Scuttlebutt Brewing Company Ming the Merciless American Double / Imperial IPA at 8.7% ABV | 74 IBU (C$11.00 at Zyn, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 16-Feb-2017, reviewed 17-Feb-2017)
Appearance: slightly hazy medium amber with a huge fluffy ivory head that retains moderately poorly, moderate soapy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: resiny pine, caramel malt, pithy grapefruit, herbal. (6/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, high bitter. (5/10) Palate: medium-full oily body, moderate carbonation, lingering bitter warming and spicy finish. (3/5)
Bit of a hot mess. It doesn’t feel malt-dominant as such, but it’s certainly malt-forward, or at least malt-heavy, and it feels more like the malt is battling the hops, than supporting them. The hops, on the other hand, are so heavy that they cause a little retronasal burn in the finish, but they still don’t shine through the sticky caramel malt. The ABV also comes across bigger than it is – I’ve had double-digit brews that don’t feel this harsh. Just a big, ham-fisted mess. (11/20)
5.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
