2.7 AROMA 5/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 5/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 11/20
On tap at the brewpub. Pours a very cloudy, orange colored body with an amber tint. Thin, creamy, egg shell white head that dissipates slowly and leaves a moderate lacing. Aroma is big on the floral esters and sweet, buttery caramel that gives off a diacetyl bubble gum. Lots of citrus with a pine backing too, but the malts are really throwing me off. Pretty grainy too and this is heavy on the yeast as well. Flavor is similar. Lots of sweet caramels, diacetyl, butter, and bubble gum. I do like the citrus florals and pines on the flavor better, but the malts are pretty distracting. Finishes dry and sweet with a moderate bitterness. Lengthy aftertaste following a medium-full body and soft carbonation. Overall, something is definitely wrong with this one. The hops are nice and the citrus is plentiful, but the buttery bubble gum and diacetyl is bad. This had some drinkable aspects, but needs a lot of work.
3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
Draft at the Normal IL location. Poured a copper color with a compact, foamy/creamy off-white head. Aroma was citrus grapefruit, floral notes, caramel malt notes. Flavor was grapefruit, caramel notes, floral. Biscuit, bready, caramel! Nice, enjoyable.
2.9 AROMA 5/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 5/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20
On tap at the brand new brewpub in Champaign, part of a large tasting flight that I wasn’t even charged for! Not sure if this deserves a new listing since the ABV of the beer I had is only 6.6% and the listed description is totally different from the one listed here. Anyway, it has a medium golden amber appearance, slightly hazy. Aroma has nice citrus hop quality, but there is also a distracting muddy earth quality as well. The Belgian pale ale is a better IPA than this!
3.3 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
Draft at Destihl. Somehow, hadn’t gotten back around to trying this until now. The post 2009 version kicks the original’s ass, easily. Pours a deep bronze, slightly hazed, white head. Nose is spicy and sharply hoppy. Probably some Cascades in their. Somewhat generic nose. On taste, I really wish they would do more to the water because I think it is killing the flavor profile on their beers. Astringent and dry. Quite bitter with malt trying to get through but mineral notes come back. Okay.
3.5 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
on tap-pours a thin white head and dark, slightly hazy amber color. Aroma is light pine hops, light malt. Taste is pine/resin/citrus hops, secondary/some light malt. OK carbonation.
3.5 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
On tap at the brewpub (Bloomington, IL). Pours a glowing amber hue, sunfire beneath, a small offwhite head that dies to a film, laces a bit. Aromas are a more liberal dose of citrusy grapefruit, florals, lemon, caramel, toffee. Initial is a firm hopping, florals and grapefruit mix with a resinous dose of pine, a touch of grass, acidic hops cover up a firm malty caramel and biscuity body beneath that seems lighter, let’s the hops do the work. Lighter bodied and quite drinkable, dry and bitter finish of pine and grapefruit rind acidity. Tasty, improved
3.4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
Had on Feb. 28th, 2010. Pours a copper-orange color with an off-white, bubbly, frothy head that sticks around for a bit. Aroma had a mild piny nose, some citrus, light floral, sweet grainy and mild caramel malt. Good dry hopping nose for this brew. Flavor had a mild toasted malt note, some bitterness but not overpowering, light citrus and ends with a mild earthy hops note. Body is moderately heavy with a clean, slightly dry texture and a lot of lacing. Overall a pretty good brew, hops is at the lower end of the IPA style but the toasted notes do come through nicely.
2.2 AROMA 5/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 3/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 7/20
It’s appropriate enough that this beer was named after a disaster, because that’s what it turned out to be. Loaded with diacetyl -- basically was like drinking liquefied movie popcorn but with hops. In my nearly 15 years of patronizing brewpubs, this is the first time ever that I’ve sent a beer back and demanded a different one.
3.4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
Nose is slight citrus hops with a big malt hint, and this all goes into the flavor. The malt backing is very caramelly with hints of roast.
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