2.3 AROMA 4/10 APPEARANCE 2/5 TASTE 5/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 8/20
Novato, CA, tap. Full head with some indistinguishable hoppy aroma. A bit sweet for an IPA. Full bitterness, smooth mouth feel. Is this an IPA?
2.3 AROMA 5/10 APPEARANCE 2/5 TASTE 5/10 PALATE 2/5 OVERALL 9/20
Pours with an enormous, pillowy head. Extremely hazy chestnut body. Almondy, yeasty aroma, moderately hoppy, some brown sugar. Obvious English hops character. Flavor is intially laced with caramel malt, brown sugar, and then transitions into the hoppy aspects. Dusty, slightly celery-ish hoppiness. Very sharply carbonated, as expected from the abundant head. The carbonation and some solventy aspects draw away from this.
2.3 AROMA 4/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 4/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 9/20
Not being an IPA fan my rating is somewhat biased. I guess it’s a good beer for its style. lots of hops and lots of carbonation. The flavor is very citric. Ever once in a while I try an IPA to see if my taste has changed--It hasn’t
2.3 AROMA 4/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 5/10 PALATE 2/5 OVERALL 8/20
bottle. Very nice looking pour- bright golden amber color, big creamy head that sticks around for a good long time, never fully clearing. Aromas of pine needles, earthy floral notes, and a creamy sweetness. Flavors start with a sharp, dry bitterness. Very chalky, acrid tobacco-ish hop character. Thick, bready sweetness. Not so well done on the combinations- the hop character is too sharp and chalky, the malt is a bit too sticky sweet. Those issues come through in the palate- oily and thick. Not an especially well-done IPA.
2.3 AROMA 2/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 5/10 PALATE 2/5 OVERALL 11/20
Cask at the brewery. Light golden pour, well-laced white head. Not much nose. Taste is thin and bitter. No comparison to the N. Cal ipa or Hopsickle.
2.2 AROMA 5/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 3/10 PALATE 2/5 OVERALL 8/20
Surprised I haven’t rated this yet. 22 ounce bottle purchased at BevMo in Natomas, CA. Floral, herbal, lightly peppery hop aroma. A little grassy, too. I don’t know...the aroma seems relatively ordinary. Transparent orange-copper body with a pretty frothy whitish head that leaves fair lacing. Husky, resiny, hoppy start with lots of tannins. Wow, just dry, and very bitter. Aspirin-like bitter hops...almost medicinal. Wow, really one-dimensional and quite poor.
1.8 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 2/5 TASTE 3/10 PALATE 2/5 OVERALL 5/20
How come I’ve never seen this around Pgh before today? On tap at Fatheads, $8 for a draft. Pretty much looks like a ubiquitous pale lager except that it has a decent head. Yep, smells like a good IPA, floral and piney. Big bitter initial flavor roto-tilling that borders on IIPA territory. OOOH-WEEE. Bitter lasting linger which reminds me of chewing on green grapefruit rinds. Terrible nasty and offnesive, right on style. Soapy mouthcoating bitter medicine finish which ruins my taste buds for a half hour.
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