“This is John Maier’s secret recipe that blends all seven hops grown in the hopyard of Rogue Farms. It is a true taste of the terroir of the Wigrich Appellation, the oldest hops growing region in Oregon.”
We missed out on bagging one of these the first time they hit the shelves here in Sydney and we were gutted! So we made sure we didn’t miss out when the 2nd order arrived. Served in an IPA glass the cloudy amber/orange pour constructed a fizzy 2 finger off-white head with excellent retention. Thick, soapy lacing is omitted all the way down the glass. 7 different varieties of hops understandably give this aroma a hop-driven nose, so big sweet overtones of lychee, lavender, ruby grapefruit, lemongrass and blood orange initially come forward. What’s really impressive is the brilliant balance of lightly toasted, crystal and bready malts that offer up hints of toffee, burnt sugar, honey and spice. Then……add in an evident whiff of booze for extra depth. This subtle complexity just redefines why we hold this brewery in such high regard. The little things are done just impeccably. The mouthfeel is round and full bodied with medium carbonation. Initially the tongue is met with a subtle booze burn. Flavours of cedar wood, pepper and soft grassy hops blend in to a juicy mid-palate of kumquat and mandarin. All the while a firm bitterness gradually intensifies and delivers a slightly astringent, bitter finish. As we have mentioned in the review the 8% ABV does come forward but only adds to this beers depth and sheer brilliance. On terms of really good double IPA’s this should sit quite high. Absolute pearler.