Thumbprint Barley Wine - New Glarus Brewing Company

hardy008

Minnesota

2.18/5  rDev -44.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Clear light amber with a one finger off white head with decent retention and no lacing. The aroma has grapefruit, caramel, and alcohol. Much of the aroma is not very strong, and it was pretty difficult to pick up as much as I did.

The strongest taste in the beer is the alcohol, no contest. That is not a good thing, since I like to have the alcohol well disguised, instead of front and center. There is also the taste of grapefruit and caramel, but they are overwhelmed by the alcohol taste.

Less than medium bodied with somewhat high carbonation. Not what I expected, and really disappointing. Doesn't really taste or feel like a Barleywine, just a booze bomb.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 23:59:50 | More by hardy008

AleWatcher

Illinois

2.38/5  rDev -39.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2.5

Bottle into Founders snifter. I don't know if others exist, but this is a 2012 vintage.

I think this was an extra from mnbearsfan, but I am not 100% on that.

Apricot colored body sits with a fluffy beige crown of 3 fingers loftily perched atop. Very thick lacing and strong retention. I prefer my barleywines to be a shade darker, but I will admit that this looks mighty fine.

Smells surprisingly light on the malt bill... I get a big herbal spicy hop note over a sugar-glazed-citrusy sweetness. Quite underwhelming.
The flavor is much the same, but with a very large booziness on the backend. Spicy, piny, and herbal hops dominate the profile... Overly boozy.

Feels thin and overcarbed.

Overall-- a rare miss from NG. I tend to really enjoy their offerings, especially the unplugged series... But this just lacks anything special.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 01:57:23 | More by AleWatcher

Arbitrator

California

2.75/5  rDev -30%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Chilled bottle into a glass, courtesy of lurchingbeast. Thanks, Frank!

A: Pours a murky (opaque, really) copper body that glows sunset orange against the light. Head is 2 fingers in height and it lasts a while, leaving some suds around the rim of the glass.

S: Caramel, sugar, some orange pith and possibly tangerine. I must admit I was expecting something more hop-forward given the American barleywine designation; that being said, it doesn't have the rich, nuanced malt profile I'd expect from an English barleywine, either (toffee, nuts, etc.). I don't know where to place this, but it's not expressive in either the malt or hops department.

T: This has a general, sweet richness of caramel / sugar with a small citrus pith flavor; I get the sense it used mild flavoring hops or this bottle has faded. Not much complexity, but no flaws, either. If you told me this was a barleywine from a no-name brewpub, I'd believe it. From New Glarus it's surprisingly weak.

M: Slightly watery, but there is no hint of the ABV, and despite the sweetness, the beer finishes relatively clean.

O: Pretty mediocre, and I tend to like New Glarus a lot.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 06:28:29 | More by Arbitrator

kojevergas

California

2.95/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Was in a barleywine mood and I had this from a trade with Duff27; thanks again, buddy! 12 fl oz brown glass bottle with 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; I love a lot of beers from this brewery and Duff27 insists the thumbprint series beers are the best. Brewed with Styrian Goding, Willamette, Columbia, and Sterling hops.

Served straight from the fridge (per label instructions it should be 45 degrees F) and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

Paired with salted pretzels.

A: Pours a one finger beige colour head of slight cream, okay thickness, and good (~4 minute) retention for the high ABV. No lacing as the head recedes. Body colour is a surprisingly bright pale clear copper. Translucent. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Looks more like an IPA than a barleywine. Fairly vibrant. It's caught me a bit off-guard, but it's generally appealing for the style. There's nothing unique or special here, but there are no overt flaws. I'm excited to try it.

Sm: Surprisingly hoppy, actually. Floral hop character, juicy citrus, clean bright malts, and some nectary hop character. Boy, this seems more like a wheatwine than a barleywine. There's definite pungent fruit here; mango and other vaguely tropical fruits come to mind - all bright fruits. The heavy malt build I'd expect from a barleywine is not present here; it's surprisingly hop-centric. Light caramel. Sweet, evoking Belgian candi sugar. Sweetbread. Honey. Light orange. Ripe fruit is dominant. Pineapple. A pretty strong aroma, but not at all what I was expecting. Still, I'm looking forward to trying it. New Glarus rarely goes a direction we expect. No yeast character or alcohol is detectable.

T: Ripe fruit and caramel, with the sweet candi sugar body beneath it. Hrm. Tropical fruit is complemented by a large dose of hop character - which feels unwelcome here. I get acidic pineapple (especially on the finish), a touch of over-ripe orange, lots of pineapple, light cidre-like apple, a bit of white plum, lychee, and crystal malt. Seems more like the wheatwines I've had than the barleywines I've had. Lacks a dark toffee-like malty build. This is not what I'm used to - or particularly what I like - in a barleywine. Overly hoppy. Alcohol has definite presence here, but I wouldn't call it hot - just boozy. Little yeast character, if any. Balanced and fruity. Complex and well put together, but it may lack needed subtlety. This is more a fresh blast of hops with a fruity bright malt body than the refined toffee-like caramel build I expect in a good barleywine.

Mf: Good carbonation. Smooth and wet. Rather thick, with a heavy body. Palate presence is good, but it is a bit overwhelming. Crisp. Suits the flavour profile well, but it does have a bit of a bite. It's very filling. Acidity is a touch high for the style.

Dr: It's a sipper. The 12% does hit. I'll have no trouble finishing this one, but I may have expected too much based solely on the brewery. For my specific tastes, this isn't a particularly satisfying barleywine, but it may hit home for others. I got none of the "toasty graham cracker" notes described on the label. A pretty decent barleywine from New Glarus, but not up to par with many of their other beers. I'm glad I got to try this one; thanks again, Duff27! Maybe 3-5 years of age would do this one some good.

High C

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 05:54:25 | More by kojevergas

JohnnyHopps

Indiana

3/5  rDev -23.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured from the bottle into a goblet, this barley wine was a reddish copper color with a slight head. The most immediate aroma was the citrus note of hops. Initial taste was a intense citurs flavor. As other reviewers have noted, this is more characteristic of an DIPA. Also hidden in the flavor was a faint nutty taste that reminded me of amaretto. It should further be noted that there was a strong alcohol presence in the taste with a slight malt backbone. The aftertaste, aided by a thicker texture, had a lingering warming sensation of alcohol. The citrus hints accompanied the alcohol, but were no longer as potent.

New Glarus may be my favorite brewery and barley wine is among my favorite styles, but this was certainly a letdown. Lacking the sweetness of a good barley, this does resemble a DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 00:58:32 | More by JohnnyHopps

Jparker37

Wisconsin

3.08/5  rDev -21.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bought the thumbprint 4 pack and plan to age the remaining 3. Bought young, tasted young. I purchased this in early January right when it hit shelves.

A - Large white head quickly recedes to a small (and after 30 min, no) cap of foam. Its golden color leaves it on or under the threshold of color expectations. Brilliant clarity with little to no lacing.

S - Complex hop character yet no overpowering distinctions. A little bit of sourness, green apple, tangerine citrus hops, clear belgian candy sugar sweetness, really light malt notes. Noticable alcoholic nose only gets more prevalant with temperture.

T - Pretty distict clear candy-like sweetness, no real caramel, chocolate, roast or dark malts. Has a sharp bitterness that is close to overwhelming. Alcoholic warming finishing features.

M - The lighter end of full bodied, light carbonation.

O - Not very complex flavors for a barleywine. I did an initial review and waited to finilize it after I had again reviewed it after it warmed up. On the bottle Dan Carey describes the malt as graham cracker which for me is hard to fathom unless refering to its sweetness, for the beer is clearly hop centered. An overall rare letdown from New Glarus. I will be aging the other 3 bottles so hopefully the alcohol mellows and the malt character steps forward.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 00:11:27 | More by Jparker37

tewaris

Minnesota

3.08/5  rDev -21.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

12 oz poured into a snifter. Split with a friend.

It's a blondie! Much lighter color than others of its kind with a good head. Fleeting malts and citrus hops in the aroma... certainly sweet and somewhat fruity. Smells like a malty pale ale to me.

Tastes fruity, slightly bitter, slightly boozy... like an ordinary DIPA. Not the beast as it proclaims to be. Disappointingly thin with no particular highlights. Seems like a beer to age on barrels if highlighting barrels is the objective. Thoroughly ordinary and not memorable in any way.

4.5, 3.5, 3, 2, 3

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2012 11:33:54 | More by tewaris

Crass3000

Minnesota

3.1/5  rDev -21.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours out a slightly dark orange in color with a tiny white head with little retention.

Smell is muted and hard to get much. I smell a little caremal and thats about it - just a tiny bit of sweetness. Taste is nice but nothing really not sticks out. There's definately some caremal sweetness, a tad bit of booze but really is hardly noticable (even at 12 ABV). I definately would drink this again but it really isn't anything I would seek out. Just nothing really great. Sure it's good but nothing better than average.

FWIW everybody seemed to rate this high and find charactoristics that I just couldn't. I do always seem to have signs of allergys so maybe that's affecting my review but I seem to always have that stuffy nose and can pick things out in most other beers.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2012 21:37:59 | More by Crass3000

Steasy66

Minnesota

3.1/5  rDev -21.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12 oz into snifter
A- Deep orange, 1 finger dense white head.
S- Booze, malt, sweet
T- Very sweet, a little malt, some apple, very little hops in the finish
M- A bit of carbonation tingle in the finish, not as thick as expected.
O- This beer is fine, but considering CW Y2K and BBBW have the same distro and price point, I can't really justify ever buying this again.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2012 06:46:23 | More by Steasy66

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.13/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Big thanks to BeerFMAndy for getting a box of New Glarus out to me. Served in a New Glarus taster glass.

Pours a fairly-clear caramel color with a thin white head. Retention is a bit weak, quickly falling to a thin collar. The nose has some sweet malt with some light fruits and a good dose of bread plus caramel. Some lingering hops contribute a bit of bitterness to the flavor, and there's some warming booze in the background. Medium-full body with a good dose of residual sugar. Decent, but not a standout.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 10:11:37 | More by Thorpe429

sonofgor

Wisconsin

3.23/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

split a 12-ounce bottle with a friend. Served in Great Taste of the Midwest glasses (2011 and 2004, respectively).

Aroma: Prominent grapefruit/resiny hops up front with alcohol evident in the finish. Malt aroma low to moderate at best.

Appearance: Largely transparent amber with orange-ish notes. Persistent off-white head with minimal lacing. On the light end of the appearance range for an American Barleywine.

Flavor: Where's the intense maltiness? This beer is delicious but is frankly missing the intense in-your-face-malty character of a badass (12% abv?) barleywine. Hop flavor and bitterness dominate along with a nice, long alcohol-laden finish. If this was presented as an Imperial IPA it would grade higher.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with a nice texture that nevertheless lacks the velvety lushness of the style. Medium-low carbonation with a fairly dry finish, albeit with alcohol quite present.

Overall: It just lacks the intense malt character of a barleywine. Certainly an enjoyable beer but not accurate for the style. I'd give a 4+ if was classified as an IIPA. We'll see how it ages.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 21:56:41 | More by sonofgor

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

3.3/5  rDev -16%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

First NG thumbprint beer of 2012. Let see how they did...

poured into a snifter.

Appearance: golden orange bodied beer with a solid one inch tall bone white head. Spotty lacing clings to the side of the glass. Head drops quickly to a ring around the side of the glass.

Smell: Smells really fruity and citrusy hops grapefruit, oranges, pineapples, mangos and lite pine. The malts seem to be hiding in the back of the beer with notes of light caramel, biscuits and a light syrupy smell to it.

Taste: Moderate bitterness right out of the gates. Lots of pine notes with the citrus getting lost in the bitterness. The malt bill also seems to be lost in this beer. Finishes bitter and piney. Just barely any boozey notes even though this beer is a monster at 12%; that is the impressive part of this beer.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer with moderate carbonation levels. This beer is both slick and clean despite it bitterness.

Overall: Its not a barleywine and its closer to an Imperial IPA, but its not really that style either. Its a beer with a lost identity. I really love NG beers, but I gotta say I am dissapointed. I am not a huge fan of American style Barleywines, but I still can appreciate a good American Barleywine. Its a well made beer, but I think that New Glarus could have done a better job on this beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 02:24:45 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

pweis909

Wisconsin

3.3/5  rDev -16%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Really, this is much more like an DIPA, IMO. I expect a barleywine to maltier. And the piney citrusy hopping was much more like DIPA.

Pours orange, white foam. Hops are immediately apparent in the nose. The taste is bitter, almost overwhelmingly so, but I warm to that aspect of the beer with time. However, it is a bit boozy, which I prefer not to have.

I am gradually realizing that I am not a big fan of big hoppy boozy beers that so commonly are touted by my fellow BAs.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 12:17:41 | More by pweis909

axeman9182

New Jersey

3.3/5  rDev -16%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle courtesy of AlAlvarez. It was allowed to warm before being poured into my Duvel tulip.

New Glarus Thumbprint Barley Wine pours a super clear orange, with three to four fingers of cream colored foam topping the beer. The head retention is very good, but the lacing is fairly spotty. The nose is heavy on dank piney hops, with an herbal-mint edge. There's also just a hint of caramel lurking about. Each sip brings a touch of bready malts and caramel at the front end of thing. The bitterness is definitely noticeable, but definitely not quite as intense as some of the more highly hopped barleywines. The hop flavor isn't quite as heavy on pine as the nose. That ends up leaving room for more minty-herbal notes to clearly shine through. The body is surprisingly light for the style, and there's a definite (though not harsh) warming sensation from the alcohol. Cabonation is nicely dialed in, there's enough to boos the hop profile a little bit, but it stops short of being bubbly to a distracting degree. New Glarus's Thumbprint Barley Wine was a nice beer to have in my glass for a while this evening, it just doesn't hit the mark solidly, specifically as a barleywine. There's just not enough of a sturdy malt background. It's probably closer to the dryness of a DIPA in that department.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2012 06:28:39 | More by axeman9182

rawfish

California

3.33/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Pours light amber gold with decent carbonation. Evenly rocky two finger high head. Retention is average and doesn't really provide any type of lacing on the glass.

Complex yet light and airy, cinnamon and creme crackers with a touch of fruitness. Lemon, apple and wild berries. Breathe of alcohol as well as some pine and grassy hops.

The flavor doesn't really have an identity or any strong character amber malt with some brown sugar, graham crackers and cinnamon. Hop presence is oily with dampered hop resins and a light spiciness. Beastly alcohol here that is unlikely to smooth out with the evident lack of malts. Sipping it slowly.

Lightly steps on the palate and the hops show a heavy hand that allows it to dry. Low carbonation well built but again bothered by the alcohol.

A barleywine that offers little complexity yet is well constructed and expertly brewed. I just don't think the inspiration was there, more of a double amber ale or worse, an old DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2012 05:52:38 | More by rawfish

jethrodium

California

3.43/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bottle courtesy totoropanda. Thanks Daniel. Pours a clear light amber small head that has decent retention and leaves a good amount of lacing on the glass. The aroma is fruity with lots of caramel, some floral hops, and light alcohol. The taste is sweet with lots of brown sugar and caramel and some floral hops. The finish has a light bitterness and a hint of alcohol. Medium body. Low carbonation. Not bad, but nothing special.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2012 05:30:19 | More by jethrodium

Duff27

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- Very pleasant looking clear light amber bodies beer, half-inch white head. A couple dozen streams of effervescence float on upward. Good head retetnion and nice lacing.

S- Citrus hops, a touch of booziness.

T- Juicy citrus. Low end of malt complexity, agreed. I feel like the booze is the biggest player in this beer.

M- On the thicker end of mouthfeel, carbonation fits.

D/O- This beer really does straddle the line between DIPA and barleywine. A good beer but not as outstanding as what I envisioned when I heard New Glarus was coming out with a barleywine again. I think this could be a good candidate for aging and one beer that will benefit with 2 to 3 years on it.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2012 03:53:56 | More by Duff27

Zachtheporter

Wisconsin

3.48/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a wine glass.

A- Pours a rich bright gold that has a reddish tint to it. The head is white and very thin.

S- This is a very citrus/hoppy smelling barley wine. There are notes of Orange, Pineapple, Grapefruit, Mango as well as other sweet fruits that I can't quite put my finger on. There is also a slight hoppy bitterness that melds its way around the overall aroma.

T- This is very hoppy for a barleywine. The taste is very sweet and fruity. The sweet start to the beer is also very tart and bready. There are notes of grapefruit and mango with light hints of barley in the middle. It ends with a sweet and bready finish somewhat reminiscent of shortbread cookies or graham crackers.

M- Chewy. Very carbonated with almost a slight sting to it. Slightly abrasive.

O- This is a barleywine that definitely grew on me a little. Initially I really did not enjoy it very much because of how hoppy it is. This is definitely the hoppiest barley-wine I have ever tasted. I originally bought a 4-pack and put 3 of them off to the side to age but unfortunately my weak will ended up leading me want to go back and try it again....twice. I am really looking forward to how the remaining bottle will turn out after about 4 years. A rare miss by New Glarus in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 19:18:02 | More by Zachtheporter

SpeedwayJim

New York

3.48/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This is the Unplugged Barleywine. NOT the Unplugged Iced Barleywine. 12oz. bottle poured into a Cigar City snifter. Shared with schen9303.

Pours a 1 finger fine white head with moderate retention. Beer is clear orange copper. Lacing is stringy and thick with little stick. Solid, especially given the style.

Nose is caramel, molasses, tree sap, citrus, and cane sugar. Nice and crisp but at the same time, lacking that certain robustness.

Opens sweet citrus, mango, and papaya. Tree sap and cane sugar in the middle. Pineapple. Caramel and sap hoppiness at the end. Finishes sweet caramel. Toffee in the aftertaste. Solid.

Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Bubbly and prickly in the mouth. The same going down. Messy finish with a lingering aftertaste. A bit thin.

A nice offering from New Glarus but overall, this one lacks the body and robustness required for the style. Not sure of the aging potential of this one. Still though, fresh, its a decent beer and worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 02:04:23 | More by SpeedwayJim

BrownAleMale

Wisconsin

3.48/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into a Kasteel goblet.

Appearance- Golden orangish color that keeps a solid 1 finger cloudy head with nice lacing being left behind. Small little carbonation bubbles are cascading to the surface.

Smell- Lots of fruit. Apple, orange, and even a pumpkin and all spice scent.

Taste- A booze bomb up front. The back end has a small amount of the sweet fruits as detected by the nose.

Mouthfeel- A good medium feel that doesn't make it as hard to take all the boozy flavor.

Overall- A little to boozy for my liking. They need a little more malt and definitely more hops presence to balance the alcohol. I would suggest this for those who don't mind a somewhat boozy beer. Would work well as a winter warmer because you do get a nice mellow burn.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 20:54:47 | More by BrownAleMale

Florida9

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Somewhat cloudy orange in color. Forms a small, but creamy, tight white head that reduces down fairly quickly to a thick ring around the edge and a thin bit of surface coating. Some decent lacing.

S: Aroma just seems off to me. Caramel malts, brown rice and cruciferous vegetable cooking water give this an aroma that is earthy and vegetal while the fairly heavy alcohol comes off as being mint.

T: Unfortunately the taste is very much like the aroma. Heavy caramel and some lighter toffee notes on the front end, before a good dose of herbal hops give this a minty medicinal flavor. Finish is harsh, with lots of alcohol that just hangs on the tongue.

M: Full bodied, but feels thin. Lower carbonation is appropriate. Mild to moderate bitterness. Heavy alcohol presence gives this beer a feeling of warmth and harshness.

O: Geez, not sure what is going on with this beer. Figured the masters up at NG would have nailed this style, but this one is abrasive, messy, unbalanced, and pulls the palate in a number of directions, none of which are overly pleasant. Glad to say I've only got a single bottle of this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 02:46:07 | More by Florida9

fdkayti

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Pours a honey gold with a short-lived white head that fades into small bursts of lacing. Clear with a thin steam of effervescence spiraling upwards.

S- Pretty hop-forward in the nose, followed by a juicy sweetness. Citrus, pineapple, and a sugary maltiness.

T- Follows the nose. Hops are more than present, slight pine taste/bitterness lingers. Candied orange or lemon peel, maybe. Honey-like sweetness is a big part of this. Light alcohol burn.

MF- Slightly sticky. Hard to describe the carbonation...a burst at the end of each sip? Feels good.

O/D- I finally understand the comparison between barleywines and DIPAs. The hop presence in this is undeniable. I find it to be dangerously drinkable, but overall it's quite different from others I've had of the style.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2012 03:42:20 | More by fdkayti

woosterbill

Connecticut

3.5/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle into a medium-sized Duvel tulip. Thanks to Tony for sharing; I'm always ecstatic to try a new New Glarus brew.

A: Bright pale orange body with a light-tan layer of froth. Spotty lace. Ok.

S: Huge hops. Tangerine, grapefruit, and grass. No malt to speak of. It would be solid (but not spectacular) as a DIPA, but it's a little disappointing for an American Barleywine. At least it doesn't smell too boozy.

T: Fruity hops up front, with some nutty malt filling in behind. Juicy, dank citrus on the finish. Big bitterness, light sweetness. Again, more of a DIPA by far. Still, tasty and impressively devoid of alcohol; I never would have guessed 12%.

M: Creamy, frothy medium-full body. Excellent.

O: I'd love to get a hold of a couple four-packs to age, as I have to imagine the dominant hops will give way to more complex malts within a year or two. Right now, though, this is just too purely hoppy to impress me. I enjoyed drinking it, to be sure, but was still disappointed since it didn't live up to my expectations.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 01:21:39 | More by woosterbill

billab914

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into my Devil's Backbone tulip. It poured orange amber in color with a thin but frothy head covering the top.

The aroma has a bready, biscuity, slight caramal flavor coming out of the malts. I get a good amount of hoppiness to it as well which gives it a moderate citrusy and fruity presence. It's got a little bit of a candied orange flavor to it. Pretty good balance of hoppy and malty. As it warmed though more of a alcohol heat started to come out.

The taste also has a pretty big hoppiness to it with grapefruit and citrus rind bitterness throughout. The maltiness comes through as more of a sweeter, candied orange like flavor. Bitter, citrus rind lingers well after the finish. A little alcohol heat is there in the finish as well.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied for the style with carbonation being average. Overall it was a pretty de centbeer, but the maltiness was a little too reserved and one dimensional for my preferences in the style. The hoppiness just seemed to dominate a little too much, especially in the citrus rind, bitter, finish. I think this could have easily been labeled a DIPA and I wouldn't have questioned it much. I got a lot of alcohol heat to it as well that didn't help. Good beer overall, but not one that stands out in the style for me.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 21:39:00 | More by billab914

drabmuh

Maryland

3.53/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks Thorpe, served in a snifter, beer is yellow and mostly clear with a white head, one finger, small bubbles, no lacing, moderate retention, moderate carbonation.

Aroma is plain and sweet with a mild malt and a little cider.

Beer is medium in body and drinkable, sweet and nice throughout with a good finish. It is a fine little beer but a little too dry on the finish and has this mild cidery sense to it. Interesting but not great. I don't think I'll repeat.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 16:14:48 | More by drabmuh