Growler.Pours a dirty orange,with a thin white head,Aroma is pine,oak,grain and grassy hops. Flavor is kind of a somkey earthy malt character with hints of fruit (peaches) plums,maybe some grapefruit, the hops come in at the end with just the right kick. This was kind of a hard brew to figure out but so tasty ,and I had to drink the whole growler myself Mmmmmmmm. Enjoyable.

12oz Bottle. Ugh. Diacetyl bomb. This smells like a wet dog rolled in rotting newspaper and splattered with 10-year old freezer butter. Stale, dappled with alcohol. Pours a rather dark red-brown, with little carbonation or head. Flavor fights through. A lot of alcohol comes through with a bit of grassy hop dust, celery seeds and plant material. Diacetyl, heavy oxidation and cardboard carry out the rest of the flavor profile. Old malt body gets a touch vinous and is just wrong for a not-that-old IIPA. Pizza sauce and dried tarragon bring up the back. Generally, offensive. Too sweet, too alcoholic, and messier than a two-year old eating pie. This comes across more as a way-over-the-hill barleywine than as a fresh IIPA.

2008 MiBGF: Reddish amber with an okay head. The aroma has notes of catty and resiny hops, pepper, caramel, bready and roasty malts and a bit mineral. The taste starts with a bitter astringent note with a malty backbone, Slightly spicy finish. Strange mouth feel chalky yet sharp. Okay beer, needs crisper hop profile.

(Sampled 7-5-08) On tap at the brewery- transparent light orange/yellow color, thin white head. Aroma of hops and pine. Hits the mouth with a medium body, malt is detectable, some sweetness at the start with hops in the middle and finish. Decent sipper.