Wrecked Sleigh Double IPA
Franklin's Restaurant, Brewery & General Store

The beer pours a cloudy cherry-tinted amber and sports a small off-white head, showing itself a mite flattened and bit worse for wear from the multi-state, multi-vessel shuffling that brought it into my tulip glass today.

The smell is spicy and resinously piney, with a dry toasted maltiness that gives it a scratchy edge. A pungent fruitiness grows in stature as the drink warms a bit.

The taste is boldly hoppy and delivers an immediate blast of warmth into the belly. I'm not sure of the ABV of this beer, but I'm guessing 8-9%, but whatever it is, it must be pretty sturdy to say the least. Flavors of baked Granny Smith apples, gingery spice, pineapple and mild, semisweet caramel are engaged by a crumbly yucca-root earthiness, and dry, chewy, toasted-biscuity pale malts provide a mellow counterpoint to a mild but persistent bitterness.

As mentioned, this beer traveled far and switched containers a couple of times before it got to me, but it still manages to impress me plenty. Wrecked Sleigh is a fun take on a Double IPA, and is fullish-medium in body, and having sampled the original growler, I'm going to make the assumption that it's nicely carbonated when not abused in transit. A nice surprise from my friend down at Cindirene's in Ayden. Thanks Charlie!