Bootlegger's - Knuckle Sandwich

Knuckle Sandwich is a 10% ABV, 88 IBUs, and it's released periodically by Bootlegger's, a small brewery out of Fullerton, California. They say about their beer: "Knuckle Sandwich DIPA is an American Style Double IPA. This is a beer that truly lives up to its name! Brewed with copious amounts of North American hops, this Double IPA has a colossal hop profile and an aggressive aroma. Helping round out the floral and citrus notes is a huge malt backbone that provides a great mouth feel to this heavyweight hitter."
 
This one can be found only for a short window of time after its release in the CA market, as it tends to sell out really quickly. I grabbed this bottle at one of my favorite shops in East LA.

Appearance: This is probably the darkest DIPA I've ever seen. It's the color of a dark amber or brown beer, like roasted chestnut, and it's got a robust head that never fully recedes and leaves lacing on the sides of the glass.

Smell: It's very floral and dank, with strong notes of pine and a slight sweet caramel note as well.

Taste: This DIPA leans toward the floral and piney side, and the malt backbone is definitely perceptible here. There are slight mango flavors, but it's mostly resinous, floral, and sweet.

Mouthfeel: It's creamy and thick, with moderate carbonation. As the beer warms, the alcohol becomes more noticeable as well and brings in a bit of heat on the back of the palate.

Overall: This is a solid DIPA, but amongst all of the "hyped" D/IPA seasonal releases, this is actually not one of my favorites. I'm just not a huge fan of maltier IPAs. I understand that a strong malt base needs to be there to support strong hop character, but I'd rather not taste it so much, and this has a definite sweetness that brings it down a notch in drinkability to me.

3/5