Pastime Pale Ale

Tasted Thursday evening after a run to the store to pick up ingredients for tomorrows pizza dinner with the Singh family. I got this bottle from Jon Rudisill at the Brrr Fest in Iowa City.
5.2% ABV

Appearance: A normal amber color. The head has a short life with a bubbly character. It dissipates swiftly, leaving only behinds a film across the surface. Carbonation is persistent, and clarity is near optimal. Rather glowing when held to the light.
Aroma: I get a mix between the malt and hop, coming off as a rather leafy. Some faint citrus revolves in the second half, while a prominent nutty scent eventually defines the forescent.
Taste: My initial impression was lettuce or cabbage....Literally a leafy but almost sulfurous flavor makes up much of the second half, especially following the bite from the carbonation. The front has a mild backbone of biscuit 2-row and perhaps some Munich 2. The finish leaves a grassy bitterness that also assimilates to the pith part of a head of lettuce. I'm guessing this may be attributed to overboiled hops, or perhaps just stale. Very little citrus here.
Mouthfeel: Great body. Light refreshing and crisp. The carbonation is medium to high,  not to overextend a spike on the tongue, but to still leave a bubbly impression.
Overall Impression: The first half was fine, but the leafy green flavor at the end was very deterring. The cabbage/lettuce flavor was even amplified as the palate became more accustomed to the beer. Oxidation must have gotten the best of it.

Iowa Grown IPA

Judging from the description on the bottle, the grain wasn't really grown in Iowa, just the hops. Tasted while watching the Swedish version of The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo. I traded Jean (one of the owners of both Madhouse and Jasper) at Madhouse Brewery's temporary Tasting room at Jasper's Winery for this with a couple of GRB beers.

Appearance: Served from the bomber. The pour induced a creamy off white, densely foamed head of maximal stature. A cloud of lacing lined the glass in an entire consistency where the head reached its peak. The color is a deep amber with a relatively good clarity, with a minute degree of hazy/color inhibition. Carbonation looks to be optimal.

Aroma: Earthy, but fresh. One can easily pick out the 2-row and biscuity based malt bill, followed by citrusy hop notes and sweet orangepeel. Deliciously fruity, while incorporating a tangy hop zest.

Taste: Immediately sweet. Some faint flavors of cane sugar, but equalized with a mild biscuit sweetness. More and more, as the palate adjusts the hops permeate through and tackle over all the taste buds. Orange citrus with apricots and fresh leafy hop flavors. All of this borders on a neutral bitterness, but still certainly maintaining a fruitful character. I definitely get the Cascade and Centennial hops (and what else is really grown in Iowa anyways?). As the beer gets warmer, I get a growing sensation of grapes on the palate, though not the vininess, more of the sweetness from again, the hops. Some residual grassiness at the finish and minimal, but still present in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Medium to lighter bodied and easy drinking. I find the carbonation to be absolutely perfect to draw out the bittering units, while not overpowering the tongue and making it bite. A dry resinous coat spreads over the palate but not to overwhelm the ever prominent malt bill. Some stickiness, but minimal.
Overall Impression: I find this to be a great basic American IPA. It stands tall and emits a fantastic hop nose and palate. I think this is definitely a bitter beer, but one that changes throughout the tasting session. To start, its quite neutral, but as the palate adjust, the beer warms, and the carbonation settles, it blossoms into a fruitfully hop dosed beer with endless complexity. One could easily perceive a grapefruit and orange juice character. Very drinkable and refreshing while still retaining its malt backbone. A sipper and a sitter.
Go Iowa.

American Wheat

Tasted Thursday evening while listening to the Irish oriented band: Horse Feathers. Received this beer from the Iowa City Beer Fest last month.

Appearance: Golden blonde in color with little to no head retention. Clarity is optimal as a persistent carbonation is visible. Wat lacing near the white ring that clings to the inner perimeter of the glass.

Aroma: A bit funky with an undertone of citrus and lemon. Can't really pick out much of a grain bill on this. Even a bit bready, as it reminds me of the Kvass I made a while ago (with white and wheat bread and Lemon and Kombucha). I'm thinking some wild yeast.

Taste: The front is masked by the bubbles but soon after that dissipates, I get a big dose of unmalted grain and husk. Still a prominent funk resides in the back taste of this beer. I'm unsure if it is related to being skunked, or infected...or intended. Briefly sour and tart. Lemon present as well as some phenols. Peppery dry finish. Bitterness at the end is likened to dried corn husk and leaves.

Mouthfeel: Light and crisp with a sharper bite from the carbonation. Mouthfeel is watery while the finish nevertheless remains drying and refreshing.
Overall Impression: The combination of flavors of wheat husk and tartness were a bit un-expected. I would have perhaps liked to see a bit more wheat malt flavor instead of the outer hull. I do think this is a better gateway beer for most in need of being introduced to craft beer. The light body and sharp crisp finish makes one reminisce of a light American Lager.


77/100