Chillin in my Jammy Jams
Chillin in my Jammy Jams - RAR Brewing
When I heard that “The Office” was going to be taken off Netflix, I damn near lost my mind. Of course I knew this day would eventually come, but that doesn’t make accepting it any easier. Luckily enough, I still have another full year left. If you’re like me, you have it on in the background approximately 100% of the time, have seen it all the way through like 8 times, and can recite most of it by heart. Not exactly an impressive brag, but here we are. Might even be watching it while typing this...you’ll never know. The reason I’m bringing this travesty up is because the only thing I love more than the show itself, is referencing it, often at painfully awkward times. When I saw that RAR Brewing was releasing an American Double IPA (DIPA) called “Chillin in my jammy jams”, I knew that I had to have it. Besides the fact that they’re a STELLAR brewery, I had to have it because of the reference from Season 6, episode 17 of the show where Andy shows up to Erin’s apartment, unannounced, and she proclaims “Andy! I’m in my jammy jams!”, and he of course replies, “That’s okay, I’m in my worky works!”. I texted my father, who is renting a condo right across the street from RAR, and asked him to get me some to spare me the almost two hour drive out there. Now, you might be wondering...how does he know for sure that it’s a reference? Maybe one of the brewers likes to hang out in his jammies! Luckily enough, I did some research and found this incredible photo on their website:
If this isn’t proof enough to satisfy you, then I don’t know what will. So enough about the show, let’s talk about the beer!
This DIPA from RAR is brewed with citra and motueka hops, which are both known for their more fruity/citrusy. You’ll see that I prefer this kind of flavor most of the time but don’t worry, I do plenty of exploring. RAR is located out in Cambridge, MD, right close to the eastern shore and, as I stated earlier, it is stellar. I have been there a few times and have had many of their beers, all of which I have at least enjoyed if not loved. They opened their doors back in 2013 and have been pumping out great beer since. Coming in at a cool 8% ABV, “Chillin in my jammy jams” is obviously a high gravity beer that isn’t meant for day-long sippin’. Most IPAs are relatively high gravity so it’d make sense that a double IPA would have an even higher gravity. The word I thought of on my first sip was “smooth”. On my second sip, I thought “dense”, however it didn’t feel overpowering. It definitely has that citrusy flavor from the citra and motueka hops, which is paired with a nice little bitter hop bite at the end. What was surprising was that it got sweeter as I kept drinking - not an unwelcome surprise at all. Its color is quite hazy - definitely opaque, but it isn’t sweet the way some hazy IPAs can be.
Also I have to mention that I love the artwork on the can. They totally psychologically nabbed me here on this one with the bright colors, and they further roped me in with “The Office” reference. I love it when breweries get creative with their art work and make their cans eye-popping like this.
The final sip was slightly sweeter than the first and just as smooth - it didn’t need to grow on me. After having it a second time a few days later, I thought it was just a bit brighter or more fruitful while still maintaining that slight bitterness. May have been what I had to eat for dinner that night or how much water I had that day, but I actually enjoyed it a little more the second time. I can’t fully pinpoint why, but I’m not upset about it! I honestly can’t find anything bad to say about this beer. I was thrilled when my father got it for me, I enjoyed it the first time, and I enjoyed it the second time. Really helped me dive deeper into my “The Office” obsession, so I guess that’s the only bad thing I can say about it.
Rating: 4.5/5
P.S. To no one’s surprise, I was watching “The Office” while writing this. Totally can’t tell that from the photo up top.