 Syd (770), Waconia, Minnesota, USA
Mar 10, 2008
Fresh bottle pours slightly hazed red amber with a nice sticky head, decent lace. The aroma is serious resinous hops, pine forest on a fresh spring day, that amber color sticky stuff on the bark of the pine tree, Ruby Red Rio Star Texas Red Grapefruit (in season), ganja, and malt fighting for equality. The flavor is very sweet at first, but then the hops start to perform their wondrous magic and the Maharaja begins to balance the soul. The palate is IIIIPA super rich. Yeah, this is big. The alcohol is so well hidden by the pine. Overall, this is the Avery beer for me. Their best effort IMHO (other than those other Avery beers I rated higher)...
NomDeBeer (172), Maryland, USA
Nov 30, 2008 Aroma is sweet, floral hops and hot alcohol. Pours a beautiful copper red, very clear, with a white head that diminishes quickly. Taste is remarkably smooth for a beer of this strength. Alcohol is not prevalent in the taste, and it is not that bitter either for a DIPA. Sweet caramel, and grassy lemon hoppiness dominate the flavor. Smooth, full-bodied flavor with medium-low carbonation. Enjoyable, but not hoppy enough for the style.
Dango (26), Snekkersten, Denmark
Nov 28, 2008 Nose not as complex or refined as some similar beers, but still great. Looks great in the glass and has a powerful hoppy taste with notes of pine and fruit with some dark roasted nuances. All together a great experience.
0o9i (272), Reno, Nevada, USA
Nov 26, 2008 An expensive 22oz bottle. I’ve also had on tap, and it was superior on tap, but I didn’t write down a rating. Anyways, it’s a beautiful beer with a orange-hued, honey body that is clear and sparkles, topped with an off-white head, rather small, that laces very nicely in large, oddly-shaped patches. Aroma is somewhat harsh with hop oil, pine, floral, sweet malts, something salty and sour, like a sour ale or some sort of brine. Mouth is medium-full with nice, foamy carbonation for a kind of dry, kind of wet finish. Flavor is malty of front with roasted honey, yeast like that of a red ale (bready, chewy), honey-comb, pine, lots of pine//alcohol mix, but it’s rather pleasant and nice. Aftertaste is a bit sour, like dough in the process of rising before cooking, and bitter later on. More of an "east coast" IPA. Very tasty.
onecrazybreeze (21), , Colorado, USA
Nov 20, 2008 Bottle. Poured cloudy orangish yellow. Nose reeked of colombus hops, fruity and piney. Tastes mainly hoppy with sweet, fruity and piney notes, slightly boozy. A personal favorite Imperial of mine.
Nate (2291), Indiana, Pennsylvania, USA
Nov 17, 2008 From bottle. Has a pretty strong hoppy aroma to it, with light apricot nectar and some orange blossom. Good sweetness with some brown sugar and sticky caramel. Dark golden-amber clear, with slight haze, topped with a thin off-white foamy lacing head. Medium heavy watery body, with medium carbonation. Alcohol warming and a bit of carbonic burn. Starts moderately sweet, lasting caramel and fresh apricot nectar. Alcohol and some sticky brown sugar. Quite a hit of fresh grassy hops, juicy with nice bitterness. Has a great balance between malty sweet character and the 102 IBUs of all those juicy hops. Very nice DIPA. Just a bit of oxidation.
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