3.8 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
(22oz. bottle) Pours a clear golden body with a small white head. Aroma of pineapple, peach, apricot, ripen banana, and clove. Flavor of pepper, coriander, crisp grassy hops, peach, orange peel, and Belgian yeast.
3.9 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
UPDATED: MAY 11, 2013 22oz from WeeHeavySD - thanks, Jon! Lovely pour recalls typical Stone vibrant, yeasty orange brews. Nice creamy head and an appealing aroma of yeasty esters and tropical fruits with a bit of spice. The name does seem appropriate. It’s less hop-dominant than I was expecting, or at the very least has a different hop profile than one is accustomed to - take that, Stone haters. Not a typical banana and clove (blah blah) concoction but something like mild mango and grapefruit in there, nice and mellow rather than overpoweringly sweet. But what’s really appreciated is not only the subdued and well balanced flavors but the pleasant dry finish. A real treat.
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
BBF 08. Pours a nice slightly hazy golden with a fluffy tight head and some lacing. Aroma is very floral- pungent hops- a bit citrusy- and your typical Belgian yeast-american hop aroma that you get from all these belgian IPAs now- but this one is done well and the aroma is very refined and big. Flavor is cleanish and refined as well, but there is still lots of clean peppery and lemony phenolics with tons of grapefruit and citrusy hops- nice doughy bready malt backbone and a dryish finish that you don’t get with the 080808 or the Mikkeller Alesmith collaboration. Really well done.
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
Sample @ BBF 08, Boston. Pours a hazy gold with a lacy white head. Aroma is banana, floral hops, and Belgian yeast. Flavor is quite interesting, with vanilla, banana, candy sugar, and clove up front, dissolving into a wonderful hop bite that’s enhanced by the Belgian yeast. It’s a unique offering and quite a beer.
3.9 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
UPDATED: JAN 3, 2009 Has both the bitter spike from good hoppage, and a clovey floral bouquet. Pours golden with white head. Aroma is bananas. Flavor is sweet, but not cloyingly - ends on a bitter finish. SECOND ANALYSIS: What is it with the Belgian IPA and the Clove flavor? Le Freak by GF has this - I will check my Urthel Hop It and Piraat to make sure they don’t all have this.
3.7 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
bottle, thanks to bu11zeye, color of apple cider, head is quite still, nose of fortified peaches, flavor is peach also with a floral clove background
3.4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
Courtesy of ibrew2or3.
Pours copper/amber, white head.
Aroma is hoppy, yeasty, very floral.
Taste sweet floral hops, light caramel malts and the good use of Belgian yeast with the Stone-Cali hops.
A tasty IPA, not overwhlemed by hop bitterness. Nothing groundbreaking.
3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
Bottle courtesy of Ibrew2or3. Pours a clear copper with a large off-white head that leaves good lacing. Aroma is citrus hops and Belgian yeast fruity esters fighting each other to come through with some sweet malt in the background. Taste is the same as aroma. Medium mouthfeel with a moderate amount of bitterness. Interesting and good but I prefer the regular IPA.
4 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Poured a golden amber color with a small, white head that left nice lacing on the glass. Aroma of vanilla, citrus fruits, floral hops, pine, orange peel, toasted malts, and light spices. Taste of citrus fruits, caramel malts, light toast, spices, vanilla, and a grapefruit, hop finish. Much different than the standard Stone IPA.
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
22oz bottle acquired in trade with WeeHeavySD (thanks!). Poured a medium and clear amber color with an averaged sized off white head. Aromas of fruitiness (bananas), vanilla, citrus, spicy, and I was getting some coconut. Lot going on in that aroma. Tastes of pine, floral, spicy, fruity, and citrus. The hops were there, but if I had this blind, I would have pegged this as a Belgian Ale or a Triple vs. an IPA (although the hops were definitely there).
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