North Peak Bolt
North Peak Brewing Company

Appears amber-brown with an adequate head that lashes against the sides of my pint glass. Candy aroma lets me know I'm likely in store for a beer with ample malts to offset a strong hoppy presence. Yet, flavors of burnt bread and sharp bitterness come across as harsh on the palate.

 

 

The typical American amber ale goes about 5.0% in alcohol strength to about 6.0%, but in today's beerscape, ain't nobody got time for that. And the talented brewers at North Peak give the embibers exactly what they want: a well balanced beer between hops and malt, but more of it than which we normally sign up.

Bolt comes with a deep crimson color and cast in a hazy translucence. Its dense ecru cap draws the nose with a toasty, nutty scent that's layered with citrus and pine. Firmly malty on the front of the tongue, the initial taste is sweet with toffee, caramel and bread crust.

As the middle palate transpires, the sweetness makes room for a hoppy rebuttal for balance but without backing down at all. Trending nutty with pecans and peanut skins, the toasted edges of malt invite a brightness of pink grapefruit and orange peel to gather steam. Trailing with a deeply resinous taste, the hop bitterness develops a sharp pine presence for balance and drinkability.

Full bodied but also dangerously palatable, the beer tastes like a sipper, but its malty dry mouthfeel seems to give it the same quaffable character of its lesser strength brethren. Somewhat of an American barleywine light, the beer is friendly but bold, masculine yet delicate, spicy yet sweet. A twinge of curacao liqueur teases the gullet as the ale simply begs for bold chicken wings and korean barbecue.

 

 

Pours a clear brown color. 1/2 inch head of an off-white color. Great retention and great lacing. Smells of strong spicy hops, piney hops, alcohol, sweet malt, tea, and slight rye. Fits the style of an American Amber / Red Ale. Mouth feel is sharp and clean, with an average carbonation level. There is also a noticeable bitterness and slight dryness. Tastes of strong spicy hops, piney hops, alcohol, sweet malt, tea, and slight rye. Overall, good appearance, hop bomb, and dryness is a nice touch.

 

 

Poured out a clear, amber color with a 2 finger head of tan foam. It smelled malty and grassy. Big malty taste with hints of caramel. Not much bitterness. A little cloying.

 

 

12 ounce bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 2/9/2017. Pours slightly hazy deep orange/copper/light reddish color with a 1-2 finger dense and rocky light khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Nice dense soapy lacing clings around the glass. Aromas of big tangerine, grapefruit, pineapple, peach, passion fruit, papaya, mango, melon, lemon zest, orange peel, light pine, caramel, brown sugar, toasted bread, herbal, and floral/grassy earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of juicy citrus/tropical hops and dark/bready malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big tangerine, grapefruit, pineapple, peach, passion fruit, papaya, mango, melon, lemon zest, orange peel, light pepper/pine, caramel, brown sugar, toasted bread, herbal, and floral/grassy earthiness. Light-moderate pine/grassy/spicy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of angerine, grapefruit, pineapple, peach, passion fruit, papaya, mango, melon, lemon zest, orange peel, light pepper/pine, caramel, brown sugar, toasted bread, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness on the finish for a while. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of juicy citrus/tropical hops and dark/bready malt flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance, and zero cloying sweetness after the finish. Light dryness from lingering bitterness, increasing through the glass. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, creamy/bready/sticky, and slightly resinous balanced mouthfeel that is awesome. Slightly warming alcohol for 8.1%. Overall this is an awesome imperial amber ale! All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/tropical hops and dark/bready malt flavors; very smooth and easy to drink thanks to the mellow bitterness. Extremely juicy and a bit dank on hops; great malt balance with just enough bitter/dryness to not be overly sweet. A highly enjoyable offering.