Review: Strathcona Head Banger Triple IPA


Yesterday* I reviewed Nickel Brook's Metalhead DIPA, so today I decided to keep the theme of a beer that's themed after metal music in some way.. also with high ABVs as this is 9.5% ABV while Metalhead was 9.0% ABV. Strathcona Beer Co's Head Banger seems to be a beer that changes batch to batch, so this version is brewed with Vic Secret, Loral, Mosaic, Mosaic T45 and Mosaic Cryo for hops and Pilsner malt and flaked oats for malt/grain. 

Appearance: Cloudy orange/lemon body to it with a light amount of carbonation to it. Thick snow white head on top that quickly diminishes with a good layered lacing on the glass.

Aroma: Very floral, a hint of pepper, good amount of tropical presence, decently sweet but not too sweet so far. Notes of tropical fruit - the usual juicy IPA suspects and a crisp Pilsner graininess to it.

Taste: Sweet, tropical, floral, a tad toooo smooth for 9.5% ABV. It's got pineapple, hint of orange, lemon, as well as a bit of an oatiness to it and a slight bitterness to it that I'm getting notes of pine and a bitterness from the yeast. Not really getting anything from the Pilsner malt but as I said, this is a tad toooo smooth.

Overall Thoughts: Smooth, tropical, oaty, tad bitter. Everything by Strathcona I've ever had has been solid.

*Review was originally written in September but it took me until now to post it.

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