Tasted Saturday August 1 2009. 500ml bottle, 6.66% Alc/Vol.
New Zealand.
Thanks to my sister who brought this over to me while visiting from Wellington, NZ. Quite simply this was worth the wait. This is a beast of a beer, a palate destroyer. While there are big hop characters to this beer there is a pleasing refreshing “light” element to the palate. Colour is good, clear and deep honey amber. Powerful pine scented hop aromas dominate initially then some lovely passion fruit, tropical notes and toffee maltiness come through. Very malty on the palate with hints of caramel and grapefruit with dried citrus rind, smooth toasty biscuity malt and that massive hop bitterness driving full throttle the line and length of my palate leaving lingering bitterness in its wake. This is a beer for hop heads only and those who desire to be challenged. Available at Purvis Cellars soon!
Note the alcohol level…..:)
Extra notes from Craig, Adam and Chuck.
A clear, attractive orange/copper colour and a smalloff-white head. Very, very, very hoppy. Nutty, citrus (mandarin), burnt orange cinnamon, and clean tasting. Alcohol not noticable suggesting a well balanced beer. Smooth with malty back palate and heavily hopped front palate. Too hoppy for Craig but he agreed that it will suit IPA fans.
The “Armageddon!” Like the pale this beer has plenty of hops and malt. I mean plenty of hops, this particular beer has out hopped skippy the bush Kangaroo on a good day, yet you wouldn’t know because it’s Sooooooo.. Balanced.
The flavours are cleaner, finer, more noticable than it’s junior – Epic Pale Ale. The malt fills, coats and surrounds the mouth with delicious citrus/mandarine characters. You wont know that this beer is 6.8% alc. due to it’s smooth flavours!!!!!!
2 Thumbs up!