Deep Ellum Brewing Co. Dream Crusher Double IPA American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.5% ABV (US$2.83 at Specs Main Houston, 355 ml, no bottle date or best before, reviewed 2-Feb-2016)
Appearance: hazy pale amber with two fingers of fluffy ivory head, good retention and lacing. (4/5) Aroma: dank resiny pine, juicy citrus, tropical fruit, pale malt. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, strong bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium slightly oily body, moderate carbonation, off-dry bitter and mildly warming finish. (3/5)
Makes a bold announcement on opening, with strong resiny hop aromas filling the room. And for the first half of the beer, it continues to deliver a powerful hop assault, with a one-two punch of piney resin and so much juicy citrus one might believe there’s actually tangerines in there. As the head dissipates, however, the hop aromas seem to fade with it, and the sweet malty backbone starts to show through. It never gets unpleasant, or even malt-forward, but it does lose a little steam. The finish remains strongly bitter, though, and the relatively high ABV is well-managed, manifesting as a mild warming. This is a whole bunch of fun, but I think you might need to drink ‘em fast for maximum enjoyment. (14/20)
7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
