Big Elle
From The Barrel Brewing Company

 

 

From the 500 ml bottle that was bottled October 14, 2016. Sampled on October 16, 2016.

Cloudy pale yellow-orange pour underneath a white head.

Big boisterous aroma of orange, tangerine, nectarine, and fruit characters with only a slight toasted bread character under it all and no booze for 10.5%.

Medium to full body.

The taste is explosive with orange and fruity hops with a moderate bitterness at the finish and no booze to speak of. This sets the bar high for so-called New England-style IPA's. If you like the style you will love it.

 

Scored a mini-growler from the Brewery today ($10)... Jumping into about 16oz in a small tulip right now....

Big Elle is somewhat hazy, with plenty of carbo which is taking its sweet time heading topside. The color is a rich, apricot marmalade hue, with the aforementioned cloudy aspect. Topping the brew is an off-white layer of fine, thin bubbles, which leaves a lovely ring o' lace behind. The aroma is inviting, with some tangerine and apricot heaped upon some grapefruit. Despite the abundant carbo, it has minimal prickle on the tongue, and the body medium to medium-plus.

Taste kicks off with a bit of sweetness, once more resembling a healthy dollop of apricot jam on a slice of toast. Has some fruity sweetness, also, like tangerine and clementines. It does get its bitter up a bit with some pineapple and rindy grapefruit, but finishes a bit more on the sweeter side. Like its slightly smaller sister, Elle, it is well-balanced and solid. Being that Elle is 9.50% and Big Elle 10.50% ABV, I'd like to know what differences FtB makes in brewing each.... Regardless, tasty stuff! Prosit!!

4.4/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

1809

 

Drank at 1 year anniversary party at the brewery....this could be amazing, just seemed a little under carbed. These guys are doing good things in NH!