To Øl Nelson Survin American Double / Imperial IPA at 9% ABV (C$8.30 at Sherbrooke Liquor, 330 ml, best before 2-Jun-2018, acquired 17-Dec-2016, reviewed 15-Oct-2017)
Appearance: nearly opaque medium amber with one finger of rocky light beige head diminishing gradually to a thin skim, moderate lacing. (3/5) Aroma: toffee & caramel, citrus, stone / orchard / tropical fruit, white grape must, earthy funk. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter, moderate tart. (8/10) Palate: medium-full slightly slick body, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering bitter and tart finish. (4/5)
Bit of a strange beer here: on the front end it tastes like a sour, but then rapidly transitions through fruity white wine territory before becoming a malt-heavy DIPA for the finish, albeit with some residual tartness. Smells more like a DIPA than a sour, too – and a fairly old-fashioned malt-heavy one, at that. To be fair, it’s probably at least slightly too elderly (though I have no idea how old it actually is because there’s no bottling date) but I’m still well before the BB date, so I dunno. Not without its charms, but a little muddled and not a clear winner. (15/20)
7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
