Despite some hops becoming hip, some have staying power and cachet. Simcoe is such a hop. And Weyerbacher has doubled it.
DS pours a hazy dark amber color. And before I go further, I am glad that they have time stamped the bottle. I assume, since there are two dates, that one is the bottle date and the second is best buy. Which means I caught this a month before it technically expired.
It does taste a bit aged. The hops haven’t dropped out but they have changed. This is a bit in barley wine territory. But there is a big juicy orange taste that just sticks to the tongue that is balanced/fought by a caramel sweetness. There is a bit of a cola taste here as well.
It doesn’t taste super boozy despite the 9% ABV. The cheeks are warming though. This beer shows glimpses of what it probably was fresh. And is a good example of why beer fans need to travel and taste beer fresh. If this is an indication, I will like the full Weyerbacher.
I was just thinking the same thing about the dates!