Wild Ride IPA

Tasted after a brief 11 miler on the treadmill. Not fun. This beer was purchased during my last day at Binny's for the break. I felt I needed to explore more local beers, and what's not more local than Wisconsin!

Appearance: Upon pour, it revealed an aggressive head, similar to one produced by a hefe in a pilsner glass. Standing 3 fingers tall of soapy foam, it took long for dissipation to set in. Finally after leaving puffs of lace on the glass I could finally enjoy. A nice pale amber with visible flocculents throughout, though still maintaining some element of visibility.
Aroma: Very floral and herbaceous, with a pine profile that embraces the nostrils. Some malt sweetness but this is more so masked by the overwhelming grassy leaf bitterness that induces a lot of complexity within the beer. Some tropical and dark fruit characters finish the nose.
Taste: Starts biscuity and sweet but then all of a sudden smashes the back of the mouth with an un-paralleled unflavored bitterness that is almost too much. It was like chomping on raw hops or eating whatever random plants in the back yard. Once one can get past the initial bitterness (which is difficult), you may find some earthy floral notes, as well as some herb spicing and even orange bittering orange peel. Even pine and vegetables, with a mild sweetness from the hops. Left behind is a sustained grass bittering flavor that coats the mouth. Finally, if you get past it all, you may find some lemon citrus.
Mouthfeel: More soft than I would have expected. The carbonation is high, but well integrated into the beer. Nevertheless the palate is left dry with a persisting resin about it.
Overall Impression: Well, definitely for the hop-head to try, but not for me. I found it overly un-balanced leaving the remaining complexity to the type of hops used, while the malt and adjuncts were negligible. I do however enjoy seeing debris in my beer, (though some may not) because I think of it as I'm getting more out of it than a fully pasteurized beer...which is totally true!


75/100