 dkachur (890), Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
Jul 13, 2008
22 oz. bottle.. phenomenal extra from BrianK. My review from cvillebeergeek.blogspot.com...
A massive thanks to trading partner Brian of West Orange, New Jersey who apparently felt that the really good extras he included with the main part of our trade weren’t enough, so he sent a second box with this gem a week later. Also, this just happens to be my 600th beer rating.
Appearance: Beautiful reddish-orange color with a medium sized head. The head does disappear rather quickly, leaving little specks of lacing. The head does stick around as a thin film on the top of the beer that creeps just slightly up the sides of the glass. Slight haze and vigorous carbonation. 3.75/5.0.
Aroma: Very appropriate IPA aroma... floral, citrus and pine hop notes with a sweet background. Not terribly complex, but very pleasant. 4.0/5.0
Taste: Nicely complex taste. It hits me as sweet, bitter, sweet bitter with the sweetness having a honey-like quality juxtaposed with a strong citrus hop bitterness. I am reminded of lemonheads candy. Maybe the slightest vegetal note. Very nice. 4.0/5.0
Mouthfeel: The carbonation gives this a lively feel. Bitterness and sweetness balance fairly well. The beer has a slightly viscous feel and the alcohol is absolutely hidden. 4.5/5.0
Drinkability: Bitter, sour, sweet, but absolutely smooth and approachable. It’s not perfectly balanced, but every aspect of this beer stays relatively in check with the others. It’s not cheap (Brian paid $8.99 for this somewhere in Jersey), but 22 ounces is absolutely no problem, and is a very pleasant experience. 4.5/5.0
Overall: This is a top-notch IPA, in the league of anything Stone, Bell’s or Russian River can produce. A joyful experience, and a worthy 600th rating.
AndrewKScott (407), Lemont, Illinois, USA
Oct 9, 2008 22 oz bottle from JimboWood, thanks Jimbo! Pours a murky dark orange with a huge, fluffy, white, rocky head. Aroma is piney, citrusy and floral, with a bit of honey and spice. Flavor has a great hop bite balanced with the nice sweet malt. The hops in this brew are incredibly flavorful. It has the same bitter bite as two-hearted, but so much more flavor. It’s comparable, and maybe better. Another IPA that I wish I could get all the time, but sadly, can’t.
dogfish120love (78), west hartford, Connecticut, USA
Oct 6, 2008 Thanks Hellbilly.Thick white rocky foamy head, murky orange. Smells extremely hoppy, orange zest, spices and I can almost smell the bitterness. The coloration after completely settling is a little on the brown side for an ipa and is almost a light ice tea like color. Tastes very bitter, orange, and really hoppy. The bitterness created by the hops masks the alcohol and lingers for quite some time.
nqualls (422), Tennessee, USA
Oct 6, 2008 Bottle. Poured a hazy gold/orange with a three finger whitish head. Aroma of citrus hops, with pine notes as well. Flavor had a well balanced malt taste, supported by citrus and a pine finish. Medium/full body with good carbonation.
ironchefscott (246), long beach, California, USA
Oct 5, 2008 a great ipa...peter really did a great job
Much better than most regular production ipas...I think i only like the blind pig better.....
nbutler11 (215), Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Oct 4, 2008 Pours a hazu orange color from the bottle with loads of carbonation and an obnoxious off-white head of creamy foam. Smells mildly of hops which build in the flavor along with notes of citrus and salt. Awfully bitter on the finish, but highly drinkable in the AleSmith tradition.
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