vtafro (452), , New Jersey, USA Jul 20, 2009 Bottle @ the Cuvee de Castleton release. Golden pour. Really nice Imperial IPA. Citrus flavor to combine with the hoppy mainstay of an IPA come together well, hopefully i can find this again. arminjewell (100), Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA Jul 13, 2009 Poured hazy yellow/golden with a lacy white head. Aroma of deep thick hops, perfect for the style. On the palate was a little too thick/oily, but the taste is full of citrus/grapefruit up front with a wonderful floral and bitter finish. Very excellent showing from three floyds! brew4fun (167), West Virginia, USA Jul 12, 2009 Slightly hazy copper-orange pour. Holding the pint glass up to sunlight, the top is orange fading to yellow-gold at the bottom of the glass. Aroma is most definitely tropical fruits. This is gonna be good... One-finger egshell head diminishes to a light blanket rather quickly. There is sticky lacing. The malt is nearly undetectable, except that there is something significant holding up this hop explosion - kind of like universal dark matter. Flavor is a pleasant surprise of massive piney, citrusy hops, silky smooth indeed, with a noticeable but unobtrusive ethanolic heat. I usually rate on the first impression, about 1/3 glass; this just keeps getting better with every sip. Palte is medium full with oily texture (duh), soft carbonation, and relatively clean finish considering the hop level. Aftertaste is brief, yet begging for the next sip. God bless and keep Three Floyds. FlyingTaco (112), Massachusetts, USA Jul 9, 2009 22 oz. (older label?) originally reviewed 3/1/2009. Into a Mason jar.
Pours a copper-honey, quintessential IPA color with a smidge of haze. Small wisps of carbonation rise to the faint remains of a slightly buttery-eggshell-colored 1/2 finger head. Slight lemon hue shines through the translucence of this deal.
Almost perfect balance of abundant floral hoppiness and a mild yet prevalent caramel malt backbone. Sweetness exudes a faint alcohol burn. Citrus hops emerge with the warmth.
This is less of a hop bomb than I expected and that’s by no means a bad thing...everyone needs a little balance in abundance once in a while. Sure, there are a lot of floral, mildly citrus and a bit grassy hops in here with a little twang of grapefruit rind but the malt keeps this more old-school. It provides a viscous husky backbone with a slight butterscotch/caramel sweetness...and a mild...very mild...alcohol burn.
I got no beef with the palate on this - there’s perfect balance between silky hop oils and the natural caramel malt texture. Finish is long, clean...a little viscous and alcoholic...and velvety. "I’m needy...I’m inadequate...I got it all, baby!"
The only reason I haven’t powered this down is because I’m too busy writing of its many virtues. Carbonation gives this enhancement to the citrus notes and extra brightness. A little more classic English notion than today’s hop bombs but to say the least, this is well-crafted and quite enjoyable. AndreasJaeger (101), Helsingborg, Sweden Jul 9, 2009 2008 Bottle @ EBF Denmark -08. Amber with white head. Great aroma of fruit citrus hops. Bitter hoppy fruity in taste. Long bitter finish. Bhops (329), Dallas, Texas, USA Jul 4, 2009 bottle thanks to ilovedarkbeer. Pours amber with white head. Aroma of hops and citrus. Good IIPA, nice malty flavor balances hoppiness. Jblauvs (531), Manchester, New Hampshire, USA Jun 30, 2009 light amber pour, dissipating head. potent citrus grapefruit aroma. a little bit biscuity and bitter in the end. Delving.....Mouth is syrupy, hops penetrate my taste buds. sweet malts and some peach and orange notes are abundant. The citrus hops abound but are matched but the sweet malt. Complex layers of malt, fruit and hops. Fantastic, the hopping doesnt blow me away but the balance between the hop and the malt is perfection. The finish is what seals the deal for me. lingering sweetness and some peach stick on my tongue for what seems an eternity. Epic. oteyj (716), Canterbury, New Hampshire, USA Jun 30, 2009 Dark amber pour with a small off white head. Aroma is riddled with nectar fruits, citrus and some caramel malt. Resinous, piney, floral, and fruity. Every hop facet covered. Flavors are pronounced and defined. Starts with sweet herbal caramel and toffee malt, slowly subsiding into a nectar-like fruity and floral note. Pine spruce and resin take up the very middle of the body. Palate is thick and heavy, sitting on the tongue and refusing to leave. Very dry, very resinous finish. A great example of the style.
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