Opa-Opa Steakhouse A-10 Warthog IPA

[growler] Strong citrus aroma, with plenty of hop presence in the aroma. Sweet caramel malts dominate the flavors, with loads of citrusy hop bitterness. Alcohol content is hidden really well, but for me, the sweetness dominates. Quite drinkable, though.

Pours dark amber to brown in color with a big cream colored head and leaves a small amount of lacing. Aroma is sweet with some candy and pepper. More candy comes through in the taste with a hint of citrusy orange behind it. This is followed by a peppery and piney hoppy bitterness and a decent alcohol bite in the finish. Big malty body, rich and slightly syrupy, well balanced by a good bitterness and alcohol content.

Date: 01/06/2007
Mode: Growler

hazy dark amber, wispy white head, streaks of lace, sweet fruity malt aroma, rich caramel malt flavor, light bitterness, picks up nice fruit as it warms, nice citrus sweetness, very drinkable,
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 04/28/2007
Mode: growler
Source: tasting

picking up lots of earthy hops in the aroma, otherwise the same caramel sweetness,

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 8/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 8/10; Overall: 14/20
Rating: 3.6/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: ***/4

Draught tulip at Sunset Grill on 7/18/07
Very prominent, beige head atop a bright orange-auburn body. Clear, with strong retention and lacing.
Smells very sweet. Candied orange, caramel, cookie dough and yet with heavy resin breaking through it. The acids don’t really break through the malt barrier, but the pine aromatics do. Unfortunately, it seems a little pine-sol-like to me. It’s tough to get passed this huge candied-orange sweetness. Some yeast doughiness/dustiness as well, and a shot of alcohol vapors on the finish. Hmmm.....
As expected, the beer is massively sweet and syrupy. Well underattenuated and just too full of caramel malts. It’s like a cookie dough-vanilla milkshake with caramel topped on it. Orange/grapefruit hoppiness is blunt and combines with the malt to give that "candied" flavor. Meanwhile, a very strong pine/resin flavor is present, somewhat vegetal almost (dry-hopping issues?). Seems almost like dill or basil spiciness. Alcohol is unleashed on the finish, stinging the palate. The carbonation is low, somewhat engaging, but the creaminess this creates compounds with the syrupy malt sweetness and it’s just a trainwreck in my book. Definitely more a barleywine, as CaptainCougar points out.
The epitome of "bigger does not mean better."

This double IPA offers a full deep note of hops and citrus on the nose. The palate is thick and complex with a ncie balance that allows the bitterness to show but not over power.