4.1 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20 Pigfoot (2267) - Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA - OCT 7, 2004
Appearance: nice, hazy orange hue, with a thin, though durable off-white head. Aroma: a hophead’s delight! The primal stuff: pine resin, spruce, like rooting through a fresh forest, with citric tones, grapefruit, and some pineapple, a whiff of apricot as well.
Taste: MMMmmm! Great, big, buzz of hops greet the lips and grazes the palate, tingling and very tasty. Malt is in excellent supply, too, provides a sweet undertone that nicely meets the big hoppiness. Rich and sweet, is the tone carries the day for this beer, I’d say. The hops mellow and match the malt, and it becomes a finely drinkable thing. The vigorous flavor never quits, though, and the brew plays favorably among the palate.
This was descibed to me as an imitation Masala Mama (Minneapolis Town Hall’s renowned IPA, as if you didn’t know), it’s wannabe kid sister, by beermatrix when he graciously gave this growler to me. And he got it pegged, this is a really admirable stab at a big, hoppy IPA, though it doesn’t quite meet the Mama on the same playing field. Close, though,and it would definitely be my chose among their beers, when it is available.
3.4 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20 JK (3506) - Uptown, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA - JAN 11, 2004
Named after the St. Paul winter carnival held only a few blocks away. The waiter said it was like Killians, but it isn't even close. This heavily hopped apa has fruit and floral aromas, with flavors of bitter hops and sour fruit. A good surprise.
3.8 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20 beermatrix (1497) - Twin Cities, Minnesota, USA - JUL 1, 2003
Holy smoke this was a fairly hoppy IPA. This thing took forever for me to finish. I liked it alot, but the ABV% was diffenately high cuz it always warmed after the swallow and had a strong tangy bitterness from the super amount of hops obviously used. Although the color was a weaker copper color then most IPA's it had the impressive cask head retention. It had an incredible smooth bite that was very strong, lightly peachy citrus and lemon, light pine, medium fatness, and pretty fresh, sip it, sip it good. I can't imagine what this stuff would do if served any colder, I think it would be like licking the back of one of those acid frogs. Good smooth feel with a medium body. Not a bad IPA, easily balanced goodness with this one.
4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20 jazz88 (2396) - San Francisco, California, USA - DEC 22, 2002
Tap. Full silver copper color with a white head. Big hop aroma. Bitter and lots of vine. This was one of the few beers of the night that Nuffield and I had a serious divergence of opinion.
2.8 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 4/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 9/20 Nuffield (3090) - Roseville, Minnesota, USA - DEC 22, 2002
Hazy, deep amber, retaining some lace. Floral nose, something candy-like in the flavor with bitterness and a celeriac aftertaste.
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