This hop monster pours a deep mahogany with a nice, thick head that lingers throughout the session. At 8.9%, this is perhaps closest to an American Pale Ale but can be easily thought of as an American Strong Ale, too. A wonderful, powerful aroma of pine resin and citrus and caramel malts.
The taste is a yin and yang of sorts. A strong base of toffee and chocolate malts but, unsurprisingly, the hops dominate making this not a beer for the feint of heart. So wonderfully unbalanced you might think it to be a Dogfish product, big bitterness and solid mouthfeel make this a winner for me, though it's far from a session beer. This will no doubt come under criticism for not being balanced, but if you love your hops, you can't go wrong with Yakima Twilight, Victory's new Winter seasonal (Hop Wallop is now available year-round). I love the big malt character, but I'm a fan of black IPAs, which this isn't, but the malt profile makes it darn comparable to it in flavor profile. My only complaint is that I only brought a single six pack home to Iowa! I could go for a lot more of these as Winter settles in.
For those curious this has four whole flower Yakima Valley hops and a german malts.
I'm going to have to try this. This sound delicious.
ReplyDeleteIt's a total Brandon beer. Made me think of you the first time I drank it.
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