Fitgers Skyline Imperial Pale Ale

Brewed by Fitgers Brewhouse
Style: American Strong Ale
Duluth, Minnesota USA

Serve in Snifter, Trappist glass

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A nice beer to finish a meal with. It is strong in flavor as well as alcohol. Plenty of hop to hold it together.

Pours a very hazy amber gold, with about an inch and a half of soft white suds. The head dies down in short order to a thin ring around the edge of the glass. As I happily drain the glass, I enjoy a whole lotta lacing. Good bitter hoppy aroma. Even though the hops predominates, I will start with the malt. Nice and sweet, some caramel, light brown sugar, fig, and a subtle wild rice presence. I also found that wild rice flavor in Fitgers’ Misty Mountain IPA - a bit less in Skyline than in Misty Mountain. I don’t know what ingredient or combination of ingredients causes that, but whatever it is, I love it. Bring it on! OK, now the hops. Strong piney/citrus hops up front, with spicy/floral hops coming up behind. Finishes with a blend of all the above, quite bitter and absolutely delicious. Softly carbonated, very smooth drinking. Full bodied, especially in the aftertaste where the malt clings to your tongue for a second, only to be attacked and dissolved by that wonderful hop bitterness and some hot alcohol. The hop flavor lingers. The alcohol heads straight to the brain.

Cask. Pours a hazed ruby orange with some ambe tinge. A gelatinous cask head of quivering lemon merangue tops. Candy-like resin and floral aroma, light oranges and tangy lime juics. Flavor is a gentle oakiness, blended with some reserved mellow outward hoppiness and a good kick of diacetyl butterscotch. Some quiet creaminess and a hint of raw grain. Palate is hop dry and grassy. Decen.t

Amber/Orange Coloring with White Skin. Nice Citrusy and Floral Hop Notes on the Nose. Solid Dry Hop Impy Brew with Some Ctirus in the Background. Crisp, Dry Finish, and Very Easy to Drink. Quite Nice.

Copper color with a medium head. Aroma of pine and flowers. Very bitter and dry taste with ample amounts of wood and pine. Ridiculously smooth, especially coming from a growler. Damn tasty.

GABF 2004: Pours a clear golden with a thinly lacing white head. Strange piney hoppy aroma with hints of fabric softener sheets and a touch of pale malty sweetness. Starts mildly candy sweet turning more grapefruity and bitter toward the semi-dry finish. An interesting, fresh-tasting, crisp strong ale.

From a growler, filled right up to the very brim! Pours out a hazy, deep orange hue, with a good, 1/4" layer of creamy film with definite staying power, never left the glass. Nice hops in the aroma, with plenty of maltiness, as well. There’s a blended fruity factor, with nothing sticking out, a nice mix of berries, apples, strawberries, and distinct caramel undertones. i like this unique aroma, it’s sweet, but complex. And ever-so tasty! A pale ale that surpasses the usual in maltiness, in hops, and in alcohol, and attitude. This is an active ale, shall we say, has a lot going on, and I like that! Flavor never ends and looms large on the palate, just coats the senses and takes over. Thick mouthfeel, and just a shade away from cloying. An unusual take on a pale ale, that’s for sure, quite an uncommon drink, but one I can truly appreciate, and it’s certainly not for everybody! I have a hard time giving it a rating, for it’s so one of a kind, (though I know there other entries in the Imperial Pale Ale field, I won’t address that at this time), I must say that I can imagine returning to this again and again, from time to time. this is also my first full sample of Fitger’s beer, all the other having been small samples at festivals.

On cask - Clearish off-gold yellow color with a finger high white head of tight whipped froth and tons of globby thick ink blot lacing. Aroma is super nice and soft with a playful hoppyness, amazingly complex but soft. Very flowery with good amounts of resin, well rounded citrus, super fresh cut pine and hay thats really interesting. Aromatic!! Lovely! It even has a nice touch of warming alcohol in there. But the soft complexity of this nose is just crazy nice! Taste has the alcoholic warmth right upfront, quite a boost at first and was served as one of the warmest cask beers I've come across so that really added to it I think. The hops are extremely mellow on the palate, very soft and delicate. Almost too much so, where they'd go? At first it seems the hops mix a little weirdly with the alcoholic warmth this has but after about half the glass this became a wonderful treat. The hoppyness seemed to end abruptly at first in a loft of nothingness but seemed to gain as you continue on. Soft pine, flowers, and playfully rounded grapefruit pops at the finish kinda late which made a nice effect. Overall this was very warming with just enough hoppyness to make it interesting. Feel has a nice and easy mellow cask feel and texture thats touching on fluffy. A big time warmer with soft subtle hops, kinda different, a strange twist on a pale ale, but pretty enjoyable. Did I say it was warm? Cozy...