Shark attack at Mi2 at Cardinal 20.06.16. Dark orange. Persistent beige head and lacing. Aroma of dried fruits, ripe fruit, Sevilla marmalade, wood and redcurrants, Similar taste, with warming alcohol. Excellent!

Bomber bottled in February, so barely three months old; label says 9.0% ABV instead of the 9.5% given here. Thick, heavily cobweb-lacing, beaten egg-white, dense, frothy head, clear pure and warm copper red colour with amberish hue. Fragrant and dank IPA-like (but maltier) bouquet of marmelade and candied orange, pink grapefruit flesh, pine needles, hemp (as in: marihuana), pistachio nuts, chicken spices, caramel, toasted brown bread, cigarette tobacco, pink pepper, strawberry wine, artisanal honey, hazelnut, roast tomato peel, nutmeg, bacon, ginger. Low sweetness in the onset, some subdued dried fig and raisin, hints of umami and sourishness but all quite restrained and flavorful at the same time, as if they reinforce each other; carbonation is medium to sharpish but lightens the body, which, though certainly not thin, feels surprisingly light for a beer this strong. Some caramel malt sweetishness quickly makes room for a deep ’bittersweetness’, very toasted and pleasantly nutty, the bittering effect of which is completely in line with the finish, which is dominated by juicy American hoppiness: lovely retronasal aromas of grapefruit, orange peel freshness, some pine and exotic spice, while at the same time the back of the mouth is dried with a resinous, citrusy, peppery yet still fairly ’gentle’ bitterness, leaving a ’stream’ of juicy bittersweet (and ultimately, after swallowing, even somewhat caramelly sweet) malts to pass through down into the throat, accompanied by lovely hop spiciness. Needless to say, a warming, slightly bourbon-like alcohol effect is noticeable, but stays perfectly in place. Pleasant enough beer, feels a lot lighter than I expected based on its strength, the lightness of which is further enhanced with the both delicate and exuberant New World hop aromas, making it come very close to red IPA - which would have been a style designation as credible and true as ’American strong ale’, which actually does not say a lot. Whatever the beer style: enjoyed this a lot, not the most complex or demanding ale, but showing an incredible ’drinkability’ and simply being to the point in terms of flavor.