Bitterest Valentine
Alewerks Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

A: This poured a hazy gold with thick white head.
S: It smelled like grapefruit and dank herbal hops, with some minerals and tangerine.
T: It tasted like pineapple and grapefruit, with some minerals and dank herbal hops. It had a clean bitter aftertaste.
M; It was thick with moderate carbonation. Nice full body.
D: This was a nice 2IPA with delicious fruit scent and taste. The body was solid and the finish was smooth, so it was easy to drink. Great brew.

 

22 oz bottle, shared, and poured in a stemmed glass. L: Copper color, well carbonated white foam. S: Piney, earthy hops. T: Balanced, still has solid malt, with a strong bitter finish. F: Medium to medium-heavy body on this one. O: Solid, local offering for me. I guess I was expecting a touch more citrus vs. piney on the hop front.

Poured a clear orange body with minimal head that died quick and had a bitter, soapy, earthy, floral hopped aroma. Smooth, medium body that somehow balanced grapefruit sweetness with minimal hop bite but was not bitter but more of a thin and juicy hop bite. IDK and it's just my opinion but the original is better.

 

 

 

Bottle dated 2/09:
Pours a darker to orangish golden, clear. Head bulds up nicely and hangs on as mountains of foam. Lacing is decent.

Nose is a spiked grapefruit punch, with a nice amount of spice and herbal/piney notes.

Taste at this point has a decent spicy malt and citrus front taste, followed by an amalgam of ruby grapefruit and herbal notes - including something like thyme or even a very light rosemary. Sure, there's a little pine in there, too. As it warms, the grapefruit turns a bit more sweet orange or even slightly tropical.

The feel has an annoying amount of heat to it, for me. Tickling carbonation and a heft and viscosity that is refreshing are canceled out by the first aspect, though.

It's only a month and a half old and still has a nice bitterness to it, so I am guessing that the heat is an aspect of a fresh beer, as well. If that were toned down a little, this could easily gain a tenth or two.

 

 

From the right side of the label, near the bar code: "BOTTLED ON 02 09 2017"

Appearance: The beer is hazy enough to only allow hazy shadows through the glass. It is nearly opaque with a nice light golden yellow and orange body. The head is a creamy, fluffy, cloud-like white head that looks great. Very good retention and lacing.

Aroma: I'm not getting much aroma from the beer. There is a very, very faint flowery aroma with a bit of a spicy yeast scent but I had to hunt a bit for the aroma. The more I drink the beer the more that flowery scent comes through.

Taste: There is a very light, slightly herbal flavor that has notes of cedar and mint. As the beer builds layers on the palate it gets a very flowery taste.

Mouthfeel: Pretty low bitterness given that the namesake includes "Bitterest" in the title. It has a nice texture and it finishes with a nice clean bitterness.

Overall: It was an average tasting Double IPA that barely had an aroma. The combination of flowery scents and flavor combined with the lack of palate biting bitterness just made the beer a bit too tea-like rather than a Double IPA. It's not a beer I am likely to buy again.

 

3.56/5: A nice, hoppier improvement over the base; I'd like to see this in 6 pack cans

Citra and mosaic hopped version of their bitter valentine. Slightly hazy golden color with light white lacing. Grapefruit and citrus aroma, light happiness. Taste is citrus forward, not as bitter as the name would suggest. Clean, dry, and light mouthfeel. Abv does not come across in the taste. Solid beer overall and a good compliment to the base beer.

Beautiful golden color. Big head. Aroma is dank and loaded with citrus. Lots of grapefruit on the palate and a super hoppy, stinky good IPA. Finish has a great balance of hops and light malt.