ‘Executive Pour’! Coming in at a whopping 9.7% while still drinking like it’s little brother, this beer receives the executive treatment through the use of more hops and the addition of a newcomer: Sabro. Expect the same citrusy-pine and tropicals of Boss Pour, but enhanced and balanced with the fruity coconut characteristics of Sabro. It finishes crisp and clean with a moderate bitterness. Look out for this superstar throughout the year as we will continue to brew it for quarterly releases, ya’ know, to coincide with all those quarterly reports you have to look at.”—Nyle Molina, Head Brewer, Abnormal Beer Co.