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King MacAlpin

North Carolina
United States
King MacAlpin
Judges Ratings 
1 Review
88
Aroma:
20 / 24
Flavor:
36 / 40
Appearance:
4 / 6
Mouthfeel:
10 / 10
Overall Impression:
18 / 20
Description 

Sunset orange, bone-white head, bursting with aromas of pineapple, orange rind, grass and alcohol. Medium bodied and malty enough to withstand a serious heft of hops, the finish is dry with a resiny, piney bitterness, balanced by alcohol warmth and a citrus hop punch.

Beverage Profile
ABV: 
10%
IBUs: 
87
Served at: 
50° F
Hops: 
Chinook, Centennial, Amarillo, Simcoe; dry hopped with Centennial, Amarillo
Malts: 
Two-Row, Carapils, C-40
Judges Review 
Dan Preston's picture
Judges Rating:
88
Aroma:
20 / 24
Appearance:
4 / 6
Flavor:
36 / 40
Mouthfeel:
10 / 10
Overall Impression:
18 / 20

Dank, dankity, dank -- that's how I would describe this lush Double IPA. Resin, pine and grapefruit rind aromas pour out of the glass with hints of mango and citrus. It seems as if Chinook and Simcoe hops had a love child. Beneath all the hops is a light, grainy, crisp malt with a little more caramel sweetness than I’d care for in an IPA. It has a deep golden color with an orange hue, surprisingly brilliant clarity, and a thin, fading white head. The flavor takes on a lot of the same character as the aroma: pungent resin, grapefruit, pine and citrus, though the resinous character combines with high bitterness levels to overwhelm the other complexities. This leaves the beer a bit one-noted, albeit still a very tasty one note. Despite the high bitterness, it delivers a great hop bite without taking on astringency and unpleasantness. A very nice example of the style that offers a throwback to what Double IPAs used to be like only a few years ago.

Brewery Introduction

Highland Brewing was founded in 1994 by retired engineer and entrepreneur Oscar Wong, establishing it as the pioneer of Asheville, NC’s now booming craft beer industry. Proudly regional, Highland’s beers are distributed in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, and Georgia.... Read More