Cutters Half Court IPA

Brewed by Cutters Brewing Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Bloomington, Indiana USA

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

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Bomber from Big Red, College Mall, Bloomington. Sweet local reference of course, and also reminds me of a 1990s ultimate team that floated around and did some damage. So far so good for this new brewery, which I think I enjoyed just a touch more than Mike did. Nice bright orange pour, with a thick creamy head and a buoyant citrus and creamsicle aroma. Settles into something nicely grassy, which carries over into the taste along with some modest malt underpinnings. But the flavors do become a bit astringent too quickly, almost like overly steeped tea in places, and it interferes with what could have been a nicely balanced, citric brew. Still decent, and I imagine future batches will show a marked improvement. Go Cutters!

Guest tap
This was a solid IPA. It wasn’t too harsh nor too dull. I would have no problems drinking a whole bomber by myself. A solid local option for those in southern Indiana, this is the sort of beer that is made by people who care about more than the bottom line.

Aroma / Appearance - The golden carbonated body isn’t that remarkable. Bubbling up from the base with grass and lemon hints it teases the senses. The crisp hops and bright and bitter.

Flavor / Palate - Lemons, oranges, and flat Sprite take a while to settle on the back of the throat. The remaining flavors linger with a light bitterness. The finish is like mouthfeels of dead grass left out in the sun. Overall this is a nice beer but doesn’t quite have the same punch as the truly great IPAs. Even so I would give it a second chance.

Bottle pours golden with a thick fluffy white head. Aromas are grass and metal. Tastes are fairly bland with some hay and mild malt noted. Some bitterness is also noted, but again, mild. Overall, kinda boring.

Bottle. Sour lemon malt and light citrus peel aroma. Hazy golden yellow color with small head. Mildly sweet-tart lemon malt and lightly bitter orange peel flavor. Not a bad beer - just not a typical IPA.

Draft sample at IBGWF 12. Poured hazy copper color with an average frothy off-white head that lasted with good lacing. Moderate sour and earthy aroma. Medium body with a slick texture and soft carbonation. Moderate complex bitter flavor with a moderate bittersweet finish of medium duration. This beer met my expectations.

Bomber. Cloudy, deep golden body with orange highlights. Frothy white head, fully lasting. The aroma is citrus with notes of tangerine and grapefruit. Hints of toasted grain and leafy hops. The flavor is lightly to moderately sweet and lightly bitter. It finishes lightly sweet and moderately bitter. Also, it displays some vinegary notes in the finish, as if it came off an unclean tap line. Medium body, watery texture and lively carbonation. Lots of citrus with muted bitterness — and that acidity in the finish that just doesn’t belong there. Not as refined nor as clean as better IPAs.

Pours hazy yellow to mild orange. Nose is definitely citrus hops and nearly lemony. Head is white and fizzy. Some earthy and bright citrus hop flavors and the malt is subdued. Dry finish. Not bad but not much malt backbone or complexity and the hop tannins are sticking out making it a little rough around the edges. Afterall it is nanobeer.

These days, everyone is making insanely hoppy IPA’s. And I do love them so. BUT it’s refreshing to taste an IPA that fulfills the hop addiction and offers something different. This beer does just that. The body manages to be creamy while still offering a substantial hop kick right up front. That’s not something you see every day. It’s crisp and clean but still has that rich IPA flavor. At around 6.5, it’s not the heaviest out there but it does have a good punch. If you’ve enjoyed Mad Hatter, Sun King Osiris or similar lighter bodied hoppy brews you will like this beer. It’s very refreshing and very flavorful. I dig it. Nice work from a new brewery!

UPDATED: SEP 8, 2011 Right when opening the bottle you instantly smell the amazing aroma. It pours with about a 1 finger head and a nice golden color. The taste is amazing. The bitterness is so balanced into the beer it gives it an amazing flavor. The bitterness isn’t a dominant as usual in an IPA, but certainly plenty of flavor. Definitely one of my top 5 favorite beers.

UPDATED: NOV 7, 2011 Pours a slightly hazy golden copper with nice 2 finger, white, soapy head. Aromas of citrus and grass, and notes of tangerine. Taste is light bitter with little sweetness. Palate is nice carbonation with dry finish. Overall, this one is just lacking on taste. It is not bad, but just needs more flavor. UPDATE 11/7/11: had another one of these. This is my first beer of the night and the flavor is coming thru better. The first one I had was after some others, so maybe it just tasted weak after those.