Knuckle Sandwich - Bootlegger's Brewery

gshak

Texas

4.9/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

If there ever was a perfect beer to represent the double IPA style, for me this it is!
A - straight pour out of the bottle into my Kostritzer stemmed glass. Formed a 2 finger's width of head subsiding into a thin ring leaving some lacing on the glass. The beer itself is bordering on yellow-orange tending towards light amber in color.
S - Whoa - guava is supremely dominant. This must be a super-fresh bottle! I pick up some papaya, honeydew, grapefruit, peaches. Mind blown!
T - Taste follows smell. Initial blast of sugary sweetness completely belies 87 IBU worth of hoppy bitterness. This is like drinking straight-up fruit juice. Sort of like a guava, papaya, grapefruit punch. The sweetness gradually diminishes as the beer flows through the mouth, indicating the counteraction of the hops and dries out towards the end. At no point do you feel any unwelcome bitterness or alcohol heat. The only indication of the 10% ABV is after a couple of sips, when you feel the warmth in your chest.
M - Perfect mouthfeel. The maltiness lends some body, but the carbonation and hops play together perfectly to make the mouthfeel lighter and quaffable. This is the sort of a beer that makes you take big gulps and let it play around in your mouth before swallowing it bit-by-bit.
O - Much as I like to rate this a perfect 5 (and the beer itself is worthy of this), I must deduct a point somewhere for not putting a bottled-on date anywhere on this brew. Brewers - not everyone might be as lucky as me to land a fresh bottle, please note and help us appreciate you better!
This beer is an ode to hops. Supremely well-balanced, supremely aromatic, supremely enjoyable. Even if I may never get to try this beer again, this beer has left an indelible impression on me, and will be the new benchmark for all DIPAs to follow.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 19:26:56 | More by gshak

afallon86

California

4/5  rDev -7.6%

06-15-2013 09:26:48 | More by afallon86

djre4orm

Virginia

4/5  rDev -7.6%

06-13-2013 18:35:39 | More by djre4orm

biggied

California

4.5/5  rDev +3.9%

06-10-2013 23:08:58 | More by biggied

lilnicky068

Kentucky

4/5  rDev -7.6%

06-10-2013 12:34:08 | More by lilnicky068

a74gent

Massachusetts

4.75/5  rDev +9.7%

06-06-2013 15:29:19 | More by a74gent

Anonymous1

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -13.4%

06-05-2013 19:59:44 | More by Anonymous1

blguillen

California

4.5/5  rDev +3.9%

06-04-2013 17:07:15 | More by blguillen

bird22

California

4.25/5  rDev -1.8%

06-03-2013 04:07:04 | More by bird22

itsiilegal

California

3.25/5  rDev -24.9%

06-03-2013 03:10:04 | More by itsiilegal

szmnnl99

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev -1.8%

06-03-2013 00:56:48 | More by szmnnl99

Slackerville

California

3.78/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Not a beer for the timid.

At double digits for ABV I was skeptical considering the prevalence of double IPAs at breweries recently that have overpowering sweetness from unfermented sugars. That was not the case with this beer, great hop character initially on the nose and mouth, then finished clean, crisp, and strong. Overall lots of hops, body, and of course alcohol. Knuckle Sandwich is probably about as balanced as this can get since any aging would negatively affect the rich, fresh hop nose and make the beer more bitter than desired.

It's great to see how often Bootlegger's rotates through different beer styles at their brewery and a wide range of 22 oz bottle offerings can be found throughout Orange County.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2013 15:58:48 | More by Slackerville

Irish0480

New York

4.5/5  rDev +3.9%

05-27-2013 13:33:07 | More by Irish0480

Reggae4203

California

4.25/5  rDev -1.8%

05-27-2013 05:49:43 | More by Reggae4203

Photekut

Azerbaijan

4.25/5  rDev -1.8%

05-26-2013 17:51:46 | More by Photekut

Spaz7

California

4.75/5  rDev +9.7%

05-24-2013 20:13:23 | More by Spaz7

Dirksen

California

4.5/5  rDev +3.9%

05-24-2013 19:21:54 | More by Dirksen

mikeincharleston

South Carolina

4.25/5  rDev -1.8%

05-23-2013 01:21:25 | More by mikeincharleston

Keyportnick

Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev -1.8%

05-23-2013 00:42:20 | More by Keyportnick

Envelopes

Ohio

4/5  rDev -7.6%

05-21-2013 05:44:41 | More by Envelopes

TallGuyCM

California

4.5/5  rDev +3.9%

05-21-2013 02:43:58 | More by TallGuyCM

drgonzo2k2

California

4.25/5  rDev -1.8%

05-19-2013 23:22:03 | More by drgonzo2k2

tom10101

Quebec (Canada)

4/5  rDev -7.6%

05-19-2013 17:06:04 | More by tom10101

taospowder

New Mexico

4/5  rDev -7.6%

05-18-2013 13:33:29 | More by taospowder

Shogun730

California

5/5  rDev +15.5%

05-17-2013 21:29:43 | More by Shogun730