Date: 05/10/2008
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting, Cellar Party

Appearance: hazy amber, wispy beige head,
Aroma: sweet crystal and caramel malt aroma with light floral hops,
Flavor: sweet malt flavor, lots of hop flavor, well balanced earthy bitterness leaves a lingering bitter finish,

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 11/20
Rating: 2.9/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **/4

Hazy amber pour, off-white lasting head. Oily, piney bitter hops dominate the rather subtle and pretty much subdued malts in this vitamin-like aroma. Shy crystal malts get their presence felt, but remain hesitant, not too confident in their positionning as a beefy California sweet offering or as a clean, pale malt oriented Washington State declination. So we’re left with a rather astringent blend, highly mineral and strongly citric, tart and tannic. Tight, astringent body, fading carbonation. They sure got their idea of aromatic hops love through, but I’d expect more backing malts before falling in love.

Pours a slightly hazy copper bronze with a wispy-lacing cream-colored head. Aroma of sweet pale malts and earthy piny hops. Body starts fairly full with a decent amount of resiny bittering hops before a crisp bittersweet finish. Doesn’t quite have the assertive hoppy character of some American IPAs, but is quite balanced.

Any first impressions?
-On a misty glow of orange redness disspates an irregular, milky head of large white bubbles.
-Earth-laden oranges and juicy hop resines welcome the nostrils with honesty and diligence.
-Coniferous bark and fruity caramel lasciviously scrape the tongue, as wet earth swells.
-The slick body offers enough maltiness to support the hop festivities, and competently plays the second violin.

What if you dig deeper?
-The resinous bitterness lingers, evoking tea leaves at times.
-Balance is almost achieved, but this still remains a hop lover’s affair.
-Flower petals grow within the orangey fruitiness.
-This feels bolder than the versions I had tasted before; to me, this has definitely become an American IPA, whereas the previous ones were more towards the English side of things.

From the first bottled batch; not labeled yet!

Juicy citrus and pine along with some caramel in the nose. Hazy burnished orange-copper coloured body is topped by a low, off white head that recedes to a partial cover. Citrus and pine hops are obvious in the flavour though underlying malt character offers little other than caramel. Moderate finishing bitterness. Medium body with decent carbonation. Somewhat unexciting but very drinkable. Sampled on tap (Benelux or Vices et Versa?).