Commercial Description:
The color is deep amber with a light, creamy head. The nose starts off with a touch of citrus but then turns decidedly into peaches. The taste starts off with creamy malt resulting from the pale 2 row and caramel malts and Saint Arnold yeast. The hop bitter starts low then builds to a crescendo, but always maintains a balance even in its big finish. The hop flavor continues to be peaches, an interesting manifestation of the Columbus, Simcoe and Centennial hops. This is the first Divine Reserve that we have filtered. This decision was made to make the hop flavors brighter, plus it would have been a bottling nightmare with all the hop bits in it. This beer is best enjoyed at 45° or even a little warmer. Though the recipe and style indicate this beer to be enjoyed fresh, we expect this beer to develop interestingly over the years.
Appearance
This beer pours a really deep copper, almost amber color. That yellow fish from Finding Nemo would love this beer because there are a ton of bubbles when it's poured. There's also a beautiful fluffy white head that clings right to the glass.
Aromas
Typical West Coast IPA, heavy on the floral and pine scents...which is definitely not a bad thing. Although, I'm picking up on a lot of pine in this one. If you were to run into a pine tree I don't think you'd pick up as much pine as you get in this beer.
Flavors
This is a bit more balanced than a West Coast style IPA. Right away you're hit by a George Foreman left hook of hops. They used Simcoe for this one, which is like Cascade on steroids (Simcoe hops have a higher alpha acid rating than Cascade). The bitterness doesnt linger like I expected, because you're hit with a bit of malty sweetness at the end. The alcohol is masked very nicely, so it's a very smooth and easily drinkable beer.
Overall
Divine Reserve is like a movie release for Texas. People succomb to the powers of Saint Arnold and will do whatever it takes to get a six pack...I even saw someone that was willing to trade their sofa for a six pack (and they were serious). There's a reason for this madness. These beers are special, once-a-year releases. They are all exceptional (some more than others), but this one does not disappoint one bit. It's a more balanced West Coast style IPA, but absolutely delicious and smooth. Worth 16 bucks for a six pack? Eh...I wouldn't pay that again if it were a year-round release. But since it's only once a year, I'll gladly be a part of the madness.
