Grumpy Troll Maggie Imperial IPA

Brewed by Grumpy Troll Brewery, Restaurant and Pizzeria
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Mount Horeb, Wisconsin USA

Further proof that the Grumpy Troll can brew nothing less than great beers. Near-perfect pour, with a pillowy head. It’s a ruddy lemon color coming out of the bottle, but when it settles into the glass after a dense swirl of bubbles it’s more of a toffee color. Aroma is a little bready. Not as bitter as most Imperial IPAs, but still loaded with flavor, especially dense, crisp pineappley hops. There’s a backtaste that’s almost a Belgian-like funk, which only adds to the pleasure.

On draft, and delicious. Clear red amber pour with a large beige head and glass coating lace. Floral to piney hops aroma, honey sweetness and alcohol. Flavor is a floral aromatic hop bomb, and delicious. Sweet malts and alcohol heat combine like crystallized ginger, and harmonize well with the hops. The hops bitterness outlives the aroma elements by a hair, and the finish is a bit overly bitter. Full creamy body with a nice hops bite on the palate.

On tap at the Grumpy Troll brewpub. Hazy reddish-brown with a medium off-white head. Aroma of citrus and woodsy hops, pine, resin and grapefruit. Taste of pine, citrus balanced out by sweet malt. Medium bitter finish that’s mildly sour. Balanced and one of the better offerings at the Grumpy Troll

On tap at the Grumpy Troll Brew Pub. Poured a medium and cloudy orange color with a smaller sized off white head. Aromas of caralem, citrus, and fruity. Tastes of citrus, caramel, melons, and fruity. Alcohol content well hidden.

On tap at the Grumpy Troll. Poured a rich copper color with nice amounts of lacing. Aroma is light citrus, pineapple, and floral notes. Taste is intense citrus, light caramel malt, and flora notes.

Tap GTMW 2008 Scant notes, but bear with me: Nice, vivid nose of orange hops and caramel malts. Taste is orange hops, caramel, with a solid backbone and some more alcohol. Finishes with a nice bitterness.

Bottled this time. I gave it a slightly lower score, but still enjoyed it. The character was a little more muted. Pretty much the same notes. Original tap rating follows. Dark gold body with a slight haze and an off white head. There was lots of grapefruit in the aroma along with musk and dandelion. The taste was grapefruit with some biscuit balance. There was also some toffee with pine in the finish. A nice well balanced IIPA, but will not please the hop juice desiring hop heads.

Bomber shared by csbosox, thanks Chris. Pours a hazy amber color with a thick and strong head. Aroma is caramel maltiness that dominates the hops underneath, which are relatively sweet fruit punch like. Taste is a combination of lightly sweet malts and light sweet hops and some bitterness underneath that. The malts are surprisingly clean despite the sweetness. Its a cool sweet hop brew.