War Elephant (Anniversary Hopping)
Rushing Duck Brewing Company

 

 

Very hazy light orange with three-plus fingers of airy, cream-colored head. Heavy lacing.

Huge hop aroma of orange, pineapple, peach, pine and herbs.

Big hoppy taste with pine bitterness that's cut by orange and tropical sweetness. Strong piney bitterness and a touch of herbal pepperiness linger in the aftertaste.

Medium bodied, almost chewy feel.

Nice hoppy goodness in this one. Reminds me of those old-school West Coast hop bombs, with a hint of East Coast flare. 8/10/17 canned on date.

 

I had this on the release date; canned one day earlier. Poured into Rushing Duck Belgian glass. It pours an opaque, dirty tangerine color with a fluffy, bright white head and lacing that retained its integrity through the pour. The nose is super fruity: tangerine, melon, mango, lemon, pine, floral hops, and a whiff of caramel. It's as aromatic as a beer can be. The taste is just as good: the first taste is fresh tropical fruit. There is tangerine and mango, as well as grapefruit. The fruit flavor is followed by a dose of malt and caramel. Then, there is a strong blast of onion, pine needles and bitter, biting Citra hops. It's wonderfully dank and each flavor is bold and pleasing. This ale is creamy and viscous, moderately carbonated, and its 8.6% ABV is punches hard. Overall, this is a superb DIPA: supremely fragrant, flavorful, and satisfying. It's a fitting tribute to Rushing Duck's 5th anniversary. The only negative is that the standard War Elephant will seem tame compared to this pachyderm.