IPA

Tasted Saturday afternoon after a relaxing morning writing my probiotics paper, a quick ride to the farmers market, and touring the garden. Decided that we're going to get heritage chickens tomorrow!
Reviewed following a yoga session and a quick slaughter in Halo. Picked this up from the Rock Island Hy-vee. I've been meaning to try their beer ever since I heard they were from Illinois (about a year ago), but never go around to it because they're in bombers, and I usually go for other familar stuff that my audience may be more likely to try. But I felt it was time and the access was right.

Appearance: Snifter poured. Coppered orange with a faint white foam head. Glowing, but predominatly non-transparent, perhaps from chill haze? When swirled, the carbonation is very fine, though it cannot be seen normally from the still.

Aroma: Incredibly piney and sweet. The scent just bursts forth with a tropical juiciness. Grapefruit zest is the most noteable characteristic. I also fine a mellowed fruitniness underneath of plums and berries. A honey malt backbone is subtle and difficult to draw out over the initial pine rush. Very complex and enticing.
Taste: The sweetness is melded with the hop-luciousness. Conifer needles and resins. Tropical undertones. Grapefruit makes for a very appealing flavor, though it is presented more on the side of a bittered zestiness. Finishes dry and almost grassy, but with a pine needle complexity. Quite hoppy for 40 IBU's. Orange flavored. Malt sweetness is very indistinguishable in this beer, particularly from the overwhelming abundance piney hops. Subtly floral.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a carbonated spike at the tip of the tongue. Nevertheless as it foams up, the texture is smooth and bubbly. Finish is very dry and resinous, completely leaving the palate both crisp, but sticky and bittered.
Overall Impression: An amazingly simple, but robustly flavored and smelling beer. The pine is out of this world. Not much to the malt bill, but the point is the emphasis on the over-abundance of hops.


91/100