Hop Devil Ale

Enjoyed last night before bed following a night  full of studying for my 8:30 a.m. Microbiology exam. Needed to relax before the 3 x exams (two of which I didn't get to looking at). Whew.

Appearance: Snifter. Thick pour with no head at all. A deep cloudy amber color that is the pinnacle of eye-to-taste flavor. Hardly any visible carbonation either. Perhaps a rubied hue.

Aroma: A bouquet of caramel and toasty notes with a floral undertone that speaks dark mahogany smoked fruit and biscuits. Very effervescent and sweet.

Taste: Sweet to the tongue, of all malts noted above, especially biscuit and caramel make themselves present throughout. Finishes dryer than most IPAs with a grassy touch with interspersed pine bitterness and a hot touch in the back of the throat. I think this one is similar to the Rogue YSB (from what I remember), with a sweeter toasted flavor to hold the backbone. Towards the end some chocolate and nutty flavors emerge to the foretaste. Subtle characteristics of a red ale within the hop flavors. Mm!

Mouthfeel: Thicker than usual. Carbonation is at a bare minimum, very fine and micro bubbled (I've experienced this once before but with a Flat six pack from Victory with their Hefeweisen). Nevertheless this perfectly complements a nice mellow flavor and texture. Robust body that is slightly cloying to the cheek.
Overall Impression: A spectacular ale. Well worth the $10 for it. The complexity and overall delectability of the biscuit/caramel sweetness finished off with a rich dosage of hops make for an extremely complex beer worth every drop. A grapefruit aftertaste to finish it off goes far if you like the sweet but dessert on the bitter. If you see it, buy it. You won't be discouraged!


95/100