McKenzie VuuVe XXxXX

[Pre Dry-Hop - 9/10/05] Poured a hazy amber color with a medium sized, creamy, off white head that left nice lacing on the glass. Aroma of pine, resin, grassy hops, tropical fruits, spices and caramel malts. Taste of grapefruit, more spices, juicy Styrians, lots of pine (tasted like a christmas tree!), with nice sweet malt to balance everything out, and finishing with just a little alcohol. Near perfect, best version I tasted.
[Post Styrian Dry Hop - 10/8/05] Hops come out in full force, and I think they dominate... perhaps a bit too much, leaving an intense bitterness on the tongue.
[Tap at the brewpub - 12/3/05] Piney nose, citrusy hops, and tons of spices. The dry-hopping has subsided a bit, making this still one of my favorite IIPAs, though I did have to drop the score a point.
Conclusion: This a serious fucking beer! This can certainly compete with the best double IPAs in the world, hands down

You know a beer is great when Doc Lock knowingly allows it to raise his BAC to potentially illegal levels with an hour left of a drive home from North Carolina, without a designated driver. The pour was turbid dark straw/honey colored, with a 2-finger off-white head. The aroma was huge, with funky hopcitric notes up front, and floral spices and fruity tartness backing it up. The flavor was very complex, and the palate was dense, like nectar of the gods. The taste was extremely floral, spicy, and hoppy, with big back up malts and citrus. The hops are gigantic, but they don’t overpower because the funky floral spicy malts pound your papillae just as relentlessly, which all adds up to a big and assertive yet deceptively well balanced libation. This one at various times reminded me of a tripel, a saison, and a dash of Midas Touch and Heavyweight spicy saison. Kudos to Mckenzie for producing this beer. Now they just need to bottle it.

Sampled off the secondary at the brewpub. Please note the I was one of the 5 X’s (not the little x) that helped Scott Morrison brew this beer.I am his friend but the only thing clouding my judgement of this magnificent creation is the beer itself. My sample was topped with a lovely two layer head, the lower being a full 1/2" of tight creamy goodness over which a 1/4" ring of larger playful bubbles resided The color is a blinding fireball summer sunset, light on the edges and dense thru the middle. Althought listed as an American DIPA look east across the great Atlantic for that quintessential McKenzie Belgian aroma and spiciness. My nose was fooled at first with this cold sample. A familiar west coast citrus aroma emerges but as the beer warmed wonderous fresh hay, barnyard, and sweaty aromas billow from the glass in a truely hypnotic fashion. I found it difficult to take the glass from my nose to finally taste the XXxXX. However, I was glad that I did. The tangy citrus hits immediately in the forefront, backed ever so slightly with a refreshing lemon zest. A wave of pine needles follows all held together nicely with that spicy Belgian yeast. Not hot at all for 10% and dangerously silky smooth and drinkable. A half pint left my tongue a buzz and my brain a bit as well. Absolutely another winner from the Dude.

Let’s start by saying I was expecting a west coast IIPA. Well I was pleasantly surprised. Growler thanks to CaptainCougar. Mostly clear golden amber with a small off-white head and thick legs. Aroma was very complex. earthy hops, candy sugar, eastery fruit, spice (clove?) and a touch of alcohol. Some funk started to appear as this warmed. Very nice! Flavor starts sweet with a fair amount of spice (pepper and clove). Hoppy on the finish. Nice warming sensation. Terrific beer.

Sampled at brewpub with some cheesefries. This is a very interesting beer. Pours hazy yellow/gold with a bubbly white head. The nose reminds me of a really hoppy bier de garde. Lots of barnyard funk in the flavor also. The hops come through very clean and crisp with some spices and a tight doughy flavor in the finish. Alcohol masked quite well by the hops.