Tasting Hop Killer

I had a chance to catch up with Kurt at his parents' home in King City over Thanksgiving, my first time in his childhood home since our days in college many moons ago. Part of the trip was a beautiful assortment of brews including a bomber of his new 2009 Hop Killer. Although the other Brew Jammers have all had their chance to taste a previous incarnation (I think) this would be my first opportunity to sample it.

For those that don't know Kurt is the owner of a great hop farm at his house, harvesting a great bevy of hops annually, many of which make their way into home brews like this one. In celebration of completing 21 straight days in the office without a break (including weekends) I decided to relax and sample the night away:

The Pour
I selected my wide-mouthed King Brewery glass this time around. Poured a nice dark shade of amber, clear and almost completely still. A terrific marshmallow tan-coloured head rested atop, gently moving towards a half inch of head that laced the glass throughout. 4/5

The Nose
No questioning the abundance of hops here, the aroma is a burst of floral hops right off the pour. Soon after comes the caramel malt, a lot of it. A strong molasses-like sourness rises up, especially from the bottle. It's expected for the style of beer, although the sour notes are a bit unexpected, although almost undetectable in the actual pour. 7/10

The Taste
Obvious, strong bitter hops hit first, and linger as you sip. Side-by-side with them is that sourness I pulled in the nose, I'm not sure what it is. It's a bit lemon, a bit grassy, a bit black tea and hard to pin down. The malt promised in the aroma isn't as strong in the taste at all, causing a lack of balance you might expect in an IPA. Am I pulling juniper out of this?! (Apparently not..) 6/10

As It Warms
Definitely improves as it gets to serving temperature, warming quite a bit with more noticeable alcohol. Bitter hops remain front and centre and the grassy notes strengthen, though the sourness begins to move away. Additional malts to offer a sweet balance would have improved what's still a decent homebrew.