Flossmoor Station Celebration IPA

Brewed by Flossmoor Station Restaurant & Brewery
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Flossmoor, Illinois USA

Enjoyed at the mug club tapping at the brewpub - The lighting made it difficult to pin down, but the body appeared to be a deep reddish hue capped by thick head that left lots of lace. The aroma was dominated by the hops, strong citrus scents with a dash of pine and a small touch of the catbox. The flavor was more balanced, having a sturdily sweet malt backbone for supporting the bitterness. The finish was a prolonged, but not intense, bitterness. Very nice.

Purple "wax". Initial burst of foam, was only a sips worth, but the hops are heavy even from that small sample. Hazed dark amber to copper in color. Smallish beige head. Pithy grapefruit and orange peel scents Dominate. Some heavy caramel and darker floor malt in the background. Heavy, but not mouthcoating or cloying in feel. Lightly toasted malt start. Interesting mix in the middle with sweeter, juicy citrus along with light apricots and honey. More bitterness in the finish as some pine pitch seeps in. Nice balance and play between the sweet and the bitter. Linger has a pale caramel and malt sweetness that seems to ask for another swig.

Purple waxed bomber shared at EBF. Pours an amber body with a tan head. Huge strong pine hop aroma, with a moderate caramel malt bill, some lighter citrus hoppiness and very bitter and dry over all with just a hint of alcohol warming.

Poured a reddish amber color with a small, off white head that left light lacing on the glass. Aroma of pine, light toffee, toast, grapefruit, citrus, and floral hops. Taste of pine, bitter grapefruit, citrus fruits, and more bitter hops in the finish.

Bomber- purple wax. One of my least favorite of the 3 we had- pours much darker than the otehrs with a thinning head. Aroma is a bit more dull than the othes as well- perhaps past its prime? Chinook and Amarillo hops are hardly noticed- just seems like some light citrusy cascade, and some wet paper going on with some deep caramel malts in there as well. Flavor is still not as hoppy as expected- dull, tea-like, slight oxidation, sharp crystal malts, and a hint of coppery metal in the finish. Meh.

Bottle. Poured a hazy amber color. The head was two fingers high and tan. Attractive hop dominated aroma that included the likes of citrus, pine, and flower blossom. There was also some toffee, caramel, and light honey. Medium bodied and sweet up front with moderate bitterness. I tasted distinct ruby red grapefruit, toffee, pine, and earthy hops. Yum.

Bomber via trade with Msante79, shared with friends who are fans of the hoppy stuff. Flossmor IPAs tend to be really nice and the pour on this gives me the thoughts that this will be balanced. Pours deep copper orange with a tan ring. Nose is rich with big grassy, piney with a big hoppy bite. Taste is really nice, the hops are crisp, I can tell this bottle is very fresh. Got some nice citrus in here and a noticeable bite. Clearly some nice malt undertones here as well. Good work Flossmoor, I like this one a lot.

Purple wax bomber. By far the darkest of the 2008-09 Flossmoor Station IPA bomber series, this one pours a deep, rusty, reddish amber color. A creamy head of rocky, beige colored foam displays great retention. Tall, jagged flares of lacing jut out from the surface, clinging tightly to the glass. The aroma shows a really toasty malt base, heavy on biscuit and caramel, with the sweetness being fully neutralized by the substantial pine resin and grapefruit hoppiness. There is an earthy, dirty sort of pepper overtone that I also got in the Ore-Gone IPA. Flavors follow suit, very well balanced between the toasty, sweet caramel cookie notes and the sharp, resinous pine and citrus bitterness. The mouthfeel is lush and creamy up front, transitioning to a semi-dry, peppery finish. This marks a nice finish to the 10 beer series. It was one of the more exciting beer storylines ithat I experienced during the past year.