4.3 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Draft. I don’t rate IPA’s much higher than this one, its not my style but this one is exceptional, I found it to be very close to Pliny the Elder. High praise indeed. Pours a mostly clear dark amber with a decent fluffy head that lasts for a long damn time. As I was drinking this it left striking lacing along the glass. Gorgeous beer. Nose is tons of grapefruit and vanilla with a dash of caramel. Taste starts of very fruity and slightly oaky the explodes into a intense but not harsh bitterness. Very smooth despite its high ABV and IBU’s. Finishes with intense piney hops that fades into a smooth vanilla afternote. Complex and brilliant. Matt really knows what he is doing.
3.5 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
Tap. Moderate malt and hop notes of roasted, caramel and grapefruit, light soap for the yeast, with hints of wood and pepper. Head is large, frothy off-white, with good lacing and is mostly lasting. Color is clear light amber/orange. Flavor starts lightly sweet and acidic, then the long finish is lightly acidic and heavily bitter. Palate is medium, oily, with a soft carbonation and a moderately astringent finish. A smooth start and a sharp bite in the finish makes this a very unique and enjoyable IPA. If this has got 8% ABV, why is it not considered a DIPA?
3.6 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
Draft... Hazy orange ale with a mid-sized, fluffy, white head. Good retention. The earthy, musky nose offers up notes of pink grapefruit, leather, pine and caramel or toffee. Lots of Amarillo and Centennial hops jump out of the glass and into my olfactory system. Medium to full-bodied with a tannic mouthfeel and lively carbonation. Leans on the bitter side of balance, but so very drinkable... deceptively so. No hint or prevue of the relatively high ABV. Crisp, snappy, lightly bitter finish. I’ll be burping pine sap for hours. Nice offering. This brew master really “gets it!”
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