8

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

Got in a trade with Cyde. 12 ounce bottle into tulip glass, best before 12/11/2013. Pours hazy and cloudy dark ruby red color with a 1 finger dense cream colored head with good retention, that reduces to a thin lace that lingers. Spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass. Aromas of grapefruit, orange zest, caramel, toast, brown sugar, brown bread, floral, grass, light pine, and toasted earthiness. Very nice aromas with great balance and good complexity of dark malt and hop notes, with good strength. Taste of grapefruit, orange zest, caramel, toast, brown sugar, toffee, brown bread, floral, grass, light pine, and toasted earthiness. Slight pine bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of citrus, caramel, toast, brown sugar, toffee, brown bread, floral, light pine, and toasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Damn nice complexity of hop and dark malt flavors; with a near perfect malt/hop balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Light-medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a creamy and lightly sticky mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with hardly any warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a damn nice imperial red ale! All around nice balance balance and complexity of malt and hop flavors; and very smooth to sip on. A very enjoyable offering.