Blue Point Hoptical Illusion

Brewed by Blue Point Brewing
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Patchogue, New York USA

(12 oz bottles: Obtained in trades with goldtwins and shadey, thanks Larry and Shane!) Best Before February, 2006, so one month to spare. This beer has the unenviable task of following my drinking a bomber of the incredible AleSmith IPA, so I’m gonna take my time with this one. That said, this still is clearly a very fine IPA. Very hoppy and moderately bitter, but it’s also very fruity and sweet, with pale malts, an obvious tea character, some graininess, and a slight chalky flavor. The beer clean, hoppy, herbal nose with what surely seems like a hint of anise. Medium-full bodied, moderate crispness from the hops, solid carbonation, slight dusty and chalky mouthfeel. The body is golden in color and very hazy in appearance, with a tall and fluffy off-white head providing a three-finger-tall crown that shows excellent retention and leaves dense, ringed lacing behind. Pretty solid IPA, I’d rather it be a bit less fruity and more malty, but it’s still quite enjoyable and worthy. And as an aside, I have also opened the older bottle of this beer, and of course, the hops is quite muted, but the fruitiness and the sweet tea character have totally taken over the flavor. Both are quite good in their own way, and I don’t think I have a preference of one over the other.

bottle rating: 7/3/7/3/13 = 3.3 Clear amber body with a small head. Aroma is hop dominated with notes of grapefruit, pine, citrus and grass. Flavor is the same, some malt (caramel) backing but nothing terribly complex or interesting. Tap rating: 8/4/8/4/16 = 4 A totally different beer. Clear amber, good lacing and retention. Aroma is like a grapefruit was dropped in the glass. Pine and resin are present as well. Huge hop aroma and flavor. Yeah, we’ve all seen these flavors before, but the freshness made this way better. Hop juice. Scores are averaged

Bottle: Clear copper amber hue. Grapefruit/lemon, faintly floral, piney nose. Small whitish head dissipates quick. Sweet biscuity malts, thin and quick, give way to stinky resinous hops, bitter and raveshing through a lingering grapefruit finish. Light body, lacking real depth. An india blah blah pale ale, blah blah.

Jan. 5, 2006; 12 oz. bottle.

Relatively-light & citrusy (but not too much so), with lasting bitterness. Reminiscent (if less "over-the-top") than favorite East Coast IPAs like Smuttynose and Southern Tier.

Another poster remarked that this brew is very malty for an IPA. I agree, and think that the balance of this brew is part of its appeal. Very pleasing in all areas, really; an IPA that you might enjoy year ’round. Very glad to have stumbled upon this!

Poursa an almost clear, orange/yellow hue with a light head. Aromas of pine, orange, grapefruit and a little more grapefruit. mouthfeel is medium bodied with flavors of the aroma with a nice medium bitterness and a mellow lingering finish. A very nice ipa that I wish was available here on the west coast.

Best Before Date March 2006, Sampled January 2006
Pours with a frothy light tan colored head that sits atop a bright, full copper colored beer. The aroma is sharp, with fruity notes of grapefruit, orange peel, lemon zest, and some light pine notes. There is a bit of sharp acidity to it as well as a hint of toasty malt notes. The taste is quite a bit more slanted towards the herbal/ pine hop notes. The citrus is definitely here, but not as much as was in the nose. I think this is mainly because the beer does not have a lot of sweetness; the touch of sweetness that it does have accentuates some notes of grapefruit and tangerine. A solid bitterness runs throughout this beer, yet the finish is not as lingeringly bitter as I would expect / hope.

The beer is actually quite light on the palate, it makes for easy quaffing, but I think that it in some ways hinders the hops in this beer. In the end this beer is enjoyable, but seems to be lacking in some respects.

Bottle, drank Dec 05, best before Mar 06: Light orange with a flowery grassy hops aroma, medium bodied with a bitter start and finish, light carbonation with small bubbles.

Thanks to 1FastSTI ! Pours a clear golden color, nice sized white head. Big lacing around the edge. "Simcoe like" hoppy aroma, spices, lemons. Flavor is sweet, goes into a pleasently bitter hoppy kick to the face, somewhat balanced, though lacking a distinctive charachter to it.