Grand Teton Lost Continent Double IPA.

After a disastrous Grand Teton experience last night, I felt compelled to go after the other one right away. After all, if it was going to be bad, I might as well find out now, and if it's good, well, that would a timely redemption. So anchors aweigh.

Right off the bat, I could tell this was malty, possibly resiny, from the way it poured into the glass. The head didn't stick around but exposes a glassy surface with visible tension. I was a little nervous about the first taste but the smell was inviting enough. With so much apprehension, actually tasting it left me a little confused. It's sweet and fruity with a tight ball of hop in the center towards the back. And then it just sort of disappears. Very confusing.

Not going to lie, I have kind of mixed feelings about this one. Slightly resiny with a double IPA like body. The carbonation is a little low, leaving the viscosity pretty high. However, the double hops component is not really there. As it warms up, the lack of a strong hop backbone leaves the malt unbalanced. There isn't a strong amber malt component either so for something so mild to be unbalanced says a lot. It's strange for it to be so fruity while still lacking so much hop character. At the end of the day, I think that lack is glaring and unforgivable in an double IPA. So I have to give it an F on the style. As a beer, it's slightly surprising and unique, whether it meant to be or not. Very meandering. Maybe Grand Teton was on the pursuit of hoppiness and got lost and wound up here. Herp derp.

• Appearance: Darker gold-orange. No head retention. Visibly thick.
• Smell: Fruity and a bit citrus-y, oranges then apricots.
• Taste: Strange sweetness, fruitiness, not a dominant hop character but not a very malty taste either. A miss here.
• Mouthfeel: Thick and viscous, surprisingly so. The body is too heavy for the marginal potency it has.
• Drinkability and Overall: Fairly unsatisfying due to the low flavor density. 8%ABV in a bomber format. I'm not sure I would ever really want more than a glass of this.