Far West Connaught Ranger IPA

Formerly brewed at Far West Brewing Co
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Redmond, Washington USA

Pours a murky copper with only a few bubbles.Nose is perfumey,grapefruity hops and a little syrupy malts.Taste is a little bit of a let down as when I get a nice nose of a brew,I expect the same in the taste.Has a nice bitter finish tho’.It still is a good brew.

(22oz bottle) Pours a medium, almond head with a deep amber body. The nose was sweet and hoppy. Flavours of mild malt first hit the palate followed by the bitter hops. A very enjoyable IPA.

I spoke with the brewer at Bellingham’s bi-monthly "Brewer’s Night" at the Rogue Hero, and he says the secret ingredient to all the Far West brews is ass-loads of Simcoe hops. This beer perhaps more than any other Far West beer exploits these hops to their fullest - big and perfumey...wait...VERY perfumey. In fact, the aroma on all of these Far West brews is great: big and robust with sweet and tangy notes, all rounded off with a cutting citrus aspect. If anyone wasn’t sure exactly what Simcoe hops are like, this is a great example. My biggest qualm with these Far West beers is the inherent lack in the finish - they all just seem to kind of peter out, leaving you wondering what happened. The flavor however is good...while it lasts.

Pretty decent stuff. It’s nice to have a regular strength IPA and it really holds the style well. I’m not crazy about the hop flavor-just a personal thing, but all in all a nice beer.

Dark amber color, minimal white head. Big hoppy aroma with some lightly sweet fruity malts. Flavour starts with a slight malty sweetness, plenty of grapefruity hop flavors. Finishes fairly bitter. Pretty darn good.

Cloudy dark amber colour. Fruity (blackberry, apricot) aroma with hints of wood and toast. Woody-fruity palate. Moderately bitter as the ample toasty and brown sugary malts balanced the measured hopping. Slightly buttery towards the finish. Typical PNW quaffing IPA.

(22 oz bottle, $3.75) Classic PNW style IPA, somewhat malty and citrusy, and balanced by a moderately bitter hops, but the balance swings slightly toward the hoppy end in the long, dry, bitter finish. Moderately hoppy aroma, but nothing too exciting there. Medium bodied with a crisp, clean palate. Orange amber in color. Off-white head holds a thin layer until the last sip, leaving some patchy lacing behind. This one’s just not grabbing me.

Clear amber appearance with a light aroma and light flavor as well. Mild wheat, ginger, lemon flavors... doesn’t see that powerful of an IPA with the use of hops. Sweet and piney but not very solid.