100 beers of 2010: 7/100 - Alpine Exponential Hoppiness

[Didn't take a photo for this, and can't find a decent one]
Beer Style: American Imperial ("Triple") IPA
ABV/IBU: 10.5%/Unknown
Serving Style: Poured from the bomber into a DFH chalice.

Another fine west coast beer I got via a trade.

Appearance: It pours fairly cloudy and opaque, with a brownish yellow color, and a small head that slips away. The carbonation isn't immediately evident, but there is a dense carbonation visible in the brew. Swirling the glass brings up quite a bit more carbonation, it looks like a whole new pour. The cloudiness isn't super nice, but as the beer warms in the bottle it pours more clearly.

Smell: Tropical fruits, candied apricot, lemon peel, maple, piney freshness, nice, fairly forward, and pretty different.

Taste: VERY different, and a bit odd initially. As I got accustomed to it, the beer slowly revealed itself. It's initially quite resinous, not quite solventy, but there is a sweet/spicy/zesty thing going on. The bitterness is amazingly controlled, with no tongue bite at all. There is a bit of mild alkalinity through the mid-palate, but it fades and gives way to a sweet finish. While still a bit chilled, there is a thinness on the edges that makes it not fully realized. LET THIS BEER WARM UP.

As it warms, the beer comes into its own, and gets solid. Some mild vanilla and oak flavors come out, and the finish gets warmer and boozier with some heat in the back of the mouth. It still has some odd, resinous tang, but it's more of a statement now, and one that speaks powerfully. The tropical fruits come out more with the warmth, as well, which I missed while it was cold. Fantastic.

Mouthfeel: Thick, creamy, chewy, and great. Perfect mouthfeel.

Drinkability: It took a bit of time for this beer to warm up to reach its peak - let it get warmer than you think it should! Once it warms up it integrates nicely and the flavors reach their peak. The controlled bitterness is unexpected and welcome, as so many huge IPAs let their alkaline flavors run free. Each sip reveals something new. A highly recommended big American IPA that takes some time to show its colors.

Overall grade: A