On tap at Julian’s Restaurant, glorious draught-only 2013 version (with 9% alcohol) brings bright citric spicing to brisk white-peppered hop bite and sugary caramel malting. Sharply pine-needled ruby red grapefruit bittering contrasts sunshiny tropicalia (lemony orange, pineapple, mango, papaya and tangerine illusions) as well as ripe red apple, brown pear and white apricot pleasantries.
Piercing piney citric brightness awakens prominent fusel alcohol burn of dry medium-full body. Heady wood-grained Simcoe-Amarillo hop bite reinforces juniper-licked orange and grapefruit peel bittering above slight metallic twinge. Juicy nectar, peach, melon and orange fruiting sweetens the load. Generous hop-head delight!
On tap at Rattle N Hum, brash hop-forward update of Singlecut Billy Half-Stack loads lemon-seeded orange peel bittering atop mild pine-spruced lacquer and brusque acetone solvency. Floral peach-tangerine tang brightens the corners and sugary crystal-caramel malts sweeten the backend. Another briskly sharp hop-head fave.
Despite Imperial tag and boastful “double the malts and hops” of Big Daddy IPA, sweet fruit-spiced overtones outweigh stylistic hop-forward grapefruit peel bittering for better approachability. Candied apple, honey nut and marzipan spread across the fruited plain, picking up tangy melon, peach, orange and tangerine juicing. Heightened 8.5% alcohol volume never gets above the sensational fruit-juiced flavor profile.
Solid medium-bodied India Pale Ale brings sharply resinous El Dorado hop oiling to brisk grapefruit-peeled blood orange bittering and sugar-caned pineapple juicing. Dry-spiced rye malts envelop citric freshness above mild biscuit-y spine.
Well-rounded wild rice-sweetened Imperial IPA retains brisk pine-fruited essence typical of its insanely popular style. Grapefruit-peeled orange rind bittering contrasts tangy mango-papaya-tangerine tropicalia over dry citra-hops and sugared crystal malts.
