Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
Bomber from Total Wine in Sacramento, CA. Pours gold with a slight white head. Aroma is earthy/floral. Med + body. Flavor is floral/earthy over a light malt backbone. Yet the flavors are quite strong - the fruit renders it less than dry, but it is quite bitter. The malt is lightly roasty - but it does support the hop adequately. There’s a surprising fruit/sweet aspect that crops up in each quaff. Quickly wiped away by the hop. This is a flavor combination that is really tasty, and not suggesting anything I’ve had before.
bhensonb (22605) reviewed Utterback IPA from Ruhstaller Beer 10 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Bomber from Whole Foods on Arden in Sacramento, CA. Pours translucent gold with a near white head. Aroma is light stone fruit with a touch of earth. Med + body. Flavor is "Cluster" IMO, but there’s a bit of spice and light stone fruit. It’s nicely bitter, and the malt is just a tad roasty. Nice drinking ale.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
Bomber from Total Wine in Sacramento, CA. Nice aroma floated out when the cap popped. Pours gold with a white head. Floral/spice and mild pale malt for aroma. Med + body. Flavor is like an imperial pils. There’s a lot of hop, but it’s going grassy/spicy - so makes me think of pils. Not much roasty malt, so it’s not very APA to me. I’m going with top fermented imperial something! Except the ABV doesn’t work with that. Nothing burning harsh here, but it’s certainly bitter. Sort of a smooth bitter. I’m liking it a lot. Finishes bitter and towards dry.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
Bottle at the sky high Canary wharf tasting. Thanks to Daniel for this one. Aroma is popcorn, nutty, rough grains, rounded toffee, sticky toffee. Reddy amber coloured pour with a lasting loose cream coloured head. Flavour is composed of rounded nutty malts, toffee, grainstore, some hot alcohol, Palate is medium full, grainy, moderate carbonation. I really like this.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6.5
Bottle split at the 42nd floor Tasting, thanks to Daniel, 08/10/15. Amber orange with a decent beige cap. Nose is toffee, earthy, dark fruit rinds, peppery spice. Taste comprises caramel, boozey, rich malts, toasted brown sugar, light spice. Medium + bodied, fine carbonation, earthy hop presence and warming alcohol at the curtain call. Average stuff ... A little harsh and unrefined.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
Bottle at the 42nd floor tasting, courtesy of Ol’ Dirty Danny. It pours lightly hazy deep amber-brown with a medium beige head. The nose is toasty, grainy, toffee, a bit musty, toasted sugars, bread, liquorice and chewy malt. The taste is rich, bitter-sweet, toasty stuff, alcohol boost, brown bread, earth, umami, some spice, liquorice, dried fruits and light rivita with a warming finish. Medium - full body and average carbonation. An adequate barley wine, but it doesn’t have the wow factor.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
Bottle shared in London - big thanks to Daniel. Pours mostly clear gold with a frothy off-white head. Rich bready malts in the nose, butterscotch, marmalade. Medium to heavy sweet flavor with bitter, oily pine, toasted bread, caramel, strong alcohol. Full bodied chewy, with fine carbonation. Warming finish with more ripe, jammy citrus, dates, bread, caramel. Not bad.
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6
Tap. Pours clear golden orange, medium white creamy head, nice lacing. Aroma is a bit grainy, leafy, pine, green tea. Flavor is light plus sweet, medium bitter, grainy, really feels like a lager. Pine and wet leaves, orange zest. Medium body.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
Bottle. Pours a slightly hazy golden pale orange color with a small white head. Has a fruity malty weak grassy hoppy aroma. Fruity malty earthy hoppy grassy flavor. Has a fruity malty grassy hoppy finish.
bb (18428) reviewed Utterback IPA from Ruhstaller Beer 10 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
Bottle. Amber beer with a cream head. Light grapefruit and light pine aroma. Grapefruit and pine flavor with backing malt. Medium bodied. Good bitterness. Grapefruit and light pine lingers with malt.