Yakima Twilight DIPA

This is the beer that started it all for me. I'll be upfront, this is by far, my favorite beer of all time for oh so many reasons. To make it succinct, it's the beer that gets it all 'right' and this brew alone would be enough to make Victory one of my top 3 brewers in the country. (But then of course there is the Hop Devil, Wild Devil, Saison 8 and the godly Hop Wallop...they didn't really need this beer to make my top 3, it's just the icing on the cake) I'll say this right now, this beer will not be getting anything less than a perfect score as it is the beer against which I will compare anything else.

On tap from Barcade, $5 for a 10 oz. snifter. I'll admit that I check the local pubs' taplists pretty much daily and when I saw this hit, I ran down. It's worth noting that I had asked for a big-boy glass but they wouldn't serve me. I am unworthy to rate this beer.

The Pour- The twilight pours a deep, dark, heavenly color. The Mohegan stout I had over the weekend wasn't even this dark, and this is technically an IPA. Black through and through, the draft had minimal head and didn't last long enough to check the lacing. Now, I know that this is a supposed to be an IPA and I'd be a hypocrite for not docking points for it's color, but fuck that, this is a perfect beer.

10/10

Nose - Woh. Ahem. Let me think. Bold hops hit first, nothing overly fruity or citrusy as this beer lets you know right away that bitter is the new black. The hops smell fresh, they smell potently and they dominate the nose. Afterwards, a dark, coffee-y malt makes a presence and the nose is completed by a strong alcohol note that reminds you that this one clocks in around 9% ABV, which is actually a bit on the lighter side for some of the DIPA's coming out around now. The smell is really breath-taking and lets you know up front that this is a bitter beer as well as full bodied, fully flavored experience.

10/10

Mouthfeel - The malt is particularly present in the mouth as it gives the brew a syrupy thicker feel, somewhat akin to a barley wine or an imperial stout. The malt is perfectly complemented by the intense hop oils which coat the mouth and leave the flavor lingering to be savored for minutes between sips, although I'll admit I never waited that long. Wow, this is something special.

10/10

Taste - Total crap, forget this beer... I mean, c'mon? It's perfect! The dark, dry malt hits you at the same time as a mouthful of fresh super bitter hops to overwhelm you with a bitter full-mouth experience. After the initial shock (or at least after your bitter taste buds are overwhelmed) the sweetness pokes in and actually cleanses the palate a bit. A moment after the swallow the 9% ABV warms the throat and gut leading to a nose-mouth-throat-body experience that is unparalleled. Every sip completely takes over the palate and will overwhelm your senses. This is not a dinner beer, or even a dessert beer. This is a beer that is meant to the star of the show and it will set you up the bomb. Don't try and have a conversation while sipping this beer as it will not tolerate multi-tasking. Buy two glasses at a time for fear that it will run out. This beer kicks your dad's ass daily and sleeps with your mom. Do not taunt this beer. Chuck Norris drinks this beer dressed a catholic school girl so as not to make it angry. This beer destroyed the dinosaurs. Jesus tasted this beer and God started crying.

10/10

As I said, 40/40. This is a perfect beer. This is Victory's victory lap. Yeah it's not some high flying In-Your-Face super hop bomb from Stone or some pedigreed wunderkind from Dogfish, it's just the best beer I've ever tasted and if there is any left, I'm stopping by barcade tomorrow. and the day after. and the day after. Until it's all gone. It's just that good. Why am I typing right now? I should be at barcade...