 Quake1028 (628), Tampa, Florida, USA
Mar 24, 2008
<b>Rating #600!!!</b>
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22oz bomber via South Bay Drugs. Gorgeous amber/rust combo comes out of the bottle, topped by a medium sized white head. Mostly lasting, the head leaves a thick edging ring of foamy bubbles once it does vanish, along with some nice coats of sheet lacing. Tons of carbonation bubbles race to the top of the liquid from the bottom of my snifter. Great looking beer. On the nose we have copious amounts of ruby red grapefruits, oranges, tangerines, lemon zest, pine cones, fresh cut grass and caramel hops. Fore is immensely and unforgivably bitter and astringent. Wow, I wasn’t ready for that level of bite. Had to sit it down and come at it again with a different mindset. One of the biggest straight off hop bombs I have tasted. Past that we have huge amounts of grapefruit, oranges, ripe citrus fruits, lemon zest, grass, caramel and pine. This thing must have a ton of hop resin, I’m sure, and it comes through instantly in the mouthfeel. Oily, slick, coating, everything you want in a IIPA. Towards the back end of the palate and into the finish, a crushed aspirin/metallic note rears up that becomes somewhat disconcerting considering every other facet of this beer is so well done. I almost think it can’t be helped with the amount of hops in this thing. In the end, it knocks down the flavor score from a 9 to an 8, because even if it is unavoidable, it is still there, and still unpleasant to my palate. Finish is bitter and drying, super lengthy, tons of resiny hops and citrus fruits, then some malt sweetness, then just a wave of bitterness that is almost indefinite. A few months in my fridge did nothing to this beer that I can see, it’s a freaking hop monster, and I love it for it.
17thfloor (807), Chicago, Illinois, USA
Nov 30, 2008 [Admittedly not the freshest bottle] Pours a really clear sugary looking brown/orange with a small bubbly head. Love the aroma, sugary toasted pineapple, some grapefruit and honey, light pine/resin. Sugared grapefruit first taste, some toastiness, and lots of bitter resin. Long lasting bitter finish. Medium body, sugary, with low carbonation.
BeerandBlues2 (2630), Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
Nov 30, 2008 Bottle. WOW! Pours hazy orange with a small, fizzy, white head, mostly diminishing with spare lacing. Aroma is heavy malt (bread, grain, meal), heavy hops (flowers, perfume, pine, citrus), average yeast (sweat) with notes of apple and pear. Full bodied, creamy texture, lively carbonation, and a bitter finish. Long duration, light sweetness, moderate acidity, and heavy bitterness.
JohnnyJ (721), Oceanside, California, USA
Nov 30, 2008 Pours a bright clear gold/orange with fluffy head. Bitter piney hops, resinous, grapefruit, floral, hints of spice, and bready malt. Somce caramel, and this beer is cleaner and easier to drink then expected. Very good.
satan165 (166), River Grove, Illinois, USA
Nov 29, 2008 dark red, small but present head. nose is underwhelming but has a unique note similar to bubble gum. flavor is again unique -- typical resins are present but along side the same strange fruity note from the nose -- sweet but slightly sour, reminiscent of grapefruit, not your typical citrus. not nearly as syrupy as most IIPAs: i dont mind that coating mouthfeel and definitely expect it, its absence is in itself a daring and interesting step by the brewers. alcohol seems subdued but the slight delayed burn and immediate relaxation remind me that this is in the double digits. this is one of the most unique IIPAs ive had.
DuffMan (2139), Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Nov 28, 2008 On tap at The Local in San Diego. Very hazy orange with a creamsicle head that coats the glass. Ridiculously massive aroma of fruity and resinous hops. Heavy silky mouthfeel, sweet chewy malts with a crazy abundance of hoppy goodness providing an assertively bitter finish. Wow! Awesome!
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