12 oz. bottle from alohaC. First thing you notice on this one is the label - they’re quite proud of the GABF Gold Medal in 2002. A complete wrap around label, interesting. Pour is a nice orange - amber, cloudy with soft carbonation and some floaties. Nice, rocky white head tops. Very nice looking in the glass. Aroma of sweet citrus (grapefruit) hops, and some resin as well. The taste initially features the citrus (though, its more Clementine / tangerine fruit) hop, then a nice sold malt backbone is revealed. Really nice balance in this one. Finish is clean and sharp bitterness. Mahalo nui loa Christian, this was a very nice one.

Pours a copper hue with off white head. The aroma is pretty solid with a nice mix of grapefruit hops and sweet caramelized or crystal malts. The result of these notes becomes sweet citrus orange juice. Yum. OK, now a swig. The taste starts with an initial malt sweetness and then grapefruit hop bitterness jumps on board. The bitter hops ride out into the finish creating a fresh grapefruit fruitiness. Nice IPA with plenty of bitter hops that don’t turn overly bitter.

Bottled (7.0%, thanks Stoutlover72!). Hazy dark brown colour with huge foamy beige head which leaves much lace. A lot of preassure created a minor fountain, but I’m getting used to those, so not much was spilled .) Aroma is fruity hops along with some caramel and grassy hints. Flavour is very much the same with a sklight sticking sweet note from alcohol. Slight hints of milder honey also. This is quite close to how I like my IPA’s.

Bottle drunk on 5/26/07
I’ll probably take some shit for this, but gotta call it as I taste it. First off, I am very biased against dark ipas, especially earthy/woody/bready malted ones. I like my IPAs as pale as they come. This just seemed muddled to me, with LOTS of malt apparency and rather papery/crystally/hard at that. Lots of iced tea character....To its credit, the hops are quite nice, being fruity and citric, but I could stand even more aromatics/flavor and less bitterness.
Dry, grainy texture, with only a moderate amount of caramel-like softness. Rather loose carbonation, creating some wateriness. No alcohol or flaws. I’d like to try it fresh on tap....

Rerate Bottle from Aspidites drunk on 11/3/07
Well so much for my previous rating. Obviously the bottle I had was not all that fresh. This one was, assumedly, and was nothing like that one. Absolutely charming simcoe (among others) nose shows lush mangoes and even moderate watermelon. Deep wintergreen lies in the background, with fresh, juicy grass and lime and lychee mixing together to give a bittersweetness that only fresh, liberally hopped West Coast IPAs can give. Malt, though not all pale, does not interfere, and seems nicely attenuated. Even though I opened it well chilled, I couldnt wait more than a few seconds before drinking some, the aroma being so tempting. No flaws or alcohol, high strength of aroma, without the overdone bitterness or pine resin that ruins so many.
Flavor is moderately bitter, mostly dry and leaves only light biscuity traces of malt. It seems, at first, a little underdeveloped in its maltiness, but frankly, I welcome the lack of sugariness or chewiness. Moderate carbonation and a growing caramel character as it warms, with more tropical and citrus fruits and a very hoppy, juicy finish, with delightful lime and melon retronasal. Also lacking is any dirty, bland or obtrusive yeastiness. This is a very clean beer. It’s a lovely sipper, though it needn’t necessarily be, because there’s no trace of alcohol, and the body is lighter and very drinkable. But the hop flavor is so well pronounced you need very little with each mouthfull. I’m trying desperately to wait for it to warm fully, but I just can’t stop drinking the stuff and don’t think I’m going to make it. Cheers to Drakes and Aspidites!!

(On tap - cask - Toronado) Ever so slightly hazy, dark golden with a creamy, off-white head. The nose is full of sweetish caramel malt and good aroma hops. The body comes medium with a soft and extremely pleasant mouthfeel. Lightly sweet caramel flavours and then all these great aroma hops. Very pleasant - the limited carbonation doesn’t take the 84 IBUs very far. IPA on cask is a different but rewarding experience! 290307 (Bottle 35,5 cl) Courtesy of aspidites. Pours a hazy, amber golden with an off-white head. Very fresh, citrusy aroma. Medium-bodied and caramelish with a distinct, hoppy and citric finish. Clean, clear and fresh. 8/3/7/4/15=3.7 310507