Brooklyn Blast

Brewed by Brooklyn Brewery
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Brooklyn, New York USA

Draft at International Beer Garten (Lutz, FL). Very interesting take on the IIPA. The aroma has most of the typical IPA characteristics: citrus hops, pine, etc. The finish is however quite different as it is very dry and filled with heavy spiciness with hop bitterness.

On tap @ Mad Mex. Pours a hazy golden color with a small white head. Citrus aroma that starts sweet, ends sour. Tart grapefruit dominates the body, sweet and tangy turns a hint sour. Rugged, herbal finish. Not bad.

Tap. Moderate malt aroma of roasted, heavy hop smells of pine, citrus peel and herbs, light soap for the yeast, and hints of date and alcohol. Head is frothy/fizzy, white, with good sticky lacing and is mostly lasting. Color is slightly hazy amber/orange. Flavor starts moderately sweet and acidic, then the long finish is moderately acidic and heavily bitter. Palate is medium, oily with a lively carbonation and a moderately alcoholic finish. The flavor is just okay, but the hop profile is superb in the aroma of this DIPA.

Draft @ Vine & Barley. Pours dark golden color with white head. Grapefruit and pine hop aroma. Lots of citrus flavor and sweet maltiness. Moderate hop bitterness. Medium body with average carbonation.

On tap at the Trappeze Pub in Athens, Georgia. They actually wrote this selection in on the menu with a pencil. I am glad my brother saw it. Had a nize haze orange appearance, with a rather fluffy head sitting on top. Overall, a great looking beer. Left some amazing lazing. The bartender had a hard time pouring this thing, I don’t know why. Also, a very fresh hop aroma. Not ridiculously pungent, but pungent enough to where it wasn’t difficult smelling this thing. The aromatic aroma was due to the pine hop aroma. Very pleased with the aroma. I am going to say that flavor was the biggest downfall due to the palate. The beer was watered down in my opinion. Well, watered down for an Imperial/Double. This took away from having a better hop mouthfeel. It took away from that thick hop flavor that I love. The beer still had the powerful pine/citrus hop taste, but the palate wasn’t able to back it up. Still, a very good selection from Brooklyn that I feel happy to have tried. Just a lovely beer, but a bit on the thin side. One last thing, I am glad the malts didn’t overly do it. Not a huge malt sweetness, but there was just enough. An enjoyable beer.

On tap at the Flying Saucer, Raleigh. Hazed gold with a thin eggshell head. Crazy citrus nose, all sorts of scents - sour orange, floral, a bit of grass - lots of stuff going on here. Flavor follows the nose, but adds a distinct sweet caramel that offsets the hops well. Good stuff!

Cask @ Cambridge Commons... Poured clear orange with a big, frothy, white head... Nice lacing. Earthy, biscuit malts on the nose. Smooth palate, with little-to-no natural carbonation. Flavors of earthy hops and vegetables. Some malts to balance before the citrus and acidic hop finish.

Draft at the Brewery - Golden amber in color. It has a very sweet, citrusy aroma. It has a medium body and a slightly slick, oily mouthfeel. The flavor is heavy on the citrus with a nice malty sweetness balance. Can’t wait to go back.