Middle Ages Wailing Wench

Brewed by Middle Ages Brewing
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Syracuse, New York USA

Wow! Hops + more hops. Has all the looks + stats of a strong ale as advertised but is like a overhopped homebrew. Fortunately I like over hopped homebrew. The malt is way overpowered by the grapefruit bitterness of the hops(cascade, challanger?). I like this beer but if I want a "double" IPA, I want more malt balance. (Dogfish 90 min as an example) Give credit where it is due, I can’t even taste the alcohol, my mouth is too puckered!

Bottle (Courtesy of Hogtownharry): Poured a clear light brown color ale with a small foamy head with low retention. Aroma of citrus hops is dominating. The taste is also dominated by the citrus hops but is lacking in malt balance. Body is about average with no alcohol noticeable. This beer while lacking in malt balance IMO is still very enjoyable.

22 oz bottle. Pous dark copper color with brown head. Aroma of hops and grapefruit. Hoppy and malt taste with bitter after taste. Average IIPA.

On tap at the Blue Tusk in Syracuse. Pours a dark brown with ruby highlights, a 3/4 inch white head that slowly fades with every sip down to a thin cap of floating bubble islands. Strongly hopped but in a very different paradigm than your West Coast brewers: less grapefruit and other citrus - although it is there - and a lot more floral hop in the nose. This is certainly a more subdued hop aroma but one that nonetheless sticks out - very nice: flowers, pollen, resin. A bit of honey and caramel malt in the nose also but hops are predominant. Taste: citrus upfront fades to a sweeter, more rounded floral presence with a slight sweet malty backbone. Moderate carbonation - smooth, full in the mouth. Solid brew - I would agree with most on here in saying that IIPA is perhaps a stretch; I guess it straddles the line.

22oz bomber acquired via trade from HogTownHarry. Pours a clear reddish brown with a two finger light beige head. Caramel and toffee up front, some grapefruit and earthy hops. Doesn’t smell terribly hoppy or bitter, much more malty and sweet. Flavor is quite sweet at first with some grapefruit coming in, though not really bitter. The toffee and butterscotch seem to be the more prevailing flavors. The finish actually seems to have a bit of dry roasty coffee to it. Medium to light bodied with moderate carbonation. The beer is pretty good, but I didn’t rate it as an IIPA--mainly because it isn’t. As an IIPA, I would rate it 6-4-7-3-15

Deep reddish amber color with a frothy beige head. Hop resin nose. Dark caramel sweetness that turns to a burnt toast. Pine and resin hops dominate, with some grapefruit rind, raisen, and that burnt toast bitterness finish. I wouldn’t have pegged this as an IIPA, but it is a big hoppy beer.

Tap: Deep amber pour with tan head. Extremely piney fruity aroma, quite appetizing. Nice piney hop character overall, with enough malt to help it out. Prolonged resiny hop finish. A decent fruity IPA.

22 oz bomber. Amber/orange beer with a thick off-white head. Resiny, piny hop aroma over sweet caramel malt. Flavour is well-balanced but very hoppy. Spicy pine resin hoppiness that are offset by a sweet earthy maltiness. Peppery spice and ethanol in the finish along with the previously mentioned pine resin. Long piny finish. Nice beer.