Fort George OMEGATEX Double IPA

Beer Name: OMEGATEX Double IPA
Brewery: Fort George Brewery & Public House (Astoria, OR)
ABV: 9.9%
How sold: 22 oz. bottles
Where bought: Belmont Station (Portland, OR)
Price: $7.99 for 22 oz.bottle

"Bottled On" Date: March 23, 2015
Date Purchased: April 14, 2015
Date Opened/Drank: April 24, 2015
When brewed? Occasional beer (it pops up every so often)

Ingredients: Check out the profile for OMEGATEX!

Where distributed: Fort George appears to stay local and ships to Washington, Oregon, and Idaho as of this blog post. I am not sure if they ship elsewhere. Check their Beer Finder!

What's on the Bottle: "Like Vortex, only bigger."

What's on the Website: "Inspired by the tried and true Vortex IPA, but bigger, hoppier and just as balanced as the Vortex that Fort George drinkers have been keen to since the brewery was almost scattered in a corn field. The brewers at Fort George were making A LOT of Vortex, but just felt like it needed more umph. After a rather strong early batch of Vortex in the pub, the regulars agreed, but this was not for the full pint. This beer is not for everyone, but surely hoppy and big enough for many in the Pacific Northwest. Heavily hopped with Summit and Cascade hops, check out OMEGATEX."

REVIEW:

Appearance (5%): Initially poured a clear orange-amber color into a pint glass. Good carbonation. Virtually no head, but sudsy on the surface. Very little lacing on the glass. 4/5

Smell (25%): Sweet-malty with grapefruit and what I swore was peaches. Enticing. 4/5

Taste (40%): Sweet-malty with some grapefruit and piney notes. A bit bitter on the finish. Alcohol flavor asserts itself almost from the start, probably a bit too much. 3/5

Mouthfeel (10%): Syrupy-malty on the tongue, full-bodied. The alcohol actually left my throat a bit warm. Spicy in an alcoholic manner, perhaps? Odd, but pretty cool at the same time. 3.5/5

Overall (20%): An OK Double IPA. The fruity flavors and aroma were great, but it came across as too heavy and alcoholic for my tastes. It's amazing how a couple percentage points of ABV, along with the brewing process, can make an immense difference. I've had beers that are 8% and drink/feel like 6%, and others that are near 10% and drink/feel every bit of that. To be fair, OMEGATEX lives up to being "bigger" than Vortex. This is an unfiltered beer, so it may be wise to drink to the end, when you can get all that sediment (that can make a HUGE difference). Still, I would probably need to share OMEGATEX with a friend or really want to get hammered. 3/5

Final Weighted Rating: 3.35/5