West Coast IPA

I think this is one of the first beers I ever uploaded onto this blog! However I re-tried this beer, curteousy of Dan Nevin for bringing by a four pack on the evening of Tuesday, January 31st, 2012. Enjoyed while making pea soup pizzas and listening to Dan play drums in the basement.

Appearance: Glowing Orange/Apricot color with somewhat of an amber hue. Hazed The beer seems to be highly carbonated from the look of the head and foam that is produced. Very light and of fluffy consistency. Peaked and dry lacing.

Aroma: A sweet zesty/citrus aroma with hints of bitter crispiness to hold up the backbone. There is a strong scent of pine and juniper berries. However grapefruit likewise seems to be a very prominent characteristic

Taste: Sweet pale malt and biscuit taste with an accompaniment of orange peel.  The word that hits my mind and stands out the most is grapefruit zest. Started grassy, but as the beer warms and the taste progresses, it becomes more palatabley sweet. Piney! but the pine bitterness holds a nice balance against the heat from the alcohol at the very end. As the bitterness dissipates on the palate, a fruitiness gradually emerges in the aftertaste, reminiscent of raisins and grapefruit.

Mouthfeel: Mouthfeel is warm and creamy with minimal carbonation - not as much carbonation as the head had led one to believe. Finishes "hot" yet not in the slightest bit boozy. Foamy and smooth, but leaving the tongue extremely dry and resinous
Overall Impression: The front holds a nice biscuit malt base, but quickly is obliterated by a zesty, pine snap bitterness, rounding through to a grapefruit complexity. It's the spiciness and strong grapefruit flavor that dominates this gorgeous IPA.