9/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 10
Overall 9
Cloudy, effervescent golden with a billowy head. The richness of the gold colour cannot be understated here. Champagne-toasty aroma with pear esters. The body is full, the malts sweet as honey and well-rounded. Delightful spiciness backs them up with faint esters and peppery alcohol. A precision brew. I’d always suspected somebody could do this style as well as Moortgat...
Tried
from Can
on 26 May 2005
at 22:08
8.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 10
Overall 9
I’m a bretthead, so I’ve been looking forward to this one. No disappointment either. Cloudy dark straw colour. Big, rich head. Light pale malt character punctuated by leather, chardonnay, wood and light brettanomyces. A bright, lively, highly original brew.
Tried
on 26 May 2005
at 22:05
7/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Draft. Rich mahogony-amber color with a nice off-white head. Citrus hop aroma. Citrus flavor with some pine and earthiness and a touch of malt backing.
Tried
from Draft
on 18 May 2005
at 10:32
7.1/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Draft. Rich amber beer with a nice beige head. Grapefruit, pine and caramel. Full mouthfeel. I’ve found this to be a bit inconsistent. When it’s good, it’s very good and a well balanced IPA. But it can also be a bit off that high.
Tried
from Draft
on 18 May 2005
at 10:30
5.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 5
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 4.5
Draft. Amber golden color with a big white head. Not much aroma - some citus and grain. Citrus and an earthy flavor. Slightly dusty aftertaste.
Tried
from Draft
on 30 Mar 2005
at 11:05
6.8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Draft. Drak amber with a very small off-white head. Hop aroma, but you can also get the malt. Pine resin bitterness - balanced but has a nice lingering bitterness.
Tried
from Draft
on 21 Dec 2004
at 17:01
8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 9
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Draft. Golden ale. Smooth hops and malts aroma. Hops, hops, and more hops, malts and alcohol. Harsh bitterness, almost bilous. Scotch notes and woodiness. Very pleasant. (June 2004).
Tried
from Draft
on 12 Dec 2004
at 18:35
7/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Blonde with slight haze, pleasnt sweet aroma with spices and bananas. Hybrid between pale ale and belgian ale. Lots of hops and spices. Rather bitter notes, but good bodied. (June 2004).
Tried
on 12 Dec 2004
at 18:27
7.2/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Draft. Rich amber color and a nice off-white head. Malty aroma with some banana and clove esters. Malt and spice flavor with some stone fruit. Smooth and easy to drink. Very well put together for drinkability - nothing harsh or off at all, just very smooth. Could just use a bit of complexity to move it up.
Tried
from Draft
on 11 Dec 2004
at 11:03
6.9/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Rating #2 (eight years later): Slightly hazy golden coloured body with a super large off-white head. Aroma of ridiculously pungent piney and resiny hops with a deep citrus note. Medium to Full-bodied; Strong hoppy notes with a deep pine and herbal flavour and some resin on top. Aftertaste is a bit more muted, but the complexity remains and the hops are still strong. Overall, a nice beer - but not amazing and still pungently hoppy. I sampled this 50 cL bottle purchased from Hollingshead’s Deli in Orange, California on 06-December-2011 for US$7.99, bottled on 17-November-2011 sampled at home in Washington on 21-January-2012. Rating for this sample: 8,3,7,3,13 - the same as before, on draught, eight years ago!!! Clear copper coloured body with a thinnish white head. Aroma of pure cascade/citrus hops with a strong malt backbone. Medium to Full-bodied; Strong hoppiness with almost a candy sweetness. Aftertaste bittered by the flagrant hoppiness-a decent showing altogether! Overall, a decent Imperial IPA-worth a try for the last beer at Toronado & San Francisco! I sampled this pint from draught at Toronado in San Francisco, California on the second day of 10-June-2004...our first was spent in Sydney, Australia. Rating for this sample: 8,3,7,3,13
Tried
from Bottle
on 18 Oct 2004
at 22:29