The Old Toad 20th Aniversery IPA (OT 20)
On cask, via hand-pump, @ the Old Toad (Rochester, NY) on 6/11/11. Served in a pint glass. Pours a clear gold, with a finger of rich bright-white head. This retains with a good bit of creamy froth, leaving back a robust cascade of sudsy looking lace. The aroma is initially floral up front but then immediately gives way to an aggressive blast of pine, grapefruit, and spicy alcohol. Grains manage to sweeten the nose up just a bit on the edges but this definitely has got some intensity to it in the nostrils. The taste is all fresh biting citrus and pine character, giving this a flavorful bitterness that is balanced by a tight grainy sweetness. The finish features lingering pith and resins, and is overall quite dry. The mouthfeel is medium bodied (the cask really helps here), maybe fuller, with a mellow creaminess that intertwines itself in with a good of oily slickness from the hops. The high alcohol is mostly well hid, showing some warmth but mostly keeping that ABV in check (especially here on the hand-pump). Pretty solid DIPA here that is quite approachable considering that this is mostly of the dry and bitter variety and features a nearly 9% ABV. I thought that the cask conditioning might expose these features but I was pleased to find that this never got out of control with the hops and alcohol. Its pretty cool that this is a house beer here, as Ill definitely be trying it out on tap next time to compare.