8

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

12 ounce can into tulip glass, canned on 3/4/2019. Pours lightly hazy/cloudy pale golden yellow color with a 1 finger dense and fluffy white head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Thick soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big lemon, lime, tangerine, red grapefruit, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, mango, melon, red apple, gooseberry, white grape/wine, citrus peel/rind, wood, peppercorn, pine, cracker, white bread dough, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of citrus/fruity/tropical/earthy hops and moderate pale malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big lemon, lime, tangerine, red grapefruit, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, mango, melon, red apple, gooseberry, white grape/wine, citrus peel/rind, wood, peppercorn, pine, cracker, white bread dough, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness. Light-moderate pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, woody, floral, grassy, peppery bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of lemon, lime, tangerine, red grapefruit, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, mango, melon, red apple, gooseberry, white grape/wine, citrus peel/rind, wood, peppercorn, pine, cracker, white bread dough, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/tropical/earthy hops and moderate pale malt flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance, and no lingering hop astringency after the finish. Fairly crisp/clean finishing. Moderate increasing dryness from lingering bitterness. Medium carbonation and light-medium body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/grainy, and fairly sticky/resinous/rindy balanced mouthfeel that is great. Minimal warming alcohol for 8.5%. Overall this is an excellent imperial brut IPA. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/tropical/earthy hops and moderate pale malt flavors; very smooth and fairly crisp/clean/refreshing to drink for the ABV, with the modestly bitter/resinous/drying finish; not overly aggressive. Feels like Nelson Sauvin/Simcoe. Very vibrant, and fairly juicy/dank/earthy hops; with a great clean pale malt backbone. Minimal residual sweetness with crisp resin dryness. A very enjoyable offering, and impressive spot on style example as expected.