Skadoosh XV: Idaho 7
The Alchemist

awesome beer just down right awesome I know they change it up every batch But I hope they remake this one later on

 

Pint can >Tree house long stemmed fancy glass

The Idaho 7 vetsion.......

A bright but totally hazy gold and orange coloration. White foam cap is dense and creamy. Very slow dissipation with plenty of foam left for a constant layer. It does spread out a bit over time but an outer ring remains. Minimal lacing.

The second you pop the can, the hoppy aromatics whaffs straight at you. Sorry Mr. Kimmich but I'm pouring this sucker out ! Idaho 7 smells like a blend of pineapple and sweet tropical fruits and mellons with crushed evergreen needles. Sour wheat bread and honey from the malted barley.

The flavor starts out with a nice sour and bitter hop effect, piney with dry earthy tones. Major bitter citrus, grapefruit more than pineapple now. A very light, crispy, bready but sweet malty flavor also has a certain malty slickness in the finish. After the first gulp settles in you are left with a very fresh, lingering hop aftertaste that is pretty complex. Earthy tones, sour-citrus and bitter fruitiness. A light, grapefruit and pineapple style sweetness happens in a rather subtle way. You can really feel and taste the fresh, quality loads of Idaho 7 in this thing.

The mouthfeel and body texture is truely excellent. Starts off crisp, light, dry...then malty, layers of hops, coming back to practically full and then finishing rather slick but juicy.

Overall, a nice close-up view of the Idaho 7 hop. I'm convinced this is the hop maxed out to its fullest possibilities. Complex, interesting and really, really heady.

Consumed 2/28/18

A: Golden orange with golden tones - hazy with the signature Alchemist floaties - pours with a medium sized, off-white head, fades to a few wisps, retains a small collar and leaves some streaks of lacing

S: Loads of juicy and fleshy citrus, with orange, grapefruit, and some ruby red grapefruit - citrus rind as well - other fruit juices, particularly apricot - leafy and a bit earthy hops - resinous pine - earthy spice, kind of like tea - some pale grains and light sweetness at the base

T: Fleshy citrus, with some really big grapefruit and ruby red grapefruit flesh - not just juice, not pith, specifically the bitter flesh - some orange and orange rind - apricot - leafy, herbal, dry hops - some pine needless and pine sap as well - earthy, with earthy and tea-like bitterness in addition to the hoppy bitterness - some overall spiciness - pale grains and pale malts, light sweetness

M: Medium body, mostly smooth, finish could be cleaner

O: Waiting for Idaho 8

I've had some single-hop Idaho 7 beers in the past and have found them to be mediocre at best. Like Mosaic, I think Idaho 7 plays better with friends. That being said, The Alchemist has probably tamed the varietal as much as possible. To my tongue it kind of tastes like someone splashed a slice of grapefruit with some English Breakfast Tea. It's not for me, but I also will acknowledge this is a well-made beer.

Poured from the can into a snifter.
Pours a bright and glowing deep blonde with one finger of bubbly head.
Aromas are vibrant and strong with lots of orange citrus and dank hops present.
Flavor is complex with orange front and center.
Mouthfeel was excellent as always.
This beer was delicious and vibrant. Interesting hop for sure!

L-The beer pours a dark gold with numerous particulates. The head is an tower of fluffy off white bubbles. The head recedes to a thick film leaving large swathes of lacing around the glass.
S- The nose is strange. It's earthy and resinous. I also pick out something that borders on catty and it's a little off putting. I get nothing tropical whatsoever in regards to this hop which is supposed one of it's descriptors.
T- The taste is also lacking in tropical notes. I'm getting the big earthy/spicy/cattiness that I got in the nose. Initially it's very jarring, but becomes more drinkable the further I get into the glass.
F- Mouthfeel is medium and slick. Carbonation is on the light side and the beer coats the tongue.
O- This is not the first time I've struggled with the Idaho 7 hop. I'm guessing it is due to some sensitivity to certain aspects of it's flavor profile which overwhelms the tropical notes that are supposed to be present. If you've had them and enjoyed them in other beers then you'll likely enjoy them here. For my personal perspective I'm gonna pass on them in the future.

 

 

 

 

Small batch from The Alchemist's Waterbury, VT location.
Moderate pour from 16 oz. can yields a better than one inch white head over a slightly hazy, golden body with some sticky lacing. Nose of tropical fruit, citrus, slight pine dankness, and even more slight candied fruit. Taste mirrors nose with a real nice bitter finish leaving your palate craving for more. As always, the feel is exactly what I look for in an IPA. Overall, Idaho 7 hop is a winner. Cheers to the Waterbury crew for this gem!