 Heathen (502), Riverside, New Jersey, USA
Jul 6, 2008
THOUGHTS: I had this before I joined ratebeer and finally found it again to rate. A really nice beer, but run of the mill DIPA. This was probably the first DIPA I ever had. It turned me on to the style, but I’ve found so many that are better since then. Fairly nice balance, but still a little cloying in the sweetness and the transition isn’t great.
TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a medium to dark orangy amber that was clear then cloudy when the yeast was added. It had a large, off-white head that mostly lasted and left excellent lacing. The aroma was moderate caramel malt, moderate to heavy pine, grapefruit and orange hops, which were the most dominant, and a slight band-aid or solvent aroma. The initial flavor was moderately sweet and bitter, and lightly acidic; while the finish was moderately sweet and acidic, and heavily bitter with a long duration. There was caramel malt and then pine and citrus hops. The medium body was syrupy with lightly fizzy carbonation and a light alcoholic and slightly metallic finish.
Brigadier (885), Chagrin Falls, Ohio, USA
Aug 23, 2008 22 oz bottle
This was an over the top unbalanced imperial IPA. I’ve had it for a few months in the fridge. I don’t think that caused it to go off the rails so much. Other beers in the style seem to hold up well in the same conditions. Thanks to whomever bonused it. However unless the other Reaper Ales are brewed better I’m not going to revisit this brewery.
Aroma / Appearance - A billowing two finger head surged above a carbonated bronze body. Orange peels, lemon and pine blasted the dust out of my nose. Strongly hopped this was about as extreme as it can get. Somewhere in the debris field was a trace of maltiness.
Flavor / Palate - The bitterness overwhelms any other aspects of the flavor profile. It is strong enough that I even got tea dregs at one point. A one dimensional hop bomb I ended up leaving half the bottle alone. If I had another one I would just age it until it turned into a mellow barleywine. Perhaps then it would be more drinkable.
AmEricanbrew (919), Left Coast, Louisiana, USA
Aug 6, 2008 Clear amber with a tan head. Mild aroma is sweet caramel with piney hops. Medium body. Flavor mirrors the smell with sweet caramel dashed with a pine and alcohol bitterness. Probably better to drink a fresh Sleighor
JB175 (1325), Holland, Pennsylvania, USA
Aug 5, 2008 Darker amber pour with a med-lg head. Aroma is thick with piney/citrus/tropical fruit hops and some big, sugary malts. Flavor is sugary, sweet, and sticky with the hops pushed a bit too much to the background. Still quite tasty. Nice DIPA overall.
J_DUB (168), Beautiful Pasadena, California, USA
Aug 3, 2008 rich copper/amber hus with a soft fluffy off white head. Earthy hop flavor up front with a lingering sweet candy hop after taste. lightly hopped in my opinion for a double ipa.
RCL (1002), Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Jul 20, 2008 Beautiful pour. Mango skin aroma. Slightly boozy, piney hops with more not-quite-ripe mango flavor.
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