The Mother In-Law
Valhöll Brewing

 

 

22oz bottle. Poured out a clear, golden orange color with a small, tan head of foam. It smelled of toasted caramel, pine and citrus. Sweet caramel and roasted malt with a piney bitter bite.

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a medium coppery amber with a fine two finger white head with great retention and lots of thick lacing. Aroma of caramel malt, citrus hops and bit of orange. Flavor is caramel malt, citrus, mildly piney hops, orange citrus. Finishes with quite resinous citrus hops, lingering alpha oil bitterness. Medium bodied with light creaminess, good mouth feel. A classic NW IPA profile with a good balance between malt and fearless hopping. The aroma and initial taste are quite nice, but the hop bitterness takes over in the finish. There are light herbal hop notes and the substantial malt holds up pretty well, but it's a bit uneven in the finish. A flavorful big IPA that has a future. I'll watch for this brewery again.

 

 

 

2016-08-27
22oz bottle served in a can shaped point glass. I see no date.

Pours a rich deep reddish amber. Head is medium to large. Carbonation is not really there. Smell is not and a little toffee and caramel.

Taste is grapefruit bitter and piney. Toffee and bready. Strong bitter finish.

Mouthfeel is thick. Overall, pretty good.

Got on growler tap at Winslow T&C store. Has a slightly unpleasant and prevalant rubbing alcohol smell, but none of that is in the taste, which is pleasantly PNWesterly hoppy. Smooth enough to be called an IPA, but has the abv to be considered a double. Good malt balance, as far as double IPAs go.