Acme California IPA

Brewed by North Coast Brewing Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Fort Bragg, California USA

Big ehhhhh on this one. Too light in color, too light on the hops, just not a very good IPA. I write this review during the recording session for Operation Project Sternberger... the new single for Perfect Clones.

Bottle. Appearance was a small ivory head with poor lacing, carbonation, transparent, and a golden hue. Hoppy, fruity and citrus nose. Citrusy and mildly hoppy flavor and light caramel for the flavor. Light-medium body.

Lots of hop bitterness! I didn’t pick up the fruit flavors that other reviewers mention. I enjoyed it.

very unique ipa...maybe more characteristic of a pale ale. not ur average distinct citrus/pine aromas like many ipa’s...does emit a light floral aroma. carbonation is strong, body was fuller, and the heads longevity seemed long. flavor is very hoppy, but very pale ale in its other flavoring. palate isnt over bittering and alcohol seems well hidden.

very fruity aroma with a light hop nose - appearance is copper to orange - very bitter with essence of lemon pithy, the bitter aftertaste stays long after the drink - lemony/citrusy flavor is fairly perceptible right behind the over-the-top bitterness - overall I love bitter beers but this one tastes to me as if it needs to be more balanced, it is a rather bland bittering with little to no hop escense present

Oraney copper, with a thin beige head. Fruity, citrusy but clean aroma. Citrusy hop flavors up front, then a resiny, sticky hop flavor. Barely perceptable malty sweetness. Nice session IPA.

Pours with a lightly hazy, golden copper color, and is topped by a frothy, large bubbled, light tan colored head that barely gets a 1/2 cm above the body of the beer. The aroma is hop focused with citrus fruit notes being dominant. The hops are "light" enough though that ample malt character comes through as well; notes of lightly caramelized grain help to accentuate the citrus hop notes and a solid, biscuit like, toasted malt character lends a solidity to finish off the aromatics. It would even seem that the bergamot / grapefruit citrus notes become subservient to the malt character over time. This certainly not an aggressively aroma-hopped beer and, even though a touch atypical, I like all of the malt complexity that is noticeable (despite the simplistic seeming grain bill).

The taste is dry and malty up front, but is joined by an immediate, acute bitterness that cuts through the flavor profile and lingers on into the finish. The long finish also leaves a lingering note of lightly toasted soda crackers. The citrus character that was so noticeable initially in the aroma is fairly muted here; a touch of light orange peel that has lost the piquancy of the bergamot / grapefruit note in the aroma. The hops have an astringent edge to them that certainly dominate the flavor profile; sharply herbal, but mostly of the bitter herb variety. I do like the toasted / biscuit-like grain note here, there is also a touch of caramelized / crystal-malt character here. The noticeable, yet subservient, malt notes help to round out what would otherwise be a too harshly hopped beer.

All in all I am quite happy with this beer. The flavor profile had quite a bit more hop punch than I was expecting, based on the aroma. Of course I would like to have seen a bit more fresh, American hop flavor in this beer, but it is still quite quaffable. In fact quaffable is an apt descriptor here. The body of this beer is quite light, and if it weren’t for the abundant bittering hop character, this would fall squarely in the American-style Pale Ale camp.

<font size=-4>Purchased: <a href=http://www.58degrees.com/>58 Degrees & Holding Co., Tucson, AZ<font size=-1>

Bottle poured a hazy golden yellow with a large lasting off white head. Aromas of bread, a hint of carmel and very light citrus. Not much aroma at all for an IPA. Palate was light bodied and crisp. Flavors of bread, light carmel, some earthiness and a hint of pine with a moderatly bitter finish. Not bad but, kinda like an IPA light.