Highland Imperial Kashmir India Pale Ale

Formerly brewed at Highland Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Asheville, North Carolina USA

Date: 09/22/2007
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewfest, Asheville

clear dark gold, frothy dirty white head, lots of drippy lace, sweet fruity pine aroma, stick sweet body, rich sweet caramel malt and pine flavor, good fruity tangerine character, light bitterness adds only a bit of balance, warming,
-------- /> Date: 10/03/2007
Mode: bottle
Source: roadtrip
Score: 3.7 to 3.4

dark caramel and earthy hops to go with the sweet pine aroma but only light fruit, normal body, much more of the earthy bitterness in the flavor with the sweet pine and citrus taking a backseat, better on draft, needs some age
-------- /> Date: 10/21/2007
Mode: bottle
Score: 3.4 to 3.6
Words: cellar stock

still sweet and piney aroma backed by the caramel malt, earthy bitterness in the flavor continues to grow, the caramel and pine sweetness still present but stay into the background until warming and then surpass the earthyness, lasting bitter finish, aging well

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

22oz bottle acquired in trade with DragonStout (thanks!). Poured a deeper and muddy amberish color with an averaged sized off white head. Aromas of earthiness, pine, tropical fruits, and spicey. Tastes of pine, spices, caramel, and citrus.

Objectively speaking: Perfumey, thick and chewy double IPA that does not strike the drinkability chord.
I like: Nice aroma which capts the essence of the pungent dry-hopping aromatics AND the bready, crunchy crystal honeyed notions. Relatively complex. Acrobatic floweriness, burstingly fruity.
I dislike: Overly agressive in its malt deployment. This is very sweet up to the end, fatiguin the palate quickly. Quite alcoholic as well which further diminishes drinkability. Inefficient carbonation, never really cleansing, nor engaging, quite greasy/oily feel.

Bottle... Murky amber ale with a mid-sized, fizzy, white head. Great, small, tight retention. The nose offers notes of ethanol, earthy hops and fuzzy fruit. The flavor is all caramel malt, alcohol and violently bitter hops. Full-bodied and astringent with fizzy carbonation. Dry, bitter finish. Cheers to mgumby10 for sharing the bottle!

Pours a transparent copper orange with a wispy-lacing off-white head. Aroma of sweet sugary caramel candy with some cantaloupe, kinda strange for a double IPA. Starts fairly rich and full with molten caramelized sugar sweetness and mild grapefruity hop flavor toward a slightly warming bittersweet finish. Needs a more crisp hop profile and a less sugary, but more complex malt palate.

My Bottom Line:
The boastful perfume of sweet flowers burgeons within the biscuity cereal sweetness of this balanced and powerful Double IPA.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A veil of foam tops the cardinal-hued amber.
-The hoppiness is quite complex, twisting into spicy and leafy profiles before settling back into its floral perfume.
-Malts build a chewy body which aptly sustains the intense flavor display.
-The finish could be drier to increase drinkability.
-Caramel leeks from the residual sugars.

Bottle.

Bottle courtesy of dragonstout. Pours amber/copper with a tan large head. Smells of perfume, wildflowers, pine tar. Tastes of caramel, citrus, spice, hints of bitterness, but heavy on the malt character. Sweet orangy finish.

Shared by goldtwins, mucho gusto. Pale amber. Aroma is very floral and fragrant with an earthy/dusty note as well. Noble/spicy hops, fruity, leathery and alcoholic. Really a strange combination of characteristics. Flavour is quite floral. Balance seems to be all out of whack. Strong peppery alcoholic flavour. I’m in the minority, but this didn’t really do it for me.