Embuscade
La Nébuleuse

July 2017: 330 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 6.7%, 65 IBU. Hops are Chinook, Nugget, Cascade and Mandarina Bavaria. Hazy orange to amber colour, moderate head, slightly off-white. Aroma of fruity hops, notes of citrus and tropical fruits, also hints of pine. Medium sweet flavour of crystal malts, followed by distinct fruity and piney hops, reasonably bitter finish.

11.2oz bottle. Poured out a clear, golden orange color with a small, white head of fluffy foam. It left sudsy trails of lace on the glass. It smelled of toasted caramel, roasted malt and a piney bitterness. Sweet malt and caramel taste with a sharp piney bitterness.

 

 

A 330ml bottle with a BB of May 2017, so it's a bit out of date. ABV stated as 6.7%. Given to me a while back by my brother. The label says that this is an American IPA with malted wheat in the bill. Recommends pairing with grilled meats.

A: Poured into a Duvel tulip. Bottle conditioned. A rich, hazy marmalade hue with plentiful fine sediment and good carbonation. Yields a vast head of fluffy white foam with good retention; this slowly reduces to a persistent surface layer. Nice lacing.

S: Aroma of intense fruity hops with hints of lime, citrus, peel, tropical fruit, subtle pine, floral notes, caramel malt and earthy yeast. The hops possess an almost perfumed quality. A tad faded but otherwise pretty good.

T: Tastes of fruity hops with notes of citrus, peel, mild tropical fruit, vague pine resin, earthy yeast, subtle caramel malt and stewed hops. Quite dry, with a strident hop-driven bitterness upon swallowing.

M: Mouthfeel is smooth, tingly and dry, with spritzy carbonation and good body. Some light hop action on the palate. Aftertaste of bitter fruity hops, citrus, earthy yeast and mild caramel malt.

O: Rather nice - a quality effort at an American IPA. Drinking well in spite of its age, though I suspect the aromatics and bitterness are slightly off-kilter. Looks great, while the aroma and flavour showcase some intense aromatic hops underpinned by caramel malt and yeast. Good body. Goes down readily enough - worth sampling if you are in Switzerland and stumble across it.