Church-Key Grains of Wrath Double IPA

Name: Grains of Wrath
Date: 03/22/2008
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting, Cellar Party

Appearance: clear dark red, fine beige head,
Aroma: dry dark caramel malt aroma,
Body: creamy body,
Flavor: dry dark caramel malt flavor, touch of caramel sweetness is quickly balanced by fruity tartness,

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 11/20
Rating: 3/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: *4

Growler: Pours a transparent copper amber with a spotty lacing off-white head. Aroma of lightly sweet pale malts with a touch of light fruitiness. Body starts semi-sweet and earthy pale malty with a decent balance of grapefruity bittering hops before a drier toasty finish. A decent barleywine, but could use a touch more sweetness.

A dark brown amber ale with a thick light moka head. Aroma is rather caramelly, a bit spiced and herbal, treacle, pungeant hops as beer warms up. In mouth, amost like a saison, cookie malt, light chocolate, cinnamon. Very nice. Bottle from Probstk. Thanks Karl.

Sweet malt character blends with floral hops and some tannins in the aroma. Clear, deep copper coloured body is topped by a low tan head that recedes to a partial cover with plenty of lacing that coats the glass. Strong bitterness doesn’t overwhelm toasty, nutty malts and lingering fruity esters. Medium full body fills the mouth with soft bubbled carbonation. Sampled on tap at Caffe Volo at only 8% during Grey Cup weekend 2007.

This will become the first beer available when Volo receives its brewpub license, Heaven-willing soon. Hoppy aroma and bitter, a sipper with high ABV. Medium mouthfeel. A decent and fair DIPA, on the bitter side for hop head feeding.

Draught. At Volo. The pint was a deep, clear amber, with a decent frothy off-white head. Plenty of resin hop in the aroma - dry, bitter, somewhat herbal, not a big malt profile, but interesting light apple and insistent grapeseed as well. The taste followed right on, definitely fruitier than I’d expect from a DiPA, and initially pretty light on the hops, (slightly toasty/nutty malt up front) but once oxygen had a bit to interact, the acidic, dry resin kicked in and stayed with my tongue for quite a while. The body was appropriate-average, with good astringency/carbonation and light acidity, and the alcohol was felt more in the linger and afterglow than up-front. While not a world-beater, a hearty round of applause for a solid effort - an easy-drinking solid imperial with its own unique character; on a personal note, I’d like an infusion of C-hop crispness (I love citrus and light spruce/pine in my DIPAs), but solid for a first effort - I will be having this again for sure.

On Cask at Volo , Canada
Appearance :Muddy brown, tanned top with middle fizz.
Nose : Sweet brown malts , slight medicinal note , vanilla-alcohol blend , some hops found as well.
Flavour/Palate :Chocolate/brown malts with tart green hop character. Hops felt a bit mutter for double IPA. Alcohol it self was well covered. Woody, green finish with cocoa ending.

Cask @ Volo Cask Days 2007. Hazy amber body with a small off white head. Boozy rubbing alcohol note up front thankfully fades away. Resiny hops and light malt in the aroma. Good resiny flavour throughout, with a good amount of bitterness. (7+) Simple, but pretty solid and drinkable.