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22oz Bomber

I was lucky enough to get this bottle in a trade from RustyDiamond, thanks Rusty. Imperial Kashmir enters the glass a hazy apricot with a few streams of large carbonation rising to the surface. A good looking finger and a half head of pure whiteness that eventually falls to a skimming and leaves some streaks of lacing on its way down.

The aroma on this beer is utterly unique. Things are a little faint at first but if you stick with it crazy notes of ground spruce needles and mandarin oranges jump out at you. There's something else in there, and although I can't put my finger on it, it fits flawlessly. A touch of alcohol spiciness finishes things off.

This beer is delicious! The flavor shows more pine needles than the aroma would suggest. The pine is big and pungent (in a good way). The crazy citrus involved wafts through the pine until the finish. There's some rich caramel maltiness that shows up and fortifies the hoppiness on the backend. The swallow leaves a nice tongue tingling bitterness.

You couldn't ask for a much better mouthfeel on a IIPA. The body is velvety and smooth. I run into far too many that are sweet and sticky. This walks the line perfectly.

For such a high abv this beer drinks far too easily. I'm crazy about the unique hoppiness (tangerine and mandarin oranges) and the pine bitterness.

Truth be told I thought this would be a good IIPA but it turns out it's an outstanding IIPA. I'm going to have to try and get my hands on a few more of these. The unique flavors work wonders in the mouth.

Reviewed: 1/19/08

Served In: Pint Glass

Pours a nice clear deep caramel with a hint of red to it's golden hue. Nice fairly thick head of a finger or two. The off-white foam settles a bit and leave a nice bit of wispy lacing on the walls of the glass.

Lots of semi-sweet caramel malt up front. Slightly roasty. Mellowed hops with a nice fruity aroma are next. Note of tried fruit is present for a moment. Hint of butterscotch and a nice light toffee note. More smooth and creamy caramel comes in at the end.

Nice big malt body up front. Lots of smooth and silky caramel slide across the tongue with low fine carbonation bubbles. Notes of light toffee come along too. Some fruity hops are present but this beer really needs to be much fresher. Alcohol note is just slightly present at the end although it's mellowed nicely with some age.

Overall pretty tasty and very drinkable even for 10.2% ABV. I'd be interested to try this one fresh too.

Served In: Pint Glass