Bristol Edge City Double IPA

Brewed by Bristol Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Colorado Springs, Colorado USA

Golden and hazy with the stickiest of frothy white heads. The head left a sticky white film all over the glass; impressive. It smells hoppy, sticky, and awesome. Not quite a west coast IPA but still very hoppy, which makes sense considering the 29 fucking varieties of hops in this beer. The alcohol is well hidden which I like because I can get a good buzz and not taste the bullshit alcohol. Good, but not quite awesome which means I am better than this beer. Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 07-23-2007 16:39:40

Pours a cloudy amber orange color, with a medium, frothy, light tan head. Smells of piney hops, butterscotch, dark malt, and grapefruit citrus. The flavor is almost barleywine-like, some bready yeast, piney, juicu hops, and a prfound bitterness in the finish and lingering aftertaste. Not a great double IPA, seems like it might have sit for too long, or it could just be not that good.

5-23-08 bottle
Cloudy orange with a good head. Smell is slightly medicinal and funky with some metallic hops. It tastes like this has been sitting on the shelf for about 3 years just waiting for someone to pick it up. Flavor is medicinal as well and a bit unfresh.

Bottle from a friend as a gift. Pours bright orange with a lasting head and some lacing. Smell is astringent, metallic, funky and lightly of feet. Taste is chalky, battery like metallic flavor and bad, odd, hops. I didn’t enjoy this one at all.

Three-in-one shampoos and six-bladed razors, step aside! Twenty-nine different varieties of hops in one beer, it must be some kind of record! Please read the sarcasm. Truthfully, I wouldn’t say Bristol chases gimmicks, but even without professional experience twenty-nine surely sounds excessive. Nonetheless, this double IPA is off to a good start. The thick yellowish cream forms spongy craters above while the dark and misty body below reminds of a harvest moon. Juicy, explosive, but deep, there’s a surprising balance among these hoppy scents. Sweetened ruby grapefruit and viscous pine sap form the prominent hop tandem. Gooey strings of caramel, luscious honey, it’s a sticky smell. Pleasant aromas of white chocolate, macadamia and vanilla lend subtle strokes of complexity. Finally, hints of musky white pepper, pineapple and strawberry add further enhancements. The flavor begins with a creamy hoppy popsicle flavor, which suggests "Hopsicles" would be a successful venture. I expected oppressive hops, but found instead a smooth bitterness that relies on well-structured malts. Soapy mango is the resurgent fruit component of this hop cocktail, added to the common pine, cedar and buttered toast. Residual bitterness is quenched by a finishing hit of honey leading to a biscuity aftertaste. My conclusion is that the premise has more to do with spring cleaning than genuine art. But I’ll be damned, Bristol has crafted the first Dadaist brew – and hey, it’s not bad. (11/05/07)

Hook up from beerandblues from some time ago. Sorry Matt couldn’t hold onto this anymore. As it is the hops are already a little subdued. Aroma is of slight molasses and piney hops (but those are faint). Flavor is medium bodied with a bit of an uninspired watery finish. Slight syrupy sweetness and bitter hop finish. Plum and red fruit flavors. Decent double but nothing to write home about. Should have had this a little more fresh I think so I’ll blame myself and not the brewer. How’s that for diplomatic. Pours a murky, cloudy, orange almost red color.

In short: Below average characterless IIPA.
How: Bottle 22oz, consumed 2 months after receiving it from BeerandBlues2 (thanks a lot Brad!). Shared at a tasting session with Montreal crew
The look: V cloudy orange body with a small beige head
In long: Thankfully a little less yeasty and more malted than their IPA. However the problem with this one is a characterless hopping despite the “29 hops variety”. Light caramel, pineaples and generic citrusy flavours. Lack of intensity and complexity. Short bitterness. Warming alcohol presence. Felt like a common regional brewpub IPA with alcohol cranked up. Not bad but below average for the IIPA style. 29 types of hops for that? When I cook I use about that many spices. That’s what bad cooks do when they do not master the basics.

Cloudy amber pour with a thin white head. Aroma of fruity, resinous hops with perfume. Flavor of fruity, resinous hops with perfume and a bitter finish. The body is light with a liquorous texture and moderate carbonation. As with the IPA, a sturdy toasted malt would have been interesting.