Rogue Ales New Crustacean Barleywineish Imperial IPA Sorta – American Double / Imperial IPA at 11.6% ABV | 88 IBU (C$17.01 at Collective, 750 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 25-Mar-2020, reviewed 25-Mar-2020)
Appearance: slightly hazy pale gold with one finger of fluffy pale ivory head gradually diminishing to a thick persistent cap, moderate soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: caramel & toffee, resiny pine, citrus, biscuity malt. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-full oily slick body, moderate carbonation, sticky building and lingering bitter finish. (4/5)
I was quite surprised when I tasted this. My initial take on reading the label was “Oh, come on, how can you have something that merges Barleywines and DIPAs? That makes no sense!” And when I opened it, I was convinced I was right: that it was predominantly a Barleywine, due to the aroma. Then I tasted it. Huh. Yeah, this is a combination of Barleywine and DIPA character – and it works. As a slow sipper, to be sure, but it does work. It smells like a Barleywine, albeit a highly-hopped one, but it tastes like a DIPA – albeit an extremely boozy one. I must have seen (and passed on) Old Crustacean a hundred times, but now I think I might pick it up next time I see it, just to compare the full-on Barleywine with this hybridized version. (16/20)
8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
