Family Style
Double Nickel Brewing Company

 

This one’s a bit of a mess, though it is admittedly (and unknowingly when I bought it) a very old can that sat on a warm shelf, so perhaps the fresh product is a very different experience. But all I have to go on is what’s in front of me.

10-month-old (!!) can poured into a tulip glass. Given the high ABV I’m hoping some semblance of the intended beer would flow through.

Beer pours a pretty uninteresting pale gold with moderate opaqueness but not really a full haze. Beer has just trace amounts of head and no lacing.

Smells like Flintstones vitamins. Chalky, a little grassy, with some citrus, berry, pineapple, and some tropical fruits. Pretty boozy. The age is definitely showing in the first two areas.

Taste is better, as there are some real juicy fruit flavors coming through: big citrus and sweet (but not overripe) tropical fruit, primarily. But those fruit flavors are somewhat overwhelmed by the huge, boozy, hop bombery. Still, this one is smooth and easy-drinking. Shockingly so for a 10% beer.

Smooth and silky, but zero carbonation (age again, I assume).

 

A solid orange-amber liquid with a nice head of tight and durable white foam ended up in a clear glass liter mug after decanted from a pint can. The trail of glass lacing is nice, too. There's some juiciness and some sharp bitterness dominating the smell. It's a little light on the tongue, but that's misleading, for the taste is a full one. Just the right amount of malt, yeast and alcohol to the overall hopfest. This time, the nose knew. There are juicy hop flavors and sharply dry ones, too. Yet, the finish is kind to those that don't care for very bitter hops. While contributing to the sweet side of the ale, the alcohol doesn't negatively effect the taste, a good job of brewing a 9.8% hop bomb. This is very good at delivering generous amounts of alcohol and hops without being offensive.

 

 

Tasted in a Spiegelau IPA glass from a one pint can on October 17, 2020.