Review: Avery Brewing duganA IPA

The Beer:

Avery brewed duganA IPA as a a limited release and released it in October 2009. It is a Double India Pale Ale focusing HEAVILY on hops. They claim to brew it when they have some additional tank space and want something hoppy. The marketing and supplemental blurb aim to tell the consumer that they are buying something that will make their head spin with lupulin and alpha acids.

ABV: 8.5%
Original Gravity: 1.076
Final Gravity: not listed
IBU's: 93
Ingredients:
Hops: Chinook, Centennial, Columbus
Malts: Two-row Barley, Dark Aromatics, Caramel Malt

Appearance: A very clear bronze color. A slight burnt orange, resembling the color of a dark honey. It pours with a significant one to one-and-a-half finger head. It has strong retention and lacing lines the glass as the bubbles begin to dissipate.

Aroma: A very strong dank smell. Heavy notes of citrus, pine, florals, and fruit. A "dank" hop-forward smell that makes no attempt at hiding its hoppy treasure.

Palate: Mouth Puckering. Resinous. Oily.

Flavor: WHOA! A hardcore mouth-puckering citrusy bitterness. A definite resin remains as the pine begins to shine through. There is a small malt note that peeks through eventually after your taste buds beat back the bitterness. A good IPA that is not for the faint of heart. If you don't like hops, you won't like this beer.

Verdict: I like the beer. I think it tastes slightly worse than I expect from the aroma. That's not to say that it is bad though. I would buy again, if I was having a shortage of lupulin in my blood. There are probably others that I would choose first, but its certainly a tasty hop bomb.