pantanap (1323), Chicago, Illinois, USA Aug 13, 2009 gtmw09...pours a mostly clear apple cider brown with a medium white head... aroma has an abundance of tropal and floral hops... flavors are more of a dank green hop but it was all pretty nice. good balance, very drinkable and tasty....why am i giving out so many 3.8s?! topherh (878), Kearney, Missouri, USA Aug 11, 2009 On tap at the brewery. Pours a slightly hazy orange with a moderate white head. Big hoppy aroma with lots of maltiness. Flavor is very balanced with lots of hoppy bitterness and caramel malt to make it very enjoyable. randolphjj (88), Raymore, Missouri, USA Aug 8, 2009 Punchy! Nice citrusy nose on this one that follows up well with bitter hops and a velvety mouthfeel. A little caramel on the back end as well. Nicely done IPA. Harsebrau (164), Kansas City, Missouri, USA Aug 2, 2009 Poured from G’s growler in his kitchen and enjoyed from his living room. E running the remote control truck like a pro. Back to the beer... Appropriate aroma for a double IPA - strong hop, candy grass and citrus hiccup. Dark gold with an apricot hue. Due to the growler the head was faint. Flavor-wise it is quite good but less punch than expected for a double/Imperial. Round on the tongue with fruit. I feel good. Grizzle (44), Lawrence, Kansas, USA Aug 2, 2009 Tap -> Growler -> English Pint glass. Celebrating the July 27th birthday of Papa Larry and the Aug. 10th birthday of mine with the folks, the sibling & his family, and my family. Pours a dark apricot amber, with a slight haze, and lt. brown head. Smells of hops, but not as hoppy as would be expected by the C3. Very balanced hops, grass, and citrus. Tastes the same, plus "something sweet." Great beer with some funk and presents. As James Brown said, "I feel nice." kp (8400), Woodstock, Georgia, USA Apr 2, 2009
Date: February 25, 2009
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewpub
Appearance: hazy copper, fine beige head
Aroma: sweet caramel and crystal malt aroma
Flavor: sweet malt flavor with a good combination of crystal and caramel sweetness, lots of balancing hops, touch of fruity orange and tangerine, touch of peppery alcohol along with other spicyness, light bitterness
Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 15/20
Rating: 3.6/5.0 Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **4
beastiefan2k (1590), Lawrence (formely NYC), Kansas, USA Feb 28, 2009 I hate to be that guy, and then again, am I drinking a completely different beer. Or is everyone enamored with Free State so much that they are too biased by the old ratings? Either way, this beer is extremely overrated, as far as I am concerned. Tap at the 20th Anniversary celebration. Color is clear amber. Aroma is thick with yeastiness (dough) and lots of sweet biscuit malts. All this really hides the cube-ness of their hoppiness. The hops come off sticky and there is too much residual sweetness. This is mimicked in the flavor as it becomes a bit cloying for me. Its also very candy-like in the mix of residual sugars and hops. Its fine as an IPA but nothing special, I’ll take the Copperhead any day. Gregis (1132), Shawnee, Kansas, USA Feb 21, 2009 On tap for the 20th Anniversary/Birthday celebration. Ah the elusive C3 IPA. After two years of visiting Free State, I finally get the chance to try this highly regarded beer. It pours a cloudy dark amber-orange with a creamy beige head that laces nicely. The nose is a big hit of "C" hops (shocker, given the name) with an emphasis on the grapefruit, backed by a sweet caramel/pale malt in support. On the light side of medium-bodied with a slick mouthfeel, it transitions to a controlled but tongue-squeezing bitter finish; remarkably drinkable this beer has the potential to be quite dangerous. The flavor is of solid grapefruit and piny hop notes blended with a pale malt backing, transitioning to a lingering bitter finish. Unlike many IIPA,s this beer actually seems to become more bitter as it warms. This is easily the best brewpub IPA that I have sampled.
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