Ginormous

Bottle from GBBF 2016 and drunk at home. Clear deep amber orange colour lasting off white head. Some sweetness, some malt, some hop. More like an American Strong than an Imperial IPA. Some bitterness on the finish. Hides ABV well. Caramel aroma. It’s ok but really this style has moved on from this. It’s some toffee malt for the ABV and then some base bitterness on the finish. It’s ok. Malt and bitterness but done ok. Almost a best bitter in the malt flavour. Just about twice as strong. Went well with the Tony Hancock.

Rich, super duper hazy peach and apricot coloured body with a thinnish, single centimetre tall off-white head. Aroma of alcohol, pine, earth, toffee, toasted malt, oak, spruce and rather floral hops and some pungent alcohol and candy sugars. Medium to Full-bodied; Strong rich malt flavour with alcohol, subdued grain, gin, juniper berry, toasted malt, oak, cognac and grape flavours throughout. Aftertaste is a slight more refined with the pine and spruce hoppiness coming out finally, but a ton of alcohol and medicinal bitterness with the pungency of a day old Barley Wine - strong. Overall, a decent Imperial IPA that tends towards the stronger side of things, especially with the pungent alcohol and pine/spruce/floral notes that dominate first. I sampled this 65 cL bottle purchased from Whole Foods in Portland (Pearl), Oregon on 04-May-2015 for US$7,99 sampled at home in Washington after just driving from Portland (Maine) back home on 01-August-2016.

On tap at Tangent. Slightly copper blonde, white head. Aroma is candied tropical fruits, some piney notes. Taste is sweet, but fresh, tropical fruits bitterness. Tropical fruits, piney hops bitterness aftertaste. Not bad.

Medium, very dense and fine, light yellowish head over well and finely carbonated orange-copper beer. Citrus, and immediately also something salty, mineral. Certain dried herbs, dry malt. Bitter, faintly spicy/peppery flavour; citruspeel. Again dry, maybe slgihtly oxydized malts. Feels very well, spritzily carbonated; medium bodied and viscous-slick. Long lasting flavours. I wouldn’t be surprised at all to learn this is much better in the place of its origin. Feels like having suffered from the voyage.

Bottle from Oddbins Beer Shop, Blackheath. Light hazy amber pour with a beige head. Aromas of summer fruits, sweet citrus, pear and light spice. Flavours of wheat, corn, citrus. Sweet fruit on the palate. Booze laden finish. Nicely balanced brew. Tasty stuff.

Keg at mother kellys. Pours golden amber, nose is cheesy, herbal, musty, taste is similar, not great.

Draught, Alibi Room. Muddy and light amber. A big hop nose, and a vague malt character. Has a reasonable iipa character.

22 oz bottle from Whole Foods Bowery, 12/6/15. Unclear orange pour, frothy off-white head, heavy, spotty lacing. Fruity hop aroma. Orange juice flavor, fairly sweet for the style with a light bitterness. Bready malts show up too. Has soft carbonation and very smooth feel overall. I feel like I'm missing something, where's the massive hop punch the bottle promises?

Bomber to pint. Slightly hazy orange with full pristine white head. Aromas of grapefruit are very pronounced. Taste includes citrus and biscuit malt. Moderate bitterness for a solid and enjoyable beer.

Draught@CBC2015. Orangeish amber colour with a mediumsized white head. Aroma is sweet malts, some tropical fruit juice, mild honey as well as some herbal and grassy notes. Flavour is sweet malts, herbs, some grass and mild tropical fruits, and going back to a quite nice grassy biting bitterness in the finish. Balanced.