Today was the first day back to the office for me. After April 15th, I hopped state lines with Tina and hung out in Phoenix for a few days. Had some great beer out there, and ended up bringing a bunch back. Tina asked me if I was ready for going back to the office today....I felt like I worked at a bank that had just been robbed and I just wasn't sure if I ready for the experience again. It didn't help that when I got to the office at 7:30, I had realized I forgot my office keys...awesome. One of my monitors apparently took a dirt nap too.
Anyway, after this amazing "back to work Monday", I needed a beer. I hadn't had an IPA in a while, so thought I'd give the Full Sail Slipknot Imperial IPA a chance. With a 8.2% ABV, it wasn't so robust to floor me, but would likely help numb the irritation of broken technology and leave me in a condition where I could go to the gym later this evening.
Appearance - Gorgeous tangerine color that is especially dark in the upper part of the glass. The head is foamy, white and leaves a sticky lacing on the glass. The beer generally looks thick, but in a rich, inviting way. 4.0/5.0
Smell - The hops are surprisingly subdued and lean on the earthy side of aroma. There's a..."funk" too. Not sure how to describe it other than if you walked into a room that hasn't been opened in a while and there is an odd smell to it. 2.0/5.0
Taste - Pine and earthy hops, some bitterness initially, but that goes away pretty quick. Other than that, not really much to write about. 2.5/5.0
Feel - Feels as thick as it looks. Great mouth coverage, but disappointing bitterness. 3.0/5.0
Drinkability - Eh, I've had other Imperial IPAs that I way prefer over this one for a similar price (or a buck extra). Not really what I would expect from the style either. I've had a few things from Full Sail, but I gotta say, none of their beers stand out - they are all adequate. Nothing terrible, but nothing noteworthy. 2.0/5.0
Smell - The hops are surprisingly subdued and lean on the earthy side of aroma. There's a..."funk" too. Not sure how to describe it other than if you walked into a room that hasn't been opened in a while and there is an odd smell to it. 2.0/5.0
Taste - Pine and earthy hops, some bitterness initially, but that goes away pretty quick. Other than that, not really much to write about. 2.5/5.0
Feel - Feels as thick as it looks. Great mouth coverage, but disappointing bitterness. 3.0/5.0
Drinkability - Eh, I've had other Imperial IPAs that I way prefer over this one for a similar price (or a buck extra). Not really what I would expect from the style either. I've had a few things from Full Sail, but I gotta say, none of their beers stand out - they are all adequate. Nothing terrible, but nothing noteworthy. 2.0/5.0
