I recently tried Sneaky Pete, an Imperial India Pale Ale that has been flying off the shelves here at Vino E Birra. What follows are my tasting notes broken up into five categories.

• Appearance, what the beer looked like when it was first poured. Maybe holding it up to a light and looking at it. How the beer looks as I enjoy it. 

• Smell, literally sticking my nose in the glass and having a sniff. What does it smell like?

• Taste, the best part! What does the beer taste like, letting it really smack around in my mouth. How it tastes when I first sip it, to the last swallow.

• Overall, what I thought of the beer generally this is always your own personal opinion.

 Appearance: Poured into a  pint glass minimal head about a finger wide egg shell color dissipated very quickly. The beer is a dark ruby color. Nice lacing along the way that dissipates fairly fast.

Smell: Very hoppy orange pulp ( some zest) pineapple little bit of maraschino cherry smells sticky and crisp as well. Can smell some sweet malt (maybe residual sugars).

Taste: Begins with somewhat phenolic sweetness some apple skin and pineapple.  Some citric hops, and pine. A very unique and understated coffee (?!?) tone emerges just before the finish. Alcoholic sweetness at the end.

Mouth feel: Medium mouth feel little bit of chew to it. Clean finish with a light alcohol warmth lingering complexity that leads you to still consider the flavors of the beer.

Overall : If you’re looking for a high alcohol Imperial IPA without too thick of a body or too much residual sugar, look no further. Full of hop aroma with just the right portion of bitterness and supported by a strong malt backbone, Sneaky Pete is a sipper that is sure to please any hop head looking for a high-proof treat.

Tasted and enjoyed by Kristina Wallner, Beer Geek at Vino E Birra