Craftsman IPA

Brewed by Craftsman Brewing Co.
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Pasadena, California USA

On tap at Stone’s World Bistro early 01/08. Pours clear gold with lasting thin head of white foam and sheet lacing. The aroma is sweet sugary malts and floral to spice hoppiness. Taste begins with both sweet malts and floral to pine hops. The hop bitterness grows as the taste moves forward really showing a combination of bittering notes like floral, spice and pine hops as well as some grapefruit hops near the finish.

On draft at Stone World Bistro. Arrived a mostly clear amber color with a small white head that left good lace. Aroma of light grainy malts, subtle summer fruits with floral hops and notes of citrus. Predominantly hoppy, toasty malts with apricot and hints of honey, citrus,fragrant floral and pungent herbal hops. Medium body, prickly carbonation.

Date: 12/04/2005
Mode: Draft
Source: Lucky Baldwins, Pasadina

slightly hazy yellow, big white head, light sweet malt aroma, good floral hop flavor on a dry malt base, long low bitter finish,

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 5/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 9/20
Rating: 2.7/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: *4

Tasting this inspired a comical discussion with the brewer over the facination that people have with Double IPAs (a style I’m fond of). He mentioned that it took courage to brew a quality IPA and not just make a malty beer with an overwhelmingly large quantity of hops added. I think after trying this that I agree. This is very well balanced, it has a sweet smoothness, but is also very dry and bitter on the finish. A big fresh pine needle scent with lots of flowery citrus notes. Its an orange color with a nice frothy white head.

served on tap. poured amber/orange in color with a white head. smelled citric. tasted quite sweet with a nice hoppy finish. a good take on the ipa.

Shared a pitcher with some friends. Pours orangish, small white head. Spicy and citrus aromas and flavors up front, bitter finish. It was good, just not all that inspirational.

On tap at Lucky Baldwin’s. Hazy golden amber with a creamy white head. Great grapefruit, honey, fruit, and pine aroma. Creamy palate. Honey sweet with earthy citrus and pine taste transitioning to an orange flavor and finishing with a hoppy perfume taste in the back of the mouth. Excellent beer.

On tap at the Beachwood BBQ. Pours a tangerine gold, semi-hazy color with a thick layer of well sustaining, creamy white head. Lots of orange citrus hop aromas, summit perhaps, along with some fruity caramels. A little bit of funky pineapple spice as well. Medium light bodied, crisply carbonated mouthfeel. Starts off with a squeeze of orange citrus, and this combines with some caramel malt sweetness to create a pleasant tropical fruit impression. Lots of pineapple and fleshly mango. A bit of an herbal spice lingers that I can’t precisely identify, but it’s almost thyme-like in quality. Lots of hop flavor utilization without excessive bitterness. Clean, dry finish with a final smack of peppery pine needles. Unique, original take on the style. It seems to work well component-wise, but doesn’t completely win me over.