Loops Under Lampposts
Timber Ales

 

Loops Under Lampposts IPA Imperial / Double

Timber Ales
Notes:

Orange zest and sweet pine aroma from the hops pops. Grainy, tangy sweet golden malt and or, yeast strain flavor gives it a certain unique tangy effect. A rather thin, water, yet juicy feel. Very soft, but a bit thin. Tangy pineapple hop flavor too.

Purchased at Elm St Market >

3.80

A: Pours a murky bright golden honey in color with moderate amounts of fine active visible carbonation rising along the edges of the glass and moderate bright yellow + burnt orange + bright orange + apricot + peach colored highlights. The beer has a three finger tall dense creamy sudsy foamy white head that slowly reduces to a large patch of medium thick film covering a little more than 75% of the surface of the beer surrounded by a large patch of mottled very thin film covering the remainder of the surface of the beer and a medium thick ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate to significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate to strong aromas of juicy gooseberries + vinous/white grape hops along with light to moderate aromas of tropical/passionfruit hops over the top of light to moderate aromas of biscuit + oat + wheat malts with a light amount of sugary sweetness.

T: Upfront there are light to moderate flavors of biscuit + oat + wheat malts with a light amount of sugary sweetness. That is followed by moderate to strong flavors of juicy gooseberries + vinous/white grape hops along with light to moderate flavors of tropical/passionfruit hops which impart a light amount of bitterness which fades away quickly leaving moderate lingering gooseberry hop flavors.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Moderate amounts of creamy soft/fluffiness mid-body and a light amount of dryness in the finish.

O: Easy to drink with well hidden alcohol and a pleasantly creamy soft/fluffy mouthfeel. Very enjoyable and does a great job highlighting the Nelson Sauvignon hop.

 

L-beautiful cloudy orange at the middle, yellow at the edges with moderate head leaving a light lacing
S-mild malt aroma with some pine notes. Attractive
T-The abv is well hidden and there is a flavorful and hop forward character I would expect from a DIPA. Plenty of bread and mild pine flavors with a hint of citrus in the aftertaste. The biggest criticism is probably that there’s not a complexity- this beer hits a single (albeit) good note
F-smooth and medium bodied, without excessive carbonation. Commendable.
T-overall an excellent DIPA that merits some high numbers. Not the most complex flavor profile, but I’d absolutely purchase again.

 

 

A: The beer is very hazy to cloudy pale yellow in color. It poured with a finger high bright white head that died down a bit but consistently left a quarter finger high head covering the surface and lots of lacy rings of bubbles down the sides of the glass.
S: Moderate aromas of gooseberries are present in the nose along with notes of white grape.
T: The taste follows the smell, except that the flavors are a little stronger. Only a light amount of bitterness is perceptible.
M: It feels medium-bodied and very juicy on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: I found this beer to be enjoyable for a single hop IPA. It also hid any traces of alcohol very well considering the strength.

Serving type: can

I've had a few Timber Ales beers and they've generally been great, so I'm hoping this is no exception. It's a DIPA with Nelson in the dry-hop, so it has a high likelihood of success just from that alone. Hope their treatment of this excellent hop is satisfactory!

A: Rocky off-white head adorns a very hazy, nearly-murky beer that shows up the color of unfiltered mango-orange-pineapple juice. Large cap of foam measuring three-to-four fingers; eventually settles at a half-finger. Fantastic lace and legs. Nice looking.

S: Smells like freshly-picked gooseberries with strong mango undertones and hints of catty dankness. Guava and tangerine underneath, with some whiffs of grassiness and hop-driven acidity. Definitely smells like a Nelson beer, that's for sure.

T: A bit chalkier than I thought, with "healthy" tasting yeastiness and a strong oat and/or wheat component. Maybe a touch less bright/punchy than Nelson is when it's at its best. Flavors of orange creamsicle, passion fruit, and dank/grassy herbs mingle with tropical mango juice. Ripe and refreshing stuff.

M: As mentioned, maybe a bit "heavier" and less biting than I prefer in something like this. Carbonation is surprisingly low considering that pour. Finishes pretty dry but with a touch of tropical sweetness that moderates the puckering hoppiness that Nelson brings. Definitely a good drink, but I'm certainly getting more particular about these types of beers, and I think this is slightly under what would be considered "excellent" to me. Still, I wouldn't shy away from it if I saw it again.

Exceptional!