From the Dutch brewers that brought the world class crème brulèe stout, comes the next installment in their range. This DIPA we served in an IPA glass.
The hazy deep orange pour produced a tight 1 inch head which slowly fades to a thin cap of foam that retains on top. Good lacing. Similar to its bigger brother-the crème brûlée stout, this DIPA is offering up very malty fragrances with honey, caramel and brown sugar dominating. The big piney and bitter fruity aromas take a back seat here while sweet, tropical fruits such as lychee, pineapple, lemon, passion fruit and peach come forward. Some jammy marmalade and fig aromas creep in there too just for good measure. Such a pleasure to take in. Mouth feel is round and slightly dry with medium carbonation. Medium body with a 65 IBU rating assures a fairly bitter palate but not overly aggressive for this style of IPA. Upfront the malty notes of honey and caramel balance out will with citric notes of lemon and grapefruit. A soft malty mid-palate delivers a slightly, dry and fruity finish with sweet hints of caramel and candy. 7.9% ABV is very well hidden in this highly malty yet nicely balanced DIPA. You just have to respect a brewery that can back up from an easy 10/10 with another decent beer. These guys have done it. Bring on the next installment.