Alpha Abstraction Vol. 9 by Wild Leap Brew Co. is a Double IPA and is being evaluated as a Category 22A in the 2015 BJCP Style Guidelines.
This beer pours a dark gold color with a slight orange hue and a hazy clarity. A moderately sustained rocky bone white head leaves a nice lacing as it falls. A nice moderately high aroma of equal contributions of juicy grapefruit, pineapple and spicy pine come to the forefront on the initial sniff. As the beer warms moderate-low doughy and yeast derived aromas begin to manifest along with a low hint of sweet malt. Light notes of ethyl alcohol as the beer warms suggests a beer of high strength. When sipped, a moderate, bordering on moderately high, doughy malt sweetness are on the forefront of the swallow followed by a moderate hop-derived spice and restrained notes of dry hop usage. Perceived hop bitterness is moderately low with a moderate-low hop flavor of pineapple, grapefruit, and pine, which lingers into the finish. As the residual hop and malt character lifts off of the palate a few minutes after the swallow, a very light graininess remains in the finish. This beer has a medium body with a low carbonation. Due to the body and low carbonation, a slightly chewy and creamy sensation is present in the mouthfeel. There is a low alcohol warmth to this beer. Overall, though a technically sound beer, this misses the hallmarks of the style for a DIPA. The higher malt sweetness and lower hop bitterness than typical for the style lends to a beer which may be a little unexpected for this looking for a more traditional DIPA.