Arcadia Hopmouth Double IPA

Muddy brown with fair, creamy beige head / Dry pine and citrus nose / Medium body, some sweetness, malty, but with good hop balance, and good finish / Flavors of dry pine, grapefruit, malt, cocoa, and caramel / If my notes are to be believed, this beer has improved radically since last year.

Poured a dark golden color with a large off white head that left nice lacing on the glass. Aroma of pine, floral hops, grass clippings, and some caramel malts. Taste of caramel malts up front, pine, citrus fruits, tobacco, and a touch of alcohol to round it all out.

Draft, sample @ David Copperfield’s in NYC. Courtesy of super cool beer manager/bartender Joey. Pours gold with a big off whitehead. Light hoppy nose. Tastes more like an IPA not an impy. Ok but its a sheep in wolf’s clothing.

Been a while since I had a double. This one pours a dark copper color with a thick, creamy and lasting white head. Pine needles and peppermint aroma. Medium bodied, carbonation is good. Big on hops but one-dimensional. Piney, resinous hops throughout. Malt profile is a bit rough, some caramel. Seems stronger than 8%. A midwest version of a northwest standard. Respectable.

Aroma of fruit salad, melons, peaches. Thin body with powerful piney hops bitterness and a resiny finish. Could use a bit more malt, tastes too thin.

22 oz. bottle from Family Liquors, Homewood. Home late at night – Watching Sox pull rug out from under Mariners, followed by Elvis Night singers and fireworks – can’t stop talking like a Paul Newman Spaghetti Sauce label - Need a ig bottle of beer when I get home, ’cause only $6 Lites at ballpark – grab this one – pours big foamy head, deep copper IPA body – smell still has nice big hop, but it’s just starting to get stale. Definite big hop taste. Fresh hops still involved, some northwest pine, with humus and white pepper, and just plain bitterness. Large alcohol tally from lots of malts. This one’s pretty rough and could never be a newbie’s gateway beer. But hop heads will want to paste this stamp in their albums. I’d suggest trying this after its aged somewhat (date code on the label’s side is not notched), though that may lose a lot of the fresh hop taste that gives it its initial oomph.

Deep gold with a large, off white head that contained many large bubbles. It was translucent. My first reaction was of strong malt and mouth drying hops. The hops are heavy but the malt is strong enough to balance it out. This is a BIG beer. The hops linger long into the aftertaste.

22oz bomber $5.49 Binny’s Willowbrook Hopmouth pours a very dark orange, bordering on garnet, but glows when held to the light. Slightly hazy with clumped groups of rising carbonation. Two finger ivory head formed on the pour and stayed put becoming dense and craggy over time but without receding. Leaves thick drink line lacing after each sip. Great looking head but the body is a little too hazy. Smells of lightly toasted grains with a solid helping of caramel throughout. Mild vegetal aroma but it’s surprisingly not a turn of, reminiscent of celery. Big grassy hops with a squeeze or two of grapefruit juice. Alcohol vapors tickle the nose as it warms. Biscuity and caramel malts start things off and are quickly followed by a quick wave of alcohol. A grassy hop bitterness washes over the tongue along with hints of grapefruit and pine needles. The caramel makes an appearence again on the swallow. Good flavorful IIPA. Medium body that becomes airy and creamy when it hits the tongue. Moderate carbonation with a solid bitterness. Easy drinking enjoyable IIPA. My glass is disappearing far to quickly. Good solid IIPA. Balanced but with big waves of malt followed by big waves of hops. My first encounter with Arcadia Ales and I wouldn’t hesitate to venture back. 7/21/07