Irma Extra - McKenzie Brew House

mikeyv35

New York

4.15/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Date: 06/07/2012
Type: 750ml. Bottle
Vintage: 2011
Glass: Southampton Large Tulip

Pours a very light brown mahoghany in color w/ a 1 finger off-white head that leaves light lacing on the glass. Aromas of citrus, lemon zest, touch caramel malt, wet socks, and fresh cut hay. The flavor was of citrus and lemon zest up front, leading into a burst of caramel sweetness, and then immediately into sour, dry funk, and Chardonnay. Well carbonated brew made this rather thin brew feel pillowy in the mouth. Very easy to drink.

Overall, I was impressed by this brew from McKenzie and am looking forward to sampling their other offerings. This brew was definately a dark wild ale that was pretty malt forward, almost leaning towards being an Oude Bruin.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2012 16:28:47 | More by mikeyv35

jconrick1

Washington

4/5  rDev -1.5%

12-24-2012 04:50:13 | More by jconrick1

t0rin0

California

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

10-25-2012 03:04:40 | More by t0rin0

bauermj

Illinois

4/5  rDev -1.5%

10-18-2012 19:46:27 | More by bauermj

weeare138

Pennsylvania

4.48/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appears a amber color with a beige cap that slowly fades into a mild collar. Spotty bits of lacing are left around the glass.
Smell is of white wine, vanilla, sandalwood, muscat grapes, tart berries, funk, and citrus.
Taste is of the aromas with a sugary sweetness up front, along with a tartness and oak aged white wine filling the flavor profile.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied, tart, lemony acidic rush, and vanillin & oaky tannins.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 20:53:15 | More by weeare138

DaveHack

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -1.5%

07-22-2012 00:51:30 | More by DaveHack

JAHMUR

Connecticut

4/5  rDev -1.5%

07-20-2012 19:46:53 | More by JAHMUR

BeerForHokie

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

06-08-2012 02:48:29 | More by BeerForHokie

FeDUBBELFIST

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750mL bottle #77/480 to tulip. I believe I paid $14 for the single. Slow gusher - but no quicker than the bottles were when first released. Lower-than-average bottle fill. Sampled 5/29/12.

A: Pours with a large off-white head of 4 fingers comprised of larger sized bubbles. Retention lasts for a few minutes, then decides to recede quickly all of a sudden. The etching on the bottom of the glass keeps a creamy film and collar on top. The body is a murky reddish bronze with the value on the darker side of medium. Spotty strings of lace.

S: First impressions give off a musty, woodsy, cellar-like character with light hay and funk. A fruity strain of brett seems to be lurking with the possibility of another wild yeast or two. Red wine and subtle strawberries. The background notes feature a gently toasted oak, a bready component, light caramelization and stone fruits, namely plum, cherry and apricot.

T: Drinks almost like an amber Bière de Garde - but with bugs. Despite the drying finish, this beer leans malty sweet on the front end of the palate with a slight cloyingness that is cut by a gently acetic tartness throughout.

M: The body is medium to medium-full and is enhanced by an expansive tingling carbonation offering a nice bite to the tongue. A light acidic smack with above average dryness...but still, somehow...lightly cloying.

O: Not that it was all that long ago, but I remember drinking this beer just after release, and thinking, "Damn, this is every bit as good as Saison Vautour." The main difference, truthfully, is that Saison Vautour continues to develop favorably in the bottle while I feel that Irma Extra was best within the first few months. While I never heard anyone call Irma a Bière de Garde...and wild yeast/barrel treatment aside...I think she fits pretty comfortable within the style.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2012 00:09:03 | More by FeDUBBELFIST

Sean9689

Illinois

4/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Thorpe for this one. Poured into Bruery tulip.

A - Pours burnt orange in color, white head, spotty lacing.

S - Oak, light tartness, some fruity notes, and bready malts. It's too sharp, which I was happy about. Tart, but not overly so.

T - Fruity tartness, oak, light sour apples, berries, maybe a touch of spice. I would call this a "wild light" because it's just as much saison as it is wild. Finish is tart citrus and apples.

M - Light to medium body, good carbonation, dry finish.

O - A solid American Wild that I enjoyed. I am a fan of McKenzie, and continue to be impressed by either saisons and wilds. Looking forward to trying more from them and would have this one again.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2012 01:38:56 | More by Sean9689

thewimperoo

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

04-09-2012 02:24:40 | More by thewimperoo

emerge077

Illinois

3.83/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks Mark for sharing! Quick review from written notes.

Pours a hazy reddish amber orange, with some clinging bubbles on the sides of the glass. A few rapid carb trails of larger bubbles.

Acidic nose, some indistinct berry fruit that's hard to pin down.

Fruity and effervescent, with some acidic sour tang and light alcohol perceptible in the aftertaste. Seems to have picked up some fruity wine notes from the barrel it was in. Very dry and crisp, moderately acidic, the body is near perfect and it's pretty quenching. The presence of alcohol in the taste throws it off a little bit though. Really glad to have tried this obscure wild ale... never underestimate a brewer at a chain brewpub.

Sounds: Mark Lane - Who's Really Listening? (J-Rocc Edit)

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 01:27:31 | More by emerge077

daveytheformer

Oregon

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%

04-07-2012 19:07:37 | More by daveytheformer

SpillyBeers

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +10.8%

03-18-2012 14:40:24 | More by SpillyBeers

jmarsh123

Indiana

4.05/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to yourefragile and to G311 for my first bottle that didn't get an official review.

Pours a light brown with some copper hues and a big bubbly 2 finger head. Decent retention and little lacing.

Smells like strawberries with a lot of pedio and lacto. A little creaminess as well and some brett as it warms.

The berry flavor really comes through on the palate too. Unripe strawberry with notes of peach. The oak is more prominant and it finishes with a good dose of brett. The sourness is pretty subdued in this.

Medium mouthfeel with lots of prickly carbonation. Got better as it warmed.

Pretty solid beer, but not as good as I remember the first bottle being. The carbonation is a tad much but this beer got pretty good after warming a bit. I wish it were a little more sour as well, but the strawberry and oak flavors bump up the grade a bit.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 17:10:34 | More by jmarsh123

RSchaeffer

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev -1.5%

03-07-2012 20:40:48 | More by RSchaeffer

imperialking

Illinois

4/5  rDev -1.5%

03-05-2012 23:16:17 | More by imperialking

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to Ryan for opening this one at a recent event. Irma Extra in a glass.

The color was a lighter shade of bronze with some burnt orange sticking out at the sides. The build on the cap was pretty firm for a few before whimpering into a thin sparse cap, no stick.

Smell is ripe with an assortment of fruits and wine barrel aging treatment. Red wine with fruit such as peach, strawberry. A little musty earth quality on the end with a faint amount of malt presense.

Irma hits the mouth hard with wine character and fruit at the forefront. The barnyard notes are light and there is a nice musty brett presense. Red wine, strawberry, peach, some cherry. Oak character is lively but not overkill. A nice sour with a lot of elements.

Feel is less than medium in build. There is a nice pucker in the middle and this ends up having a fruity end with a small linger. Carbonation is spot on and high and felt. Not the most intensely sour beer, but the balance between that and other elements is nicely mixed.

I could do a bottle of this real easy. Easy drinking with a nice flavor. Im digging Mckenzie beers more and more nowadays.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 21:01:23 | More by onix1agr

heff316

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -1.5%

02-07-2012 00:40:37 | More by heff316

ygtbsm94

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -13.8%

01-23-2012 00:38:39 | More by ygtbsm94

AleWatcher

Illinois

2.5/5  rDev -38.4%

01-20-2012 04:31:22 | More by AleWatcher

aasher

Indiana

3.1/5  rDev -23.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

This bottle was courtesy of muskabeatz, thanks Evan!

This one was a gusher! It poured a light to medium bodied dark reddish dirty orange in color with a one finger soapy head. The aroma consists of dark malts, spice, slight cinnamon, and Brett. The flavors too, odd and spicy with caramel malts, cinnamon, and Brett. Interesting for a wild. It gets more tart and drier with time. It drinks light in body and leaves a slightly sweet yet dry after taste behind. It's an interesting beer, but I wouldn't seek it out.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 04:03:12 | More by aasher

drabmuh

Maryland

4.33/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks Michael. Beer served in a snifter. Beer is sort of orangish almost reddish. Completely hazy and a wispy white head, moderate to high carbonation. Looks good.

Aroma is mildly sulfury, mild lactic, no acetic in the nose but oak and some fruit sneaks through. Very nice aroma.

Beer pops on the palate, lots of carbonation. Beer is funky, oaky bitterness, tart, fruity, nice brett, clean finish. Very drinkable. Very enjoyable. I would definitely have it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 20:19:44 | More by drabmuh

321jeff

Maryland

4.6/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle from Michael. Another McKenzie tick, thanks!

The aroma kicks off with some funk along with grape. Smells sour, somewhat unique for a McKenzie beer.

Taste is mildly sour with a fair amount of fruit, mostly grapes and a dry finish.

Mouthfeel is average with a good dose of carbonation. Overall, this is an enjoyable sour, much different than their other saison based beers.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 05:36:01 | More by 321jeff

emdawg

New York

4/5  rDev -1.5%

01-01-2012 05:29:04 | More by emdawg