dolemite77 (184), Maryville, Tennessee, USA Apr 19, 2008 The fresh hops add the floral/piney/earthy note you would expect, but not as "bad" bitter as hoppy beers can be. It is is a light fresh bitter. As a self-confessed hop head, this is different than I expected. More grassy and earthy than the usual super hopped offerings. A well balanced beer with a strong malt base. As with most beers that have dried hops, pellet hops, etc, this one has much more hop character, but not as much hop presence as some hoppier beers. With some of SN’s beers going a bit downhill as they become more mainstream, this one takes it back to the roots of good craft beer. Doppelganger (1353), Dry County, Arkansas, USA Apr 13, 2008 Bottle from Alaskanwarren, shared with Fin, Loz and Traci at our American beer tasting night. Copper, nice tan head with maybe a touch of green. (Maybe my imagination.) Fresh green bright hop aroma, a bit of the smell of wild marijuana trampled underfoot, almonds. Soft manderine orange flavor, warm and sweet. Once I taste the orange, I smell them too. Quite a lot of pith, a little agressive to begin with, but blends in a bit after a few sips. Very lively, and a much more funky sort of beer than SN usual brews. A little bit unrefined in that way, but tons of good flavor and a really interesing beer. Thanks Brian! Goodgrief (1147), Middletown, Delaware, USA Apr 13, 2008 Pour was pale copper with thick lumpy head and great lacing. Aroma was soapy citrus. The flavor was sweet bready malt with a perfect level of citrus and some earthy hop. A full and creamy mouthfeel made this an enormous pleasure to drink. A top notch IPA, to be sure. Fin (3385), Merton, Oxfordshire, England Apr 13, 2008 Bottle shared with Casey, Tracey and Loz at a great American tasting evening 11-04-08 hosted by Casey and Tracey, cheers mate! Wonderfull hoppy aroma leaps out at yer’ much as you would expect really I suppose, but with a nice freshly cracked sweet nuttiness as well. Has a lazy persisting tanginess to this and there is a stubborn bitterness which whilst ok at first becomes a bit unwlecome. The hoppy bitter bite forces through and this beer looks very good lest I forget to mention it’s appearance, amber clear and with a white bouncy head. This beer may have fared a little better maybe if it had not been sampled in such a quality line-up of beers. A nice beer from Sierra Nevada but it could have been even better. ante (2904), Stockholm, Sweden Apr 11, 2008 Bottled. Pours out in a hazy amber colour topped with a rich and long-lasting white foam. Rich and really resinous hop aroma with notes of flowers and guava fruit. Medium-bodied with strong notes of resin and flowers, hints of grass and Seville oranges. Clean mouthfeel, bordering to streamlined. Resinous hops in the finish, hints of wet grass and almonds. Certainly not bad but I expected more bittering hops from this one. AmEricanbrew (1747), Louisiana, USA Apr 8, 2008 Glowing amber with a fleeting head. Nice pine forest sweet hop aroma. Good taste with a smooth malt sweetness meshed nicely with an oily hop resin flavor to finish, very nice. 11167 anders37 (4516), Malmö, Sweden Apr 8, 2008 Bottle. Pours a clear amber color with a longlasting off-white head. Has a fresh hoppy resin aroma with lots of grapefruit. Sweetish malty fresh hoppy grassy flavor with hints of grapefruit. Dry malty hoppy finish with some grassy hints and a bitter aftertaste. ruggedman (613), Portland, Maine, USA Apr 7, 2008 Yum! Very nice hop bite from the brewery that introduced me to hops. Westcoast style flavor and aroma with a nice caramel-toffee malt balance.
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