Big Sky IPA

Brewed by Big Sky Brewing Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Missoula, Montana USA

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

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UPDATED: APR 17, 2011 Big Sky I.P.A. India Pale Ale--2007 12 oz. Bottle. 6.20% ABV. 65 IBU’s? (4.25 / 5.0) Mild lace head. Clear dark bright amber color. Rich floral malty hop front. Creamy malty mild toasted caramel fruit ester biscuit body. Tangy malt hop spice fresh bitter long creamy end. Malty Amber IPA. Sampled 6/9/2007. Big Sky Brewing Company--Big Sky I.P.A. India Pale Ale--2011 12 oz. Bottle. 6.20% ABV. 65 IBU’s. (4.0 / 5.0) Half inch foamy mild lace off white head. Clear bright rich amber orange red color. Very big floral citrus grapefruit Cascade hop front. Tangy slightly toasted mild seet fruit mild hop resin caramel citrus dry amber ale body. Clean crisp tasty hop spice end. Nice medium IPA. Burpy Hops with nice malt balance to richness. Sampled 4/16/2011. Purchased 6- Pack for $8.75 at PCC--Fremont, Seattle on 4/16/2011.

Bottle: thanks Trev Poured a rich looking deep amber-orange ale in the glass with a puffy, stickey meringue cap that stacks and lasts...laces the glass well. Glorious Pac-NW nose: Grapefruit, pine and sweet malts. Medium body... juicy mouth feel...fruity-resiny character...well balanced. Big malts in the front are then flooded with juicy citrus and cedar cascade hop tastes..well balanced fruity tastes ride on a substantial caramelized malt spine...finishes with moderate bittereing and caramel tastes..delicious! Incredible balance in a big hopped APA...totally hides its alcohol and so is warming and smooth. I saw one comment here that said this was "as standard as it gets"..but I think ,far from being standard, this is as good as it gets in defining the Pacific NW APA and if there is anything "standard" about the big juicy APA it’s that this is the standard others should follow.

Pours dark orange with an off white head. Aroma is huge hops with a good amount of grapefruit. Flavor is strongly hopped and well malted. Huge hops with grapefruit flavor. Very good body.

Pours a dark copper with a one finger head that fades slowly to a soapy cap. The lacing that’s left behind is a bit spotty, but sticks pretty well. Smell; tone of resiny piney hops, with some very nice citrus fruits backing up the pine. There’s also some caramel floating around in there, but this is one is definitely all about the hops. It smells great. Taste; as with the aroma the hops are prevalent. Very piney, with a ton of grapefruit and a little bit of oranges. A very solid caramel maltiness helps to offset the hops just enough, adding a little sweetness to the finish. Mouthfeel is medium to full, and the hops resins just fills the mouth adding a bit of a creamy feeling. The drinkability is really good, as I would have no problem drinking more than one. I wasn’t all that thrilled about Big Sky making it to Nebraska, but after having this IPA, I’m glad they did. A big surprise for me, and a beer that just may become a regular in the beer fridge.

From a 12-oz. bottle--Wow! what a surprise hit! Poured a copper-orange body with a decent white fluffy head. Big notes of floral hops, pininess and delectable "it" quality. Fresh, clean, and crisp. A real treat of an IPA brewed in the PNW style.

Bottled/Durango Colorado. Pours a dark amber, creamy frothy head. This is a really hoppy IPA, and quite enjoyable. Lookin forward to more Big Sky beers in the future.

Looks great, pours amber brown with a thin white head. Bold hop aroma with strong grapefruit notes. Flavour is great as well. Very strong and bitter, this is a palate crusher. Clean crisp and bitter, with a very floral aftertaste. this is a fantastic IPA.

12 oz bottle. Light brown head with good retention - minimal lacing. Strong copper coloring. Aroma of pine, citrus, and hints of citrus and a cask undertones. Citrus flavor is stronger after the initial taste. Slight caramel and earthy notes. Mouthfeel is a little lean, but finish is clean. Great example of the style.

Poured from bottle into Pint glass. Clear orange-amber with a frothy white head and very nice lacing. Aroma of sweet toasted malts and citrus hops. Some pine as well. Much more hoppy and bitter than the smell indicates. Pine and citrus hops with a ever-so-slightly sweet toasted malt counterbalance. Finishes very bitter, which lasts and lasts. Moderate carbonation, medium body, very dry finish. Excellent IPA all around. Nice sipper but hard to have too many.

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, best by 5/3/2012. Pours crystal clear orange amber color with a nice 2 finger dense light khaki head with fantastic retention that reduces to a thick cap that lingers. Some decent lacing on the glass. Aromas of big grapefruit, orange, pine, floral, caramel, biscuit, and herbal spiciness. Nice and well balanced aromas with good strength. Taste of big grapefruit, pine, orange, caramel, honey, biscuit, and herbal spices. Good amount of bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of citrus, pine, caramel, and biscuit on the finish for a bit. Great malt and hop balance, showcasing a great citrus flavor throughout. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly creamy and slightly sticky mouthfeel. Very smooth drinking; with basically no alcohol warming presence. Overall, some seriously excellent stuff here. Great balanced flavor profile, and very smooth drinking. Recommended.