Great Lakes Lake Erie Monster
This beer appears seriously intimidating. It is the thickest looking, most opaque DIPA I've ever seen, being pretty much a solid, murky shade of muddy apricot. The short, white head fades immediately into a bubbly skim and leaves behind streaks of white sticky lace. While the bitter citrusy hops are definitely present in the aroma, and present in an almost astringent way. The alcohol is also clear in the nose, all but masking the rest. Taste is bursting with sweet oranges and pineapple and the malts are much more present here than in the smell. It is just sweet enough and just bready enough to provide a nice complement to the hops. The alcohol is still heavy-duty, and it comes through in bursts with every taste, throwing the overall experience off balance a little bit. The feel is thick yet still somewhat carbonated, and it leaves a tremendous amount of stickiness on the palate and lips long after the drink. Take this one slow. The heat and the sweetness don't make for a session beer.