Corne Du Diable
Although this beer claims to be an IPA, it certainly has a European influence. It's more like an English IPA with a little extra hop-kick. A unique twist on the classic. A- Pours very dark, almost brown...certainly not the crystal-clear gold IPAs I'm used to. You can't see through this at all. S- It's everything that an IPA should smell like and then some. Something that a lot of IPAs lack: malt. This beer has a really solid body and flavor base from it. Notes of caramel and a toasty-malty scent really come through. Of course there are hops as well. Very citrusy in terms of the hop aromas with notes of lemon, sweet grapefruit, pineapple, and (the first I've ever smelled in an IPA): lime. Really nice smell. T- The malt dominates the hops a little too much for an IPA. I really like it, but it's a gigantic divergence from the style. The toasty, caramel flavors come through, but mask the complex hops that were present in the aroma. The only hop notes that come through are lemon and grapefruit. M- Crisp, yet somewhat rich for an IPA. D- This was pretty easy to drink because the hops were not overpowering at all. Overall, it smells nearly perfect, yet the taste isn't as balanced as it could be. Either way, I enjoyed it.