IPA

Received this beer from the Iowa City Brewfest. I've had a couple of these before, but I was interested in trying the IPA. Got around to reviewing it with Dan on Monday afternoon after having lunch at the Old Mexico restaurant down the street.

Appearance: Reddish Amber with a creamy off white head. Dry speckled lacing clings to the sides of the glass. Clarity is anything but optimal with a glowing haze.

Aroma: Huge herbal scent with a undertone of citrus. Earthiness and green leafy hops. I'm all for the oddity, but this smell is too off-putting.

Taste: There is something very strange in this beer. Very off the wall. It's a familiar taste, I just cannot put my finger on. I wanna say something like eggplant skins or the trubb of a fermenter. Definitely a biscuity malt backbone. Actually, the more I think of it, this beer has the characteristic flavor of burn grain! Ah Ha. The end if slightly citrus, but nothing even notably resilient. Aftertaste is very earthy and grassy, with only a bit of residual sweetness. Musty. After reading some reviews I found on various sites, I think another description of that flavor would be...Algae.

Mouthfeel: Somewhat of a sharper carbonation with a medium body and semi-smooth mouthfeel. Very frothy at the end. Not sticky.
Overall Impression: The herbaceousness of this beer was overwhelming. The hops were either stale, or there was some other element to this beer that was off. Definitely burnt grains. Almost unpalatable in my eyes.


65/100