EithCubes (1756), Indiana, USA Jul 16, 2008 Long awaited bottle via MrBendo - thanks! With the XI just released, time to visit the X. Still has a giant caramel and citrus aroma, some pine and just a huge smack of malt. Touch of booze showing but only the kind that makes me salivate. Deep amber-copper body with a yellow-tinged beige head. Taste is set to hop overload , very bitter with a bit of resin atop the caramel. Big, brawny earthy pine and grapefruit. Hops have sagged a bit with age (they don’t have the usually lustrous FFF punch) but the alcohol seems to have mellowed and the overall taste is somewhat blended. Some nice peach/apricot accents. Medium-full body. Alcohol isn’t at all an issue here, I had to forcibly slow myself from chugging due to sheer glee. In the same genre as Dreadnaught, though not the same class. darn1207 (195), Tallahassee, Florida, USA Jul 11, 2008 bottle from Marino’s in Toledo. Thanks to K’s mom for bringing it down. dark orange pour with a small head that disappears quickly. lots of thin bubbly lacing that looks like soap suds. big aroma of hops, honey, citrus, pine and flowers. as everyone seems to be saying - definitely resembles a DIIPA. sweet caramel malts and alcohol up front. grapefruit and light dry hop finish - but tangy. clean slightly slick mouthfeel with a good amount of carbonation. a little bit all over the map, but high quality nonetheless. K-8 Pastor (232), Maine, USA Jul 9, 2008 Bottle poured into a sniffer produced a fingers worth of white head that turned to lace on top of a hazy tan body
Aromas of caramel malts and a nice hop profile as well the citrus and pine is really noticeable
The taste of hops comes to the front then it is followed by the nice malt sweetness to balance it out
Medium mouthfeel with enough carbonation to keep it interesting slightly sticky
Great bottle I got it from some great BA but it has been in the cellar for a while so I can’t remember who. I spilt it with my brother in law and we fought over the last drop great drinkability, would love to get my hands on more
abcfan (138), USA Jul 7, 2008 Thanks bu11zeye! Pours a dark amber orange with very little head. Aroma is dark fruit and caramel. Medium body on tongue, very slick with little carbonation. Warms yu up in a hurry, alcohol very present throughout. Nice brew. Bigsilky (224), North Carolina, USA Jul 6, 2008 Orange amber hue, gossamer foam. Fresh evergreen and citrus rind. Medium body on the palate and a wave of hops with a passive malt presence. Layered hop complex, which one should expect from this concern. Smell and Taste are one. The nectar smells piney, fresh, and bitter, as does the palate feel, and the lingering hop finish agrees. The malt has no solo but builds the stage expertly. Slightly boozey at first, the coat comes off and the dress reveals much. Well done.
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