Green Flash Palate Wrecker (Hamilton's Ale).
Poured into my new Allagash Chalice : ) Palate Wrecker has a dark golden orange color with a dense inch of frothy beige head. While the head recedes a bit, there is considerable retention with lots of sticky lacing.
The aroma is loaded with hops all across the board; floral, citrus, pine, tropical fruit, lots of pineapple, very resinous and dank. Caramel malt is present just enough to keep my nostrils from burning.
The first sip attacks my tastebuds with lots of bitter resinous hop flavor. Bitter pine and grapefruit up front blends with a touch of sweet malt to soften things up a bit, but is far from balancing out this monster. The finish is filled with tropical fruit and orange zest; although the malt is present in the finish, there is a noticeable bitterness that lasts long after every sip.
Palate Wrecker has a medium-full body for an IPA, but the 9.5% ABV is hardly noticeable. This is one of my favorite aspects of this beer; most DIPAs that exceed the 8% mark generally become boozy, hot, and heavy. This booziness tends to overshadow much of the desirable malt and hop flavors. Palate Wrecker on the other hand, accomplishes a very high ABV while maintaining intense hop bitterness, with minimal booziness.
All in all, I don't think it has quite wrecked my palate, at least not to an avid IPA drinker, but it is one hell of a hoppy beer. A little pricey, but worth a try. Would love to see Palate Wrecker in a bomber for the right price.
Personal: 8.5/10
Style: 8.5/10
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