Phillips IPA

Brewed by Phillips Brewing Co.
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Victoria, Canada

Big pour, tall, loose head. Hops aroma is a bit overwhelming...grapefruit and pine smell fountains out of the glass. Amarillo hops? Pale amber colour is disappointing...would like to see more colour in this robust beer. Mouthfeel is nice...not overthick and not watery at all. Hops taste is huge...this beer has way more bitterness than "hop-monster" beers. I love it with fish.

De couleur crême orangée, un peu voilée, avec une superbe mousse, abondante et durable. Parfum floral et sucré, extrêmement agréable. La mousse est plutôt amère, mais le premier goût est équilibré, avec encore de fortes notes florales. L’arrière goût est un peu amer, légèrement moins agréable que la première impression. La carbonation est équilibrée. Excellente bière! Vous la siroterez de moins en moins vite en voyant le fond du verre. Obtenue via bièrofolies - servie ’’Très’’ froide.

All-round classic IPA, with excellent presentation and colour. Hops are well balanced to the medium body, provided a clean taste.

Piney hop aroma, some malt. Pours cloudy orange. Mid range malt. Hoppy citrus and pine finish. Enjoyable.

Bottle shared with HogTownHarry & tupalev -- courtesy of tupalev. Pours a clear bubbly orange with a small diminishing white head. Very nice aroma of hops, hops, hops! Fresh citrus hops nicely balanced with some sweet malt. Flavour’s also nice and hoppy but a tad thin -- great lasting bitterness to it though. Wow, this was a nice surprise and a great way to start our tasting. A solid IPA.

***rerate Nov 18, 2009**
Not as impressed this time around. Still a very very drinkable brew that does not rely on massive bitterness. Nothing wrong with it but it’s not 3.8 any more.

Poured out a huge creamy off white cap on top of a hazy yellowy amber brew. Lasts forever, excellent lacing. The aroma is citrusy and refreshing. Ruby red grapefruit, apricot, orange, floral, mixed well with the caramel. Obviously a hops first IPA, not a caramel first one (like the last couple I’ve had). Mmmmm. Made my mouth water on first sip and most other sips that followed. Great sweetness and very tasty orange, grapefruit, pine, almost has a candy like flavour. Mid taste spice and caramel tag along with a bitterness that rises but does not linger forever. Excellent carbonation (I just tasted garden fresh carrots.... still lingering... what the hell? Piny finish. I drank this pretty damn fast!

[1528-20080712] 355mL bottle. Muted orange hops aroma has fruity leafy hints. Hazy, orange brown body with a long-lasting foamy off-white head. Hoppy navel orange flavour. Medium body. Solid IPA, not too assertive.
(@ Volo; Toronto, ON; w/ jerc)

341 ml bottle purchased at "The Strath" Ale, Wine and Spirit Merchants at the Strathcona Hotel in Victoria, BC. Pour is hazed orange, golden and tan. Foam on the head charged up the glass on the pour, then settled in normally. Aroma of strong resin hop, pine, citrus and some nice earthiness. Taste is resembles the nose; much resin, pine and citrus -- balanced with a nice sturdy malt backbone. There is some earthiness in the malt as well, giving this beer almost a charcoal smokiness. All of the mentioned flavors integrate nicely, and the palate is serious enough to hold it all together, yet still drinkable.