Foothills Seeing Double IPA

Brewed by Foothills Brewing
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Winston-Salem, North Carolina USA

Once poured into the pint glass, the aroma escapes and pervades the environment....I could drink it in from a foot away....very nice, but a closer inspection is required....ah, spank me! Fresh, vibrant hops, juicy fruit, melon and berry more than citrus as usual, brilliant bitterness, but not raw, ...very potent...beautiful. I did this backwards, for I usually begin by describing the appearance, but the aroma grabbed me first, so here’s that, then....hazed vermilllion, nearing orange, edging magenta...good head, that stays awhile before dissipating. Taste...I got a sneak peek as it soaked into my mustache while I snorted up the aroma, and, alas, I had no recourse, but to drink it, and I think I liked it okay, but here’s the sippin’ for real... Big, brash, and bitter, a bold mammajamma. Quickly establishes dominance of the palate, takes hold of the senses and never lets go. Dark fruits aplenty, but also an excellent ballast of sweet malt, doing it’s job well. Very sweet, and utterly substantial, with profoundly candyish elements to the taste, matching the bitterness well. This is a big flavored beer, in hops and in general tastiness, as well as the booze factor, and the raises it’s hand to be heard also...Really edgy this, ....I’m getting the name now, as my grip on my own senses seems likely to falter if I partake in too much this night... Great Googly Moogly, this is a barnburner of a barleywinish IPA...supremely delicious, and devilishly drinkable. Full bodied, almost thick, sturdy, hangs in there with aplomb, and the finish is interminable, fruity, bitter, tasty...for those who demands performance in their IPAs...dang if this don’t do the job! I could keep on drinking it...to a point. The fullness and extremeness and the alcohol volume are enought to dissuade over-imbibement. Beyond that, though, I can’t think of a good reason to put down this growler...except that I won’t have such a tip-top morning.

RBSG ’06 Growler. Orange beer with a creamy off white head. Very smooth mouthfeel. Lots of bready malts supporting the massive hops. Pineapple, grapefruit, orange zest, but all well balanced for being sooo hoppy. Very nice beer.

On tap at kp’s Cellar Party. Clear amber pour with a fleeting white head. The aroma is a well balanced combination of flowery hops and light malt that is echoed in the flavor. Overall, this stays to the bitter side of IIPAs. A bit of alcohol hits the tongue with this one as well.

Growler in trade from ROBORB. Thanks for getting me this one! Pours a rich, hazy deep orange color with a long lived beige head that leaves a bit of lacing. Smell is creamy, earthy hops with some sticky caramel and toffee like sweetness. There definitely is some sweet and lighty hoppy citrus notes in there too. Not quite as hoppy as I expected, but enough to please. Taste is pretty smooth for a double IPA. Creamy caramel and toasty malt along with earthy, and slightly fruity hops with slightly creamy and bitter orange flavor. Really, pretty balanced and full bodied. Sticky, and a bit rich with normal to perhaps slightly soft carbonation. A bit more malty than many of my favorite DIPAs, but this goes down extremely easily and is quite enjoyable. No problem getting through most of a growler by myself, which is a rarity for me. Thanks again!!

On tap at KP’s cellar. Pour an almost amber with a decent off white head and a nice lacing down the glass. A really nice piney hops aroma with a hint of malt. A sweet malt flavor with a hint of citrus and plenty of hops that give it an excellent bitter finish. A very well balanced beer. Very tasty indeed.

Growler courtesy of gottalottaibu (thanks alex): Pours amber with a creamy off white head. Aroma, citrus and earthy hops abound with some caramel and pale malts. Flavor, juicy citrus hop notes, with some caramel malts, and a nice underlying sweetness, a pretty solid bit of bitterness comes through on the end. Medium bodied, very easy drinking. Great stuff.

Deep copper pour, vizable carbonation full off white head, thick lacing. Aroma is lightly simcoe, a mix of light fruits and another hoppy character I can’t quite place, hints of alcohol. Well coated lightly oily lightly creamy. Sweet flavor, fresh hop flowers, definate simcoe a ton of caramels alcohol in the finish. Good stuff.

EBF Session 1. Lightly hazy, orange in color with a lasting head. Aroma of fresh citrus, a touch of tropical fruit and a moderate amount of pine. Taste has alot of grapefruit, tropical fruit, and pine over a medium to full bodied malt backbone. Finishes with a nice lingering bitterness. I really enjoyed this one.