Spinnakers IPA

Brewed by Spinnakers Brewpub
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Victoria, Canada

Hazy golden, light but balanced nose of leafy hops and vaguely caramelly malts. Light bitterness, well balanced but a pretty far cry from IPA level hopping. Given that this is the brewery’s hoppiest offering, and this is a good beer city in Cascadia, this blandness in unforgiveable. This beer used to be better.

Hazy deep blond color. Surprisingly it has a very good malt aroma, like the best German Pilsners, full and leaning to the cereals side. Quite full body, very good malt flavor with very good hopping too, again like a German Pilsners but with a light fruity touch and less crispy and dry. Strange, but very good.

On tap at Spinnaker’s, Victoria. Pale gold, thick creamy head. Creamy English golden ale aroma, with hop which is hay and dry grass. Creamy in mouth. Not a PNW IPA. Smooth creamy golden ale with tangy slightly citrusy lemony/hay hop finish. Pleasant.

Big frothy and rocky white head. Tons os sediments float around the glass. Strange aroma for an IPA. Very fruity (peaches, orange, pears) and almost belgian yeastiness where the wild hay come out, very flowery, lightly spicy. In mouth, range comes strong in the flavor development, but hops are not too flavorful, you wouldn’t think its and IPA. A sweet floral kiss comes back toward the end to finish with grace, if not with a wall of bitterness. Texture is perhaps a bit too bubbly, but still mostly smooth. Thanks frink!

on tap-pours a thin retaining white head and yellow color. Aroma is faint citrus hops-lemon. Taste is citrus hops-lemon and medium/light malt. Finishes with light hops bitterness. Easy drinking. OK/mild carbonation.

Peachiness and honey sweetness try to meld with the earthy, bitter hops...Floral protrusions carry citrus allusions through the yeasty micro-particles...A decent example although indifference was slowly gaining on me halfway through the glass...

Pale amber colour and a cloudy white head. Lacing to the bottom of the glass. Aroma is mostly of caramel, malt, and a hint of hops. Oily hop smell is quite subtle. Mouthfeel is quite creamy. Has a sweet malt taste and a very long pleasantly bitter finish. Hard to believe the ABV because it is very well hidden. Very good and well-balanced IPA.

Draft at the brewery
Orange color, deep and rich rusty orange. Very light texture overall, very fresh, though. Semi-bitter taste with a dry finish. Not a hop monster by any means, and it almost resembles an English Pale Ale: some nutty, caramely chewy malt flavors. Good stuff.