 riversideAK (1579), Shoreline, Washington, USA
Nov 23, 2007
Hazy gold with a thin sticky head. Aroma is citrus hops, grass hops, and some bread like maltiness. Wow this is intensely hoppy. Bitter. Bitter. Bitter. But not over the top. Lots of pine, notes of grapefruit, earth, herbs...man! The slightest bready malt notes make an appearance, but this is hop dominated. Very dry, resiny, pungent. A little warmth, but for the most part the hops cover it up. This is hands down, the best Sam beer I have ever had.
johntreeter (93), Greenwood, Indiana, USA
Sep 1, 2008 12oz brewery fresh before Jan 08. Pours a very hazy amber orange color with a dense one finger off white head that laced to the bottom. Aroma is the breath of the hop gods. Even after months of sitting in the store the citus and floral aromas of the hops are intense and green, like opening a package of hops for brewing. Flavor is almost all hops. Citrus, earth tones, and green hops dominate the sense of taste, yet the bitterness is very slight. The sweet maltyness it seems you have to wait for while the hops take a slight break in the long lingering finish. Light med body, soft mild carb, almost syrupy texture, and dry hoppy feel. This is probably a little out of "style", but one of the best beers I have ever drank and it seems to age very well.
Imaena (243), Portland, Maine, USA
Aug 22, 2008 Bottle from 4 pack 08’. Pours a ruddy orange amber with nice bone white head. Cirus and floral hops abound in the nose. Bitter and thin bodied. Hops explode in this. Interesting brew.
kosko20 (87), Bemidji, Minnesota, USA
Aug 16, 2008 So I forgot to rate this...don’t know how because I poured it next to Bell’s Hopslam and compared that way. Its tough to compare the beer to something like Hopslam but oh well. Aroma is strong hops, earthy notes of pine mostly, and also in there are lemons, floral and malt. Appearance is top notch, a nice semi-cloudy orange-red with an off white head. Flavor is hops, then afterthoughts of pine, malt, and lemons. Palate is thin bodied but with a nice bitter kick. Enjoyable, will buy and drink more.
HyreOne (9), York, South Carolina, USA
does not count  Aug 15, 2008 Nice straw color with a little haze. Not much of a head - little lacy (maybe my glass is dirty). Smells of hops and malt. Strong hop flavor and nice bite. Malt tries to balance with flavor and aftertaste. Little bit more than medium mouth feel. A bit warming alcohol after taste. Keep forgetting this isn’t an Imperial IPA.
NomDeBeer (148), Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Aug 14, 2008 Why doesn’t Sam Adams make more beers like this? Definitely their best offering that I’ve ever had. Incredible hop aroma, flavor, and bite. Earthy notes of grass and hay but just enough malt sweetness, body, and alcohol to back it up. Odd-looking hazy, orange-ish color.
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