Mad Anthony India Pale Ale

This quality brew was a very nice surprise from these guys (and thanks to Cornfield for the sample!) It pours a very attractive shimmering copper with a light and lively white head floating above. The nose is equally inviting...citrus hopping and light caramel maltiness. The first tentative sip is a substantial caramel and toffee malt bottom supplying a moderate sweetness, quickly undercut by a big and bright bitter citrus hop bite...orange juice and light resins. There was a very hint of astringent harshness in the bitter finish, but only a slight detraction. Otherwise, thoroughly enjoyable...again and again.

I grabbed a shaker glass to pour this in, but after sniffing the open bottle I opted for a Chimay goblet. This poured a deep, copper color with solid streams of carbonation and a smallish, cream-colored head. Intriguing aromas held the strong presence of mint leaves along with a cold, basement-type aroma. Flavor finds a chocolaty start to a finish of mild, yet bitter hopcit. As mentioned several times below, it seems as if there is a good mix of English and American ingredients in there.

<font size=-4>12oz. bottle thanks to <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/View-User-14352.htm>Cornfield</font>

12oz btl. Hazy orangey and amber pour, dimiutive, quickly receding head, but steady carbonation flowing through the body. Earthy aromas lead the parade - teeming with what seems to be a blend of English and American hops, or it could just be a lack of good aromatics. Tastes English in style, dull however, in aroma and taste. Flavors of oranges, light hop spice, mushrooms and stale malts. Palate seemed watered down. Finish is short-lived and plain. Overall just a little better than average, I am not much of a fan of this one. I beleive this bottle could have been much less than fresh, but without a date on the bottle, I can only wonder if it was freshness, or just a beer I didn’t care for. Will have to retry at a later date.

Bottle... Hazy amber ale with a small, fizzy, off-white head. Earthy nose with gobs of caramel/crystal malt, light pine and English or Willamette hops? Leans on the bitter side of balance, but has a solid malt backbone. Black tea and lemon/orange peel notes. Medium to full-bodied and milky with understated carbonation. Lightly bitter, balanced finish. Nice English style IPA! Thanks to MI2CA for providing this bottle!

Pours hazy orange / amber with a dense beige head. The aroma has pine and floral hops with some sweet malt in the back. Medium body that starts smooth, then a barriage of fizzy carbonation hits sharpening things. The taste begins with sweet lightly toasted malt then some gentle pine and woody hops come in. There is a bit of staleness - no date on the bottle to check the age. The finish has woody cardboard flavor. An okay IPA.

This is an enjoyable IPA, but the brewers need to kick up the bittering hops. It pours a light orange body with a sizeable pale beige head. The nose is sweet caramel with tart oranges, tangerines, and a splash of lime. The balance of the flavor leans towards the malts with the citric bitterness seemingly tossed in as a teaser. Interestingly, this leaves the mouth with a refreshing piney feeling. This hop-head would enjoy this tasty ale more if more bitterness was present. As it is, it’s a nice sessionable brew.

<font size=-4><a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.asp?PlaceID=1327>Party Pak Liquors, Indianapolis, IN<font size=-1>

draft - Pours copper with and moderate head. The hoppy aroma has some nice citrus notes. The flavor continues the good citrus hops and reveals a nice malty balance. There’s a lingering bitter finish that’s enjoyable enough. Good beer.

Bottle: Pours a clear copper orange with a frothy, nicely-lacing off-white head. Fresh piney resinous hoppy aroma has a good earthy caramel malty backbone. Body starts fairly full and sweet with some toasty notes and plenty of sticky piney hop resin and a touch of grapefruit flavor. A nice, flavorful, balanced, and drinkable IPA.