5 Seasons Big Hoppy Monster

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

2006 bottle - You gotta be kidding me. An Imperial IPA? Absolutely no freakin' way. The brewer can call it what it likes, but I just don't see it. Perhaps an IPA, maybe. Anyways. Aroma was lightly (very lightly) hopped with a strong dose of caramel malts. Appearance was ruby red in appearance, smallish 1 finger off white head. Flavor was floral (reminded me of chewing on a flower petal) and sweet, almost like candi sugar. Not a bad beer, no. Something I'll seek out again? Probably not. Just too many other good beers out there, that don't fool the consumer into thinking it's gonna be a "big hoppy monster" of a beer.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

While I really consider this a 5 Seasons brewpub beer, I had this under the Terrapin Beer Co. label. I've also had it at the brewpub. The reason is that the two breweries share a brewer in Spike Buckowski. The Monster is pretty hoppy, although it seems not all that much of a monster next too the Terrapin Rye P.A. It's possible that this is a pretty malty beer as well and while the Rye P.A. is no malt wimp, Rye seems to accentuate hops to me. This also has a fruitiness to it that makes it seem a little more British than some of the cleaner American IPAs.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

I will always enjoy my visits to 5 seasons. This one isnt huge but it does acheive some balance. A nice hop bite followed up by some caramel and malt explosion. A dark reddish brown apperance with a moderate head. Its gotten even bigger since the 6% law was overturned, but even before this was awesome.