Scratch Beer 18 - 2009
Received in the 100% Satisfaction BIF from great trader PSYCOHOPS, thanks! Served cool in a Boston Lager glass. When I sampled it I hadn't yet looked up what style Scratch #18 was. Pours very thick with a very orange tint of dark amber forming a bold off-white head. Aggressive hop aroma, given the color and the thick pour, suggests that it's a double IPA or an American amber, or even impy red. Wow, great, distinctive rye flavor. In hind sight, now I can pick up the rye aroma, too. Spicy noble hops maybe. Great balance. Doesn't have the sweetness I expected from the aroma and color. Slick and creamy heavy feel from the rye. But finishes dry, not nearly as sweet as the mouthfeel would suggest. Drinkability is really good, not a chugging beer. A good example of a big rye beer, a high fraction of the grain bill. Definitely recommended. I wish I was down the road from Tregs, getting a stash of every Scratch batch would definitely be habit-forming! This and Scratch 5 were my first two from the Scratch series. "Collect them all!"