American Muscle - Local Option

JAHMUR

Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev -8.3%

01-29-2013 02:33:15 | More by JAHMUR

FEUO

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev -2.2%

11-01-2012 13:19:43 | More by FEUO

gorby10826

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -8.3%

09-17-2012 20:01:06 | More by gorby10826

danthehopslamman

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%

08-15-2012 05:38:38 | More by danthehopslamman

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.95/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

With its immense alcohol flavor and feel, American Muscle rivals the so called "triple" IPA by Hoppin' Frog's Hop Dam and Founders Devil Dancer. Pushing the limits of the usual refreshment of pale ale into sipping territory with its strength, intensity of flavor, and resiny weight- the zesty ale frustrates the palate as much as it rewards it.

The beer pours with a deep honey amber hue with medium haze. It's somewhat sticky appearance slowly releases a creamy head that collapses above its alcohol and weight, but a gentle swirl of the glass returns the froth. Moderate lacing enforces the IPA notion well.

Hops and alcohol make an immediate impact with a combination of bright and pungent scents that span from citrusy grapefruit to leaf and light onion. Alcohol weaves into the fruit and spice note with the resemblance of citrus infused furniture polish. Still, the underpinning of caramel and honey supports the hops and alcohol and evokes a nearly mouth watering aromatic profile.

Strong flavors of malty caramel and honey are swiftly sliced into by the citrus flavored alchols with acidity and bitterness that resonates to the palate like white grapefruit (pulp, pith, and zest), tangerine, appricot, mango, freshly mowed lawn, earthen chives, onion, and a somewhat garlic note. Not only do the resins and oils deliver flavor and bitterness, but so do the leaf matter of the hops. The tremendously bitter alcohols strips the chlorophyll from the leaf and continues to deliver greater depth of hop appreciation to the taste buds. A side note of rose pedal daintily allows the alcohol to continue another wave of flavor to persists even among the more bullish tastes.

Semi-full in body, the carbonated creaminess gives extra viscosity to the beer rather than ushering in any refreshment or lift off the tongue. But the deeply resiny bitterness, residual malt, and sappy stickiness happily clings to the mouth and buffers against the pang of 12.5%. Medium-dry with mouth numbing alcohol, the beer finishes with a long linger of malt, hops, and alcohol that impedes refreshment but makes this beer one helluva sipper.

Serving type: on-tap

06-19-2012 16:37:37 | More by BEERchitect

Blavaq

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +16.1%

04-26-2012 02:06:37 | More by Blavaq

ParraPalliative

4.5/5  rDev +10%

04-09-2012 17:08:42 | More by ParraPalliative

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.6/5  rDev -12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a snifter at Local Option.

There should be a speech bubble in the bird's mouth spouting a gruff "Get some!" Maybe it's just me... Anyway, this stuff pours a lightly hazy sunset amber topped by a half-finger of off-white foam. The nose comprises grapefruit zest, light leek, orange zest, light honey, and very light caramel. The taste holds notes of orange zest, grapefruit peel, pine resin, light caramel, very light honey, and a touch of booze. The body is a light-ish medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a sorta/kinda dry finish. Overall, a generally solid, if a tad unbalanced and boozy, DIPA.

Serving type: on-tap

03-22-2012 06:51:09 | More by TMoney2591

Youngbeertender

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +10%

03-12-2012 05:54:56 | More by Youngbeertender

LornaLee

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +10%

03-04-2012 18:01:00 | More by LornaLee

Dracook

United Kingdom (England)

4/5  rDev -2.2%

03-03-2012 01:17:15 | More by Dracook

Treebs

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had on tap at the source. Served in a snifter.

A: Pours a vibrant orange color with some lighter edges. A thin white head forms on the pour and subsides quickly to thin ring that leaves some soapy lace.

S: Some mango, resin, orange, pine all provide the high hoppiness while smells of bready and caramel malts balance them out.

T: The taste is more of the same with a solid tropical fruit taste, mostly mango with a touch of citrus, balanced with some bitter resin and pine. The caramel and biscuit malts are there to balanced it out, but the boozy smell is just a tad overwhelming on the backend and takes away from the otherwise nice flavors.

M: Sticky, medium bodied with a medium carbonation. The boozy is just a touch warming on the finish.

O: I like where they went with this, but it's just a touch too boozy and it took away from the overall appeal of the beer.

Serving type: on-tap

02-25-2012 15:59:24 | More by Treebs