That last week brought with it an unwelcomed guest by the name of Sickness. I’m sure you’ve all meet him before. He usually is accompanied by massive congestion, headaches, sneezing, boxes of Kleenex, and coughing. Due to my sensory system being out of commission I opted to put a hold on reviewing until I could breath and taste again and just drink water. At times I caved and enjoyed a brew, but yesterday I sat down with the intention of cracking out a new review.

Friday, I posted a question on our Facebook page that read, “What is the best beer to help rid yourself of sinus congestion?” I’m pretty sure I found the answer to my own question. It comes in the form of Stone’s Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale. This sucker blasted my sinuses with massive hop notes and a dark/bitter malt backbone.

It is basically a well hopped black IPA in my opinion. With a robust coffee-like appearance and compact 3 finger head it looked pretty enjoyable. What surprised me was the aroma. I was expecting the burnt malts to come through with a moderate hops presence. Quite the contrary! This huge hoppy beer opened up my nostrils with a big boost of fruity citrus notes like grapefruit, orange, and mango. It was earthy, piney, and pungent. The hops used were Chinook, Simcoe, and Amarillo providing a complex mixture of aromas and flavors. There was also a warm/stinging alcoholic punch from the 8.7% ABV.

With regards to taste, there was a citrusy bitterness the entire sip. The hop used to bitter (Chinook) formed a great foundation to which the flavoring hop (Simcoe) and dry-hop (Amarillo) could build upon. There is a subtle chocolate silkiness in the beginning and the finish is resinous with a slight kick from the alcohol. The aftertaste is of piney hops blended with light coffee malt aspect. I thought this was going to have full-bodied, thick mouthfeel, but it ended up being rather medium-bodied and easy to drink even with the massive hopping.

This beer lives up to its name, has sweet label art, and gave me temporary relief after a week of feeling like crap.

ABV 8.7%

Grade: B+