7.6

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

22 ounce bottle into tulip glass, bottled in 4/2016. Pours clear very dark brown color with a 1-2 finger dense light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass. Aromas of grapefruit, tangerine, pineapple, lemon zest, orange peel, pine, caramel, chocolate, cocoa, spicy rye, toasted dark bread, light coffee, floral, grass, and roast/toasted earthiness. Nice aromas with good balance and complexity of citrus/pine hops and dark/roast/bready malt notes; with good strength. Taste of grapefruit, tangerine, pineapple, lemon zest, orange peel, pine, caramel, chocolate, cocoa, spicy rye, toasted dark bread, light coffee, floral, grass, and roast/toasted earthiness. Moderate pine/citrus peel bitterness and rye spiciness on the finish; with lingering notes of grapefruit, tangerine, pineapple, lemon/orange peel, pine, caramel, chocolate, spicy rye, dark bread, floral, grass, and roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/pine hops and dark/roast/bready malt flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance and zero astringent hop flavors after the finish. Light increasing dryness from bitter/spiciness as well. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth and moderately creamy/bready/sticky balanced mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish. Overall this is a very good black rye IPA. All around good complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/pine hops and dark/roast/bready malt flavors; very smooth and easy to drink. Not quite as hoppy as I was expecting, but still has enough to feel like an IPA. A very enjoyable offering.