Appearance: Dark mahogany amber with a bronzed hue. Initially the beer supported 2 fingers of thick frothy tan foam. As it dissipated, there still remained a beautifully peaked appearance. Lacing is strong. Clarity is mediocre, but nothing really flocculent abut the beer. Micro carbonation visible.Aroma: Aroma is very piney and citrusy. There are nice biscuit and toffee malt undertones to support the ever prevalent hop profile. I can tell from the smell that this beer has the potential in being very resinous. Somewhat fruity and tropical. Very fresh and outdoorsy with some grassiness at the end.
Taste: Nothing really hits in the foretaste, but immediately with a flashing appearance there is a brief taste of caramel that no sooner transitions into a robust alpha acid bitterness. The beer almost has a tart finish from the audacious amounts of hops. Obviously pine is a prominent contributor along with mild tropical flavors such as grapefruit and zest. Dark fruit of raisins shines through along with some subtle nuttiness from the toasted barley and caramel malts. Quite literally a coniferous forest in a glass. Gradually as the bitterness mellows, a great complexity of fruit and malt sweetness emerges that was otherwise previously masked by the 99 IBU's.Mouthfeel: Smooth with a mild carbonated zip at the end of the beer. Body is thick with a cloying texture. The finish results in a very resinous, sticky and dry feel. Overall this beer is soft and creamy to the feel and overwhelmingly drinkable
Overall Impression: I'm digging this one. Too bad it's not located out here. At 99 IBUs and only 6.2% alcohol, the under attenuation of the yeast leaves a lot of malt flavor, while balanced by the hoppy character. Everything about this beer says big (except the alcohol) both complex and balanced. Mm! A heavier IPA. definitely a show for the can industry. If I ever find it, I'd certainly buy it. Again, Thanks Ben!
Tim: 93/100
Jen: 89/100
No comments:
Post a Comment