Big Sky IPA

Brewed by Big Sky Brewing Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Missoula, Montana USA

Bottle unleashes an orangish gold body with aromas of pine and citrus with a little malty sweetness. Flavor is crisply hopped, yet has a sufficient malt backbone to balanmce it out. This is a pleasant and solid brew.

Excellent beer. Here is an IPA that isn’t over the top, it’s just well made. There is a great malt-hop ballance here. It’s nice to see that these Montana guys can keep up with the west coast. The hop flavor is fresh and pronounced, without being too bitter. The malt flavor balances just enough. I dug this beer.

First enjoyed at The 08 Great Lakes Brewfest in Racine, WI. It made the Chicagoland market soon after. 12 oz. bottle poured into a festival glass a clear, orange/amber with a slightly orange tint to the off white, lasting, foamy head. Numerous ribbons of clingy lacing were left on the glass interior. The aroma was predominately citrus, fruit as pineapple and orange rind, sweetness and some secondary resiny notes. The flavor added these to a nice balance of caramelly malt and hop, with a strong bitterness that was consistent with the impressive aroma presentation. Has become one of my favorite IPAs.

Tasted at the San Diego International Beer Festival. Clear orange with a creamy tan head. Roasty hoppy aroma and a dry hoppy bitter taste.

Pours a clear copper color. Nice, frothy light tan head. Strong floral hops and grass aroma. Full grassy, floral taste with a nice bite. Very tasty.

This beer is a rich amber color. The aroma is nice and hoppy. The flavor is mild and hoppy with a pleasant aftertaste.

Bottle, John’s Grocery, Iowa City. Lots of dense, sticky ivory lace on a used penny pour. Aroma takes me a little off-guard—this is not what I was expecting. A very delicate papaya, then the gentle toasty warmth of angelfood cake. A little further in, tangerine notes, spruce. Very pretty and subtle. Dark toasted caramel flavor blends perfectly with more of that wonderful tropical papaya hop character. A little wood and lime in the pleasantly dry finish. This would be good beer whoever brewed it, but coming from a brewery I have no experience with until now, I am just bowled over. A unique and delicious take on IPA. (In adding this rating, I’m seeing that they used Simcoe in here. Really surprised! I like Simcoe and use them a lot, but I’ve never had them express tropical notes like this.)

Pours an amber color with frothy off white head. Aroma of resinous hops, caramel malt and some cat piss. Taste is earthy hops, toasted grain and caramel. Finishes pretty smooth and well balanced. Not bad.