This was a one-time collaboration between these three breweries that was distributed through Stone's collaboration series (a new one ever few months.) It's simply labeled "India Pale Ale" on the bottle, but it's clearly meant to be a lighter version of a Black IPA/Cascadian Dark Ale/whatever you'd like to call it. Though it's lighter in color and not as robustly roasted as a true Black IPA, it's still not light in alcohol and checks in at 7.4% ABV.
Appearance: It looks exactly like Coca-Cola. Chestnut brown, with a thick brown-tinged head that's about 2-3 fingers in height. Lots of visible yeast suspended -- I didn't pour carefully enough, I suppose.
Smell: Floral and tropical fruit hop aroma, including mango. I can also smell sweetness and a very faint roasted character, and toasted biscuit.
Taste: Right off the bat I get roasted characteristics and a bit of sweetness, like sweetened coffee. This bottle is a little bit old, so the hops have faded, but there is still a note of bright fruit that comes through on the palate after the roasted flavor. It blends nicely, and though the hops still contribute bitterness, its more of a fresh bitterness rather than the lingering, often stale-tasting bitterness that coffee can leave behind.
Mouthfeel: Very creamy mouthfeel and a nice, dry finish. It's light to medium bodied. Very pleasant.
Overall: I had this fresh and it was very good; even now it's still not bad at all! The flavors are very nice and the mouthfeel is great. The nose is the only thing that's average -- it's certainly indicative of what the beer tastes like, but it doesn't leap out at you in a living, inviting way. Other than that complaint, this was a nice one to kick back with on a Friday.
3.5/5
Appearance: It looks exactly like Coca-Cola. Chestnut brown, with a thick brown-tinged head that's about 2-3 fingers in height. Lots of visible yeast suspended -- I didn't pour carefully enough, I suppose.
Smell: Floral and tropical fruit hop aroma, including mango. I can also smell sweetness and a very faint roasted character, and toasted biscuit.
Taste: Right off the bat I get roasted characteristics and a bit of sweetness, like sweetened coffee. This bottle is a little bit old, so the hops have faded, but there is still a note of bright fruit that comes through on the palate after the roasted flavor. It blends nicely, and though the hops still contribute bitterness, its more of a fresh bitterness rather than the lingering, often stale-tasting bitterness that coffee can leave behind.
Mouthfeel: Very creamy mouthfeel and a nice, dry finish. It's light to medium bodied. Very pleasant.
Overall: I had this fresh and it was very good; even now it's still not bad at all! The flavors are very nice and the mouthfeel is great. The nose is the only thing that's average -- it's certainly indicative of what the beer tastes like, but it doesn't leap out at you in a living, inviting way. Other than that complaint, this was a nice one to kick back with on a Friday.
3.5/5
No comments:
Post a Comment