Smuttynose IPA

 Hy-vee had got a whole new shipment of beer that day so it was a full half hour of indecisiveness before we came to an agreement. Purchased this for our formal on Saturday night. I forgot my ID, and we unfortunately lost one to the security because I couldn't show I was over 21. Wah wahh.

Appearance: Straw orange with visible rising carbonation bubbles. Minimally sustained white bubbly head leaves a webbed lacing on the glass as it quickly dissipated.

Aroma: Very tropical and sweet with strong citrus fruit sweetness to carry the nose. Little grain flavors are distinguishable against the potency. Smells somewhat herbaceous and resinous from the late boil aromatic hops, or as Joe referenced it, "The C' hops."

Taste: Very grapefruity initially that almost overwhelms the palate. There is a sharp midtaste spike in bitterness but it equally transitions back to a zesty resin flavor of orange/grapefruit peel. Malt is there, but indistinguishable as noted from the aroma. Finish is resinous and grassy that remains on the palate for quite some time. Pine is another fully dominating flavor along with the lemon/orange peel compliment. Un-ethically refreshing!
Mouthfeel: Quite tacky for an IPA, leaving a sticky residue on the lips.body is thick and mouthfeel is slightly cloying, carbonation does a sub-optimal job at loosening it up, but nevertheless helps disperse and complicate the flavor.
Overall Impression: This beer has a great taste but it overwhelms any malt sweetness this beer may have had. Therefore balance is missing. Perhaps it is reminiscent of even pine sol or Sol dish cleaner, not in the sense of soapiness but more so the unearthly amount of bitterness choking this beer of any ounce of palatable sweetness. [2nd tasting did not lead to this perception, More so, just a fantastic IPA!]


T1: 84/100
T2 (11/26/11): 89/100