Arcadia Batch 999 Imperial IPA

An unclear amber beer with a huge orange head. The aroma is very hoppy and grassy. The flavor is weak compared to the powerful aroma, but still has hops as most dominant note, combined with caramel, straw, and malt. The end is dry and quite bitter.

(12oz bottle) Off-white head, lightly hazed amber. Aroma is medium sweet, pine. Taste is medium sweet, pine, caramel, grapefruit, some orange. Nice bitter aftertaste that lingers. Creamy medium body, some resin.

Name: Batch #999 Hop Fueled
Date: 04/25/2008
Mode: Bottle
Source: Trade

Appearance: muddy dark red, huge frothy dirty white head, bits of lace,
Aroma: sweet crystal malt aroma with nice floral and citrus hops and a touch of fruityness,
Flavor: sweet crystal and caramel malt flavor, lots of nice fruity plum character enhanced by the caramel sweetness, light bitterness for balance,

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 14/20
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: ***/4

Extremely aromatic spruce resin, weeds and grapefruit nose. Hop fueled as the label indicates seems to fit for me. While this is usually not my style (not much soft and rounded biscuity/toasty maltiness), it looks awesome and doesn’t feel as one-dimensional as most contenders, probably thanks to an efficient bottle-conditioning. It is murky, copper, covered by a fully laced off-white head, initially gigantic in size and still more than fair after several sips. Starts moderately sweet, in a caramel syrup kinda way, but evolves quickly toward the massive hoppiness, no watery edges, firm bitterness, well rounded palate, captivating and without influencing acidity. Good stuff.

Bottled. Thanks Clark. Hazy amber coloured. Fruity aroma with notes of grapefruit. Rather hoppy and sweet flavour.