Bitter Valentine - Williamsburg AleWerks

VaTechHopHead

California

4.18/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Ultra clear DIPA, a little darker in color than traditional beers of this style. Nice head that lasts.

S - A very deep earthy hop aroma is present at first. Hops have a slight citric "aftersmell" to them in the nose as well. Not the most pungent DIPA but the hops are definitely fresh and aromatic.

T - This one has a flavor to hang with the big boys. It's a very sticky sap-like flavor right from the beginning than transitions to a wonderful floral and slight citrus fruit flavor. Almost get the full gamut of hop flavors in this one. After taste is smooth and not super bittering. Very pleasant.

M/O - Medium body that might be just slightly undercarbed for my liking. The aftertaste isn't intrusive and has a subtle floral flavor to it. I was highly surprised by this one as I normally don't go for beers from this brewery but now I will seek out their big bottle series from now one. Great beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2012 02:10:51 | More by VaTechHopHead

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to riotinmyskull (Reddit) for supplying this goody.

Pours a lighter fizzy 1/2 finger head that fades at a med pace, with some sticky lacing, over mostly clear golden tan honey colored beer.

Nose brings some nice hops, mostly citrus with some tangerine and hint of orange zest, light stone fruit like apricot and nectarine, hint of tropical fruit grapefruit and pineapple, etc, but none of the hop characters dominant. A sweet malty base comes through underneath with some candied orange aromas.

Taste starts with sweet malts, juicy sweet malts with a bit of reddish malt flavors and hint of caramel, before hops kick in quickly. Quite bitter with some earthy bittering hops, then citrus and orange rind, fruits both stone and tropical bring tangerine, nectarine, apricot, slight peach like, pineapple, etc. Some nice fruit flavors. in the back end a slight bitter resinous fresh hop flavor comes in, that teases on astringent but not much. The finish stays quite bitter, with a long lingering bitterness on the finish, hints of tropical and stone fruits remaining, with a light pine and resinous musty hop lingering as well, and hints of candy hop, and fairly dry.

Mouth is med bodied, hint of warming booze but not much, decent carb.

Overall pretty good, an almost staple version of what a DIPA should be, a nice bitterness that borders astringency but doesn't overpower, long lingering bitter finish, nice balance between bittering and flavor/aroma hops, and nice balance of malty sweetness to back up the bitterness with a touch of booze that barely comes into play. Tasty and well done DIPA that I would love to try on draft, and get a regular supply of.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2012 22:23:30 | More by jlindros

SpeedwayJim

New York

4.16/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Big thanks to Sam for this one. 22oz. bottle into a Founders snifter.

Pours a creamy 1 finger white head with moderate retention. Beer is a clear orange-goldenrod. Lacing is thick and layered with excellent stick. Real nice looking beer.

Nose is sweet citrus, pine sap hoppiness, cane sugar, pineapple and other tropical fruits. Aromatic and very enticing. Good balance too.

Opens sweet citrus, mango and passion fruit. Grapefruit hop bitterness balanced with a robust cane sugar malt backbone at the middle. Ends slightly tart citrus and very, very dry. Sappy hop finish with a lingering, bittersweet and just a touch of caramel aftertaste. Really tasty.

Light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Quenching and smooth in the mouth and goes down dry and puckering. Finishes dry with a sticky, lingering aftertaste. Appropriate for the style. Real drinkable.

Another above-average offering from Williamsberg Alewerks. The flavor here is complex and balanced and the aroma and feel are spot on. Quite the looker too. Definitely a beer to seek out.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 00:18:10 | More by SpeedwayJim

TechTriumph

Virginia

4.13/5  rDev -4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From notes on 03/05/12:
No freshness date; Poured in a Sam Adams Perfect Pint glass.

A - One inch off-white creamy head with pretty good retention; Light caramel/copper color that's pretty clear; Beautiful webs of lacing all down the glass

S - As soon as I poured the beer, I could smell the lovely, hoppy aroma; Notes of grapefruit, apricot, pineapple, a bouquet of flowers, a bit of underlying spice, and a touch of caramel

T - As the name suggests, there's a nice dose of bitterness that works well in the taste without being overpowering or unpleasant; Hop flavor is pretty different from the nose with lots of pine, pepper, and onion that goes toe-to-toe with the wave of bitterness; Some apricot and faint pineapple surface after the initial rush of pine; Very subtle undertones of toasty malts and sweetness manage to peek through mid-taste; I get a bit more sweet grapefruit and less bitter pine as the beer warms

M - Good amount of carbonation that's just above moderate; Medium bodied or just a tad less, which feels a little on the light side for a DIPA; Fairly dry, peppery finish with some warmth

O - I always enjoy getting to try new in-state IPA's and DIPA's in hopes of finding another gem, and this brew turned out to be quite the treat. My only complaint would be the mouthfeel that falls a bit on the lighter side for the style, but otherwise this is a tasty brew that packs quite a bit of piney/oniony hops and bitterness. I'm not sure if Williamsburg AleWerks intends to brew this DIPA every February, but for the sake of us hopheads, I hope they do!

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2012 19:58:44 | More by TechTriumph

Pencible

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: This poured a clear gold with moderate white head.
S: It smelled like grapefruit and pine, with some citrus and mango and apricot.
T: It tasted like strong bitter pine and citrus zest, with waxy hops and grapefruit and unripe apricot. It had a lasting clean and bitter aftertaste.
M: It was somewhat thick with moderate carbonation. Nice full body.
D: This beer had no balance. This hop bomb had a very bitter but complex profile, but no malt or other character. It had good body and well hidden alcohol, but it more of a sipper due to the bitterness. Not my favorite for the style, but impressive.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2012 18:54:30 | More by Pencible

raveskdr

District of Columbia

4.08/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

First review ever. LOOK OUT NOW, WORLD!

A - Prototypical caramel amber hue. Just beautiful with the perfect amount of carbonation.

S - Pine and citrus. Slight malt backing up the hops.

T - Sharp pine with hint of citrus, malty backbone with some lingering hops. Balanced so well for a double IPA.

M - Spot on. Slight resin with an ever so slight alcohol burn. Done just right.

O - Williamsburg does several things right, and this is one of them. Pumpkin and imperial stout also will count. If only my store had gotten more than a single case of this.

-CJ

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2012 01:41:25 | More by raveskdr

AgentMunky

Alabama

4.08/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22 ounce bottle into an Allagash cervoise glass.

A: Not much head. Very clear. Scattered head and lacing. Light gold/amber.

S: Citrusy hops. A bit vegetal/earthy (Simcoe?).

T/M: I was super-excited by this beer -- I love DIPAs and I love everything AleWerks has done recently -- and I was only slightly let down. A very tasty, accessible IPA. Lots of fruit, primarily ruby grapefruit, and a light, spicy-sparkly mouthfeel make it very easy to drink. Hops are obvious, astringent, spicy, pervasive, and delicious. The aftertaste is clean, slightly bitter, and pleasantly long/dry.

O: Incredibly well-balanced. This beer really grows on me and highlights the artistry of AleWerks. Highly recommended; would drink again.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2012 04:23:16 | More by AgentMunky

argock

Virginia

4.05/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz brown bottle into a Duvel tulip. No freshness date. Purchased at Wine Warehouse (Charlottesville, VA) for $7.99.

A: Very clear orange-amber with thick, rocky 2-finger beige head which sinks away quickly and leaves a few dots of lace around the glass.

S: A very herbal profile overall with plant shoots and onion aromas coupled with floral and tropical fruit mango and pineapple. The malt is pale with a touch of lighter crystal malt.

T: I liked the flavor with plenty of pineapple, pine, resin, and floral character. I thought that the oniony herbal qualities did get stronger through the bomber and did detract from the overall flavor profile. Very bitter throughout.

M: Smooth and very dry - the Williamsburg crew did a great job with the drinkability. Body is medium-full with relatively low carbonation.

O: Pretty good but not great DIPA with more herbal plant notes but still packs big flavor and bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2012 01:12:49 | More by argock

EgadBananas

Louisiana

4.03/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks for sharing Shane!

Pours a medium coppery color. Head was a dark tan. Aroma was not very pronounced. As it warmed, there was some citrus notes to pair with a smidge of caramel malts.

The taste was a different kind of monster. Sweet citrus notes, light pine, with an assertive hop bite and linger.

Medium bodied, slick, almost creamy.

The aroma was average, but taste was great. I can see this being a sleeper.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2012 03:23:05 | More by EgadBananas

ehammond1

California

4.03/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle (2012)

Thanks to the Pittsburgh gang for sending this to the Cali gang!

Clear dark orange with a very small off-white head that only leaves minimal stick down the glass.

Very nice aroma, mainly focused on citrus and tropical notes, along with a mild hint of pine. I dig it.

Straightforward, though very tasty DIPA, with good amounts of tropical fruits and citrus butting up against a fairly high level of bitterness, along with just a hint of caramel malt backbone. Very nice.

Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

Very nice, though, drinking "other" good D/IPAs just reminds me how good I have it everyday in San Diego.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2012 21:58:34 | More by ehammond1

sholland119

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Pours a clear light amber with a frothy off white head and good stickiness.

S-Herbal and resinous with some floral notes. Lots of hops and some nice malt.

T-Following the nose, a very resinous hop flavor dominates. Plenty of hops, nice malt, a moderate booziness. I prefer a juicy, citrus hoppiness in my DIPA but this is very nice.

M-Medium bodied, nice driness, moderate carbonation.

O-A very nice DIPA. Does not really match the hype but very good nonetheless.

HV

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2012 02:01:01 | More by sholland119

CuriousMonk

Virginia

4/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from bomber into pint glass. Pours a clear reddish-orange amber with a small to medium off-white head. Aroma is very citrus-hoppy- a lot of orange, grapefruit, and some lemon. Aroma is sweet as well as hints of grass, pepper, and pineapple. There is a somewhat bitter flavor, lots of citrus (again: grapefruit, lemon, some orange) and perhaps some pepper. Medium to full bodied, moderately carbonated. Fairly astringent mouthfeel. Sweetness is mild and only present for an instant up front before the bitterness takes over; and a hint of sweetness peaks its head in the finish before long bitter aftertaste. Alcohol comes through just a little. It’s good, a little ones-sided on the citrus-hops, but it does that part well. There is no reason to be bitter on Valentine’s day with this one!

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2012 19:08:53 | More by CuriousMonk

Hamburgers

California

3.98/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Pours crystal clear dark amber. One finger white head with heavy lacing. Aroma is piney, citrusy and a little sweet. Flavors of citrus fruit. More hoppy than malty. Medium body with moderate carbonation. Bitter finish. Alcohol well hidden. A very good west coast style DIPA. Better than most. Not very complex or different but SOLID...

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 08:17:07 | More by Hamburgers

zaphodchak

Virginia

3.95/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A half finger of white head and a pale gold body.

Nose is potent leafy hops, North American style.

Impressive spicy hop character, quite leafy and rather bitter. Unbalanced, as many bitter DIPAs are, by honey, this somehow manages to find some measure of balance on its own. Grapefruit character.

Very smooth, light mouthfeel.

Even as a professed hop-hater, I can appreciate this. Another outstanding AleWerks beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 03:40:20 | More by zaphodchak

boralyl

Oregon

3.88/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Thorpe429 for the bottle.

A - Pours an inch of creamy white head with good retention. It leaves a ton of sticky lace as it settles. The beer is clear and has a medium golden-orange hue.

S - The aroma has a huge hope presence. I get a lot of orange and citrus combined with a pleasant caramel sweetness.

M - Medium in body with moderate carbonation. The finish is slightly creamy.

T - There is a light caramel backbone throughout. The hop-aroma is also present in the taste, starting with orange and citrus. Then there is a grapefruit bitterness along with some alcohol heat. The finish is a little harsh.

I enjoyed this beer, I just wish the alcohol presence in the finish weren't so harsh.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 04:00:40 | More by boralyl

kawilliams81

Illinois

3.74/5  rDev -13%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 22 oz bottle into a Half Acre tulip.

A- pours dark copper with a 2 finger off-white head. Thick walls and leopard spotting of lacing remains on the glass.

S- caramel, biscuit, very light citrus, some spice and nice pine aroma

T- someone caramel, light toasted malts, not much citrus to be found, and big pine bitterness at the end.

M- medium body and carbonation. Smooth and crisp with semi-dry finish.

O- good dipa. Citrus was lacking for my taste but had some sweetness from the malt to balance the big pine bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 02:44:27 | More by kawilliams81

B33R501

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

ok i get it the popularity of this beer and beers of this type in general. doesnt surprise me to see it overall rated right next to lagunitas sucks. of course this style will never be my favorite, i prefer maltier, more balanced ipas, celebration the perfect example. on the good side, this was my second bottle, it certainly had no annoying flavors, and the bomber dissapeared quickly enough, its drinkable.

nice pour, more of a darker amber hue, nice head, retension and lace. sure is pretty. smells the best part of this beer, lots of citrus fruity hops and a little alcohol, which i dont mind at all. tastes starts off the same, but i think gets a little muddled towards the middle / end of the bomber. personally, i dont need to get this again. however ...

great brewery that i think is starting to get more (well deserved) recognition. their bourbon barrel porter is so great, on my favorites list, and their barleywine was also top notch.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2012 12:48:21 | More by B33R501

axeman9182

New Jersey

3.73/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a tall thin glass on tap at Capone's.

Bitter Valentine pours a mostly clear orange. There's a thin wisp of white head, the minimal foam not even geting a chance to display any lacing or retention. The nose is packed with potent aromas of pineapple and grapefruit. The brewers definitely loaded this one up with plenty of end of the boil and dry hops. There's a bit of malt to be found in the flavor profile, in the form of some caramel sweetness to lead off each sip. That's followed by a massive wave of bitterness, the name of the brew is well earned. The grapefruit and pineapple from the nose come back to close out the beer, but they're not nearly as intense as I'd hope, given both the aroma and the pointed bitterness. The mouthfeel is just a little bit off all around. There's too much bulk to the body, and the carbonation is a little bit dull. Everything's close, but not right there. Williamsburg AleWerks' Bitter Valentine is an Imperial IPA that doesn't quite follow through on delivering the intensely hoppy flavors one would hope for, but it comes pretty close.

Serving type: on-tap

04-29-2012 04:15:48 | More by axeman9182

crossovert

Wisconsin

3.68/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

650ml bottle.

It pours a clear amber with a foamy white head.

Luckily though it is decently old (for an IPA) the smell is still there. It is definitely hinting more malty though. There is some sweet tropical notes and some citrus rind. The malt is sweet smelling with some bread and caramel.

The flavor is nice. Good hop flavors with a biting bitterness, it has no shortness of that. But I think the hops could be a bit better, more of a slap of citrus. This one is more of a pine one which I like, but it isn't really complex. The malt isn't as prevalent in the flavor but leaves a bit of a balancing sweetness.

I have some chili john's cooking, this is going to be a perfect pair.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2012 00:05:17 | More by crossovert

tobelerone

New Jersey

3.63/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Glad I finally got to try this one, though I suspect this bottle is past its prime. No dating makes it hard to be sure but my understanding is the most recent bottling was in April, making this bottle close to three months old.

Pours nearly clear, gold, with a small, quickly settling white head and patchy lacing.

Resinous, herbal, “weedy” aroma with noticeable caramel maltiness; smells both bitter and honey-sweet. Some tropical fruit notes.

The flavor is primarily hoppy and bitter, as the name implies, but has moderate sweetness that emerges more and more into a clear honey flavor as the beer warms a bit. Either way the malt has a substantial presence. Citrus fruit and piney, resinous hop notes. Lingering bitterness; sweetish finish. Booziness is also increasing noticeable as you work your way through the glass.

Medium bodied and carbonated, smooth and slightly sticky mouthfeel. A good DIPA but for me wasn’t anything to get too worked up over. Maltier, sweeter, and generally heavier feeling than most of my favorites of this style. Good enough hop character but the particular blend chosen wasn’t knocking me out. Again, no bottle dating, which seems inexcusable at this point. I’d like to try a fresher bottle sometime but won’t be springing for another if it’s unclear when it’s from.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 13:33:34 | More by tobelerone

jegross2

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Reviewing the Bitter Valentine from Williamsburg AleWerks out of Virginia. This, like Pipework's Ninja vs. Unicorn, is a highly hyped and newer IPA on the market. Thank you ProperHops (Joseph) for sending me this treat!
Score: 84

No bottle date, which is never a good sign for an IPA bottle. Why do brewers even bother selling beer without bottled on date? Marginal revenue at the expense of bad customer experiences and quality control is never good marketing. Served in a Half Acre tulip and enjoyed on 05/04/12.

Appearance: Pours a lighter, but translucent, orange-amber color with one-plus fingers of seafoam tan head at pour that settles to a thin foggy cap and bubbly ring around the glass. Average lacing, above average retention. 4/5

Smell: Malty orange citrus, dirty/earthy hops and a little lemon. Residual onion/horseradish. 3.5/5

Taste: Bitter orange rind and malty orange. A bit of sharp/spicy onion on the midpalate. Bitter earthy hops on the back of the tongue. You can tell this is not the freshest, but it's still pretty solid. Seems to get bitter/maltier as it layers, with less citrus flavor. Lingering hop bitterness. 3.5/5

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, medium carbonation. Oily mouthfeel. Bitter finish with a little residual intensity on the tongue. 3.5/5

Overall: You can tell there's potential here, but this beer was likely not the freshest. Williamsburg AleWerks really should bottle date their stuff. I would like to revisit this when a new batch is released.

Recommendation: A decent IIPA as is, but seek this one out fresh. Bitter/oniony hop haters and casual beer drinkers should probably avoid this beer.

Pairings: Grilled chicken.

Cost: $7.99 for a 22 oz bottle.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 04:05:56 | More by jegross2

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had during the 2nd Annual Redneck Racin’ & Tastin’ while tailgating at the dirt track race! Big thanks goes out to cmrillo’s wife (who is on BA but won't tell me her userhandle) for this one! Served from bottle into a NoDa snifter. Poured red-orange with a minimal white head. Maintained decent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, wheat, earth, spice, citrus, earth hop, and floral hop. The flavor was of sweet malt, citrus, earth, earth hop, citrus, and floral hop. It had a light feel on the palate with medium-high carbonation. Overall this was a decent brew. The standout point on this brew was definitely the floral hop character which I am a real big fan of. However, nothing else on this one really stood out to me which was rather unfortunate. It was easy drinking out in the sun that evening, but definitely not a stand out in the style. Worth trying if you get the chance.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2012 12:55:02 | More by thagr81us

FosterJM

California

3.5/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

1457th Review on BA
Bottle to Tulip
22oz

No bottle date
CA Gang Bang BIF

App- Had a very deep orange color with a lighter center. A little bit of yellows in the glass with a good clarity. 0 head or cling. Very flat on the pour.

Smell- It openened with a small tropical note and then progressed into a smaller pine with a good amount of hops to it.

Taste- This is a big DIPA. The 9% isnt messing around. Had a small creamy flavor behind it with a thicker pine flavor and was flavorful if not one dimensional.

Mouth- A lighter medium body which I thought was odd. A medium carbonation level. Gave the feel a thicker mode to it.

Drink- It was tasty, like I said, just one dimensional. Needed more citrus balance to tame the pine.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2012 16:05:55 | More by FosterJM

MusicaleMike

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -20.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I picked up a bottle at Food and Friends in Philadelphia. I won't lie...this purchase decision was made entirely on the hype behind this beer. Bomber bottle with no freshness code. Poured into wine glass. This is my first beer from Williamsburg AleWerks.

Really attractive beer! With some coaxing of the head, there is a solid finger and a half of dense, tight cream colored head. Surprisingly, the head dissipates somewhat quickly for a DIPA. Lacing is all over the glass!! Really the most attractive thing here is the crystal clarity of this beer with that burnt amber coloring. Had to drop it a half point for the poor head retention.

Aroma has all of those juicy fruit smells that are all the hype these days. No wonder people are all over this beer. Notes of mango, grapefruit, light hints of pine and melon. Pretty bold aroma and exactly where a DIPA should be.

The actual flavor suffers in my opinion and does not hit the expected mark from what I got from the aroma. Way too much alcohol presence here, and that hotness masks some of the subtler flavors of malt. The hop bitterness is there, but is not very high. Hot on the exhale. The complexity that was present in the aroma is just NOT there in the flavor. Pretty much hits one note throughout the beer. Really what shows the most here is the alcohol, and therefore, I found this to be less than average for a DIPA.

The mouthfeel is a bit under-carbonated in my opinion. Better than having it be overly effervescent, but at the same time, this could use some more bubbles. Very smooth, and very slick on the tongue. Still, could use more carbonation.

Overall, I was seriously impressed with the appearance and the aroma. It made a big impression on me. However, the heat from the alcohol and the noticeably low carbonation brought it down from glory. Would I buy again? No.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2012 00:58:16 | More by MusicaleMike

jmarsh123

Indiana

3.23/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Thanks to yourfragile for the bottle. Enjoying it while watching IU in the B10 tourney.

Pours cloudy bright orange with a small 1 finger off-white head with low to no retention and good spotty lacing. I like the color and lacing, but prefer some head retention.

Aroma contains some tropical scents. Mango, pineapple and citrus fruits and as it warmed a bit of onion. There is a touch of caramel malt here but it's drowned out by the onslaught of hops.

A lot more pine flavor than the nose would indicate. A little of the tropical flavors come through although there is an oniony presence throughout. Not nearly what I was expecting after the wonderful smell. A touch of brown sugar before it finishes very bitter and dry with strong pine and onion. Onion bitterness lingers on the tongue and came out more as it warmed becoming overpowering.

Medium mouthfeel. A touch sticky, but still feels light. Carbonation average for the style perhaps a shade below.

Didn't live up to the hype for me. Would have liked the flavor hop profile to be a bit more balanced. I love eating onions and don't mind some onion in the flavor profile, but this one is overdone and makes the beer very one-note.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2012 19:40:36 | More by jmarsh123