Notch 9
Smartmouth Brewing Company

Slightly hazy amber (poured sediment in), dense white head, rings of lace with spots inbetween
Orange marmalade and caramel aroma
Tastes like it smells, pithy bitter finish
Medium heavy body, a little syrupy, could use more carbonation
good enough

 

Tried it and liked it so I got a few sixers on my last visit to Williamsburg. Look is inconsistent. Hazy orange with slight head and decent lacing. The inconsistency is some cans have a fair amount of sediment, which is not a problem for me, and some don't. Smell is typical dipa with grapefruit and slight pine. Taste is very balanced and quite nice. Typical dipa bitterness followed by the balance. Caramel malty goodness mixed with hoppiness. Full bodied mouthfeel that really fits with the balanced taste. I will get more on my next visit. Recommended.

 

 

Look: Pale gold with some light chill haze and a thin white head.

Smell: Piney and boozy. Light caramel malt.

Taste: Big lunch of grapefruit zest and bitter pine on the attack. Then a big booze and malt note to a bitter hop finish.

Feel: Big bodied and thick. Big bitterness. High alcohol. Medium carbonation.

Overall: It all just comes out as a bitter malt mess. It drinks fine but I wouldn’t search it out again. Not in a market saturated with awesome DIPAs.

 

 

This one does the job of a classic american dipa with wonder.

Amber body with a nice white head.

Toffee with resinous and citrusy hops

Clean bitter finish

 

 

 

12oz can, served in a tulip glass. Canned on 03/23/18.

Appearance: Translucent orange-amber. Rocky 1/4" thick off-white head that slowly died back to a thin skin across the top. Lots of lacing all over the glass.

Smell: Grapefruit, orange, tropical fruit, hint of pine. Nicely hoppy.

Taste: The initial taste is a strong mix of malt and hops, and then it separates to give plenty of hop flavors (grapefruit, pine bitterness) balanced by some bready malt and a sharp bitter finish that is mostly pine and citrus rind.

Mouthfeel: Light carbonation, smooth and nicely thick - approaching creamy. A bit sticky on the teeth with a dry finish.

Overall / Drinkability: A very good DIPA - a pleasure to sip and savor while having with a meal (mustard pork chops + gnocchi). I picked this up at Total Wine in VA when I visited last month, and now I'm wishing I had picked up more than one. I would not mind a 16oz version of this at all and I'll have to revisit it again.

Appearance: Pours a cloudy golden color with a massive head; great retention and a nice draping of lace

Smell: Pith and pine with intense bitterness; rather dank

Taste; Dank, from the outset, with just a touch of melon and caramel to offset the massive hop blast that arrives, bringing, pine and pomelo pith; assertively bitter through the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with moderate carbonation

Overall: There was a time when a beer like this would have been a stunner and, while that time has passed, they are sticking with a recipe that will certainly appeal to the palate of the hophead who wants the taste buds assaulted from the get go; I could see myself ranking this higher back in 2013 but my palate has changed and I am looking for more dimensions to my IPAs

A-Pours a nice amber color with very nice head and lacing
A-Aroma has nice subdued piney and hoppy hints
T-The taste follows the nose with piney and hoppy flavors
M-A medium bodied decently carbonated beer
O-A well made beer with a good kick

 

 

I'm trying this at the brewery. It poured a clear golden with white head that is leaving a spotty lace. The scent had hints of citrus peel and pine. The taste was nicely balanced and easy to drink with subtle pine and citrus presence. The mouthfeel is fuller in body with good carbonation. Overall it's a solid beer.

Poured from a 12oz can into a glass.

Look is a slightly hazy orange yellow with little to no head.

Aroma is herbal and lemon.

Taste is an intense bitter. Absolutely delicious.