Thumbprint IIPA - New Glarus Brewing Company

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

4.29/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Big thanks to JayORear for the bottle.

Appearance: Slight chill haze on a solid gold color. Head is bright-white. Drops to a small wispy cap and collar. Moderate carbonation on the pour. Very on point.

Smell: Dank and citrusy. Straight up weed with a big hit of pine resin. Oily grapefruit rind. Slightly tropical. Some tangerine. So much dankable. Malts run a little sweet, but it's a nice balance to the hop profile. Slightly toasted with a bready quality. Apricot and mango.

Taste: A bit fruitier than the nose would indicate. Nice balance of tangerine, grapefruit, and mango. Heavy bitterness quickly gives way to a slick, oily pine. A hint of mint. Slightly sweet bready malts. Some caramel sweetness. Warming increases the bitterness, pushing toward aspirin. Unrelentingly bitter, but not particularly abrasive.

Mouthfeel: Slick and oily medium to full body. Slightly above average carbonation with a solidly dry finish. Juicy up front.

Overall: Dear New Glarus, keep doing everything awesome...just increase distribution to MA.

A solid DIPA. Hits the right notes and is aggressive enough to be interesting but not so crazy you can't drink it. Seriously, can New Glarus not make a solid take on any style? I think not.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 19:18:42 | More by Goblinmunkey7

kylehay2004

Florida

4.05/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Half finger head not lasting long on a hazy dull golden with a slight burnt orange hue. Nice lacing. Aroma is excellent with mostly tart generic citrus, candy sugar, earthy and herbal aromas and some pale malts. Flavor has a mild pale malt base with resins, musty and tart citrus, honey but overall a bit harsh. Medium body and moderate carbonation. Somewhat dry n the finish.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 02:12:38 | More by kylehay2004

nickfl

Florida

4.06/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A - Pours with one finger of white foam on top of a hazy, golden body. The head settles quickly and leaves decent lace.

S - Pungent citrus and tropical fruit hop aromas with a bit of toffee and sweaty dankness.

T - Pungent pine and sweat up front with pithy bitterness. Some dry toast in the middle with a finish of harsh bitterness and grapefruit.

M - Medium thick body, modately high carbonation, and a bitter finish.

D - The aroma is spectacular, but the flavor doesn't work nearly as well. The bitterness is harsh and kind of medicinal, but there really isn't quite enough malt to balance.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 02:04:51 | More by nickfl

Treebs

Illinois

4.54/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. bottle served in a FFF teku. Bottle shared by pmoney and also opened another bottle bottle two weeks later. Both equally as delicious.

A: Pours a clear amber color with a one finger height of white foam forming on the pour. Some soapy and splotchy lace is left down the glass.

S: Grapefruit and orange bursts of citrus with a nice piney undertone. A little bubblegum sweetness with sweet bread malt body.

T: Mango and orange. Lemon citrus with pineapple. A lot of tropical fruits going on. Marmalade sweetness with some light bitterness. White bread malt sweetness on the finish.

M: Medium to light bodied with a medium carbonation level. Sweet and fruity with a clean finish.

O: Delicious. So well balanced with a great mouthfeel. Fruity and sweet with a piney undertone. This is a top tier DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 04:04:27 | More by Treebs

kojevergas

California

3.88/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

New Glarus IIPA. Thumbprint series. More than 85 IBUs according to the label description. Self-identifies as a double IPA. Dry hopped. Bottle fermented. Brewed with English Maris Otter malt. 12 fl oz brown glass bottle with simple but stylish label art and foiled over branded pressure cap served into a conical Samuel Smith's pint glass in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are very high given the brewery, which makes some fantastic beers. Acquired in a trade with the very generous Duff27. Thanks again, buddy!

Served cold, straight from the fridge. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a nice four finger beige colour head of decent cream, pretty good thickness, and good (~6-7 minute) retention. Body colour is a very vibrant translucent copper. Clear. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Solid if typical for the style. I'm looking forward to trying it.

Sm: Lovely floral, piney, and nectary hop notes. A touch of citrusy grapefruit - but not the biting bitter grapefruit notes of many West Coast Style IPAs. Hoppy while still being pleasant and inviting. Pale malts. Some dank tropical fruit esters. Lightly soapy - which has me worried. An average strength aroma. No yeast character or alcohol is detectable.

T: Wow. Really evocative mango and tropical fruits - including pineapple. Juicy and delightful. Some juicy but not bitter grapefruit and some floral/nectary character rounds out the hop character nicely. There's some tangerine there too. I don't often have (Imperial)IPAs with such a developed mango emphasis. A bit piney too. Some grainy bready pale malts provide a supportive full body, allowing the hops to take center stage while keeping it refreshing and approachable. I do notice some alcohol when it hits my stomach, but it's very well concealed in the flavour profile. No yeast character comes through. A bit biscuity - did they use Amarillo? That's what really gets my juices going in an IPA. None of the soapy character from the aroma comes through - thankfully. Lightly grassy. I like the balance of the hops and malts; it's not too sparse with its malts like many beers in the style, and I think that's because they chose malts they knew would complement rather than distract. No hop bitterness comes through; it's all well disguised. Good depth of flavour and build. Well layered. I really like this. Good complexity and decent subtlety.

Mf: Smooth and wet enough to refresh yet lightly coarse enough to coax out the nuances of the flavours. Perfect carbonation. Great presence on the palate. Lightly oily. Not that creamy, but it doesn't need it. Clean and crisp. Complements the flavour profile quite well.

Dr: Very drinkable for the high ABV; I could easily put down a few of these in a night - and I'd want to. Would pair very well with spicy food. This is a solid IIPA from New Glarus that I'd definitely get again - preferably on-draught. Solid, balanced, and brewed with care. Really tasty stuff. Highly recommended.

B+

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 03:03:37 | More by kojevergas

Hendry

Vermont

4.31/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Impressive packaging, attractive bottle and an extra generously provided by Bunzilla.
Pours a deep amber, relatively clear and with an average white head that reduces to a permanent cap with respectable lacing.

Aroma is pretty malty, some pine and minor citrus notes in the background.with a noticeable touch of booze in there,some breadiness.

Taste follows the nose really closely: the flavors are strong and decidedly boozy. Heavy side of medium body,rich mouthfeel, but the booze overshadows the better qualities of this IIPA. The carbonation seems right for the style.

Mouthfeel is medium, oily and rich. This becomes more of a sipper as it warms. The aftertaste is malty and boozy with hops present but not dominating overall. A different tasting IIPA that is pleasant but not my taste due to the booze/malt dominance rather than a tropical hop assault.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 05:27:53 | More by Hendry

MattyG85

Minnesota

4.4/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a tall New Glarus Signature Pilsner Glass. Bottle code of 0523.

Appearance: Pours a pale copper golden orange with a moderate amount of bubbles. Big four finger white head that slowly recedes into a thinner creamy layer. Leaves a good amount of lacing.

Smell: A spicy, earthy, and citrusy mix of hop esters with a solid biscuity background. Very hoppy upfront with good hints of spicy pine resin, floral and earthy hops with some grass. Solid hints of citrus with orange peel, grapefruit, pineapple, tangerine, lemon, and mango. Malts in the back end with hints of bready biscuit, grains, caramel, cracker, and yeast. A pretty hop forward and dank aroma. Very solid.

Taste: As juicy, piney, and bitter as it smells. Big taste of hops throughout that are nicely bitter and oily. Earthy hops with some floral and herbal notes. Big taste of spicy pine resin. Solid citrus taste with notes of orange, grapefruit, pineapple, mango, tangerine, melon, and lemon. Towards the finish come some of the bready malt with notes of biscuit, wheat grains, cracker, caramel, and yeast. Very hop forward and juicy. Really good taste.

Mouthfeel: Medium to heavy body with a moderate amount of carbonation. Very juicy and fairly oily and chewy. A little alcohol heat comes through. Finishes fairly dry.

Overall: A very good imperial IPA. Good mix of citrus and piney hop flavors.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 07:04:13 | More by MattyG85

KFBR392

Illinois

3.19/5  rDev -25.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

Appearance: Slightly merky color. Thin head on all aspects. Light lacing. Below average carbonation even for a hop bomb.

Smell: A heavy caramelized, heavy buttered popcorn aroma. There are some floral hops trying to burst through but overall get pulled down by the heavy aromas. Some boozy accents run through on the undertones of this brew.

Taste: Follows the aroma pretty well. A heavy hops hit on the front end. More molasses and saturated hops then I would have expected. Almost too much of a malt backbone. There isn't the traditional hop dryness one would expect, probably coming from the dark sugary hop tones. Again some airy light hop tones want to attack but seem to be drowned by everything else going on in this brew.

Mouthfeel: Meh, nothing that makes you remember this brew. Syrupy sweetness gets lost with some of the hop dryness.

Overall: An okay brew. New Glarus has its strong points and it is not IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 06:29:14 | More by KFBR392

lunarbrew

Wisconsin

4.21/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Beer pours orange and vibrant. About a finger of cream-colored velvety head that falls quick.

Very citrusy nose. I smell mainly orange and grapefruit peel. I'm definitely expecting some sweetness with this. I get a little pine in the background.

Flavor is very hop forward, a little bitter, and hugely sweet. Not nearly as much citrus juice as I smelled, but definitely citrus peel. I'm a little disappointed in the depth of the brew. I mainly get sugar and hop all on the front of my palate. None of it is terribly complex. The sweetness is almost honey-like and a little cloying.

The feel of this is a little syrupy from the get go, and leaves some stickiness and resin on the tongue. Carbonation is pretty good...Maybe a tad too low.

Overall, I like this beer a lot. It's one of the best local IPAs in Madison. However, it really doesn't stand up with the big boys, IMO.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 04:03:14 | More by lunarbrew

Bitterbill

Wyoming

4.23/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Big thanks go out to Ri0 for this bottle!

It pours a 24k gold with a small but steady head of foam and leaves some nice lacing behind.

Big notes of grapefruit and hints of tropical fruit in the smell. Deeper whiffs give me some presence of malt but the smell is definitely hop forward.

The taste is..well...yummy. Most DIPAs I've had usually have a good malt presence and this one is no exception. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of hop bitterness here, grapefruit/tropical fruit(more in the taste than the smell) to please most hop heads but I get a goodly amount of sweet malt to not put the brew overly bitter. I get quite a bit of warming from the alcohol but it's more of a an expected side product than a major player.

Great mouthfeel and pretty darned easy to drink, I like this DIPA muchly. Thanks again, Jared, for a fine drinking experience.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 16:15:40 | More by Bitterbill

dbossman

Nebraska

4.48/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Hazy apricot hue with a one-inch head that eventually fades to a thin film, but lacing is good

S: Tropical fruits: mango, pineapple, grape fruit, and Marciano cherries; a tiny bit of a sweet boozy and malty background but mostly loads of awesome tropical hops

T: Still loads of tropical fruits with some undertones of marijuana and pine; man, this is a hoppy wonderful beer

F: Sticky and oily and near perfect mouth feel for a DIPA

O: This is an amazing DIPA; I love the mingling of dank and tropical hops; man, I love this beer

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 02:21:51 | More by dbossman

Benish

Wisconsin

4.54/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Great beer! Poured into a goblet glass. The appearance gave a nice copper and almost golden-like orange. There was a small foamy and pure white head which dissipated quickly. The scent offered some floral notes and citrus. What I really noted was after swirling the glass (not that I needed to) I instantly smelled lemons, plus notes of pine. Glad I swirled it, it made the scent brighter and more powerful. Amazing.

At the instant I took a sip, I tasted tangy sweetness ...I'm thinking honey + citrus, an insane amount of hops (love it!) and some pine. Compared to a standard IPA, this one is a kick to the mouth. I get the sweetness at first but than after a short while I sensed the bitterness at the back of my tongue.

The carbonation is perfect and the beer has a medium to heavy body, it just sits in my mouth; somewhat dense.

Overall this is a great beer! I savored every sip from a 12 oz. bottle that lasted me 2 hours this evening (savoring was key otherwise it would be gone in 30 min). I certainly wouldn't mind having another bottle but considering it is 9.75% ABV, best to wait another day. I did not feel any heat while the beer warmed to room temp (I usually appreciate the heat from high alcohol beers). I have to admit that I have not tried many double IPA's, but among the double IPA's that I have tried, this will be the first I would grab at a store.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 03:59:40 | More by Benish

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.19/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

I have always admired the fruit beers from new glarus, but beet so/so on their other stuff. this one changes that, as it is a fantastic double ipa. pours super red, coppery and bright with a huge frothy off white head. the nose is more like a strong ale than an ipa, I smell booze and malt in balance with the absurd quantity of hops. lots of oils in this, sweeter, not a bitter bomb, thanks to a nice caramel and red malt backing. the hop profile is really unique, sort of piney, but also really fruity, like dried cranberries or pomegranates. really mineral heavy in the finish, along with an almost sticky hop feel. fuller bodied and a little sugary towards the end, but the carbonation is good and its actually a very drinkable beer for its size and depth. my only regret here was that I only had one. I don't know why it doesn't, but I wish this stuff had wider distribution. one of the more unique double ipas ive had in months, and one of the more hefty beers that wasn't the color of motor oil ive maybe ever had. top quality here folks.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 20:00:01 | More by StonedTrippin

Stevedore

Wisconsin

4.2/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle without bottling date poured into a Bell's tulip today and consumed today 3/25/2013. This review is also based off notes from previous consumption of one 4pk over the past 2 weeks.

Aroma: An explosive nose full of sticky sweet honeyed biscuits, toffee, a little bit of caramel and earthiness with a good amount of pine. Smells fantastic and appetizing. I can't really imagine how it could smell much better than this- outside of different smells, but the nose already has a ton! (5)

Colour: A cloudy amber body that pours with a 1cm white head that dissipates into a film on the surface of the brew after a minute or so. Very attractive beer. Not a whole lot of lacing. Certainly above average for the style, but I think it could use a bit more head retention. Semantics. (4)

Flavour: Awesome! It begins with a nice piney hop blast that stings the palate. Then there's honey, toffee, caramel and some earthiness that is ostensibly from the Maris Otter which comes a split second later to provide some balance. But the hop blast continues unabated, lest you think this is a balanced beer. Kicks you right in the face and keeps going on. (4)

Mouthfeel: On the thicker side of medium body. Good carbonation- the fizz on the tongue is a great companion to the hop blast in the flavour. The aftertaste is a clean, pure pine bitterness which is going to set up camp and isn't going anywhere for at least the next few minutes. Awesome. The 9.75% ABV hides itself pretty well, but as it warms up you start to notice it. Which is OK, I needed a respite from the hop blast.. (4)

Overall: As a homebrewer, I love Dan using Maris Otter in brewing this beer. Its got the earthy malt flavours I love from English-style IPAs, while being combined with the crap-ton of hops he must have used. It's great in an unique way compared to something like Pliny the Elder or Hopslam. And I guess if you expect American DIPAs (like the aforementioned beers) to kick you in the face, steal your wallet and key your car on the way out, I'd say this qualifies rather easily. You won't be disappointed to drink this beer. (4)

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 23:23:40 | More by Stevedore

Vonerichs

Illinois

4.29/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Vibrant but slightly hazy golden-yellow body with a contrasting stark white head. There's little lacing.

The smell is juicy grapefruit and pine with a bready malt.

It has a nice balance to it from the bready malts. The hops are the same grapefuit and pine in the nose. I also picked up some orange. It has a really fresh and clean hop profile and the finish is long.

Mouthfeel is medium with medium-light carbonation.

It a really outstanding DIPA that I'm certain to seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 18:13:52 | More by Vonerichs

blackcompg

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Poured from their red foil wrapped 12oz bottle...

Appearance - Pours nearly 2 fingers of egshell foam, body is a lighter golden amber, a nice haziness (I incorporated the sediment prior to opening the bottle), pretty nice lacing.

Smell - Very floral and tropical, some nice bright nice citrus, with some pith at the back.

Taste - Begins with a very forward blast of citrus, very bright and potent, and the tropical fruits follow immediately, followed nearly as quickly by some pine, and slightly bitter floral flavors. Next comes a pretty good ruch of alcohol heat - longer into the finish there is some very assertive grapefruit pith.

Mouthfeel - This beer is medium and extremely smooth, and has almost a creamy mouthfeel to it. Carb is on the lower side of medium, that is smooth on the palate and provides a few edges at the back of the tongue. The finish on this is dry and a touch chalky, and noticeable alcohol heat.

Overall - This beer has such a nice nose and appearance, and the beginning of the first sip was fantastic - there are truly some great flavors here but they are unbalanced, and the alcohol is not hidden very well, and has gotten fairly hot halfway through the glass. It is a pretty good DIPA, but not one that I can recommend.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 02:47:33 | More by blackcompg

Ri0

Wisconsin

4.78/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

A: Absolutely gorgeous deep golden orange with a bit a haze.

S: I could smell this as I was pouring into my tulip. The hops blast you with a punch of floral and pine, citrus, and sweet malts. Brilliant, 2-3 finger white head floats on top, small stream of bubbles. Wow do I want a drink!

T: A nice blast of citrus and pine followed by a mellow toffee and sweet malt. Finishes with a nice shot of bitterness. One of the most balanced IIPA's I have tried. I want to sip, but the taste is incredible.

M: Seems to be just right and the carbonation really fills it out. Finishes with resin and sticky dryness.

O: I have had some of the big IIPA's (Heady, Pliny, Hopslam, Sucks) and New Glarus nailed it in 2013! This fresh is one of the best I have had the pleasure of drinking and I will be buying many more. An absolutely delicious creation that I wish more could get a hold of.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 17:58:15 | More by Ri0

Reneejane

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Gold to amber hazy colored with a white head. The head lasts and there is lacing throughout. The aroma is a citrusy hop. The bottle indicates that it is a local hop, although it reminds me of Simcoe. (I'm not really sure what local hops means, does that mean local hybrids or does that mean locally grown standard varieties). Hop taste up front, and hop flavor throughout. Mouthfeel is thick. You can taste sweetness initially. Clean beer, balanced and quite refined, for a double IPA, presumably that's from the cellering they do on it. It is bottle conditioned, but I found no yeast stuck to the bottom.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 00:57:58 | More by Reneejane

nickapalooza86

Wisconsin

4.89/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a awesome hazy orange, half finger of white head, really good looking stuff

smell is pine, sweet citrus, blood orange, caramel malt

taste is oranges, sweet malt, grapefruit, and finishes with a resiny dankness... Nothing short of amazing

Mouthfeel is medium, but the way the carbonation really fills it out is once again pretty top notch! Finishes with a sticky dryness.

Wow I have had this in years past and always thought it was decent but not mind blowing like I do now! Either my tastes have changed or the beer has (which I doubt it). Either way this beer is one of the best things to hit my lips in the last few months that is for sure.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 22:05:35 | More by nickapalooza86

Erdinger2003

Iowa

4.81/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Went to the brewery on Saturday March 9th, 2013 and picked this up.

Served in my new New Glarus nonic pint glass that has a etching of Wisconsin on the bottom for aeration points! Celebrating the 20th year of New Glarus Brewing Co!

Pours a nice white head with strong lacing that holds nicely to the side of the glass. The head pours 1/4 inch and falls to a thin layer that still covers the whole beer. The color is a light color with a slightly copper tint, completely clear, and very carbonated.

The smell was a new smell of what I can only think is mosaic hops. Smells of blueberries from two inches above the glass and some sweet mango right up to the glass. All the floral fruity smell of hops without the organic green bitter that lingers on the tongue.

The taste is clean, although there is enough protein to hold the head up and hold the beer flavors on the tongue longer without washing them away. The hops are very up front and present, but it's not so overpowering and it's still amazingly balanced with the malty sweet flavors. Citrus orange is is a strong flavor along with an slight blueberry aftertaste.

The mouthfeel is lighter medium bodied, but still holds the hop flavors up and hold them to the tongue without washing them away. When I take a drink the carbonation doesn't bite, but it's there causing a gentle tingling and introducing the hops to the sweet part of the tongue.

This is an amazingly well crafted beer where the hop flavors are big, but don't bite and I would personally like the body of this beer on its own it so good. It's a well rounded, nothing is wrong beer. The only variable that the brewer can't control is the opinion/preference of the drinker. This is something that has a lot of things that every brewer should aspire to create in their beer.

The only thing I can against this beer is that because it is so well rounded that it's too drinkable. I'm so used to hop bombs that leave your tongue numb that this one makes me want to keep drinking with another bottle.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 01:07:01 | More by Erdinger2003

TheSSG

Illinois

4.83/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a huge, dense, resiny head that is extremely persistent and leaves tons of lacing. A bright, citric hop aroma dominated by grapefruit. Beautiful, golden color which becomes slightly turbid when the bottom bits are swirled in. Starts bitter with huge notes of grapefruit and citrus. Mellows for a second to allow the malt to come through, then picks up into a high bitterness with a massive piney,hop resin flavor At this point, I feel like I just ate a mouth full of resin coated hops. The finish lingers with bitter hop resin and a few hints of malt peeking through again. No lingering hop bitterness. The mouthfeel is creamy, smooth, and simply perfect; not too thick, not too thin.

Holy hell. This is fantastic. I'm usually not too big on such a distinctly and aggressively pine flavored hop, but the balance with grapefruit notes and sweet malt work very, very well. This is aggressively hopped, but finishes clean with bright hops. I can't believe this finish. It tastes of raw, green hops, but it's a touch floral and very, very pleasant. How this is so massively bitter, but doesn't sit on the tongue very long is boggling my mind. And the almost 10% ABV is also hidden very, very well.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 23:14:38 | More by TheSSG

Florida9

Illinois

4.44/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Slightly cloudy dark yellow in color. Forms a moderate white head with moderate retention and minimal lacing.

S: Quite aromatic. Strong blend of grapefruit and pine with a bit of malty toast in the background.

T: Moderate biscuit and pale malt body then grapefruit, citrus rind, pine, and pine resin. Then a slight citrus sweetness with notes of orange and grapefruit, though the pine resin on the finish is quite a bit stronger. Alcoholic finish.

M: On the lighter side of medium with a strong, biting bitterness. Medium to lightly heavy carbonation.

O: I will assume this is the same beer as the Unplugged IIPA when it was out. After all it tastes as I remember it. This is simply a very good, hop forward, yet still balanced IIPA.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 00:57:56 | More by Florida9

rfgetz

New Jersey

3.9/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Btight golden amber with some haze, bubbly bone white head, good sticky lacing. Big whiffs of grapefruit, tropical fruits and citrus, moderate notes of sweet malts, grassy and boozy towards the back end. Big bitter bite of hops of front with notable boozyness, underneath a nice juicy and fruity profile. Thick and sticky, some lingering sweetness and bitterness. Big bold bitterness and boozyness almost get in the way, but a solid dIPA.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 16:04:15 | More by rfgetz

dpodratsky3

Georgia

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

12 oz bottle poured into tulip glass

A: Slightly hazy vibrant orange color, but at times has gold elements to it, the head starts clinging as soon as it starts receding, it doesn't stay fluffy long but that's to be expected of a beer this high in alcohol

S: Very pungent, makes your mouth water, very fruity pineapple and tangerine aroma, but with a note of pine

T: Hop flavor almost matches aroma but falls a little short, the bitterness hits you in an increasing fashion, the first punch is pure bitterness, but as your palate recovers those fruit flavors gently make themselves known, I wouldn't describe the hop flavor as pungent like the aroma though, the pine aspect comes out a touch more in the aroma, but it is emphasized I think by the alcohol flavor, the alcohol almost wraps everything up in a blanket, the more you notice it the more you can detect it at every stage of the flavor progression, its never unpleasant though, which is hard to do, the malt is never sweet, in fact its barely appreciable except in the fact that the hops don't kill your palate

M: Surprisingly light body with a good amount of carbonation, refreshing for an DIPA, which can be overwhelming when you combine such intense flavors with high alcohol

O: A good DIPA, its not a hop flavor bomb like some are, but this isn't any less of a DIPA than those. You can appreciate the more subtle flavors of the hops and the effect that alcohol can actually have on flavor as well. The mouthfeel is what makes this beer good instead of mediocre.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 02:03:07 | More by dpodratsky3

Retail1LO

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a Cigar City snifter. Pours a hazy, golden/straw color with a minimal head. The nose on this is super hoppy, super resinous, and super boozy. REAL boozy. The taste is extremely sweet up front. This reminds me a ton of FFF Behemoth. Right on the edge of DIPA/barleywine. The finish is kind of flat, as this is a low carb beer. THere's a bit of tartness on the finish. Overall, this is a decent beer, but not one I'd return to anytime soon.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2012 21:09:28 | More by Retail1LO