Modus Hoperandi - Ska Brewing Co.

natasharai

Minnesota

3.88/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Poured with a nice creamy frothy off white head that left full lacing at the top of my glass. The beer is a orange/brown golden color and completely clear.

Smell: Strong grassy, piney hops, some sweet vanilla aroma, reminds me of fresh carrots

Taste: Strong piney hop presence, a little grapefruit, strong bitterness, some sweet vanilla caramel, ending with a bitter grass flavor.

Mouthfeel: Medium body, slightly syrupy, really dry, leaves a sticky/dry film in my mouth.

Overall: Good drinkability, really hoppy and bitter though. Some sweetness to balance out the hop bitterness and a very sticky sweet mouthfeel with dry hops.

Serving type: can

06-10-2009 04:22:30 | More by natasharai

br3wmeister

Colorado

3.68/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A- Big off white head with nice lacing and moderate retention. Bright copper colored beer

S- Big grassy, pine aroma. Some sweet caramel and spicy aromas also come through.

T- Lots of pine flavor in this beer it almost taste like chewing on a new branch on a pine tree. Strong almost harsh bite to it, this is a mouth tingling beer. There is some sweetness in there as well but it does not make a big impression, mostly dry bitter pine hops.

This is a very strongly hopped IPA. Not much to talk about other then hops here. Overall a good beer.

Serving type: can

06-09-2009 03:00:00 | More by br3wmeister

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.05/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to Bitterbill for sending some my way, cheers Bill! Good looking can!

Pours amber with 3 fingers of tan head. Good head retention & very good lacing

S: Floral & piney hops, plus leafy hops as this warms, plus slight biscuitty malt presence

T: Grapefruit, slight tangerine & pineyness up front. More grapefruit as this warms along an ever so slight pear fruittyness, plus leafy/minty hops too. finishes with slight caramel sweetness & a load of grapefruit, plus a bit of dryness

MF: Medium bodied, low carbonation, starts to get juicy as it warms, lack of malt presence detracts from the balance IMO

This drinks pretty easy & the ABV is well hidden, the hop selection doesn't come together, plus a lack of malt presence detracts a bit to me. Hop heads will disagree. i think I'll their ESB as my favorite can from these guys, but would still happily keep this in the summer rotation if possible

Serving type: can

06-05-2009 02:04:48 | More by russpowell

Teke0611

Colorado

4.1/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I've had this previously in the bottle, and must admit that I prefer it in the can. Perhaps it's like New Belgium and they fill the top with some yeast to rid extra air?

Anyhow. Amazing. Super drinkable, this is my new camping can. Used to be a combo of their ESB, Oskar Blues when I had extra cash, or FTire for the masses... I think this year, looking at cans of True Blonde, Modus, and Yella Pils.. Maybe sunshine for the masses.

Didn't pour into a glass (I know, I know). But, not the first one of these I've put down. :) Smells great. Terrific amount of hops present on the nose. Perhaps a little lighter on the mouth. The finish is quite dry.

Even considering the higher alcohol content, this is one that could be consumed one after another after another...

Nice job, SKA.

Serving type: can

06-01-2009 18:16:28 | More by Teke0611

rudylaw

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked up the last six pack at St. Charles Binny's

Pours a hazy, gold/amber color with a huge, fluffy head. Extremly well-carbonated.

Smells piney, grassy and loads of citrus.

There are tons of hops in this! Malt is present but settles for a supporting role. This is very, very drinkable and went perfect with pizza on the porch on a nice summer's afternoon.

This is highly recommended!

Serving type: can

06-01-2009 02:19:01 | More by rudylaw

Reagan1984

Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Masterski for providing me with a few of these in trade. Excellent trader.

Pours with a beautiful and substantial creamy/beige head that shows insane retention. It last like a dollop of whipped cream on top of a drink. The head is able to rise well above the top of glass due to it's structure. The beer is a straight deep amber color with excellent clarity. Lacing sticks everywhere and provides perfect rings in the glass marking each sip. I have to be honest, this is the perfect looking beer. If I didn't give this a "5" for appearance I would never give one.

Aroma is bright, fresh and bold. Huge citrus notes and also a sense of pine. You can definitely note a touch of sweetness and sense the malt flavors to come.

Wow, This beer is great. Excellent balance keeping a nice sweetness in line with an aggressive hop profile. I get black tea, grapefruit peel, sweet iced tea (different than earlier noted) Some pine towards the finish. The finish is a great mix of some sweetness and then the hop bitterness.

Smooth mouth feel and slight carbonation. Body is medium.

Amazingly drinkable. I really enjoy this IPA. Alex sent me three and I am afraid to say that I saved the official review for this last one. I will have to get more.

Excellent IPA.

Serving type: can

05-30-2009 22:52:07 | More by Reagan1984

RyanC84

South Carolina

3.58/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a cloudy, hazy amber with a nice one finger head that leaves moderate lacing. Plenty of floating particles in this one, doesn't really bother me but they do seem a bit excessive.

S: Not getting the fresh, piney hop smell others have noted. Very faint citrus hops, with a decent caramel backing. Nothing to out of the ordinary here.

T: Found the hops. Pine and grapefruit dominate with the malt struggling to come through on the end. While it's not an unbearable bitter flavor, it's not exactly pleasant either. Something just isn't quite right with this one.

M: Medium bodied with nice carbonation.

D: A drinkable IPA, but there are better options out there. Something about this one that just seems a bit off.

Serving type: can

05-24-2009 20:24:40 | More by RyanC84

Wasatch

Utah

4.35/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks goes out to Bitterbill for this brew.

Poured aggressivly a very nice slight hazy dark golden orange color, very nice carbonation, very nice two-finger plus foamy off-white head, with tons of sticky lacing. The nose is hoppy, very slight malt notes, citrus and pines. The taste is a hop bomb, slight malty notes, very nice citrus/pine notes. Medium body, nice and bitter/hoppy. Very drinkable, this one really surprised the shit out of me, highly recommend, thanks Billy Boy, lol

Serving type: can

05-23-2009 02:12:06 | More by Wasatch

DoctorDog

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: 12 oz can into a nonic. Big thanks to pokesbeerdude for sending me this one as an outstanding extra in a trade!

A- Slightly hazy amber/copper. Pours with 2+ fingers of creamy off white head, which fades slowly to a thin cap; excellent retention. Tons of sticky lacing.

S- Delightful pine/grapefruit hoppiness. Slight malty notes hide behind the onslaught of hops.

T- Grapefruit and pine resin hops, combining for a superbly bitter finish. Fairly solid, sweet caramel malt provides good balance. Alcohol is well blended.

M- Moderate carbonation with a medium feel. Slightly slick and coating oiliness.

D- Rock solid. Looks, smells, and taste are all excellent....goes down easy. This is good stuff, and I certainly wish I had another in front of me.

Future outlook: What a great extra...damn shame I can't readily purchase/obtain this little gem.

Serving type: can

05-21-2009 03:05:22 | More by DoctorDog

Maction

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the can into an oversized wine glass.

A: Pours an attractive dark amber, just slightly cloudy, with a creamy one-finger head.

S: It smells of citrus and pine hops, and maybe some floral honey, the nose is very promising.

T: Hops are not as immediate in the flavor as in the aroma. This starts off bitter, some citrus in the middle, floral notes as I move it around, with a dry alcohol finish.

M: It's slick but effervescent while in my mouth, but leaves me very dry after swallowing.

D: It's very tasty, but a little unbalanced, heavy on the hops side, even for an IPA. The dry and bitter finish doesn't leave me craving another after I finish the first.

Serving type: can

05-20-2009 14:52:06 | More by Maction

GarrisWH

Colorado

4.18/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

poured from a can to pint glass

A - Has a nice, rich, reddish amber color with a nice full head and good lacing.

S - Nice, fresh hop smell. Pick up mostly on pine, with a little grapefruit in there as well.

T - Taste is very similar to the smell. Very fresh, hoppy kick, without much malt in there. Mainly piney flavors with a hint of bitter grapefruit.

M - Very nice medium body with a piney, resinous feel that sticks on the palate for a while after finishing the beer.

D - Very drinkable for a brew pushing 7%. Great summer beer with a refreshing hoppiness and not overdone on the malt side of things.

Serving type: can

05-19-2009 05:08:27 | More by GarrisWH

MasterSki

Illinois

4.22/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Got a sixer of this from Binny's - served in my Pisgah pint glass.

A - Two fingers of off-white foam that dissipates slowly with tons of sticky lacing. Hazed brown-orange color that is a little bit muted (doesn't have that "glow").

S - Huge piney hops with notes of lemony citrus and fresh-cut grass. There's a tiny bit of caramel maltiness, but this is really hop-forward. Pretty potent stuff!

T - Taste is a little more malt-forward with some nice toffee and caramel notes to go with some nice citrus and tropical flavors. The aftertaste is surprisingly light, and there's is only mild hop bitterness at the top of the palate.

M - Refreshing, somewhere between thin and medium-bodied and moderate carbonation that provides a light tingle on the upper lip.

D - This is probably the best value IPA available in Chicago - it was something like $7 for a sixer. Goes down easy and tastes pretty good - and there is nothing to prevent having multiple brews (carbonation, aftertaste, etc.)

This is going to be my new go-to brew for parties and outdoorsy stuff - at least until I get more cans of Furious.

Serving type: can

05-14-2009 20:23:12 | More by MasterSki

Goliath

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a beautiful hazy copper color with a half inch of yellowed head sitting on top. Decent retention, and there's some nice bits of lacing as well.

The aroma is quite nice. A good bit of hops showing some citrus and pine. Just like I like.

The taste is fine. A decent hop presence with a bit of citrus and more pine. A slight malt following comes through, and then the beer finishes with a growing hop bitterness. Kind of like a reminder that there were hops in that beer. Not the best IPA ever, but certainly good.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and nicely carbonated.

Drinkability is fairly high. The flavor profile is simple, but nice and acurate. The ABV is modertately high, but certainly easy to manage and it's well incorporated into the beer. All in all this is a pretty nice IPA to have on hand.

Serving type: can

05-14-2009 02:54:29 | More by Goliath

AylwinForbes

Illinois

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

This beer gives the lie to the perception that cans are somehow inferior to bottles (though there is probably no substance to this). Having previously tried the ESB (okay) the Modus is a step up. Presents a considerable dense head in the glass which dissipates over time; the color is quite dark, almost chestnut. Aroma is good, fairly piney citrus. Palate shows strong bitter taste, quite dry, bit of maltiness (compares with Hop Devil), good mouthfeel. Top class.

Serving type: can

05-12-2009 03:03:06 | More by AylwinForbes

Mdog

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Amber, big head.

Smell: Piney, citrus, nice smell.

Taste: Nicely balanced citrusy IPA. Good pink grapefruit flavor, not overly bitter.

Drinkability: I like the 12oz cans, if it was distributed around here it could be a go-to beer.

First review of a Ska beer, and it's a good one. Saw it in Chicago and figured I'd try their canned IPA. Nice balanced IPA, maybe leans a little to the bitter side. We'll see if their DIPA makes the grade later.

Serving type: can

05-10-2009 23:50:28 | More by Mdog

pmcadamis

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A - I tried this one in a nice little green can at Kelleher's in Peoria. It's a nice medium orange, slightly hazy, with a two finger white head that throws some good lookin' lace on the pint glass.

S - The can is three or more shades or green, and nothing could describe the nose with more accuracy. This is lively, green, fresh, and hoppy as all hell. A little pine and a good deal of zesty lime-like citrus.

T - Citrus hops, fresh green pine, and some good solid caramel malt. This one is doing everything right so far!

M - Medium bodied, fresh, firm, and well built. A lot of carbonation makes this an excellent beer to enjoy with food, and the hoppy fresh flavors really stick with you after swallowing.

D - A supremely quaffable IPA that comes in a can! This is a perfect session brew, and now you can take it fishing, camping, or to sporting events (can you have a beer at Junior's little league came? You sure can if you put a can of this excellent brew in a nice innocent can cozy).

Serving type: can

05-06-2009 15:06:32 | More by pmcadamis

Mebuzzard

Colorado

4.13/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A good chestnut pour produced a fluffy white head that chunked up in the middle and laced around the side.
Big aroma and hop taste. Pine and slippery resin, somewhat buttery. Malts are well balanced and keep this IPA from running away. Mellowed out as it warmed and lost some bite. Fairly drinkable, would like to see more citrus in this AIPA. Overall, very good.

Serving type: can

05-03-2009 18:14:03 | More by Mebuzzard

Domingo

Colorado

3.83/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

After seeing this showing up in cans around town, I've been pretty curious to give it a try.
Pours a very deep orange that's on the verge of being nearly red. I've only seen that color for the boldest of DIPA's. The head on this is huge, billowing, and it doesn't let up at all.
The smell is pure hops. Piney resin filled hops.
After seeing and smelling this brew, I expected an over the top DIPA, but the flavor profile is normal. It's got a great mix of fruity, piney, and even floral hops in it. Not too bitter or one dimensional either. There's a hint of malt in there that ties everything together.
Drinkability is really only limited by your affinity for high levels of hops. While it's nearly 7% ABV, it doesn't have too much heat or booziness to it. Still, that "wall of hops" can be a little potent if you're not ready for it.
This is far hoppier than most IPA's. It's a full-on assault with DIPA levels of hops, but without the booziness to cancel some of that out. Luckily, the hop varieties used offer their own flavor balancing to keep everything in control.

Ska's got something for the serious hopheads with this one. The fact that it's in cans is even cooler. I can honestly see this being one of those beers that comes out of nowhere and really surprises people.

EDIT: I'd say I probably underestimated how good this beer actually is. It's probably one of the top beers in the whole state and one I go back to constantly. I don't tinker with old review numbers, but this is better than I initially judged it to be.

Serving type: can

05-01-2009 16:35:00 | More by Domingo

keithricker

Illinois

4.47/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Been getting this by the can ever since it arrived in town.

Pours a beautiful copper, with lacing that clings nicely to the glass. Nice aroma of citrus hop; mostly of the typical grapefruit variety.

This is really a nice surprise. Has a mild west coast vibe to the flavor with pink grapefruit, pineapple and some resin. Starts out with a nice bitter hoppy sting, which quickly subsides in to a very clean, bright and citrusy/sweet aftertaste. Hops are present but not overpowering. Mildly sweet malt is also there but doesn't try to steel the show. What a great session IPA. These are like potato chips, and I just want to eat the whole bag at once.

This one deserves a lot more attention than it gets, and I am predicting that it will be talked about quite a bit as more people get a chance to try it. I'm giving this one extra points for coming in a can, but I'm also docking it points for being so good I can't stop drinking them. Highly recommended.

Serving type: can

04-29-2009 03:58:11 | More by keithricker

kirok1999

Ohio

4.47/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a bueatuiful light copper with a nice white head that leaves just a bit of lacing.
Smell is wonderful, lots of sweet rich caramel, nice grassy hops with a bit of citrus zest.
Taste is absolutely great! Smooth and rich with lots of lush malts and hops. Sweet and creamy, with a lingering dry hop finish well balanced by the residual swetness.
One of the best and most easily drinkable beers I've ever had. I could slam these all day long.

Serving type: can

04-26-2009 22:53:18 | More by kirok1999

Beernoisseur

Utah

4.22/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I love the name.

Good IPA with a seriously aggressive hop presence, this beer is a fine example of the style. Reddish amber with a dense 3/4 inch head that leaves anemic, spotty lacing. The smell is not offensive, but it certainly could be stonger. Grapefruit peels and crushed pine needles are there, but they don't explode out of the glass as I like. The flavor is quite delicious, with a pronounced hop emphasis, even for an IPA. The malt lends a lean sweetness to the brew, carmel and hard candy in character. Very pleasant.

I wouldn't mind drinking these steadily. They taste great, and feel great.

Serving type: can

04-24-2009 02:17:39 | More by Beernoisseur

yemenmocha

Arizona

4.47/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours bright amber with nice contrasting white head.

Nose is stunning with big juicy grapefruit, hop resins, and fresh pine.

On the palate the medium to light body delivers a rather dry hoppy profile with some caramel and/or biscuit malt to round it out just a little. Very, very bitter and how delightful it is.

Serving type: can

04-19-2009 22:41:50 | More by yemenmocha

westweasel

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. can into a New Belgium goblet. (Thanks for the beer Schneid!)

The beer pours a dark coper color with a size-able off-white head. Some lacing is left along the glass. The aroma is filled with grapefruit and pine. Very nice.

The taste contains some toffee and biscuit notes initially, which are quickly overtaken by very bitter tangerine, grapefruit, and pine flavors. The very strong, even slightly harsh, bitterness lingers on your tongue... like... forever...

The mouthfeel has a medium body and medium carbonation. You also get hop resiny slickness on your tongue.

This is a fairly drinkable IPA, but the slightly harsh edge to the bitterness would bother me eventually (After two pints?)

Serving type: can

04-19-2009 22:07:01 | More by westweasel

pokesbeerdude

Colorado

4.2/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a sixer of cans at Arctic Liquors in Steamboat, $10.

A: Dark copper with excellent clarity, rocky, dense, tan head about half an inch thick or so. Pretty standard looking IPA. A fair amount of carbonation bubbling up from the nucleation point in my goblet.

S: Big whiff of citrus and caramel sweetness, grapefruit is really strong, definite "herbal" qualities, essentially it smells like a flaming hop bomb, and in a totally good way. One of the most aromatic IPAs I've had in a while.

T: A lot lighter in the taste than the nose leads on, hop bitterness is not as strong as I had figured. What is there is citrus rind in character, with lot of hop resins, just not a lot of bitterness. Malt really balances out all the hop flavors, it is caramelly and sweet. One of the sweeter IPAs I've had. Nice balance though. Quite tasty.

M: Medium carbonation, slightly dry, with a touch of alcohol heat, medium thickness. Hits all the notes where they should land.

D: Awesome. This beer has replaced Ska ESB and Oskar Blue's Dale's Pale as my favorite beer from a can. This is the new camping beer for me. Very tasty, easy to drink, nice balance, with lots of flavors. I'm quite impressed all around with this beer.

Serving type: can

04-07-2009 03:30:29 | More by pokesbeerdude

jwinship83

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz can with no freshness date poured into a pint glass.

A- copper colored body with a large off white head. the head reduces to a thin layer across the top of my glass and leaves a solid ring of sticky lace on the sides.

S- the nose is dominated by hops. loads of piny and grassy hops. some hints of a caramel malt tries to balance it out but fails.

T- the taste is basically nothing but hops. lots of floral and pine. some citrus notes as well. theres a very faint toffee/caramel malt trying to be noticed, but its hard to do so.

M- thinner than your average IPA with a high level of carbonation. crisp and refreshing.

D- very easy to finish and almost low enough ABV to drink all night. great beer for anything outside in the summer. i cant wait to bring this one camping!

Serving type: can

04-07-2009 02:31:59 | More by jwinship83