Vache Folle Centennial Double IPA

Nice citrus nose, and some floral honey. A little grassy and lots of very sweet malts. Quite bitter, but almost cloyingly sweet, and quite boozy.

50cl bottle says it was bottled on 12/1/2010. Two year old DIPA? Doesn’t bother me, especially since this reminded me more of a barleywine anyway. Pours a transparent orange, maybe just a little darker than orange with some clumpy, creamy, lacing white head. Nose of oranges, dried orange peel, granny smith apples, caramel, brown sugar, stale cookies, pine. Flavor is sticky caramel, candied orange peels, a little bit of cardboard, malty, brown sugar, a little cane sugar rum, pine sap, light leather. Full, sticky, lightly hot finish. Maybe it’s that Centennial are a common hop used in barleywines, but this one was drinking great for me and reminded me less of a DIPA and more of a barleywine.

Bottle shared by Glouglouburp. Pours clear gold. White head. Nose/taste of hops, florals and caramel malt. Some honey. Dryish finish. Medium body.

500mL bottle, sent from Glouglouburp (thanks Dany), pours hazy golden orange with a white head. Aroma of pretty much just citrus hops and caramel. Flavour of caramel, honey, citrus hops and a little bit of cloying sweetness.

Pours deep clear amber into a tulip. White head with good retention recedes leaving spot lacing. Grapefruit aromas. Dark caramel and roasted nuts upfront turning to sweet resin in the lasting finish.

Bouteille 500ml. De couleur ambrée et claire. Nez de houblon résineux, légèrement floral aux petites notes herbeuses (herbes fraîches, traces de menthe) et citriques, malté de caramel sucré, moyen-léger de fruits (agrumes, notes d’abricots) avec des petites notes de pain. Moyennement ronde en bouche avec un pétillement moyen-bas et une texture moyennement résineuse et aux petites notes huileuses. Goût amer de houblon floral et résineux (une amrtume présente toute la gorgée) accompagné d’un moyen-léger goût fruité (agrumes, traces d’abricots) lors de l’entrée en bouche auquel se rajoute un goût malté de caramel sucré avec un léger goût de pain ainsi que des traces de biscuits et de sucre brun puis en finale l’on retrouve un regain d’amertume de houblon légèrement plus herbeux (herbes fraîches, traces de thé) avec quelques notes citriques et également un moyen-léger goût d’alcool légèrement réchauffant. Post-goût long, amer de houblon résineux, moyennement herbeux avec des notes citriques et florales ainsi qu’un léger goût d’alcool et de fruits (zest d’agrumes).

Bottle: Poured a clear light amber color ale with a huge off-white foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of bitter and lightly citrus notes but not as close as floral as I was hoping. Taste is nice mix between some medium bitter notes with some light citrus notes. Caramel malt is not too sweet. Body is average for style with medium carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Not bad overall though not as floral as expected.

This thing smells a bit like a bad fart with hops thrown in. It has a decent dark gold body with an average head. Flavour is modest malts and some fruity notes, followed by a bitter hoppy finish. Drinkable.