Scratch Beer 31 - 2010 (Oak Aged - Citra Of Brotherly Love IPA)
Tröegs Brewing Company

 

Had this three times during beer week. Notes from firkin at Teresa's Next Door on 6/11/10.

A-Pours a copper golden color, clear with a surprisingly foamy head and good lacing.

S-Citra hoppiness is very bold and assertive here. Lots and lots of grapefruit combine with a nice vanilla note for an unusual, but delicious, aroma.

T-Very nice oaky vanilla notes in the front, becoming more prevalent as the beer warms. Good medium hoppiness, understandably muted given the delivery via cask. Would have enjoyed the oaked version on CO2 to compare.

M-Medium bodied and a bit oily.

D-Very tasty, good oakiness. Nicely drinkable.

HV

Cask at Opening Tap. Review from notes on 6/4/10.

Poured a hazy burnt tangerine with an immense white head. Had to wait a moment for it to die down a bit. Lovely grapefruits, touch of lemon peel, and a nicely bodied caramel malt backbone. Touch of honey and earthiness. Robust and sweet. Is there a tiny bit of vanilla and oak in here? Ok, I give that a +0.5 :) However, the body seemed a touch thin and overcarbonated. I'd give it another go if given another chance. Good job, Troegs!

Had on tap at the Philly Beer Week Best of the Best event on 6/9.

A- Hazy, red tinged sunset with a creamy film of hops.

S- Subdued but attractive notes lilac and grapefruit, with some mango-papaya.

T- The Citra hop characteristics here bring out not only the acidity of citrus, but the sweet side of orange juice as well. A lot of floral action and complexities, with a real cool finish.

M- Really pleasant carbonation, reminds me of a Fresca.

D- Easiest drinking IPA that I've had, and I think they're darn drinkable to begin with.

Had this on tap at City Tap House during beer week. 10oz pour in a stange.

A - Slightly hazy copper with a half inch of pale off white head. Decent lacing.

S - Piney hops with some hints of tropical fruit, and an undertone of bready toasted malt. Slight hint of oak, but I'm not sure I'd notice it if you didn't tell me it was oak aged.

T - Mostly follows the nose with nicely balanced bready malts and some pine and mango flavors. Very slight vinous character that gives it a little more depth. Would like the oak and wine characters to be a bit more prominent here, but it's still good.

M - Nice medium carbonation, slightly creamy. Good mouthfeel.

D - Solidly drinkable. If the beer list didn't have 30 things on it, I'd probably have at least one more.

A - Murky deep golden/orange color with a one finger fluffy white head that dissipates to a thin ring and leaves decent lacing down the glass.

S - Big mango hops up front, with a touch of pine, noticeable oak scents as well, with some toasted malts in the background. Alcohol presence is a bit too big though, considering the 7.6 abv.

T - Follows the nose with tropical fruit hop flavors rolling into toasted malts and oak, with a bitter grapefruit rind finish.

M - Medium body, delicate cask carbonation level. Sticky mouthfeel from the hop oils, and a slight alcoholic burn through the finish.

D - Very aromatic, very tasty IPA. I like the idea of oak aging an IPA, but I feel that the alcohol presence was a bit too high for it being 7.6%. Otherwise, I would have scored it higher.

Poured directly from a firkin at Kite & Key during Philly Beer Week on 6/4/10.

A - Hazy orange/amber liquid with a rusty reddish tint and a finger's worth of fluffy off-white head that reduced to a slim web-like veil and deposited tiny dabs of lace around the tulip.

S - Fairly pungent blend of citrus hops, delicate vanilla, traces of woody notes and also a hint of toasted coconut. A mild waft of alcohol is also present. However, the citrus takes a back seat to the woody attributes here.

T - The characteristics of the barrel aging really come to the forefront in the flavor, resulting in a very dry, woody taste with a hint of vanilla sweetness and toasted coconut notes. While the citrus hops are in there, the barrel aging allows the hops to take on more of a woody, earthy quality, which results in a fairly sharp hop bitterness during the finish. There is even a slight sticky pine presence in the backend.

M - Medium bodied with a sticky, syrupy texture. Finishes quite dry with moderate hop bitterness on the palate.

D - It's hoppy, it's woody, and it's almost bone dry. But it's also rather tasty too. All of the flavors blend quite nicely, and the barrel aging process really allowed the hops to develop into a complex array of flavors. I'm glad I was able to get some of this!

I'm glad I got to try this one, especially while hanging with the Troegs people and the great owners of Kite and Key in Philly!

A: Pours a hazy, golden brown, with a thick and creamy ivory colored head.

S: The hops were up front, followed by moderate oak hints. The hops were very pungeant; orange, pineapple, passionfruit, and mango. There is a medium amount of toasted oak.

T: Orange and passionfruit were the big players in the taste of this beer. They were very ripe and bright. There was also some pineapple flavor in there too. As the beer warmed up a bit a really tart white grapefruit and grassy flavors made themselves present. While the hop assault was fantastic, the oak aging balanced the harsh bitterness.

M: Light to medium bodied, and very creamy. The low firkin carbonation helps to meld all the flavors quite nicely. The finish is very smooth and dry. Fantastic!

D: I'm so pleased that I got to sample a few glasses of this delightful new Troegs brew!

Same beer as the standard Scratch 31 but served Oak Aged and on Cask for Philly Beer Week. The main difference is the oak aging cuts some of the harsh bitterness and soapy flavors and really helps accentuate the fruityness of the citra hop - a much more pronounced grapefruit, pineapple and mango tastes with even a touch of apple. A much smoother mouthfeel and overall better beer aged and served in cask.