Amherst Olde #8 (Anniversary)

Brewed by Amherst Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Amherst, Massachusetts USA

Serve in Snifter, Tulip

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No way this is a double ipa. Gold color taste is more alcoholic then anything. Some maltiness but there’s not really a lot going on here.

(Draft at brewery. 1litre Bottle) Only 6.85%, eh? Surprising. Caramel aromas and a definite note of ethanol. Nutty (from the yeast, it seems) and slightly bready. Slightly phenolic (pepper ... tiny hint of medicine in the background). Resinous hop aromas. Clear, deep amber. Big, beige head that, unfortunately, doesn’t last terribly long. Some lace, but very minimal. Strong hints of crystal malts and, slightly harsh. Sweet maltiness balanced against resiny hops and a slight hint of citrus in the background. Despite the evident hoppiness, this beer finishes relatively sweet, emphasizing the malt. Some nuttiness and hints of dried fruit. Quite warming, almost hot (surprising, as mentioned, for a mere 6.85% ... I thought it was 8%!). Medium-full bodied.

Draught at ABC: Ruby amber hue. Slight lacing from a beige hued head. Nose is sweet, peppery, alcohol, hops, faintly yeasty. Sweet, one dimensional, chewy body, caramel malts, bitter stinky resinous hops. Alcohol is definately evident. Nutty and robust, quite a quaffer.

Pint on draught at the brewpub, 8/19/2005 with Eyedrinkale. Red colored, hazy and has a burnished copper tint to it, rather looks like a red ipa. Head is small, retained barely at a thin film and there is little lacing. Aroma of white and black pepper, leafy, dry hops, not terribly fresh smelling, just sort of peppery and bitter. Some fruitiness, light oranges and limes. Little malt to speak of in the nose, passing buttercream and a light, fresh yeastiness confirms that it is fresh, despite the less than exciting hops. Flavor is very one-sided, boring, astringent hops bitterness, quite citric, with very little hops flavor. Light caramel malt is barely noticeable, but yet there is a decent chewy texture; it’s not watery or anything. Burny and fuelic on the finish, the lack of malt really comes alive. Almost thought it was brewed with rye, it was so damned dry and astringent and sort of nutty-chewy. Still, a good mouthfeel on a beer can satisfy me partially, even if the flavors are not really that exciting. Dosent cut it for the style, but then, I’m not convinced that this was brewed to any particular style.

3 ounce sample at the brewpub. Citrusy hemp-like aroma with some orange and grapefruit notes. Smells like many of the West Coast IPAs I had when I was in San Diego, unfortunately, that’s where the similarities end. Mildly hazy dark copper color with an off-white head. Very citrusy and orange-like to start turning a bit roasty and extremely bitter. Finishes a bit dry. Harsh and unbalanced. Get some malts in this puppy.