Deschutes Double Bale Quail Imperial IPA

San Diego Real Ale Festival - This was an interesting beer, I thought it was absolutely wonderful. This beer attacks your nose on several different levels as it does on your palate, which could be somewhat confusing. The hops are very aggressive and so is the yeastiness. This is one of those beers that is great right now, but will be even better in a year or two. This is a bit of a palate killer. I had to wait a few samples before I could really sample anything else, as the aggressive hops really did a number on my palate. who knew this recipe would go on to evolve in to so many later beers at the brewery. Lucky I got to try this one.

12 oz. bottle pours an amber reddish hue with a two finger white head. Has a sweet caramel and floral hop smell. Medium bodied with a light carbonation. The taste is a faintly sweet caramel which is quickly pushed aside by a tart, hop and alcohol bitterness. This brew tastes more like a Barleywine now than a Ipa . Not nearly as hoppy as it was two years ago when it was " fresh ". 2004

Gold with a white head and small spots of lace. Fruity nose with some bitter hops. Grapefruit and floral as well. Bitter hop flavors with toasted biscuitus and some yeast. Really bitter finish with some fruits.

Orangey-amber colour. Chewy aroma with hint of malt and a big fat chewy character. Rich, resiny hop body with plenty of crystal malts as well.

Sampled bottled at Man Land, Portland
Hazy blonde, no head, nose of bright cascades & other floral hops. I can’t believe they’ve lived up this long! The flavor is nicely bitter & sweet, well aged with a hoppy finish. Yum!

Pours a very clear amber with a big white head that falls fast. Aroma has a nice balance of sweet malts and big citrus hops. Taste is similar with big sweet caramel front thats desperately needed to combat the big wall of citrus hops to balance it out, and trailing with a big grapefruit finish. This very nicely hides the big alcohol making a nice big IIPA.

Bottle pours a light caramel, somewhat cloudy, small fizzly white head, with sparce lacing.   Butterscotch nose... slight phenols along with a subtle trace of pine & hops.   Certainly smells sweeter than they did 2 years ago.   A sharp bite immediately up front, somewhat thick, sweet, with a nice malty finish.   Not as harsh with the bitterness as it was when it first came out.   Body and mouthfeel are medium to full.   Seems to have held up fairly well.   Some slight lingering alcohol and apple skin.   Not bad!

’02 bottle at perkeo’s gathering. surprisingly hadn’t lost much of its hop profile over 2 years. pine and lychee aroma. plenty of fruit, some apple turnover, not that bitter but quite mellow and tasty