How does it look? How's the color? Clarity? Head?
- Amber, lightly cloudy, slight head
How's the nose (smell)? Sweet, spicy, fruity?
- Quite sweet, mostly malt but there is something closer to maple syrup which is not uncommon for the higher gravity beers (7%), there is some hop in it but if blindfolded and unaware that it bills itself as an IPA, I'm not totally sure I would recognize it.
How does it taste? Malty? Hoppy? Fruity? Chalky?
- It is quite sweet. To my tongue, most higher gravity beers tend to be more sweet than anything else--since the alcohol content is closer to wine, that would tend to make a little sense even if the ingredients are different. Once the sweetness settles, it starts to feel and taste more like an ale, but the bitterness that defines an IPA is not strong enough to truly separate it from something like an amber ale. So more malt and sweet than hoppy.
Is it full-bodied? Medium bodied? Weak? Clean?
- Full bodied. There is a significant but pleasant aftertaste so i cannot claim that it is 'clean.'
Where did you buy it? How much was it?
- Birmingham AL, $10 six-pack
What do you think overall? Would you buy it again?
- Overall, I like it. It would not be my IPA of choice but for a high gravity beer it is good and worth the price. For IPA mavens, this would likely not be very high on the list, but if given the chance to sample it, do not turn it down.
