Imperial IPA
West Brothers Brewery

This brew smells and tastes like cannabis sativa. I feel guilty drinking it. The aroma is profound and potent and characterized by cannabis and mint flavors derived (presumably) from hops. Truth be told, the smell is positively insane.

The hops clearly control the nose. They are aromatic, floral, and classy. And yet the flavor tilts towards sweetness, suggesting that most of the hops are strictly aromatic, not bittering. The body is mostly clear, though one might say that the color itself is hazy orange-gold. A scant, eclipsed head soon fades to a thin film with lots of thin sketchy lace masking the glass.

This is one hale and hearty brew. For awhile. And then it begins to lag. The head and lace fade and the body tires. The flavor endures with a butt kicking measure of alcohol. But this is a very muscular beer and a full 16 oz. can be a bit much to navigate. In the end it simply tastes too strong, with too much emphasis on alcohol. Still, this emphasis may very well define its appeal.