I'm entering this review with the assumption that this beer is simply a DIPA version of the HopJack IPA that I looked at before. That beer was not great, in my estimation, but turning it into a double may very well cure what ailed that beer. I said that HopJack was like a muted bell being rung, and this DIPA style of beer tends to be more forthright in its demeanor and can result in some very excellent brews. Let's get Blackstone's ratings out of the pit of despair.
The beer pours a somewhat hazy copper color with a respectable head of small bubbles that cling to the sides valiantly. There's enough lacing on the sides to please me, and the aroma is filled with citrus and a thick, sweet bread malt. The smell itself transports me into a virtual brewery where this heavy mixture of beer ingredients often lingers in the air (with a bit more wort added) and entices customers to try new and more inventive beers on their night out.First sip appears sweet at first, but it then becomes heavy with a grainy malt before an unjustified bitterness comes in and turns tart. The dryness that it leaves in the mouth is unwarranted based on the rest of the beer, so I'm not going to be tempted to simply sit here and sip. I was hoping for an immediate homerun, but maybe we'll be able to find that in the proper swig.
Tip-in is grain-filled dough malt with a mixed bag of citrus fruits dribbled on top and no carbonation to speak of. The middle introduces carbonation to the back of the mouth while the thick, grainy dough fills the void in the center of the mouth with a decent amount of wateriness encapsulating it. The finish is a slam of bitterness and pine as dryness seeps into the mouth in leaves a musty trail off.
Bottom Line: I think I may stop buying beers from Blackstone.
1.5/5