Full Throttle Double IPA - Sebago Brewing Company

Hendry

Vermont

3.84/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hazy golden amber color, two finger white head in imperial pint glass. Lacing is textbook.

Aromas are of sweet malt: you can sense it before you taste it. Hops are present but this acts like an English IPA, where malts are the star of the show by and large.

Taste is sweet cotton candy malts, minimal hop infusion overshadowed by the maltiness here.
The yeast strain is prominent in the aftertaste as well. Not my favorite combination of flavors though not unpalatable. Reminds me of a German brew that features sugar as an ingredient.

Mouthfeel is rich and medium heavy, carbonation decent.

Finding many of the "American" IPA/IIPA are more in the English tradition but rarely if ever are advertised as such. The malt bill is tall and the yeast interplay makes this a disappointing American IIPA if you are out for a tropical sensation. Reasonably drinkable and eminently forgettable, Full Throttle IIPA falls short in the hop department while delivering a sweet malt bomb for those that crave that attribute.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 05:24:31 | More by Hendry

macrosmatic

Florida

4.21/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Thanks to KalH for sending me this one! Poured from 12 oz. bottle into a CCB pint glass.

A: Light copper color, big fluffy white head. Moderate haze and carbonation.

S: Resiny citrus, pine, tropical fruit and some dank herbal hops. Sweet cracker malt in the background, but there isn't much malt for a DIPA. Nice aroma.

T: A really enjoyable hop profile here. Dank, citrus, resin, pine...plus more of the light cracker malt than I expected from the smell. There is some malt sweetness but I don't get a big caramel flavor. Some spice plus the resin hoppiness lasts into the swallow and the hang. Not overly bitter by any stretch. EDIT - as it warms some through the drink, a bit more caramel malt flavor comes through, but not to the point of dominance.

M: Medium to a little light-bodied for the style, but it doesn't detract. Sticky mouthfeel. Medium alcohol presence. Good carbonation.

O: This is good. It's kind of a light-weight for the style in terms of OG, mouthfeel and flat-out hop dominance, but I still think it's classified appropriately. The relative paucity of caramel flavor in the malts gives it a leg up in my book compared to many (most?) other American IIPAs. Really enjoyable, and I would definitely pick a sixer up if it were available around here. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 01:06:40 | More by macrosmatic

u2carew

Massachusetts

4.06/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz longneck
A) Pours with a big, white head that takes a bit to settle. Sticky big bubble lacing. Hazy bronze colored body.
S) Robust hop aroma. Piney. Subtle citrus.
T) Hop bite from the beginning to the end. Hops are the dominate feature. The malts mix in and give some balance. Linger hop bitterness in the aftertaste and beyond. Piney. Peppery. Leafy. Subtle buttery caramel. Some alcohol in the finish.
M) Medium body. Dry. Some noticeable warmth from the alcohol. Tannic.
O) A decent double IPA. It could use a bit more malts to smooth out the hop rigidity.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 00:01:27 | More by u2carew

Flounder57

Massachusetts

3.96/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle was poured into a tulip.

Appearance: This beer poured a one finger head that reduced and left a thin layer of foam with some lacing. It is a hazy pale orange color with slow moving bubbles coming up through the glass.

Smell: Caramel malts, orange marmalade, bready, citrus, and pine.

Taste: Ooohhh, that's nice. Caramel malts balance with pine and citrus. Some lingering tingling bitterness in the end.

Mouthfeel: A little dry, creamy smooth, low to medium carbonation, and medium to full bodied.

Overall: Solid beer and the alcohol isn't even noticeable. Might have to grab me another.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 03:05:42 | More by Flounder57

BrewDocCT

3.93/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Beautiful amber in appearance. Off white heady that stays around.

Smell is piney with some caramel sweetness.

Taste is balanced for the style. More of that pine, with some floral hops and a significant malt backbone, maybe too much. No alcohol heat at all.

Mouthfeel is the real sticking point on this one. Syrupy and thick.

Overall a very nice double IPA. It hides alcohol well, and aside from the stickiness, this is an enjoyable beer. Would buy again.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2012 00:59:09 | More by BrewDocCT

BrewingViking

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

S - piney, slight citrus with some sweet caramel
A - very clear, orange/amber color, thick head that stays for awhile, leaves drapes
F - sweet, caramel, citrus (grapefruit) hops, slight pine, almost no bitterness
M - medium body, lasting hop and ending in sweetness
O - very nice, maybe a little too sweet, easy to drink, no alcohol presence, maybe needs more hop flavor. good though

Serving type: growler

07-17-2012 03:36:46 | More by BrewingViking

Genuine

Connecticut

4.05/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle into a clean Pint Glass.

It poured a beautiful cloudy bright amber, with a off white, tannish head that left nice lacing down the side of the class.

The aroma is very fruity, than floral.

The flavor of this beer is great. With the variety of hops Sebago used, not one is more dominent than the other. Pleasant bitterness up front which coats the palate. As that washes over, you get the floral side of the hops in flavor and they work so well in the medley that they play.

Mouthfeel is spot on, it's not thin or watery. Coating.

OVerall - I think this is a pretty solid beer. I would definitely buy again. Sadly I admit, I wouldn't buy Sebago because of their labels, they just didn't attract me but after trying a few of their brews, I find them to be quality!

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 01:07:04 | More by Genuine

kangarooAdam59

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Into my chalice:

A: hazy brown body and a film of a head appears and dies immediately, some spotty lacing was seen decorating the sides of my glass, some light carbonation was seen rising.

S: centered around some biscuity malts, hops and citrus. It was balanced very well.

T: sweet through the hops and the citrus with a decent pine finish at the end. The alcohol was tasted definitely as the beer warmed.

M: medium to heavy, carbonation is felt, fairly sessionable, sticky resinous aftertaste

O: I liked it for the most part, and would probably have it again

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 13:54:45 | More by kangarooAdam59

Gushue3

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

My parents brought me home a Sebago Mix Pack from their weekend up north so, thanks Mom and Dad?...?

A 2 finger white foamy head forms above an orange body with a slight haze. Head has some decent retention and leaves behing some nice lacing.

S Biscuity malt and some lighter hops but the nose really isnt too overpowering.

T Sticky sweet hops come out upfront along with some malt. Pineapple, grapefruit and some pine. Not too bitter up front but the hop bitterness really comes out toward the middle and end. Piney bitter bite on the finish.

M Somewhat of a thinker feel, somewhat sticky. Carbonation is very light making it feel a little heavy for a IPA/DIPA.

O

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2012 00:58:30 | More by Gushue3

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-This beer pours copper. Head is a light caramel color. Head is rather light. Head does manage to lace quite effectively.

S-Sweet yet grapefruity. Smells like candied grapefruit flesh. The citrus is coarse but the maltiness balances it out. Hops and sweetness are nearly matched. Strong caramel notes. Smells like it may be a month or so past its prime.

T-A rather strong flavor. Mostly grapefruit hops. The caramel and grapefruit combo is pretty nice. Sweeter than I would like. Light pine hops too. A strong yet malty DIPA in the flavor although the hops do dance around the palate with some power.

M-Heavier bodied with mellow carbonation. A bit syrupy. I could see the feel dampening down my drinking experience after more than one of these.

O/D-This DIPA falls into my own category of "DIPAs that stress citrus but are overall a bit too sweet". The hop bouquet is lacking bulk and complexity and the malt is a bit too firm. However, this is DIPA is far from poor. I found it to be mostly enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2012 22:17:21 | More by VelvetExtract

BEERMILER12

Maine

3.95/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottled 04/05/12

A: Pours a hazy golden orange color with almost no head

S: Nice citrus, grassy, and slight piney hops along with some malts

T: Follows the nose, nice and hoppy with grapefruit and orange peel at the front and grass and pine notes as well. Malt balances out the hops nicely and help with the bitterness that lingers into the finish

M: Medium bodied with light-moderate carbonation. Slick and oily

O: A solid local DIPA for me, and one that is very accessible and well-priced. Certainly not my first time having this, and I think it's better on-tap. Still solid for being over a month old. A definite must-try for hop-heads

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2012 22:19:11 | More by BEERMILER12

sailorastro

Connecticut

4.1/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Overall: Looks can be deceiving, as is the case with this IPA. Glad I had a chance to try this out--easily another beer I'll pick up for standard rotation in my fridge.

Appearance: Unfiltered, golden-tan coloring with 1/2 finger foamy head. Thick lacing.

Smell: nutmet; pine; floor wax; ginger.

Taste: Well-balanced oaky profile with a deepening caramel flavor. Leaves a bitterness aftertaste on the palate.

Mouthfeel: Full, thick feel with a bubbly carbonation that wasn't visible.

Sampled from a pint glass.

Serving type: on-tap

04-02-2012 12:11:50 | More by sailorastro

Etan

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz sent to me by Valdieu2 into a Libbey tall tulip.

A: Pours a murky darkish orange with a creamy, uneven, sticky egg shell head. Pervasive yet thin lacing forms almost immediately.

S: Grapefruit, orange, pale malt, mint, white sugar, bitter rind.

T: Starts with some big juicy citrus. Nice sweet orange and pale malt builds to bracing bitterness. Spicy, piercing alcohol comes out and mixes with the bitterness to coat and dominate the mouth for the rest of the taste. Resiny; grass, mint, bitter leaf, black pepper, marijuana. A little bit of hop and malt sweetness comes through in the finish, but the alcohol and IBUs don't give much leeway.

M: Decent body. Somewhat fluffy.

O: This stuff is pretty bold. A little rough, but tasty.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2012 03:31:50 | More by Etan

andrewinski1

Maine

3.25/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured in a tulip. There is a creamy off-white head. The color is orange/amber.

The aroma has sweet tropical fruit hops.

The taste is sweet with lots of fruit punch flavor frol the hops. Mango and other tropical fruit are dominant. The finish is bitter and slightly minty.

The body is full and the mouthfeel creamy.

Not bad, but not great. Hoppy but not a hop bomb.

Serving type: cask

03-31-2012 01:39:19 | More by andrewinski1

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

3.63/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle and served in a tumbler pint, the beer is a hazey, honey-copper coloring with a thick, frothy, off-white head that sits a solid inch and a half and slowly settles while you drink. Aromas are a citrus blend of grapefruit, tangerine, and orange, with a kiss of pineapple. All the fruity smells rest upon a resiny, peppery hops presence and a mildly sweet malt backbone. Flavors are rich and tart, with a solid presence from the citrus blend, along with a tantalizingly bitter hops foundation that rides the entire tastebud coverage straight to the back of the throat. Green, cedar profiles cover the mouth like moss, with a sharp spiciness and some slick, caramel malt tones hidden throughout. The aftertaste is sweet and resiny, with a dynamic mouthfeel that is both smooth and bitterly dry at the same time. Woody and citrus tart flavors lead into a slick, oily, and dry finish. Solid brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2012 02:26:40 | More by GarthDanielson

divineaudio

Michigan

3.85/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle courtesy of valdieu2. bottled 2/24/12.

a - pours a hazy, glowing orange color and gave me an inch thick, off white head. after calming i get a thin film and some nice webby lacing in the glass.

s - rich bready malt, citrus, berry, floral hops.

t - bready malt character with faint citrus notes. a touch of honey-like sweetness and a pronounced, pine resin bitterness. the bitter thwack hangs on the tongue for quite a while dries out the finish nicely.

m - heavier side of medium with adequate carbonation. finer co2 profile.

o - a solid west coast style ipa, reminds me a lot of ruination, though this is not quite as refined. i didn't realize this was 9% until just now that the bottle is almost gone. good thing i only have one bottle, errr, i mean not good.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2012 03:44:04 | More by divineaudio

Bendurgin

Maine

3.73/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a chalice. This one pours a hazy orange draw color with a finger of creamy white head and some nice sticky lace.

The aroma is pleasant with rich orange aromas and some nice. Otter hops to round it out. The taste is nice and hoppy with hints of orange and a little bit of toffee malts in the background.

A bit heavy and chewy with sharp carbonation. Real enjoyable I grab this one often when it is fresh.

Serving type: on-tap

03-21-2012 17:17:36 | More by Bendurgin

Cmsalzberg

Maine

4.18/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance-
Nice copper color with a 1/2 inch thick white head. Good lacing and overall good looking beer.

Smell-
The smell is very hoppy and matches exactly what you would expect for a double IPA.

Taste-
The taste is very hoppy, a little citrus, and quite bitter. Not to bitter though, very enjoyable.

Mouthfeel-
It feels smooth as it washes over the tongue then just before swallowing it feels almost prickley.

Overall-
A great beer very enjoyable with a great taste and smell. Would definitley order again!

Serving type: on-tap

03-07-2012 19:07:40 | More by Cmsalzberg

sulldaddy

Connecticut

4.28/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pouring a cellar temp bottle into a snifter. The beer pours a rich orange to copper hue with thin eggshell white surface layer of head. Some small white particles are suspended in the beer and several streams of carbonation rise to the surface.
Aroma is pine sap and some light citrus notes with just a bit of malty caramel poking through to balance things a bit.
First sip reveals an average body with mild tingly carbonation. Texture is a little sticky on my lips after each sip.
Flavor is a brief hit of caramel and toffee followed by fairly robust hop hits of pine sap and grapefruit rind, finishes very dry and astringent, leaving me smacking my lips.
the ABV is fairly well hidden here, probably due to the hop bite, and the beer is pretty drinkable. I would recommend this brew to hop head friends and will buy again and probably feature in trades.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2011 03:25:16 | More by sulldaddy

Boto

Connecticut

3.58/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz. bottle: This one pours a cloudy orangish color. There was a small off-white head on it. The nose is pretty good. Mainly lemon and grapefruit hops, but also a faint hint of pine in there also. Sweet caramel malts coming through also. Taste is OK. Not as bitter as the nose might imply. Pretty well balanced between the malts and hops. Somewhere between medium and full bodied. Taste is caramel, citrus, pine, faint fruits. Not bad.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2011 21:12:24 | More by Boto

greenmonstah

New Hampshire

3.25/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottled 1/26/11

A - Nice copper color. Clear with just a small tan head.

S - Hoppier than expected to be at 6 months old. A big mess of hops. Not sure I like it -- the hops used are all very intense and tend to clash with one another. Very sweet, with lots of tropical fruit.

T - Again, the taste is a mess of hops. Too much variety, all made up of hops that are notoriously strong in flavor. Tropical fruit sweetness tends to dominate, along with lots of bitterness and sweet malts.

M - Medium bodied with low carbonation. Sticky sweet.

O - Not a great take o nthe style. A hop bomb, as expected, but it is a hop bomb of... too much variety. Four hops, all fairly intense, and they clash with each other quite a bit. Won't be buying this again.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2011 22:33:08 | More by greenmonstah

hoptualBrew

Florida

3.45/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into pint glass. Pours a nice transluscent yet hazy light amber with two finger-width head leaving nice lacing as consumed.
Smells very malty with a small whiff of hops & toffee.
Taste is not so bitter, pretty malty with floral kicking in & light toffee aftertaste. Nice little hop aftertaste.
Consistency is good, carbonation is to be expected in a DIPA.
Picked this 12oz up as an extra in my first trade.
Overall, worth a try. Not the best DIPA by any means, nothing really makes it above average but still a very drinkable and enjoyable DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2011 01:21:39 | More by hoptualBrew

far333

Connecticut

3.53/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Clear copper honey colored with a frothy head of meringue that settles slowly and leaves huge angular sheets of lace rising up the sides of the glass.

Aroma of florals and cinnamon and ripe fruits, a bit spicy, not overly hoppy.

Rich flavors of semi-sweet honey malt, floral notes, not too hoppy, with flavors that closely match the nose - cinnamon and ripe fruits, some spice. Grapefruit and orange rind flavors mix in toward the finish, and linger. Just a touch of alcohol flavor, but not distracting.

Full mouthfeel, moderate to full carbonation, a bit of warming in the cheeks.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2011 22:53:18 | More by far333

OldIronLungs

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours an amber gold into a pint glass, a finger of white head builds then quickly laces down to a film.

Nose is a bready caramel with a big scoop of citric fruits.

A sip is dominated by a sweet malt - almost molasses - and an acidic citrus aspect. Good body and a medium to light carbonation. Very little hint of the abv, really covered up by the sweetness. A drier hop bitterness, almost spicy, to finish.

Overall - too sweet for me, but pretty drinkable for the style. Really not as hop-forward as I would expect.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2011 00:56:05 | More by OldIronLungs

Soozy

Tennessee

4.25/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I drank this out of a snifter, so the color might be a bit skewed.

A - Dark amber with reddish hues. This almost has the color of a barleywine.

S - An overwhelming amount of tropical fruit. I'm actually picking up a lot of mango and pineapple. Some malt carries through as well.

T - The rich crystal malt backbone of this IPA is coupled with the harsh bitterness of the hops. Again, tropical fruit notes right before the bite of the hops hits your tongue. There's just enough bitterness to balance it, and you get a hint of caramel and chocolate notes. This isn't the standard DIPA super bitter/hoppy beer that you expect when you hear DIPA. It's well balanced with the hops being the highlight of the beer.

M - Lightly carbonated. Again, I keep coming back to comparing this to a Barleywine. The alcohol is present as it warms, but is fairly well-hidden.

Overall, this is a great beer. I think it'd be interesting to cut down the IBUs and turn this into more of an American Strong Ale. The bitterness from the hops takes a little away from the malt characteristics.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2011 02:10:03 | More by Soozy