Firehouse (CA) IPA

Formerly brewed at Firehouse Brewing Company (CA)
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
San Diego, California USA

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

Sample from a bottle @Marine Mart Miramar: Pale golden color with a small white head. Light floral hop aroma. Flavor starts light caramel followed by a moderate citrus bitterness. Medium body is smooth with lively carbonation.

On tap @ San Diego Brewing co. Clear medium gold with a small white ring. Nose was mostly grain with very little hop presence. Light hop bitterness and cereal grain on the finish.

Served on tap. Apperance is a clear lighter gold with a small white head. The aromas and flavors are bitter hops. The hop flavors are muted and the bitterness is the wrong bitter. Not that great.

12 oz bottle with dinner at Sammy’s Wood-fired Pizza. Pours a dark gold color with a small white head that soon recedes to a fine film and shows some light lacing. The aroma is distinctly hoppy with what I would guess to be a generous dose of C-hops, most notably present are pine resin, grapefruit, and a bit of thyme. The flavor pretty much follows the nose, lots of piney hops set in caramel malt base with citrus and herbs filling in the sides. The mouthfeel is smooth, full and malty with lively carbonation. The finish is medium in duration and dry with some lingering bitterness. Overall: A fairly decent craft IPA, occasionally the bitterness came across as a tad harsh, but thats a small complaint. I really was pleasantly surprised by this brew, good work Firehouse.