Deschutes Brewery Royal Fresh – American Double / Imperial IPA at 9% ABV | 70 IBU (C$4.81 at Collective, 568 ml, packaged on 27-Oct-2020, acquired 26-Nov-2020, reviewed 29-Nov-2020)
Appearance: clear pale amber with two fat fingers of rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and heavy chunky lacing. (5/5) Aroma: tropical fruit, oranges, white grape, caramel, resiny pine. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate-lively carbonation, sweetish lingering building bitter finish. (4/5)
Brewer notes indicated hopped with Cascade, Citra, Mosaic, Centennial, Amarillo, El Dorado, and Cashmere – so, basically, throw everything at the wall and see what sticks? Not surprisingly, it’s a lot like Fresh-Squeezed, and nothing like Chasin’ Freshies or Fresh Haze. More to the point, this is a real pint: a true UK pint, with an emphatic ABV. The big drawback is the sweetness level, as both the aroma and flavour are slightly too high for my preference. Good, and definitely solid, but not great. (16/20)
8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
