A: Clear gold amber. Delicate white foam that quickly disaptes.
S: Big piney malt. In my mind's eye I see sticky hop oils floating in the brew vat. The fruity nose finishes with pineapple and maybe light grapefruit. Scent says buckle your seatbelt.
T: Like biting into a hybrid new fruit called grapefruitypineappleyorange. I admit there's pine notes but not in a obtrusive way. The big malt sweetness totally held in check by a very cool hop profile. A perfect mouthfeel for the brew, semi-thick without being over the top.
O: A really good Imperial IPA. I love the palate of fruit flavors. And like all great beers, the balance is perfect. After a big gulp, the finish of fruit, pine, malt, and alcohol fire is a nice of blend as any beer I've had. It's fresh (brew dated in March 2011) but seemed to be small supply in Chicago, find this quickly.
Pours clear with four inches of thick, fluffy, white foam. A very appealing beer to the eye.
The aroma is all hops, baby. Piney hops is the winner with some citrus undertones. Sweetness from the malt are also evident.
The taste starts off with some sweet malt, followed by a middle of some floral and then finishes big with the piney hops. A big hop bomb that does a really great job balancing the flavors so the bitterness doesn't overwhelm.
Medium carbonation and body. Nicely balanced for such a big hop bomb. I will be picking up at least one more on my weekly visit to the beer store this Wednesday.
This is a hop lovers wet dream. I am very close to giving this one a 10. I had to control myself not to drink it too fast. Yummy over and over again on the taste buds. Enjoy!