Shipwreck XXXIPA
Diamond Knot Brewery

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a medium to dark orange amber with a one finger ivory head with great retention and thick lacing. Aroma of mildly caramel malt, citrus hops, oaky vanilla and a little orange zest. Flavor is slightly sweet caramel malt, orange, grapefruit, aged piney and citrus hops, oak and slight vanilla. Orange and grapefruit rind finish with lingering oak and mild toffee. Medium bodied with light creaminess and good carbonation. Although relabeled as an American strong ale, the profile really does match the original (and BA listed) name of imperial IPA. This is a classic triple IPA body that overlaps the American barleywine style. Great malt with that supports the barrel aged hops, leaving the muted piney and citrus flavors that I expect from a well hopped big IPA that has been aged. Very well balanced and with a superbly well covered ABV. This is nicely made and seems to be worthy of aging, although I got the last and only bottle I've seen, so I won't be able to try that this year.

 

 

 

 

At the brewery with plank blackened salmon.
Nice overall appearance. Flowery, very well balanced malt and hop flavors a little sweet up front with no lingering bitterness.
Easy drinker considering its profile. A very enjoyable beer that begs distribution but doubtful considering its a very limited release.

"Conditioned on port-aged white oak chips for a slightly sweet, oaky finish."

on-tap at the brewpub

appearance: served in a rustic half-pint jug at the brewpub, rich caramel body and a creamy white cap

smell: lush hops, oak, subtle bourbon, grapefruit, brown sugar

taste: the classic A+ (2 rating) brew - tough credentials. I was very happy to see this on tap and was pretty impressed with the product for my first diamond knot sample. the oak/port are not overpowering at all but really provide a nice rich balance to the grapefruit and citrus hops. Wish they would bottle this one

mouthfeel: medium body, creamy finish

overall: quite nice

A: Poured a deep orangish color with good carbonation and a dirty white head.

S: Plenty of hops here, booze, grapefruit and pine

T: Bread, caramel, pine and grapefruit. Delicous. Big beet with plenty of flavor, more like a young barleywine to me

M: Sticky, warm and very nice. Coating, sticky, seet

D: Good. This was introduced as barleywine as the Parkway Tavern Bwine Festival and it was still pretty young and warm but good. Had again at Eastsude in Oly, WA and it was very good as well

I don't know that I've given an ale this high a score in quite some time. This one is listed as an "XXXIPA" (Their Industrial IPA at 8.1% is called an XIPA). % ABV unknown - I'll have to ask.

Pours a deep, foggy copper color with a huge (2 man-fingers) beige head that you can take a bite from. Aroma is of pine and grapefruit with a toffee-like sweetness underlying.

Hops! This one hits the palate like a lightning bolt. Complex: grapefruity, piney, habanero peppers without the heat. Touch of brown sugar, saltwater taffy. You can't taste the alcohol at all, but it's there, waiting silently like a ninja standing just behind your right shoulder.

Mouthfeel is chewy and oily and spicy and carbonated and just about perfect. The only downside to this ale is that you can't have more than one in an hour unless you enjoy crawling home.