XS Old Crustacean
Poured from the ceramic pop top bottle into a snifter. A deep coppery-brown with a minimal and quickly-dissipating head. As I hold it up to the light, I see some kind of hints of green, possibly due to the enormous amount of hops. It appears very thick, with slight legs on the glass. The aroma is dominated by citrus hop character at first, and as I inhale deeper I get the alcohol mixed with caramel malt and some sort of dark fruit, like dates. The taste is dominated by hop bitterness upfront (almost too much for me), with malt sweetness in the middle and a very subtle alcohol in the finish. It was by no means fusel, but rather pleasant. As the beer becomes less carbonated, it becomes less harsh on the hop bitterness, and in my opinion, more enjoyable. The mouth feel is thick and full. Slightly syrupy, but does not stick to the tongue too much. Overall, an interesting extreme beer, but something that I can only handle on occasion, as opposed to all the time.