NxS IPA

This beer had a really nice, clear copper color and a large, foamy head. My first sniff of the beer exposed a nice malty sweetness and not much hop presence – something that I was expecting from a Double IPA. Upon the first sip, the beer again had a nice malt sweetness and a very nice caramel/toffee-like finish in the aftertaste. Again, this being a Double IPA, I found the hop bitterness lacking for this beer. The beer had a medium body and mouthfeel and was well-carbonated. The malt sweetness made this exceedingly smooth and cloyed the alcohol strength a bit. The very nice caramel/toffee-like flavors in the aftertaste made it very appealing and deceiving to drink with its higher-than-average alcohol strength.

*Editor's Note – This beer was judged simply as a Double IPA, and our judge picked up no discernible barrel characteristics throughout his sampling either.