Review - Breckenridge Brewery's Batch 471 Double IPA
"Hoppy? Brother, 471 IPA redefines hoppy. 471 is a small batch, limited edition ale that was created by our Brewmaster to separate the weak from the strong. 471 is a double IPA, that combines Pale, Munich, Caramel-30, Carapils and Torrified Wheat malts, with Chinook, Centennial, Simcoe and Fuggles hops. It has a big sweet mouthfeel, followed by more hoppiness than you've ever had at one time. Enjoy." -- Breckenridge Brewery
Pours a penny copper color with a frothy white head with good retention. Wispy lacing with a reasonable amount of grip. Body clarity is brilliant, significantly brighter than the Lucky U. Moderate carbonation levels hold up the long lasting head. Initially our noses perk up from a light citrus aroma. The malt body is biscuit like and on the light side. The alcohol presence is slightly warming. No diacetyl was detected. Initial taste is predominantly malt forward with caramel sweetness with a slight bitter backbone, shifting to all hop bite at the finish with citrus tones. Light to medium in body, slightly watery with very soft carbonation. Our mouths were left with an increasingly drying feeling over an average duration. Not only were our mouths dry, but our lips with a chalky dry feel. The 9.2% alcohol is very well masked - making this VERY scary (because of the drinkability). Very tasty and drinkable beer, but seemed a bit hoppy for a double IPA. I expected the malt body to a bit sweeter, which would have balanced out the powerful hop presence. We strongly recommend this beer (because of the amazing flavors and high drinkability), but be forewarned - if you were expecting a sweet double IPA, this is not your beer.
Reviewed on December 21st, 2010.
