Livery 2009 Carvana Birthday IIPA

Brewed by The Livery
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Benton Harbor, Michigan USA

@Moosetoberfest Gathering Thanks yobdoog-750ml bottle-pours a tight retaining white head and amber color. Aroma is earthy/some resin, hint medium malt-caramel, pepper. Taste is dry/yeast/pepper, earthy/some resin, hint of medium malt-caramel. After two sips meets Biere de Garde. to yobdog for sharing.

I had this beer on 11/7/09 poured from a 750ml belgian style bottle that I purchased at the brewery in April after DLD. Once again I shared this beer with some friend, so I had about an 8oz. pour. This bottle was a gusher to pour. I took me about 20 minutes to divide it into three glasses cause the head was soooo pronounced. The beer pours a hazy amber color with a huge head and moderate lacing on the side of the wine glass. Smells of sweet malt, spices and wet hops. The taste is very sweet for an IPA...I’m not sure if Steve was going for a Belgian IPA here, but its not at all what I was expecting. This reminds me more of a strong ale rather than an IPA because the hops really seem to be on the back burner compared to the sweetness and a pretty good amount of cinnamon flavor. Now this might not be a completely fair review because we were drinking a bunch of highly hoppy beers on this night (Devil Dancer, Double Crooked Tree, etc.), but this does not do it for me in regards to what I would expect from an IPA or even a pale ale....the hops are just not there. I have a bottle of this left and I may age it out for a couple of years and see if the sweetness mellow because I’m sure that the hop profile will be completely gone in a few years. As a side note, I have had this beer on tap on several occasions and the hops always came through much more for me on any of those pours, I would recommend this ale on tap where ever you see it.

Poured a deep honey/amber with a foamy light beige off white head. Aroma was slightly soapy with caramel, lemon, toffee, citrus rind and bubble gum. The flavor had some chocolate, caramel and citrus. The body was screaming infection with overlly bubbly carbonation that gave this one a mouth busting fullness. Didn’t like this one at all.

Hazy orange color. Aroma is green, fresh cut grass, pine and old hops. Flavor has lemongrass and herbs, pine hops. Very earthy and dry.

Hazy amber color with a small, off white head that left nice lacing on the glass. Aroma of floral hops, pine, toast, citrus fruits, and light cardboardy oxidation. Taste of citrus fruits, toasted malts, earth, pine, spices, and dry, alcohol in the finish.

Slightly hazy orange pour with a red tint. White head. Skunky aroma with some sweetness and floral hops. Bitter hoppy flavor with dirt notes.

(750ml bottle, thanks CaptainCougar) Cloudy dark amber body with small off-white head. Aroma is moderately sweet, floral/orange, some lime, light bread. Taste is medium sweet, orange/floral/grapefruit, some lime, bread. Medium body, light resin, effervescence. Alcohol more subdued than I would expect for the ABV.

Very bitter, fairly dry, some caramel and piny hops. Aroma is fairly light and seems to be a bit faded.