★ Reviews: DC Brau On the Wings of Armageddon

   AROMA 8/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL17/20

Today, I get to review a fresh can of OTWOA from one of my blog readers based in DC. He sent me two cans (insisting 6 but I’m trying to cut back on calories so 2 is enough). I enjoyed this in a snifter at ice cold fridge temp.A – I would call this beer a cloudy burnt orange with caramel hues. A nice 2 finger head stuck around for a bit.

S – Nose is a mix of tangerines, grapefruit, zest from an orange and some pine cone undertones. I don’t get a lot of malt on the nose but you can tell it’s there. It’s quite a sticky smell that makes you snap to attention. Crack one of these before 8AM and you’re gonna snap to attention.

T – Nice taste overall. I’m not sure how the 9.2% ABV is so well hidden. There’s Ruby Red grapefruit juice + grapefruit peel along with lemony sweetness. There is a minor mineral like finish with a bunch of bitterness that sticks around like chewing on tree bark for a solid 10 minutes after you take a gulp.

M – Sweet, resinous, lingering with some clove essence.

O – It’s unfair to compare this to Heady topper but everything kind of makes you want to. Two locally distributed beers around 9% only in cans. However, this beer is lacking two things. The first is that I couldn’t drink more than a 12oz can of this..the ABV and sticky bitterness creeps up and holds on for a while. Heady in 16oz cans I can drink 2-3 in a night no problem. Heady lacks resin and brings this sweet floral citrus hoppiness that delivers time and time again. I’ll stick with Heady but this is certainly a great IPA!