Flat Earth Northwest Passage IPA

Brewed by Flat Earth Brewing Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
St. Paul, Minnesota USA

Sampled the filtered version at the brewery’s growler sale event at the Flat Earth brewery. Poured by the brewmaster himself, clear copper amber brew with a slow dissolving off-white head that has some excellent retention and lacing. Aroma of grapefruit zest, a hint of pine and caramel malt, Taste is medium to full bodied, citrusy and grassy hop flavor with some caramel malt and tangerine. Finish is nearly bone dry at first and then a lingering bitter aftertaste. Multi-personality IPA in a good way. Overall, a terrific IPA with a Cascade hop aroma, Chinook hop flavor and a Simcoe finish. This is one of the few IPAs I have tried that has its distinct hop character detected in separate stages of drinking sensation.

Bitter with hops. Some citrus and grapefruit. Orange color. The hops are not especially powerful, but the flavor is good. It could be a little more powerful in the flavor. From a growler. Maybe it is better on draught.

From a firkin @ the 2nd annual Firkin Fest. A delicious bitter and slightly earthy aroma. Similarly bitter and hoppy with the unfiltered sediment creating a great mouthfeel.

On tap @ Happy Gnome. Bright copper pour produced a 1/2 inch tightly packed white head. Spotty lacing lined the glass after every sip. Assertive, not aggressive hop profile here with orange peel, grapefruit, and pine sap. Caramel malt cut through the citrus but just nothing really stood out. Tasty (yes)...would drink again (definitely)...perfectly balanced (not quite). Still glad I had a chance to try it.

On tap at Groveland Tap. Poured a dark gold with a thin off-white head. Aroma smelled of rotten pine and wet wood with a slight undertone of citrus (perhaps orange). A nice hop flavor but an awkward undertone tasting like wet wood. Also an undertone citrus. Perhaps something was off here. Will have to try again at some point an re-rate.

Very strong hop aroma and a complex blend of hop flavor and bitterness. Rich, creamy, hop-head delight.

Growler (unfiltered version) picked up from the brewery today. Slightly hazy orange pour, plenty of carbonation. Nice bitter orange citrus and hoppy aroma. Flavor was big pine resiny hops, spicy citrus and mellowed perfectly on the finish. Really really liked this one, I hope this gets bottled in the future.

TAP: grape/amber pour, monster foamy head, citrus and malt on the nose. Awesome taste, malt and sharp hop, fades to hop and lingers, though.