Hop Continuum No. 4 - Triple IPA
DuClaw Brewing Co.

12 oz bottle with no sediment but it pours slightly hazy nonetheless. Copper colored with a relatively weak, bone-colored head. Minimal lacing.

Smell - Hoppy and slightly boozy with lots of sweet caramel and citrus. Lightly floral and piney.

Taste (8.5) - Strong bitter-sweet flavor. Generous input from both hops and malts. Some sweet caramel, citrus, pine and alcohol esters.

Mouthfeel - a little harsh, but respectable for a hoppy ale at 11% ABV. Full-bodied with moderate carbonation. Slightly syrupy and a bit warming.

Overall - A triple IPA that drinks like a hoppy barleywine, this big beer should appeal to fans of Hopslam.

No freshness date. Based on the date added, this could be around 4 months old...

Appearance - Pours slightly hazy and reddish copper in color with a finger width, khaki colored head. Fair retention, then dies to a mostly barren surface with a small island of suds in the center of the glass and a thin ring around the edge.Not much lacing outside a few small spots.

Smell - Hoppy and slightly boozy with underlying malt sweetness. Citrus. Lesser floral notes. Caramel and sugared toast.

Taste - Strong punch of both hop and malt upfront and throughout; hops hit on grapefruit, orange, floral notes and a bit of spice. Malts come through with sweet caramel and some toasted bread. Finishes mush the same, with toast, caramel and grapefruit pith, with touches of pine and spice duking it out in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel - Full-bodied with moderate carbonation. Slightly syrupy texture, but not really sticky. Goes down well enough all things considered. Leaves a slight warming sensation in the belly.

Overall - Triple IPA or hoppy barleywine? Sometimes they're nigh indistinguishable. In any event, I found this both aggressive and enjoyable. I'm a big fan of caramel/citrus notes in brews, and this one hits hard on both. Not the most original TIPA I've had, but an excellent one nonetheless.

 

 

A: Clear, copper color. Head is pretty thin -- 1/2 finger at best -- but lingers to the end with nice lacing.

S: Lots of hops aromas here (as expected), with earthy and floral/perfumy aromas dominating. Malty aromas are there, but suppressed by the hops.

T: Sweet, bordering on cloying (not surprising for a triple IPA); lots of fruity flavors, especially apricot, but with a slight citrus/grapefruit taste as well, especially toward the finish. Finish is long, initially sweet and then gradually moving into bitter hops.

M: Really good, moist and chewy up front, just a hint of dryness in the end; the 11% ABV is definitely detected in the booziness. Just a little more carbonation and it would have been perfect.

O: Good, but not awesome. The sweetness would, in my opinion, have been better balanced had they used hops that showcased more tart, citrus flavors than just bitterness. But once again, Du Claw didn't disappoint (see my other Du Claw reviews -- these guys make some good beers!)

 

Had on tap at T-bonz in Ellicott City, MD. All you need to know is, "if you see it, drink it". DuClaw has this and Serum to be very, very proud of. Very well done.

 

12oz bottle poured into a snifter

A- pours a clear amber/copper color with a one finger creamy off white head that eventually disappears

S- initially smells like an american strong ale or even a barleywine. There are some orange-citrus and herbal hop notes, but also plenty of alcohol and sweet malt

T- plenty of hop bitterness up front but not any individual characteristics coming out up front, however the mid-palate brings some citrusy hop notes along with a bit of pine. The finish brings some alcohol and malty sweetness

M- medium-thick body and carbonation leads to a thick and foamy mouthfeel that turns creamy into a warming finish

O- pretty good overall, but as stated above this drinks more like an american strong ale, which traditionally is just a mix of booze, malt & hops, in that order

 

 

a shame this is a limited brew, hoppy and a bit sweet without being cloying or unpleasant. An excellent expression of the triple IPA.

Holy wow! Passed on a $22 4 pk of devil dancer for this $11 6 pack. And damn, what a great choice I made. Cracked open after waiting two hours for it to get cold. Poured into sixpoint snifter... Ruby red color with a one finger head. Smell, yes. Sweet, fruity, 11% alcohol. It smells incredibly sweet followed by a bit of booze. Taste however... Not sickly sweet, not sickly malty. This is phenomenal. 11% is no where to be found.. Tastes of slightly sweet malt mixed with excellent dark fruit taste. The more I sip and it warms I feel a slight Apple scent and taste coming through. Anyways this is amazing. Not a malt bomb... Just awesome. Perfect hop/malt/booze balance I may have ever tasted............ **** also I'm a huge critic of duclaw. Never find their beers to be anything special, but if you share this feeling make an exception, and try this.***

Look: It pours deep amber and orange with an off white moderate head.

Smell: It has aromas of grapefruit, citrus, and alcohol.

Taste: It has flavors of citrus, grapefruit, floral elements, spice, and alcohol.

Feel: It is highly bitter with a moderate body. The bitterness is long lasting. The alcohol is slightly sharp with plenty of warming.

Overall, it has a complex blend of citrus flavors but is a bit sharp on the palate, but is good.

Pours clear, dark copper in color, with 1/4 inch head. Taste is citrus hops, grapefruit, tangerine, and toffee. Heavy bodied, slick, with moderate carbonation. Has a similar base to their Devil's Milk. Solid sipper. I like other DuClaw IPAs more, but this is decent.

Golden in color with a nice frothy head and really nice carbonation. Aromas of alcohol, sweet malts, citrus and pine that balance out quite well. Alcohol is definitely a big player and makes itself known throughout the whole drinking process, decent TIPA !