Angel City IPA

Brewed by Angel City Brewing Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Los Angeles, California USA

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

A true IPA, a true beer lovers beer. Big hop floral nose, but malts still come through. If you like them hoppy, better try this one. It will make you pucker BABY!

UPDATED: JUN 27, 2005 Dark golden amber color and a lot of head with a slightly malty aroma. Clean hops flavors dominate finished with a rounded mouth feel. Indeed very well balanced.

Nice golden hue, creamy white head with good retention. Mild hops in the front and hints of citrus, good malt and an easy smooth finish. a refreshing ipa, not a overly hopped west coast style ipa~

bomber to shaker / had this with a spicy appetizer that consists of fresh baked french bread, creme cheese, and il primo giardiniera... mmm, anyway / this beer really cut the spice, and it was smooth as hell, so i obviously finished it pretty quickly. this beer is most memorable in ts sweetness, which consisted of creamy caramel, and some nuts. there was a bit of pine, and a pinch of citrus, also. a dirty brown color taints this brew... pretty good brew, but not really an IPA.

20-Feb-08 (22-oz bottle: Purchased 19-Feb-08 for $3.29 at BevMo in La Jolla, CA) So here we are two years later, and having been assured by the brewer that bottling issues have been cleared up, it’s back on the shelves. So, here goes a little quality control... This is what you expect from a West Coast IPA: big, bold and full-flavored with significant punch from hops. Moderately bitter, piney and a little citrusy, the hops are certainly not shy, but there is still sufficient malt backing to keep the beer nicely balanced. The malts tend to show a little graininess in the finish, but the beer well-attenuated, keeping sweetness levels in check. The nose is fairly grainy, but unfortunately, the hops don’t really project much aroma, and the beer smells a little soapy. Medium in body with ample carbonation and a long, crisp, dry finish. Golden in color with slight haze, the beer is capped by a tall, fluffy, off-white head that settles to a thin layer. The head leaves a very impressive, dense, ringed lacing down the entire length of the glass. Overall, the aromatics could use a bit of work, but this otherwise is a very solid IPA has nice flavor, superb balance and looks great in the glass.

21-Apr-06 (22 oz bottle: $3.49 at BevMo in La Jolla, CA) Okay, so when you’re drinking a west coast IPA, but the hops is completely overpowered by off-flavors, you know you really have a problem on your hands. Unlike the infection in their Dunkel which contributed a significant sourness, this is just massive diacetyl. But just like with the Dunkel, this beer smells and tastes like rancid fruit, though here, it’s extremely unpleasant. Really not much point in writing much more, but a beer this brutally awful, so obscenely polluted by off-flavors, has to be put on the record. And I’m gonna talk to my manager at BevMo and get this pulled off the shelf. It should also be noted that this beer was kept cold the entire time because I stuck my bottles in the cooler as soon as the driver delivered them (and he came straight from the brewery, early in the morning). A definite rerate is in order, but not until the bottling line is cleaned up. (2, 3, 2, 2, 2 = 1.1)

22 oz bomber. Pours a cloudy medium copper with a white foamy head. Aroma is malts, nuts, and caramel. The taste follows with mild citrus and pine also. Has a good amount of hop bitterness in the finish. Not too shabby.

Bottled. Poured a clear medium amber with a tall cap of rocky, off-white head... lots of rising carbonation. Rather sticky/sweet aroma with caramel, light fruits, and English floral hoppage. Flavor had a solid caramel and sweet fruity base.. plenty of floral as well as faint citrusy bitterness around the edges. Medium-bodied. Smooth malts and decently-placed bitterness. Caramel and pale malts plus spicy floral bitters at the finish. Nice beer, but definitely not to style.

Bomber from Hi-Time. Aroma is more ESB than IPA. Seems floral. Orange gold color with a fluffy, coarse white head. Medium body with very mild carbonation. The flavor is malt, floral/herb and arguably citrus peel. A little funk, perhaps. English malt. Golding hops. Spicy, soft, woody. Maybe this is an EPA? Between the malt and the hop it does seem well balanced. Though it could be an ESB on roids. Took a bit of getting used to, but it is well worth the effort. Adventures in the mouth. Turns out to be a good ale.