Extra Extra Double Brut IPA
Stillwater Artisanal Ales

I got a late start on this past Sunday's NBS (Week 774) & I did not finish up my DelMarVa (+ DC) adventure as planned. 8=( Further, I have promised that next week's NBS (Week 775) will be dedicated to the wonderful beers sent to me by @jkblr who seems to have a real handle on my drinking habits. CANsparency is key in these things! As a result, I am going to CANcentrate over the next few days on eradicating everything that would have CANbined to form the finale of the DelMarVa (+ DC) adventure. Sit down, strap in & hang on. It's gonna be a wild ride!

From the CAN: "Double Brut India Pale Ale ".

I lost steam at the end of the night yesterday & went to bed before I could delve into this one. 8=( Having awoken rested & ready & not seeing the weekly NBS thread open, I have decided to CANtinue where I left off. I beCAN by Crack!ing open the vent for a slow, gentle C-Line Glug into the awaiting glass. I was a little disappointed that I was unable to maintain clarity, but c'est la guerre. It did foam up nicely to form just under two fingers of dense, foamy, rocky, eggshell-white head with moderate retention, leaving nice lacing in its wake. Color was a deeply-hazy Yellow-Gold (SRM = 4 - 5). Hmm. Nose smelled oddly of vanilla or vanilla extract. Hmm. Mouthfeel was medium-to-full, not quite creamy, but on the approach. The taste was also rather odd - bitter with a warming fusel alcohol presence but not any definable flavor. If the style is meant to mimic champagne, this mimicked vodka! It was just very neutral and very dry. I would be very curious to know its ingredients, everything from grain bill to hops to yeast & even water, if any or all of it were being divulged. I guess that I CAN say that I liked its taste since there was nothing to dislike. Finish was bone dry, although not gaspingly so. What an odd little duck this one was! Stylistically, it met most of the criteria, but it just felt somehow lacking overall. YMMV.

 

 

 

 

Medium yellow-gold and hazy with a finger or two of white head on top... Up front grassy white grape and sweet juice dries quickly into a funky yeasty dank citrus... Moderately bitter with a rough shellac of "brut-ness" across the softer citrusy and vineyard fruit notes... Mildly sweet and moderately drying; medium-bodied and smooth and soft... A very enjoyable beer but straddles the regular IPA and Brut IPA fence a little bit - which is fine by me...

 

 

Served in a tulip glass from the can.

Appearance: it's a soft yellow color coming off semi hazy with a whitehead which rose roughly about half a finger's length. Lightly sticky bubbles on the glass which settles pretty clean.

Smell: has a soapy scent but also a very strong dose of hops, but the potency is very very light.

Taste: lightly sweet citrus but has a feel of an extra lemon thrown into the Brew. Feels like lemongrass and wheat with Lighter hops.

Mouth: first off this beers dry makes you think of Gatorade without the sugar. Medium carbonation medium body and medium bubbles that's all I have to say. But it is sticky.

Overall: tasty beer not the worst but definitely not the best that I have had, Salud!

A: The beer is hazy dark straw yellow in color and has a light to moderate amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a short bright white head that left a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface after it finally settled down.
S: Moderate aromas papayas and grapefruit hops are present in the nose.
T: The taste of this beer has a blend of herbal hops with notes of grapefruit, papayas and overripe melons with a light to moderate amount of associated bitterness.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation. There is some dryness in the finish.
O: As an Double Brut IPA has a somewhat heavier mouthfeel compared to other beers in the style, but it does have a pleasant amount of dryness i the mouthfeel.

Serving type: can

 

 

I had this one on a chilly fall evening, waiting for the hockey game to start. From a tall can, the beer is a golden-orange hue with a thick white head. Lots of citrus and meaty fruit in the scent. Hop forward. The taste is balanced, with a serious bitterness that comes out strong in the mid-taste. Full body. Plenty of juicy fruit notes continue through the finish. This has some warming qualities as well. Well made and delicious.

Pours a foggy, cloudy straw color that turns to a murky straw as the final couple ounces are poured into the can. Head formation is a finger in height and white in color. Head formation is low for a Brut IPA - a style known for its effervescence. Aroma is dry, short, and compact. Along the way it hits notes of herbal, floral, spicy and tropical fruits. It comes off a little confused, with hop notes stuttering and stumbling over each other. Bready pilsner malt and a sharp yeast give it a little depth beyond the hops. Flavor profile is bready pilsner malts right up front. The camera slowly pans across the room reveling an obnoxious party with herbal and floral hop notes making out in the corner, while spicy hops tries to do a keg stand with weak and feeble dry, rye notes supporting it prior to crashing back onto the earthen notes. Pilsner malts maintain their cool and presence, tucked into the back corner. In other words - it seems muddled, with gaps big enough to allow the 8% ABV to come roaring through. Mouth feel is slightly dry, with a light crispness, like day old bagels. Overall, muddled and confused with a dry finish and light crispness. It ticks the boxes of a Brut IPA with heavy hops, but fails to deliver a consistent and put-together response.

Served in a 12oz snifter from a 16oz can.

 

 

16 ounce can into tulip glass, canned on 8/24/2018. Pours moderately hazy/cloudy medium golden/amber color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and rocky off white head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big tangerine, grapefruit, lemon, peach, pear, apricot, pineapple, passion fruit, papaya, mango, melon, guava, berries, citrus peel/rind, peppercorn, pine, wheat, cracker, white bread, herbal, and floral/grassy earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of citrus/fruity/tropical/earthy hops and moderate pale/wheat malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big tangerine, grapefruit, lemon, peach, pear, apricot, pineapple, passion fruit, papaya, mango, melon, guava, berries, citrus peel/rind, peppercorn, pine, wheat, cracker, white bread, herbal, and floral/grassy earthiness. Light-moderate pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, floral, grassy, peppery bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of tangerine, grapefruit, lemon, peach, pear, apricot, pineapple, passion fruit, papaya, mango, melon, guava, berries, citrus peel/rind, peppercorn, pine, wheat, cracker, white bread, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/tropical/earthy hops and moderate pale/wheat malt flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance, and no lingering hop astringency after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering bitterness. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately bready/grainy/sticky, and fairly crisp/resinous/rindy balanced mouthfeel that is great. Minimal warming alcohol for 8%. Overall this is an awesome imperial brut IPA. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/tropical/earthy hops and moderate pale/wheat malt flavors; very smooth, easy, and fairly crisp to drink for the ABV with the modestly bitter/resinous/drying finish, not aggressive. Feels like a lot of Mosaic/Citra. Very juicy, vibrant, dank, and earthy balanced hop complexity; nice pale/wheat malt backbone, and minimal residual sweetness from lingering dryness. A very enjoyable offering, and well made style example. Well attenuated for the ABV as expected.