Exit 16
Tried this at the Exit 16 Release Party, at The Coppermine Pub on monday March 8th, in North Arlington, NJ...conveniently located off of Exit 16. A - Poured a hazy, golden hue, with about a finger of white head. Retention and lacing were ok; nothing stellar. S - Wow..a veritable potpourri of every citrus fruit you could possibly think of: mango, pineapple, yellow grapefruit, lemon, and orange peel all come to the fore. It's always nice to detect something else as prominently as pink grapefruit in the nose of a double ipa, and this beer certainly fit the bill. T - The taste was an excellent mix of all of the aforementioned citrus flavors, beginning with the sweeter sensations of mango and pineapple, and then blending into the more bitter grapefruit tones mid-palate. More malt balance was evident mid-palate as well. The finish was a decidedly excellent bitter orange/grapefruit peel. Well done. Oh, and by the way, there was no evidence whatsoever of the alcohol content in the flavor. Very dangerous. M - The appearance will fool you, as this is not a thin beer. The feel was thick, yet velvet smooth. D - I had three of these in 30min, and I probably would have had many more, had I not had to meet my family for dinner. A deceptively drinkable strong beer; be very careful when sessioning it. The bar chalkboard said 9.5%abv, but the website says 8.2%abv, so I'll assume the latter is correct. In summary, a truly outstanding double ipa; another great entry in the Exit Series. I might like this one even better than Exit 4.