Church-Key Grains of Wrath Double IPA

650ml bottle
8.0% ABV
I tried this beer on March 17, 2008 at "Smokeless Joe’s" in Toronto, Ontario. The beer is a new beer from Church Key and is only available in 650ml bottles (according to Joe). The beer poured a nice dark translucent orangy-brown whitch a thick, creamy, off-white head. The aroma was very hoppy, with some hints of malt and licorice. The mouthfeel was medium-bodied with high carbonation, and the bitterness was quite evident. The flavour was quite hoppy with definite grapefruit hints.

650ml bottle from brewery. A creamy rich medium off-white head. Aroma is strong on the malts with some nice hoppiness as well. Hoppy flavour with a strong malty finish.

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.

Another good interesting one from Churchkey. Had at Volo cask days 2007. Hops on the nose very nice somewhat hazy amber some head. good hop and malt balance. You pulled it off really nice.

650 mL bottle. Lovely reddish brown with a medium head. It fades to a film, but still leaves nice lacing. The aroma is surprisingly restrained, but pleasant; grapefruit, grainy malt, a touch of alcohol, and something herbal. Flavour is not as hoppy as a lot of the Americans, which isn’t necessarily a good thing, but it’s different. Caramel, fresh fruit (green apples?), toast, and earthy hops. Alcohol disappears from both aroma and flavour as the beer warms. Nice bitterness lingers through the finish. Medium to full body. Very drinkable. Well done.

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.

Cask at Volo Cask Days 2007. Hazy amber-orange. Aroma of hops that are citric and herbal, with a faint skunkiness that was quite nice. (Yes, I know, it sounds weird, but it’s true.) Juicy flavour that’s sweet off the top, with caramel and brown sugar, quickly followed by big hops to finish. Apparently, John wasn’t able to get the hops he really wanted to use for this, so he went with a completely different strain, but it still worked for me.