Kill & Destroy IPA - De Struise Brouwers

hawksfan82

Kansas

4.16/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Purchased a bottle from the brewery after a field trip to St. Bernardus, Westvleteren....I finished up at the brewery and purchased a bottle after Urbain was kind enough to share with us.

Capped 750ml that boasts a 12% abv and 500 ibus, and 3 months in a Wild Turkey Barrel. Urbain claimed he used 40 lbs of American hops in a 10 barrel batch.

A: Pours like a big, American IPA. Orange-y with golden highlights. Decent head retention (mostly white). A few particles dancing around, but not cloudy or full of sediment.

N: Big American hops in the nose. Juicy, fruity citrus (whole variety) and a bit of tropical fruit. After the hop-forward part of it there's a hint of must and a bit of booze, but not as much as you think. Just a bit of bourbon, a hint of oak. Smells fruity and sweet.

T: Initial hit is sweetness, and it feels like it comes from the hops and the malt as well. Oily, resiny, a bit slick. The hops are big, bright and remain juicy. The massive hops balances out the massive booze oddly enough, and you get a bit of oak and vanilla in the finish. Nothing overly "sharp" or palate wrecking at first notice. Like I said, the bourbon is in the finish, and you're left with a bit of dryness. Fantastic that even with a beer this big, the hops and malt/booze are equal partners. Nothing ever "smacks you in the face." It's full but not overly aggressive.

M: Oily and slick. Every bit of "heavy" but never overwhelming. Your palate stays in tact most of the way.

O: Even at 16%, this still drinks like a big IPA, and not a "barleywine." Doesn't come off too aggressive, and makes you feel like it's full, as opposed to too sharp. While "subtle" is the wrong word to use here, I think it'd be hard to make this beer any less aggressive and any more subtle. Great that there aren't really any overwhelming sharp edges.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 04:03:57 | More by hawksfan82