Younger that is.
On tap @ Falling Rock taphouse, Denver, 2/12/2012 (ternary day!)
Quite a scene in the bar. Doors open at 11am, tapping at 1pm. Get there early to get a ticket.
When I got there around 12:30, my wife and I got 2 of the last 8 blue tickets. Blue tickets guaranteed a glass, red ticket most likely.
To kill the 30min wait, I get a 2008 Bigfoot on draft in a snifter (still from Barleywine month). Wow.
Super rich malts. Some grassiness and indications of hop, but very subdued. Malt rocks my nose. Creamy tan head trims down to a fine lace coating the top of this copper beauty. Bitterness has faded considerably, but provides enough contrast to the sweet malt to procure near perfect balance.
I'm glad I started collecting in 2010... a good sign of greatness to come.
12:55pm: Manager gets on top of bar and starts talking over the speakers... "The time has come!" It's an orderly environment.
People start lining up with tickets in hand. We had met up with friends at a table, so the waitress brings ours to our table.
We sit there, looking at all these beers. I can smell it just sitting there. We are all nervous. This is a beer consistently ranked one of the top in the world afterall... Hops. Hops. Lots of freaking hops. Smells of citrus oil, pine forest, fresh hay. Clearer than I had envisioned.
A hearty "Cheers" from all at the table.
First sip is crisp, clean, BIG hop. No perceivable alcohol. Impressive at 10%. Hop lingers. Flavor very similar to aroma... pine, citrus, hay, hint of malt. Dry finish. Very dry finish -- quite nice for the hops to rain dance in your mouth. Bitterness lingers but is not harsh. Very smooth. Stays on the tongue a long time.
I think I can drink the rest of the glass..
I'm glad I had the opportunity to try this exclusive, elite beer. Was it everything that it's hyped up to be? No. Was it a fantastic beer? Yes. Anything to improve upon? I think I would like a bit firmer bitterness. It was pretty soft.
Overall, a great experience and we (my wife and I) ended up drinking 3 glasses. They sold out eventually, but it was pouring for quite a while.
Satisfied.