Transmigration of Souls

Bombs Away! That was my first thought as I waterfalled this beer into my large snifter and was hit with an immediate and definitive mango aroma blast. Although I attempted to coax a healthy head out of the beer, only a medium-firm pillow of foam rested atop this slightly hazy orange brew. Happily, this little pillow stayed intact throughout the entire sampling session. I allowed the beer to warm up and was rewarded with scents of spiced mango, pineapple and grassy earth, supported by firm notes of alcohol. Underneath this layer of hops, I sensed some minor grainy, cereal tones. The flavor featured strong bursts of tropical fruity bitterness with a honey-like malt character, but with a pronounced alcohol kick in the finish. After a few sips, I was struck by the beer’s quite rounded bitterness, which almost seemed mild for the style. It finished with a medium amount of carbonation and a slight sourness. The carbonation level left much of the beer’s hop flavor swirling around in your mouth. While the finish did linger, I was left with the alcohol of the beer, not hop bitterness, on my tongue. While I do appreciate the craftsmanship of the brew, its alcohol punch and medium bitterness, when backed with a touch of sweetness in the finish, make it much more of a sipping beer, more akin to an American Barleywine than a Double IPA. Still a nice brew!