Banff Avenue Head Smashed IPA

Brewed by Banff Avenue Brewing Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Banff, Canada

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

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Sample glass. Ran out just after I got my sample the first time and had run out the night before my second visit. Dark amber. Moderate hop nose without assertiveness. Flavour is middle of the road hoppy but it has promise. I look for a more aggresive version down the road or a stronger alternative when they get more taps running.

On draft at the brewpub. Gold/orange in colour with medium carbonation. Aroma are of Centennial hops and light pale malt. The orange-spice of the Centennial hops are strong in the mouth as well, backed by more light pale malts. Light bodied with medium bitterness. Coult be a bit more bitter to translate as more IPA like, but this is a pretty tasty beer as is. Could be Bells Two Hearted’s little brother.

Pint on tap at the brewery was listed at 5.4%ABV on the list of beers on their chalkboard in the bar. Pour was a clear golden color with a small white head which left behind a thin lacing. Light floral hop aroma with a hint of grains. Taste is a modest hoppy bitterness with an light sweetness underneath. Finish is very crisp and mouthfeel is decent. This was a surprisingly good IPA which was my favorite of this brewpub.

Tap at brewpub. Golden and clear. Holds on to a small creamy white cap. Nice lace. Sweet orangey hop nose. Taste has biscuity and toasty malt. Grapefruit hop accents. Grapefruit and orange aftertaste. Nice lingering bitterness. Light body and nice mouthfeel. Hard to believe its so light in alc. super drinkable.

The pour was a hazy amberish orange with a thin off white head that died quickly. On the nose, there is a mild hop with notes of pine, grapefruit and slightly grassy or earthy notes. Mild caramel malts on the nose go mostly unnoticed. The taste had a good hop on the finish with a predominant grapefruit sweetness and prolonged dry bitterness. Moderately malty in the middle despite the lack of malts in the nose. Mostly a nice caramel and bready malt. Nice crisp hoppy session brew in general with easy drinkabily. I think this could be a home run IPA if they added a few more hops and brought the alcohol up 1%. But this would be a great starting point for newcomers to craft beer and hops in general.

Sample at the Rocky Mountain Wine Festival in Calgary, AB on 10/15/2011. Colour: gold with hint of orange. Minimal head. Nose: hop dominant. Sugar cane. Grapefruit. Taste: light sweet, medium bitter, light sour. Hops play lead role. Some some toasted oak splashes about. One dimensional but not void of depth.

A great dose of hops. Taste comes down in a great arch lasting over fifteen seconds.

Does the job of an IPA just fine. Deep amber colour, rocky head, lingering bitterness, the goodness of Cascade hops, all with a malt backbone. Does it with little fuss, but doesn’t offer anything terribly unexpected.

4 ounce sample at the Brewpub in 6-beers sampler for $14.00 CAD. Very good!

Pint at the brewpub in Banff. Pours a deep gold with orange tints, fairly rocky off white head. Aroma is mild grapefruit hops, slight grassiness. Taste is restrained but very fresh English tasting hops. Bitterness is good but mild. Malt is subtle as well but slightly cereal. Finish is bright and fresh. It’s a nicely made IPA but subtle and fairly middle of the road.

Bottle, brought fresh from the brewery by Parksy. Light orange amber, medium off white head. Aroma features nice coniferous hop notes, just not very aggressive. Palate features much the same, with a nice underlying caramel malt structure. The only problem with this brew, and it has been commented on before, is that it is just too light. Really this constitutes a nice APA, but is not assertive enough to fit an IPA style. Still a decent beer though.