This one's gonna end my day of commercial beer tasting. I've spread them out across a few hours, so each beer has been fairly "fresh" on my palate. I've had the 120 before, but I was a little drunk by the time I got to it, so I'm sipping this one sober (won't be sober by the bottom of the pint).
Appearance:
Standard DFH 12 oz bottle and label. Deep gold/light amber color, quite cloudy, thin head, not much lace.
Aroma:
This may sound strange, but I get a very strong molasses nose. Despite the heavy hopping, the sweet caramel/malty notes really dominate the aroma. Dark fruit is also present with a strong hints of date, fig, and raisin. American hops are there, but the spicy citrus notes take a backseat to the malt.
Flavor:
Much like the nose. Very sweet, deep fruit and caramel throughout. Bitterness is quite subdued for the advertised 120 IBUs. You really have to concentrate to taste any citrus/spice notes from the hops, though I'm sure they're responsible for some of the fruitiness. Little alcohol bite despite the high ABV.
Mouthfeel:
Thick - almost syrupy with moderate carbonation. Very little heat from the alcohol.
Drinkability:
1/2 a bottle is plenty! It's certainly a unique experience, but it's not one that you need to repeat often. I can enjoy this beer, but I probably won't have another anytime soon.
Expensive pricetag at over $15 for a single! (I actually had to talk the "beer guy" at the store into getting one from the store's "private stock" for me)
Appearance:
Standard DFH 12 oz bottle and label. Deep gold/light amber color, quite cloudy, thin head, not much lace.
Aroma:
This may sound strange, but I get a very strong molasses nose. Despite the heavy hopping, the sweet caramel/malty notes really dominate the aroma. Dark fruit is also present with a strong hints of date, fig, and raisin. American hops are there, but the spicy citrus notes take a backseat to the malt.
Flavor:
Much like the nose. Very sweet, deep fruit and caramel throughout. Bitterness is quite subdued for the advertised 120 IBUs. You really have to concentrate to taste any citrus/spice notes from the hops, though I'm sure they're responsible for some of the fruitiness. Little alcohol bite despite the high ABV.
Mouthfeel:
Thick - almost syrupy with moderate carbonation. Very little heat from the alcohol.
Drinkability:
1/2 a bottle is plenty! It's certainly a unique experience, but it's not one that you need to repeat often. I can enjoy this beer, but I probably won't have another anytime soon.
Expensive pricetag at over $15 for a single! (I actually had to talk the "beer guy" at the store into getting one from the store's "private stock" for me)