JJJ IPA - Moor Beer Company

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

660ml bottle. The meaning of 'JJJ' isn't really apparent until a fair bit more of Google-fu research is performed on this offering.

This beer pours a hazy dark bronzed amber hue, with one very skinny finger of broadly bubbly dirty white head, which settles as quickly as expected, leaving little beyond a few sparse islet strands of lace around the glass as it inevitably disappears. Looks like a barleywine, I would proffer, combined with the normal lack of effervescence for this brewer.

It smells of sharp grapefruit and orange rind bitterness, a floral perfumed booziness, musty caramel/toffee malt, a touch of biscuit, some stewed melon fruitiness, and a somewhat subtle pine resinous. The taste is more prominently sassy, multifaceted grapefruit and orange fruitiness, understated bittersweet caramel malt, a continuing musty orchard fruitiness, perfumed floral notes, and equally consistent astringent resinous pine notes.

The carbonation is adequately perceptible and supportive at the same rate, the body a well rounded medium weight, and generally quite smooth, the hops having the manners to butt out of this fight. It finishes definitely off-dry, ok, and sweet, with the caramel malt, well obfuscated alcohol, sassy citrus fruit, and lingering pine needle essences all heady, and what have you.

I very much have to decree this as the hoppiest English-borne IPA that I can recall in recent memory (those pesky Scots do nae count in this assertion), which makes for a bit of a mea culpa as far as overall appreciation goes, bias being what it is. Anyway, this has all the hallmarks of a hopped to the nuts barleywine, the key here being the dusty, musty old ale character that amplifies those particular notes, so much so that it appears that the English have not only captured the American essence of the style, they have also integrated it as their own. Scary, huh?

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 03:05:41 | More by biboergosum

rarbring

Sweden

3.48/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A dusky rose hip colored brew, an off-grey head with little lacing, but some curtains.

Much american hops, floral and resin vibes. Pine soap.

Sweet brown bread, toffee, tea, orange marmalade and and bitter peel.

Little carbonation, watery with a small body, a slightly dry finish.

This beer wants to be big, but do not really deliver.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 19:45:25 | More by rarbring

beerdrifter

Germany

4.43/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Picked this up at the biggest beer store in the UK, Beers of Europe Ltd. Hazy amber-orange pour with big two finger head with nice retention and great lacing. Huge resiny, perfumy, citrusy West Coast nose loaded with orange peel and hints of pine and caramel. The taste is much the same with bitter, resiny, piney citrus hops the star, balanced out nicely with a sweet caramel malt base with hints of toffee. The alcohol is totally well hidden. This is smooth as silk with drinkability off the charts. Moor has set the bar high and is on par with just about any West Coast hop bomb. A first class beer!

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2011 19:19:22 | More by beerdrifter

Zimbo

United Kingdom (Scotland)

4.13/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served between a Duvel Tulip and a high tumbler from a 660ml bomber.

Nice orangy slightly cloudy appearance with a full head. Head partially deflates over time but giving it some aeration returns it to its original appearance.
Leaves fluffy rings of lacing as drunk and has a pleasing orangy spicy citric flavour to it. There is some good interplay between malt then hop and this is followed by a bitter but appetizing rubbery bitterness at the end. Slightly on the heavy side but not bad for a beer of this weight. The attacking hop element isn't over the top but I would probably like to have experienced more integration of this beer's various elements. But still this was pretty fine.

An interesting take on what happens when a good brewer makes an American Imperial IPA and marries it with English Barley Wine elements. Definitely worth a proposal.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2011 10:47:50 | More by Zimbo

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyable highly hoppy barleywine to me, very drinkable. Pours light brown with lasting head. Good balanced aromas. Good balance for DIPA style. Worth seeking out, very drinkable.ABove average mouthfeel.
Courtesy of a London store owner (this is not admissable in court)

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2009 06:23:40 | More by northyorksammy

PartyBear

United Kingdom (England)

4.22/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Rich dark copper colour, with a foamy off-white head, good retention and quite a lot of carbonation. There is also a decent amount of thick lacing on the glass.

Aroma: The nose is definitely a DIPA, heavy resinous hops are clear right at the start, followed by hints of fruits, possibly grapefruit, and melon. There is a definite malty base, with a biscuity caramel just noticeable hovering behind the hops.

Taste: At first the flavours are slightly sweet, and syrupy, with some light citric fruits coming through. At which point I started thinking that maybe us British can't make DIPA with the bitterness of the Americans, then after a few seconds the hops really come into play and unleash a potent perfumy bitterness, with a resinous clingy feel that lasts well past the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: The feel is smooth and almost slick in the mouth, with little carbonation. It's also creamy in the texture and has a mouth-coating clinginess.

Drinkability: For something that has a ABV that nears the 10% mark, this is a scarily drinkable beer. Apart from Brewdog's Hardcore IPA this is the only other legitimate DIPA that is brewed by a British brewer.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2009 20:16:17 | More by PartyBear

mdagnew

United Kingdom (Northern Ireland)

4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

660ml bottle bought online from Beermerchants.com

Poured a clear coppery orange colour. Creamy head poured quite loose and frothy then faded quickly to patchy covering with thickish edging. No carbonation at all... light lacing...

Aroma - Nice juicy (slightly overripe) fruits (orange peel, pears, apricots, light pineapple) mixed with toasted biscuity maltiness, some almond / marzipan notes, caramel and honey sweetness, piney and grassy hops, quite rubbery, floral...

Taste pretty much mirrors the aromas... lots of piney, citric and grassy hop bitterness followed by good caramel / toffee malts, floral honey, light medicinal notes, quite herbal, marzipan, some metallic traces, warming alcohol, nutty... reminded me a little of SN Bigfoot...

Feel - Smooth and creamy with a little bite underneath... medium / full bodied... quite drinkable but a 660ml bottle is way too much...

Overall - An excellent British IPA... definitely recommended...

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2009 08:07:58 | More by mdagnew