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Old Review
Had this on cask yesterday at The J. Clyde in Birmingham, AL. They broke out a couple casks due to a Free the Hops meeting, so I enjoyed the festivities. Served up in an imperial nonic pint glass.

A: This beer was crazy when it hit the table. I had seen many people walking around with it and it caught my eye immediately because it had such a unique color and appearance. I inquired upon my server and then ordered. This beer looks like a light brown tea that has been deluded with milk. So, you have this almost grainy brown presence with a slightly thicker looking cream color pushing itself around in here kicking up all sorts of debris. Constant swirls of light and dark brown colors throughout. The head is a light tan color that sits and rests indefinitely on top. Very light and fluffy, this head easily sticks to glass and creates some fluffy, bubbly lacing on the glass. I have to give it high marks for its unique quality here.

S: Thought the smell was a bit weak to be honest. Strong Ales usually bring it in this category with some heavy presence in the aroma, but not this guy. Everything is pretty mild in there with some rich malt character mostly. There is a slight brown sugar presence along with some syrupy smells as well. Finally it finishes with a citrus/floral hops aroma that is really nice, but could come out a bit more for me. Overall it smells pretty clean and mild.

T: Taste steps it up a bit. The malts are not as big a presence in the flavor as they in the nose. The malts are sugary with that brown sugar and light roasted. Mostly just a sweet presence to attempt to harness the craziness that comes out in the hops. The hops are all over the place and hardly restrained. Lots a strong grapefruit comes out along with some floral sweetness. There is also some more tartness coming out in an almost cranberry fashion. Then some pine resin comes through with that bite. Alcohol is here as well, but it works with all these hops. Its kind of crazy and seems a bit off balance for a strong ale, but it is enjoyable.

M: Mouthfeel is medium, but on the high side. This beer has a milky creaminess I was not expecting at all. It just has a thickness to it that I haven't experienced before. Its hard to explain. It has some nice creamy coating to it and really sticks to the palate. ABV is noticable with a slight heat on the throat. Aftertaste is all that hops with grapefruit and pine lingering about. There was also a bit of graininess going on at the bottom of my glass due to a lot of debris in the brew. This may have been because I got on of the last pours out of the cask.

D: This is interesting for sure with such a wild appearance and feel. The flavors are fun and wild, but they are a bit much for multiple glasses in my opinion. It has just so much going on and is strong enough to call it quits with one pint glass. With all that said, I did enjoy this one and was happy at the chance for giving it a go. Definitely different.

Serving type: cask

Reviewed on: 02-23-2009 22:16:28

Served In: Pint Glass