BrewDog Hardcore IPA

Brewed by BrewDog
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Date: 06/05/2008
Mode: Bottle
Source: Ale Atlanta

Appearance: hazy dark yellow, wispy white head, webs of lace,
Aroma: sweet fruity malt aroma with nice floral hops,
Flavor: sweet malt flavor, nice fruityness, lots of floral and earthy hops, touch of citrus, nice spicyness, sweet butterscotch balances the hops and gives it an English quality, light bitterness rises out of the hop flavor and leaves a long bitter finish,

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 12/20
Rating: 3.2/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **+/4

Hazy straw and sort of flat-looking. Earthy, citrusy, woody hop nose with light pale malt backing. Moderate bitterness. Very dry, herbal hop character. Some toasty notes and an alcoholic finish.

Blond color, clean; huge head, but no perlage. The aroma is hoppy, very earthy, some manure. Sweet flavor, but without the expected body/malt/toffee; powerful and aromatic hopping, fruity and earthy/grassy. Really different, maybe a bit too pale and sweet (I mean, without the usual body and the adequate toffee balance, but really enjoyable for the lovers of the style (as I am).

Hazy amber with tiny short lasting head. Sweet hoppy aroma with fruity notes. Sweet flavor with strong hoppy notes, caramel and peach. Powerfull bitter finish.

22.4oz bottle, BB 07/07/09. Small off-white head atop hazy amber body. Aroma is moderately sweet, pineapple, some berry, light bread. Taste is moderately sweet, grapefruit/pineapple, some honey, light alcohol, bread. Kind of seems like hop extract was used. Medium-full body, low carbonation, some acidity.

Cask Handpump from the Main Hall at the Assembly Rooms, Derby Winter Ales Festival 05/01/2008 Malt and hop aromas. Small white head. Golden coloured strong in alcohol hoppy and slightly pale with some dryness in a crisp and bitter lasting malt finish.

Bottled
Amber color, no head. Clover, cold coffee/coffee powder aroma - strange. Attacking sweet-bitter hops, some diacetyl comes up in the finish. Long hoppy bitter aftertaste. Flat. Alcoholic, brandy-like notes. This bottle was infected or this is quite strange IIPA.

Bottle at Blackfriars. Now my problem with this was that I got distracted from it for about 2 hours by Chris and Stephanie from Toronto. Stephanie described it as reaching down into your throat and bringing the bitterness up from your stomach, or something. Certainly very very bitter. Very toffee. Nice though. Could do with a bit more floral hop to balance the bitterness. 3.4/5.0 Re-rate bottle batch 037. Always thought the first time round it was a bit metallic and just too bitter. Hop character definitely seems to have changed, far more aromatic real hop flowers on the aroma. Simcoes and or Amarillos I would suggest. Far better balance of biscuit/toffee malt that has some sweetness with the lasting hops on the finish. Whopping huge hops, but no where near as bitter as it was, better balance. Far more likeable DIPA. Love the aroma. Just so drinkable. And those hops. The resins build and build on the finish. Superb.