Cricket Hill Hopnotic IPA

Brewed by Cricket Hill Brewing Co.
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Fairfield, New Jersey USA

Bottle. Basically a lighter IPA. Not overly hopped, but a very nice beer to begin your journey into the land of India Pale Ale. Slight floral notes and somewhat bitter finish. I liked it this beer, but I most certainly have had better IPA’s.

Pours copper with an off white head. Smells of citrus, pine and wildflowers with some hay in the background. Taste is of grassy hops with some decent citrus notes on the finish.

A mild IPA for a hot hot day. No tannins will reside in your mouth after a few so it can be refreshing. Not a natural to reach for if you are looking for a citrus hop hit or a flowery hop punch.

(12oz bottle) Small off-white head atop a clear golden body. Aroma is medium sweet, orange, light floral, bread. Taste is medium sweet, grapefruit, light bread, pepper. Watery light-medium body. Fairly mild IPA.

Hop forward, soapy aroma is quite floral, citrus, herbal and leafy. Clear golden body is topped by a decent and lasting, white head. Light caramel and toasted malts with strong herbal, citrus hop flavour and long lasting moderate bitterness. Light medium body with moderate carbonation. Some light astringency leaves this one feeling a touch watery. Sampled at Kennett Square Brefest 2005.

Served lightly chilled in a thistle type glass. Pours with a frothy light tan colored head (which though small manages to leave some lacing on the glass as I work my way through this beer) that sits atop a brilliantly clear, full copper colored beer. The aroma is somewhat subdued, but does have a nice herbal hop note that is joined by just a hint of citrus. There is also a hint of something soapy in the aroma, though it is faint and not really off-putting at all.

The taste is quite smooth and creamy up front, it is really fairly lightly carbonated. There are solid malty notes of caramel and lightly toasted malt. The beer has a nice, though somewhat subtle for an IPO, bite to it that continues through to the end of the beer. This is quite herbal & floral in its hop character, but there is some soft citrus notes as well. There is a bit of light astringency in the finish that joins a nice lingering bitterness; in combination they definitely make you want to take another sip.

This beer is really quite well balanced between the malt and the hops, it is almost more of a Pale Ale than anything. It is quite tasty though, and is definitely a good offering that I am happy to be drinking at this moment.

Yellow golden color with a soapy white head. Hoppy IPA taste, but weak. Almost watered down. A little disappointed in this offering.

Brewtopia 11/12/05 Deep golden in color with a large white head. Mix of floral hops and mellow citrus notes. Seems like a hybrid between an English and American IPA.