Dragon Series: Murasaki Dragon
Alley Kat Brewing Company

Slightly hazy with a light orange/ copper color to it, pours with a finger of dense off-white colored head that has a fantastic amount of retention to it and leaves solid clingy lacing on the glass.

Nice hoppy aroma, slightly fruity with citrus and hints of melons. Solidly hoppy forward, faintly fruity, citrusy notes of grapefruit, tangerines and bitter melon rind that are quickly overwhelmed by the more dominantly bitter finish.

Solid and very sweet pale malt base with a load of caramel flavor as well as some hints of dusty honey that linger on the back-end.

Strong finish, with a solid, heavily bitter hop profile, herbal almost medicinal tasting with a some sappy spruce/ pine and grapefruit pith notes to it as well as a faintly spicy peppery hint on the back-end with a lingering hoppy bitterness to the aftertaste.

Heavy bodied with a slick almost oily mouthfeel to it and a lingering sticky sweetness on the lips with a faintly boozy warmth to it.

650ml bottle poured into Sam Adams pint glass.

Pours a clear brassy orange with one finger of pale beige head that leaves summer storm cloud lace as it recedes.

Smells of lemon pie filling, orange and grapefruit juice, toasted cereal grains, soft caramel, wet stone and grassy, lemony hops.

Tastes of strong lemongrass iced tea, orange rind, red grapefruit flesh, more bready, grainy caramel malt, mineral-rich water and leafy herbal hops.

Feels lively and hefty. Full bodied with frothy carbonation. Finishes dry.

Verdict: Vigorously recommended. An interesting hop and a very good beer.

Resurrected! I had this beer years ago (pre BA) and remember how distinct it was. The good news is, little has changed. This is a gorgeous beer - it pours a clear copper with a lingering layer of white foam. The Sorachi Ace comes through loud and clear on the nose, along with an earthy leaves in the fall smell. This one really shines in the taste department - complex, with bitter citrus, pepper, and malt all mucking about. It finishes dry and lets the hop character linger. Overall, a very unique beer - another wonderful Dragon DIPA.

 

 

 

 

 

Props to joemcgrath27 for giving me the opportunity to try the latest addition to the Double Dragon series.

A - Pours a clear golden colour, thumb of head with solid retention and some sporadic lacing.

S - Peppery spice, earthy cedar, hints of pine and heavy grassy hop notes with a touch of caramel.

T - Much like the nose with the grassy hop notes dominating alongside a heavy dose of cedar and peppery spice, the finish is butter caramel alongside toasted grains and a touch of citrus rind.

M - Medium bodied, smooth and surprisingly wet.

O - Nice bitterness level, solid flavour profile and certainly highlights the single strain hop nicely. Could be amped up a bit on the ABV level, but easily sessioned at 7.5%. Another winner to the best series around. Can't wait for the next installment.

What is a Murasaki you ask? Apparently the term refers to a hero in Japanese fiction as well as an antagonist type in Dragon Ball Z. OK, must have ran out of color descriptors. This is another notably light colored DIPA from Alley Kat's Dragon series, a dark apple juice gold with a copious quantity of thick white foam that retains its form well. This hop truly is a unique olfactory and gustatory experience and ought to be tasted alone at least once. Aroma evokes musty white grape juice, dill or fennel seed, fresh lemon rind/juice, subtle tropical lychee or gooseberry, and a bubble gum note that also makes me think of modelling clay for some reason. This concoction smells sweeter than it tastes. Although the overall spicy, herbal, and lemony vibe remains salient, there is a bitter melon rind or wormwood medicinal flavor that builds as you go, not exactly piney but aromatic and fresh just the same. Cilantro perhaps, steeped in a herbal tincture. Some tangerine or kumquat citrus notes peek through. Very faint brown sugar backbone and I struggle to taste much malt amidst the woody, oily, herbal, fruity cascade of flavor. Unripe peach as well? On the thin side for a DIPA and rather aggressive carbonation but tons of resin and oil on the mouth. Finishes dry and woody. Leaves a nice horizontal band of lacing on the glass. Another great showcase for hop flavor and a unique tasting variety on center stage. Cool and interesting and all that, but perhaps too medicinal for everyday quaffing.

 

A - clear bright golden, thumb of white head held at a thin cover, plenty of random lace blobs
S - fresh grass and citrus zest, and getting notes of light ginger and brown sugar, definitely pleasing and interesting aromas
T - starts with a burst of lemon zest then into grassy freshness, notes of bubble gum and buttery cracker malt, finishes with mellow lemon lingering, very tasty
M - crisp, clean, refreshing, with a pleasant amount of hop bitterness, finishing just slightly dry
O - there have been so many in this fantastic series so its hard to recall them all, but this stands out as one of my faves for sure, the Sorachi Ace single hopping works wonders here, thank you Alley Kat!

 

 

 

 

650ml bomber poured into tulip 9/2/14

A clear bright golden yellow with a dense two finger foam that has great retention but only leaves a few patches of lace

S lemon, sweet orange peel and lemongrass, almost woody with some thrills chewing gum, that soapy bubblegum for those who don't now, sweet malt with some soft caramel round things out

T herbal notes I didn't smell, not quite as intense as the nose with just a little less going on, not as much bubblegum and lemon flesh is more focused towards rind, just a hint of spruce

M full for the color, bubbles cream it up a little, slick after the fact with some herbal rind lingering

O interesting brew with some odd notes here and there but everything worked well together, no mention of booze at any point says something, went down fast for 7.5%

another solid addition to the Dragon series, I always like something different and this hop offers that