Beer Review: Size 11 Double IPA

Reviewing the Size 11 Double IPA from Steel Toe Brewing.
Score: 85

Bottled 02/24/12, served in a Half Acre tulip and enjoyed on 04/09/12. Review is from notes.

Appearance: Pours a transparentish caramel color. This beer looks more like a dark red ale than an IPA. Two fingers of off-white frothy seafoam head at pour slowly settles, leaving behind ample lacing on the side of the glass. Below average lacing and retention once the beer settles, however. 3.5/5

Smell: Super malty and not very hoppy. Sweet caramel, lemon and brown sugar. A touch of tiramissue, some bitter barley/grain and an aroma I can only describe as "margarine." A little bit of alcohol. 3.5/5

Taste: Creamy vanilla and caramel. Bitter barley and biscuits. A modest amount of piney citrus and hops flavor too -- not a lot of it, but more than was in the aroma. 3.75/5

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, medium carbonation. Creamy mouthfeel. The finish is dry, sweet and malty. 4/5

Overall: Nothing special, but nothing awful. I would not have guessed that this was an IPA on my own -- I probably would have guessed red ale. At least it was better than the 75 Minute IPA.

Recommendation: Fans of the 75 minute IPA will probably love this one, but it's more of a caramel/grain IPA than your traditional hoppy beer. I would not seek this one out again.

Pairings: Pretzels.

Cost: $11 for a 750 ml bottle.