10 Year Anniversary Ale

Despite this being an Imperial IPA, the hop aroma was surprisingly restrained. I was expecting a big hit of pine notes, but it was instead quite subtle. A beautiful light copper poured nicely into the glass followed by a well carbonated and creamy head. Upon initial sip, this was indeed an Imperial IPA -- there was no doubt about that. Well-balanced flavors of malt, hops and alcohol dominated the palate. The hop bitterness had flavors of pine and was aggressively used. Among the more subtle things about this beer, I also got hints of guava and/or passion fruit, possibly from the use of Citra hops. The beer had a medium body and just the right carbonation level. Flavors were very complex yet very refined. The aftertaste was both smooth with a malty sweetness and a slight alcohol warmth in the finish contributed by this beer's mammoth 11 percent ABV.