Great Waters Hooligan IPA

I was a bit puzzled by this brew, as it was first presented to me, for as the cascase rippled it appeared to be cast in a a hazy golden hue, not how I prefer to see an IPA. When it settled, the color seemed a surer bronze, and the top was blessed with a milky froth. Aroma: mild, yielding rather little, initially, faint peach, perhaps. Coulda used more in this department. Taste: hops are rather quiet on the palate, but tasty. Bitterness unfolds, and soon a certain sourness appears from time to time, if I’m not going crazy. Under the hops, it’s smooth and creamy. Nicely drinkable, with fruitiness subsisting throught, and I find myself liking it more as I drink. Had in the company of fellow BAs before Winterfest ’04, and we all agreed it was a nice English-style rendition, but still not the sort of IPA that gets me excited. There’s a tagline under it’s name on the board that reads: "Release your inner wanker." Man, you really don’t want to encourage me to that, guys, I can’t be held responsible for the after-math!

Cask sample. Quite smoky, fruity and bitter all at once; apple-cherry-nose, unfiltered cloudy honey-color...fruit and sweetness till the dry, oaky finish. Very nice.

Cask. Cloudy golden color with a fairly tall, but bubbly head. Great citrus aroma and taste with some hops, but not overly abundant. Very much a thirst quencher and a session beer.

Sampled at 2004 St. Paul Winterfest. Cask Version. Cloudy amber in color. Dishwater soap head, mostly dissipating. Sweet, faintly hoppy aroma with fruity peach notes. A little off in the aroma. Tastes somewhat amateurish.

Great fruit aroma. Light brown. Lightly hopped. Served on cask at room temp, just a little bit too warm. Some fruit and lots of hops in the aroma.

On cask: Nice dark golden orangy yellow color, somewhat hazy, lighter corn-like hue at the edges, tall one inch head of fluffy thick off-whiteness that just sits there, barely moving throughout the whole sitting, lacing in ocean foamed thickness and sticking in unusual flame-like shapes. Smell has a nice mild citrusy hop aroma thats seemingly mellow but present with some grassy notes and light breadish malting in the back. Taste is mildly hoppy with citrus and fresh grass, thats light and calm with a nice feel of bitterness, an English Style IPA all the way, thats more like an American pale but calmer. Super smooth with a little toasted breadish malt backing, but the hops perform a nice trick of easy bitterness and smoothness lending mellow citrus and grassyness. Not a major hop monster in any regards but with enough flavor, character, and bittering that makes you keep going. A super clear and lightly fluffy textured feel that fits right in for a cask-conditioned English IPA. Very quaffable stuff. A lighter side of an IPA thats rarely seen these days and pulled off so well. This ones a keeper in my book and could have continued drinking this all night long no prob.