The Beer Tap

A cold day brings me back

It has officially been forever since my last post.  Three months to the day to be exact.  Rest assured I have not stopped drinking beer during that time!  Work took over most of my personal life including time to seek out new beers and to keep up with the news.  In short review...new beers were released, hops are in short supply, prices are rising, and a few breweries were purchased.  And I think that gets us caught up.

Lately we have had a little bit of cooler weather here in Florida (below 60...burrrrr)which has made me crave a darker, full flavored, malty beer.  For some reason I always have this craving during the colder months.  Probably a matter of conditioning since a lot of breweries release porters, stouts, barley wines, and winter ales around that time.  Plus its hard to put down a heavy, high alcohol beer when its really hot out.  It can be done but I remember a particularly bad experience knocking down barley wine on a 85 degree day in Hawaii.

With the goal of satisfying my craving, I hopped in my car and was off to one of the near by convenience stores that happens to have a great selection of singles and 22 ouncers.  I stocked up on a few Belgians, Avery Hog Heaven, Lagunitas Maximus, and a Brooklyn Winter Ale.  About the best I could do without venturing out a little further.

First up is the Brooklyn Winter Ale.  This winter ale is a Scottish Ale made with floor malted Maris Otter malt, English crystal malts, Belgian aromatic malt, American roasted malts, and American oats.  Floor malting is a process where the barley is germinated on the floor of a large room before being roasted as opposed to in a vessel.  This is an old technique that is also utilized when making Scotch.  So how do all these malts come together?  Here are my thoughts: 

• Appearance: Copper color with a hint more red; Low head with only a small amount of tan foam hanging on to the side of the glass
• Aroma: Lightly roasted malt, toasted bread like aromas, little to no hop aroma
• Taste: Nice up front malt flavor; Nutty; Roasted sweetness lingers gently without overpowering; Very clean finish; Tight carbonation with medium body
• 6% ABV
• 16.5 degrees Plato

Overall, this was a very enjoyable beer with a good malt focus.  The Brooklyn Winter Ale is well balanced and never overly sweet.  As far as winter ales or winter warmers go, this is definitely a milder beer.  However, that in no way is a bad thing.  Definitely what I have come to expect from the Brooklyn Brewery...balanced, classic flavors. 

Giving Thanks for Beer

Has it really been 3 weeks since my last post?  Work has been a 7 day a week thing up until the recent Thanksgiving holiday.  I've found time to drink a few beers along the way, but not the time to take notes and comment.  So when I traveled to Kentucky last weekend I was on a mission to taste a few new brews and get a post up.  All of my family always enjoys good food, wine, liquor, and beer when we get together for the holidays.  I knew I would have plenty of people to help me work through a number of large bottles and multi-packs.  However, I was worried that Kentucky, the home of Bourbon, might not offer the best craft/micro beer selection even if I was going to be in the larger city of Louisville.  Enter Liquor Barn to the rescue.  My brother and I walked into this behemoth of a store and I knew we had a good shot of finding a few new brews along with a couple of my favorites to share.  As one aunt called it when we got back to the house...Toys-R-Us for adults.  She was spot on with that analogy!  A row of imports and a row of crafts.  Stone, Dogfish, Avery, Flying Dog, and many more.  I loaded the cart with a mix of everything but focused on making sure I picked up a few that I knew would please.  Here's what we opened and tried through out the day:

• Avery Thirteen - A Weizen Dopplebock full of malt sweetness (22 oz)
• Avery Maharaja - An Imperial IPA jam packed with hops (22 oz)
• Bell's Double Cream Stout - One of my all time favorite stouts and a model for one of my own home brew recipes (6 pack bottles)
• Stone Arrogant Bastard - A beer that helped send me down the current path of beer obsession (22 oz)
• Stone IPA - Left over from a recent trip to see my mom, Refrigeration is a great thing! (6 pack)
• Flying Dog Woody Creek White - A Belgian-style I reviewed a while back that I knew several people would enjoy more than the larger beers above (6 pack bottles)
• Kentucky Bourbon Ale from Lexington Brewing Co - New and never tried, A little too mild in my opinion for a Bourbon beer, Balanced and drinkable with soft vanilla, oak and bourbon flavors but without any complexity from the beer (6 pack bottles)
• Dogfish Head Olde School Barley Wine - I was sold on the brewery and the 15% alcohol level, Something had to compete with all of the bourbon and scotch!  I did not check, but I believe that this was the most recent 2007 bottling. (4 pack bottles)

The Dogfish Head Olde School was a hit among those of use who prefer bigger beers or barrel-aged liquors.  Here are my notes on this gigantic brew fresh off a napkin from the dinner table:

• Appearance - Dark copper color, cloudy without much light passing through, Little to no head which quickly fades
• Aroma - Raisin, darker dried fruit sweetness, alcohol and some very subtle spice (cinnamon came to mind but I do not think that was right, no spice is listed as an ingredient)
• Taste - Begins with a big burst of malt and fruit flavors (orange on top of the dried fruits noticed in the aroma), Again some spice but I cannot be sure that was not the aroma playing tricks on my tongue, Alcohol hides at first coming through as warmth and lingering heat, As the beer warms the alcohol asserts itself much more aggressively, Bitterness apparent but without hop flavors, Less American-style barley wine and almost a huge old ale

After tasting I went back and read the label on the beer a little closer.  The text reveals a little more about the ingredients and purpose of this brew:

"Inspired by a tale of a cask doctor who brought sluggish ales back to life by suspending a fig in them. Brewed from 100% Maris Otter pale ale malt, a blend of fine hops and conditioned on dates and figs. User Instructions: open bottle, pour contents into two snifters. Enjoy. ALTERNATIVELY: Walk hand-in-neck with bottle into the middle of the woods. Use shovel to dig 2x2 hole three feet deep. Seal bottle in plastic bag. Place in hole and pack with dirt. Memorize location and leave. Return exactly one year later. Dig up bottle, open and enjoy."

I definitely agree that this beer needs some age before reaching its full potential.  I left my extra at my aunt and uncle's for them to enjoy so if you pick up a 4 pack send me a bottle or two.  Or throw a bottle in the cellar and let me know how they taste on down the road.  I think it will be worth the wait to see how Olde School mellows over time.

Happy Belated Thanksgiving!  Guess that means holiday beers are hitting the shelves as I type.  Time to head back to the beer store.

Belgium by way of Brooklyn

On Friday, I finally had a chance to dig into some new beers.  I should have been writing about beer and music for the November Beer Blogging Friday, but I found myself wanting to do nothing more than relax and enjoy a beer.  I think the topic is a great one.  I almost always put my posts together with the assistance of iTunes.  Just one of those weeks!  So I reached into my fridge and pulled out a 750 mL Belgian-style offering from Brooklyn Brewery: Local 1.  For all the beer drinking I do, I have to admit that my knowledge and experience with Brooklyn is limited.  They have good distribution, but I always seemed to be in a place where they weren't. 

Most of my knowledge of Brooklyn Brewery is based only on my reading of Beer School and The Brewmaster's Table.  So when I saw this cool looking bottle and the name of the brewery, I made a marketer somewhere happy.  Brand equity meets "Ohhh....look at the pretty bottle".  Yep...a moment of weakness.  "Pretty" rarely gets me to buy a beer.  I think I'll have to put more of this purchase decision back on the brewery and their reputation. 

Here is the text from the bottle:

In Williamsburg, Brooklyn, we forge barley malt and hops from Germany, aromatic raw sugar from Mauritius and yeast from Belgium into our latest beer, Brooklyn Local 1. Behind the full golden color you'll find an alluring aroma, a dynamic complex of flavors. Belgian flair, Brooklyn fortitude and a dusting of our special yeast. To create this beer, we use the old technique of 100% bottle re-fermentation, a practice now rare even in Europe. It gives this beer a palate of unusual depth. Enjoy it locally or globally, as an aperitif or with your favorite dishes. It is particularly nice with spicy seafood and with fine cheeses.

A lot of verbiage and it sounds a little lofty, but exactly what I would expect based on The Brewmaster's Table.  Warning you now...my notes on the tasting won't follow the same style!

• Appearance - Cloudy, golden, bottle was sideways in my fridge so I stirred the "dusting" up off the bottom, thin head but still a creamy appearance
• Aroma -  Sweetness like you would get from an unrefined and darker sugar, pineapple with some citrus, spice
• Taste - Sweet but very well carbonated leading to a dry, spicy finish, strong Belgian-style flavors, alcohol noticeable especially as the beer warms up
• Food pairing - I was all out of spicy seafood so I opted for a turkey sandwich with a blend of 6 Italian cheeses fresh from a plastic bag (just a few steps above the Kraft stuff that comes in a can and sprinkles), The cheese brought out the alcohol and highlighted some bitterness and astringency in the finish (I can see how fine cheeses would be a good match.  I was fresh out of fine, though.)

Final verdict....a refreshing, balanced beer.  Not exactly middle of the road but certainly not overly aggressive.  Enjoyable yet a bit expensive for repeated purchase.  I think I'll seek out a few of their other beers before cycling back to Local 1. 

Bison Farmhouse Ale

While surveying local beer stores on Saturday, I ran into a number of selections from Bison Brewing at a place just around the corner from my new apartment.  Last year at the GABF, a favorite among my friends was an "Organic Belgian" by Bison (or at least that is the title of the beer I wrote down).  My notes also mention that it was light and refreshing and had a nice biscuit flavor on top of the typical Belgian-style flavors.  Of course my notes weren't with me and I could only remember Bison and Belgian at the beer store.  So I grabbed a bottle of their 2007 Brewer's Reserve Farmhouse Ale hoping that this was the same beer.  After reviewing their website, I cannot be sure that this was the beer but it did win a Gold medal in 2006.  All I can do is taste it and see if I notice some of the same characteristics I noted.  Problem is my notes aren't exactly detailed so it might be a stretch.  Oh well...time to drink it and enjoy even if it isn't what I thought it might be.

Description of the beer from the website: "In the past era, hard working rural 'Saisonniers' consumed 5 liters per day of this style beer. We re-created it for today's modern worker using Belgian yeasts and sour mashing for a refreshing spiciness and acidity to enliven your palate. Bottle conditioning leaves some sediment, so decant by slowly pouring into a wide mouth glass."

• Appearance: Cloudy, a very lively gold color, sediment in the bottle and in the glass, creamy head built up on pouring but faded relatively quickly leaving on a small white ring around the inside edge of the glass
• Aroma: Spicy, slightly sweet, orange and another fruit that is hard to place, coriander, maybe a little clove, also some sourness and must but at good levels
• Taste: Begins with mild sweetness that quickly gives way to the spices and a dry, tart finish with the spices lingering; Easy drinking with most of the flavor up front but not overpowering; Well carbonated

After tasting the beer, I am sure this is not what I sampled at GABF last year.  There wasn't even a hint of biscuit or toasted flavors.  However, I was not disappointed that I got the wrong beer.  A tart beer on the mild side that I found refreshing and not overpowering.  A good way to end a long day of unpacking boxes in a city that is still hot and humid.  (Tasting completed on Saturday with the post just getting up today)

Oktoberfest...Airborne Canine Style

After another long absence I have returned to the blog!  I recently took a new position at work that will relocate me to Tampa, so its been a bit busy.  Luckily the great folks over at Flying Dog sent me another seasonal release helping me get my good beer fix as the beer fridge ran low.  There is nothing better than coming home from work and finding beer at your door!

Oktoberfest was one of the first topics I covered in my blog a little over a year ago.  Its hard to believe that it has been that long since I began.  Thanks for those of you who continue to read about my adventures in beer!

Here are the specifics on Dogtoberfest according to Flying Dog:

• Deep mahogany in color with an intriguing caramel finish and brewed with 100% imported German ingredients for a true German flavor
• 5.8% ABV
• OG = 1.056
• Malts: Weyerman Vienna, Weyerman Light Munich, Weyerman Dark Munich, Gambrinus Munich 90, Gambrinus Munich 100
• Hops: German Perle, Hersbrucker

And my all important tasting notes:

• Appearance: I would call it more of a light amber color, tan thin head that quickly subsided, very clear and bright
• Aroma: Some malt and roasted/caramel notes, maybe a touch of hops, relatively mild in all aspects
• Taste: Average body and carbonation, The upfront flavors are short in duration with some lingering sweetness, Very clean

Overall, this is a very drinkable beer.  I can see a 6 pack of Dogtoberfest disappearing fast on a hot "Indian summer" day this fall.  However, I usually prefer a little more body and maltiness in my Oktoberfest/Marzen beers.  In my opinion there are other breweries making this style out there that I would prefer, but this certainly meets the style guidelines.  I think there are other Flying Dog beers that I like much better.  Give this one a try and see if you agree. 

Michigan Beer Stop #2: Founders

After departing Bell's, I made the hour and a half drive up MI 131 to Grand Rapids to visit Founders Brewing Co.  The Taproom is located right next to the brewing operations with several views into the process area through windows throughout.  The brewery itself is tucked into an older industrial building that has been restored and now also contains a number of offices (I think they were offices).  Founders grew out of the home brewing hobby and despite 10 years of operation still only produces about 4,000 barrels a year according to their website.  Don't get me wrong...slow growth is not necessarily a bad thing, though.  Another patron who frequents the Taproom told me that they had recently installed some new tanks so capacity may be a little higher now.  He also mentioned that they were already using 100% of that new capacity.  Good thing they are working on building a brand new brewery! I already feel lucky that such a small brewery is able to get product all the way over to Milwaukee.  I'd hate to find out capacity limits prevented them from getting Dirty Bastard and Red's Rye on tap here in town.

When I arrived, I made my way directly over to the bar and ordered up my first pint: Kentucky Breakfast.  Catchy name, eh?  Breakfast is a stout brewed with coffee and vanilla which is then aged in oak bourbon barrels.  So coffee accounts for "breakfast" and bourbon is made in "Kentucky".  There isn't any fried chicken in it in case that's what you were thinking.  A very tasty brew with bourbon and oak flavors that are very apparent but not overpowering.  The coffee comes through in both the aroma and in taste.  I bet this would be a perfect beer for a cold winter day (or morning if you prefer).      

Next I tried a sip of their 10th Anniversary Deca.  It was listed on the board with a high ABV and I knew a whole glass would be too much.  I didn't take any notes on it because it was way too sweet for my tastes.  I believe Founders used some sort of dark sugar or molasses in the brewing process and too much of that dark, sweet flavor remained in my opinion. 

Finally, I went for the Space Mountain Brown since I was focusing on new beers and the alcohol percentage was in the right range for me to complete the remaining 2.5 hours of driving.  When I ordered the Brown, I was expecting a standard American brown ale.  I was surprised when I discovered that it was actually a Belgian style brown.  I found it similar to Fat Tire in that it was very smooth and drinkable, but with more pronounced Belgian yeast flavors and roasted, malt sweetness.  A sessionable beer without any offending flavors.  It was good to taste something new, but I think Founders other beers are at a higher level.  It can be tough when you set the bar high with your customers!

It was then time to hit the road.  Why call it completely quits on Founders for the weekend, though?  I grabbed a Red's Rye growler to go…a souvenir jug for me and beer to share with friends over the weekend.  And since the Blushing Monk at 13% ABV also seemed like a bad idea before getting behind the wheel, I grabbed a 22 oz of that as well.  Both were enjoyed by all without worry of tasting notes.  After all...we had a wedding to celebrate!

Michigan Beer Stop #1: Bell's

Despite my goal of 5 breweries during the holiday weekend, I only made it to 3.  That's batting 600 and not too bad considering that I also had a wedding with activities on Friday and Saturday.  I think I also get additional points for hitting up one location twice.  Yep...twice.  More details on that later...

First stop on the tour was Bell's Brewery Inc. in Kalamazoo, MI which is approximately 245 miles from my house.  I left in the morning with the goal of reaching Bell's just in time for lunch at their brew pub.  As I rolled up to where Google maps had so kindly led me, I realized that I must have entered the wrong address.  I was in an office/industrial park and couldn't imagine a brewpub surviving so far from the city.  Unfortunately I had accidentally mapped the brewery instead of the brew pub.  Not all bad since it was only about 7 miles out of the way and I got to snap this great picture of the brewery.  Plus it added to the anticipation of getting to my first beer and some lunch.  I was hungry and thirsty!  Luckily a nice women at the front desk got me back on the road headed in the right direction and at the pub in about 15 minutes. 

Upon reaching the pub I headed straight to the bar and ordered up my first beer.  I've had most of the Bell's collection so I wanted to branch out and try any seasonals or special brewpub only offerings.  My eyes quickly found their Batch 8000, a strong wheat beer and the 8,000th that Bell's has brewed, and a 12 ounce specialty glass (pictured on the left) was quickly in hand.  I was expecting something in the neighborhood of a wheat wine with the 9% ABV rating, but was pleasantly surprised by the banana and clove aromas.  Batch 8,000 was not a wheat wine, but rather a German style wheat where the yeast contributes a great deal of flavor and aroma.  I found this beer to be very well balanced and the alcohol level to be subdued despite being on the high end.  There also was not any cloying sweetness that can sometimes be an issue for higher alcohol beers.  A good start to my Bell's tasting experience.  [Update: Apparently its a Belgian style beer, but the flavors and aromas were very similar to a German style in my opinion.  Banana aroma and the combination of coriander, orange peel, and paradise seed came across clove-like for me. Hey...either way I liked it!]

With the first couple of sips across my tongue, I quickly turned to the food menu and discovered a sandwich with two different pork products: pulled pork and bacon.  Since I was on my way to my friend Brian's wedding I decided that bacon was definitely a necessity.  You see...bacon is Brian's kryptonite and I am not sure I have never seen him pass it up.  I could think of no better meal to begin the weekend than a sandwich that combined two cuts from the "wonderful magical animal" as Homer would say.  Plus pork and German beer are a natural pair!      

As I finished up eating the delicious sandwich, I noticed that the only other beer I had not tried before was Bell's Oktoberfest (5.3% ABV by the sign in the bar).  Another German style beer that fit well with the theme started with the first beer and lunch, so I ordered up a pint.  The beer had a nice clean malt aroma and crisp malt flavors.  The malt flavor was nutty and earthy and consistent with what I tend to associate with malty beers made in Europe.  The finish was dry and clean leading to a beer with great malt flavor and no excessive sweetness.  Very enjoyable, but alas I had to get back in the car so I had to refrain from drinking it all.  Yep...I bricked half a pint of very good beer.  To go cups are typically frowned on and for good reason. 

Overall, Bell's Brewpub has great food and the solid beer I have come to expect from the brewery.  My only negative was that the service at the bar was unfriendly and the bartender appeared to be less than thrilled he was there.  I don't need to be pampered in a brewpub, but even a faint attempt at hospitality isn't too much to expect in my opinion.  Let's just say that even if I hadn't been on a road trip I probably wouldn't have stayed any longer than it took to finish the half pint I left behind.  Big miss on their part in my opinion and I certainly hope that this is limited to one individual on a bad day!  Since everything else was excellent, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.  Bell's can rest easy that they haven't completely lost a customer since will still pick up the Double Cream Stout and the Hopslam when they reappear on store shelves.

Up next....Stop #2: Founders

Beer News Round Up

I'm headed out on the road for work for the next couple of days so here's a number of news items to report from the last week or two to keep you busy.

Sierra Nevada has taken their annual Anniversary Ale out to the masses.  In the past, it was only available at the brewery.  Since demand for the beer was pretty high (people road tripping to Chico!) they decided to bottle the seasonal and make it available at retail.  I am not going to do a full tasting write up, but I will give it a thumbs up.  If you like their signature Pale Ale, you will most likely enjoy this IPA.  It has that signature Sierra Nevada flavor but is a little higher on the IBU count.  Anniversary Ale is brewed with the same hop varieties as the Pale Ale and adds Munich malt to the recipe.  The final gravity of the IPA is also higher leading to a little more sweetness.

According to the Brewers Association, craft brews continue to grow.  In fact, volume is up +11% over last year and most of the US beer industry growth is coming from craft.  From their press release:

"Overall, the U.S. beer industry sold one million more barrels in the first half of 2007 compared to 2006, with 400,000 of these new barrels produced by craft breweries. This equates to 3.768 million barrels of craft beer sold in the first two quarters of 2007 compared to 3.368 million barrels sold in the first half of 2006."

Beer is also making headlines in the Wall Street Journal for a new trend to explore techniques and ingredients more common to wine (Here's the link to the story).  In fact the author goes so far as to call it "winey beer".  I'm not so sure I like the term since it makes it seem like brewers are merely trying to copy or become wine.  I would also argue that the large format bottles and pricing are not so much an attempt to mimic wine.  First, these beers are higher in alcohol which means that a larger amount of malt or sugar is required.  That adds to the cost and thus increases the price a brewer must charge to make money.  Second, these beers tend to be more labor intensive and take time to produce.  If you put beer into a barrel and have to wait for it to age or to complete a wild fermentation, you have money tied up in that product.  There has to be some sort of return to the brewer for all of this extra cost and effort.  With that in mind, its still worth a read.  Just realize that the author isn't necessarily an expert on beer and the industry.  Jay Brooks over at Brookston Beer Bulletin put together a more detailed response to the article that includes a few points I missed.  Definitely check out his post as well if you venture over to the WSJ.  As always, he puts together a passionate piece with great points.   

Rustic Canyon Summer Beer Bash: Los Angeles

A friend in LA recently sent me a press release for an upcoming beer dinner in Santa Monica.  I know a number of my readers are out there in SoCal so I wanted to pass on the details.  For those outside of the SoCal area, I think that there is still an interesting story about one of the the beer experts, Christina Perozzi, who is organizing the event.  You see, it is her mission to "dispel many misconceptions that women have about beer, and bring beer to the modern women's dining experience." (Quoted from her blog: Beer 4 Chx)  As far as I know, she is the only one out there specifically focusing on the female population with beer evangelism. 

Despite all of the great brands out there, beer still gets a bad reputation among both men and women with some of both sexes scorning the drink in favor of wine or spirits.  Something about sophistication is often quoted.  So is there a need for a focus on winning over just women?  In my years of obsessing about beer, I have converted a number of women over to drinking beer by showing them that there is a world beyond Light American Lager and all of its less than appealing marketing.  But let's face it...I think a woman can be more effective communicating with other women.  Or at least relative to me.  Understanding the nuances and deep inner thoughts of women has never been my number one skill (I think I am going to regret putting that in print).  So, I wish Christina Perozzi well in her mission and look forward to meeting her converts somewhere along the way.  After all...life is best enjoyed sharing a beer with others.  Male or female. 

For those interested in attending the dinner, here is a quick blurb from the press release as well as the basics on the event:

"The evening features a summer and beer inspired menu from Rustic Canyon's Chef Samir Mohajer paired with rare local beers hand-selected by Beer Experts Christina Perozzi and Hallie Beaune. The three stellar breweries selected are Craftsman Brewing Company, which hails from Pasadena, Telegraph Brewing Company from Santa Barbara, and The Lost Abbey from San Marcos."

• Location: Rustic Canyon Wine Bar and Seasonal Kitchen
• Date: Monday August 27th
• Time: Two seatings are available
• Link to reservation website

Unfortunately, the commute from the Midwest is little too far to make it to this event.  However, I sent the press release to Hair of the Dog Dave who blogs about beer out in LA.  I am hopeful that he will attend and report back on the tasting/dinner over at his site.  Or if one of my readers is feeling adventuresome and wants to do a guest post, let me know.

Dance with the Devil

After tasting  number of fruit beers I decided it was time to step things up and get back to some hops.  Its been  busy week at work with a couple of late nights so I decided to go straight to the biggest dog in my fridge...Devil Dancer from Founders Brewing.  Back in the winter, I was regularly drinking their malty flagship Dirty Bastard and I just recently discovered the greatness of their Red's Rye on tap.  When I saw this 13% ABV "Triple" IPA, I knew I had to grab a bottle.  Why brew a double when you can brew a triple?  And if its a Belgian just jump up to quad!  So how does Founders describe this beer.  Check out this text from their website:

"Founders most complex, most innovative, most feared and yet most revered ale produced. Massive in complexity the huge malt character balances the insane amount of alphas used to create this monster. More IBUs than any brewery has documented, more than you would believe and dry-hopped for twenty-six days straight with a combination of 10 hop varieties. Dangerously drinkable and deliciously evil. We dare you to dance with the Devil."

Was my dance with the devil worth it?  Let's review my notes.

• Appearance: Dark copper with a bit of red; No head formed at all; Perfectly clear without any haze or sediment
• Aroma: Malt sweetness, pineapple, and some pine/resin/woody notes; Some alcohol comes through; Blends together to give a darker fruit impression; Not as much hop as expected based on the 26 days of dry hopping
• Taste: All hops on the tongue in the form of bitterness up front; Some sweetness becomes more apparent in the middle but fades quickly; Lingering bitterness and some hop flavor linger; Full bodied despite masked sweetness 

My first thought on this beer is that it has some similarities to a number of American barley wines.  For an IPA, the amount of hop aroma seems a low to me.  Maybe the beer has aged some and the hop aroma has faded as is natural with time.  However, the lasting malt sweetness of a barley wine is missing from Devil Dancer so its not a complete parallel.  In the end, it makes for an interesting dance across two the different styles.  (Sorry...I couldn't resist the play on words!  Must be the pint of 13% beer.)  Malt based aromas and assertive bitterness.  A really enjoyable beer for those who like to taste on the edge.