Buffalo Bill's Brewing Co. -- Alimony Ale (IPA)

Buffalo Bill's Brewing Co.'s Alimony Ale used to be called, "the bitterest brew in America." It now carries the tag line: "irreconcilably different!" 

 It is 6.8% ABV and has 70 IBU's.

Review:
This beer pours a proud copper color, has low carbonation, little head, and has very little aroma.  There is not much flavor except the bittering... this bittering seems to come from a high alpha acid hop-- maybe Columbus or possibly Cluster. The body of this beer is very light-- almost watery thin.

(Side Note: This might be a good beer to convert ESB drinkers into IPA drinkers.  )

Overall Impression:
Whenever rating hoppy beers shipped from the mainland, I always wonder how different they would taste if they were fresh... this beer might be the exception to that rule. According to the brewery's website, this recipe has been around since 1987... a time where hoppy beers were a rarity. It stands to reason that these forerunners of our modern day hop-monsters would have been lighter in flavor and bitterness. Combining that reasoning with the fact that the latest release of this beer was February 2nd, I believe I tasted a fresh and fairly true to form bottle. So, while I am grateful that Buffalo Bill's helped start the Brewpub movement, and that they marketed this IPA at a time where few brewers were making boldly hopped beer, I am sad to say that this beer has passed its time.

Grade: C-
  
Barrel Man says,

"Give it a break...
It's very sessionable."

(This bottle was purchased at Whole Foods)