Legend Golden Ale

Brewed by Legend Brewing Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Richmond, Virginia USA

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

UPDATED: SEP 20, 2004 Pale clear golden body topped by a medium foamy head. Glass lacing is above average. ery interestng aroma. Loads of hops and an almost sour-sweet weird aroma. The flavor is wallop of hops with some nutty malts. This might be the most surprising beer I have had in a long while. It looks like a golden ale, has tons of hops, has a very big body, especially given the color, and is 7% abv! That abv is not at all notiecable either. This beer is really a sleeper IMO. From a technical standpoint this beer must be very difficult to get right. Kudos to the brewer. N.B., as the ratings atest, this is a love it or hate it beer. Don;t say I did not warn you!

UPDATED: FEB 11, 2005 Vaguely fuzzy deep gold, bubbly whitish head. Nose very malty, lots of breadiness, some caramel, bit of hops there. Hops are assertive in the flavor, tart and citric, but of pine resin, very hefty malts at the end, really well-balanced. Had no idea it was a 7% brew, really wonderfully balanced stuff. Me like, lots.

Bottle at MilkmanDan’s tasting on 9/10/05. Saffron, allspice aroma with some hops. Some particalia evident in the gold body. Off-white head. Nice lace. Allspice flavor. Has some similarities to Mendocino’s Whitehawk IPA. Unique flavor. Good.

Super CRISP IPA. Hides the alcohol very well and rocks your taste buds. A full-tasting IPA that can still sneak up onto you due to the lack of up-front alcohol. Haven’t had this in over a year, but drank it consistently at UR -- great beer.

Bottle. Pours a brilliant orange ambre with a huge head. Sweet citrus, grapefruit, mango, butterscotch, and almost a slight caramel aroma. Outstanding. Flavor is along the same lines, with a lot of butterscotch up front, followed by a very nice long hop linger. I like this one!

A 3.2 average is far too low here. I tried 3 tap Legend styles in Williamsburg, and I was so impressed that I bought 6 bombers of all their different styles from the Wine Cellar in Williamsburg. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that Legend is one of my top 25 brewers in the USA. This one pours gold with a nice white head and excellent carbonation. The color is nothing to write home about, but the aroma and taste will knock your socks off. Aroma of big hops, big fruitiness, florals, and berries. Tastes very hoppy, with fruit, citrus, some honey, pine, and chardonnay at the finish. Very complex, with extremely well hidden alcohol. This is a world class beer, and I’m kicking myself for only buying one bomber.

I'm biased, as this is a hometown favorite. The beer is pretty, with a lasting white head, tiny bubbles, and a golden body. Almost more appropriate for a Belgian Ale than an IPA though. The nose is all about bread, with a subtle spicy hop undertone. The palate is perfect, no bite, no cloying sweetness, the best this brewery has to offer. The tast again is surprising, very bready with a spicy hop finish from the Mt. Hood hops. When I have this, I don't think of it as an IPA (which, I'm sorry to say, it simply isn't), I view it simply as a tasty beer.

I found this to be a very good and well balanced IPA.Nice caramel notes that enrich the hop character.