Church-Key Grains of Wrath Double IPA

Bottle courtesy and thanks to HogtownHarry. This is one I’ve wanted to try for some time now. Deep amber/orange topped with a fluffy off white cap. Nice lace. Nose is upfront with the pine and citric hop, a lot of grapefruit. Caramel malts and an earthy woody nose becomes noticeable as it warms. Tastes pretty straight up like an IIPA. Heavy on the caramel malts, some bubble gum, leading to a grapefruit pith and piney cirtic hop bite. Quite hoppy and bitter. I liked it. Thanks for the bottle Harry!

Draught at Volo. This was amber with a small white head and slight rings of lace on the glass. The aroma is light and faint with some citrus, pine and subtle caramel. The flavour has a more restrained hop bitterness with more citrus, grapefruit and pine in the hops with some caramel.

Copper pour with a weak head. Visibly low carbonation. Sour weak scent. Surprisingly non-chruch Key tasting. Bready sour taste, with some tartness. There is a small splash of sweetness in the middle but the aftertaste is way too bitter for me.

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.

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.

650 ml bottle from the church, served at cellar temperature in a tulip glass. AP08/08 (misplaced this one!).

App.: Medium copper, clear, so-so off-white head. Aroma: Tangy, some piney hops, some caramel, sort of fruity and woody and earthy, a touch spicy. Palate: Medium body and medium-low carbonation, a bit syrupy. Flav.: More grapefruit hops, less pine, a fair hit of caramel and fruit, a touch earthy and woody, a bit peppery; off-dry, decent bitterness.

Decent IPA, not quite Imperial, not quite worth $10.

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.

Aroma is full on citrus hops, big malt, copper, small tan head. Flavour is a burst of citrus, decent malt backing, with a hint of apple and cinnamon. Full bodied, very well balanced, sweet, bitter and bold. Great example.