Alpha Domina Mellis III
DC Brau Brewing Co.

 

 

 

03/29/2016

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From the growler, it pours a slightly hazy slightly orange amber with a small head. Scent is slightly hoppy and very pleasant. Taste is slightly sharp and hoppy, but extremely enjoyable. Dangerously easy to drink.

The beer pours a nice white that dissipates quickly while the beer itself is a clear but slightly cloudy medium amber color. The look isn't anything to write home about and is kind of dull. However, it still looks nice and fits with the style guidelines.

The smell is nice and what someone would expect from a double IPA. The aroma seems to consist of a strong hop note that mixes with a very sweet honey note. The hop notes seems to be a blend of different hop varietals. One hop note underlying the others is a tropical pineapple note that seems to be the lightest one but still manages to make itself known. The other notes consist of a sharp and bitter pine note with a bit of grassiness to it. In contrast, the beer also has a nice sweet honey note. The malt is also sweet but also has a bit of grain to it but can be overwhelmed by the stronger honey smell.

The taste is pretty good and a bit better than the smell. The hop notes come out a little bit more while the malts come out more as well. The hop notes are still the same from the smell but lean towards a more bitter and pine note with a slight tropical aftertaste. The honey is still strong while the malts come out more in the aftertaste a slightly toasty and sweet flavor.

The feel is good and what you would expect from the style. It has smooth full-body with very little carbonation. It has enough carbonation to give it a bit of texture but not much to do anything else.

Overall, after three years, this is still a pretty good beer. However, I seem to remember the first one being a bit richer and fuller. Still, it's a good DIPA on its own terms aand is very good when you can get fresh. Go for it.