Harbor City Full Tilt IPA

Harbor City Brewing Company
Brewed at Sand Creek Brewing Co. (Pioneer/Wisconsin Brewing Co.)
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Port Washington, Wisconsin USA

Gusher! When I popped the top off, this one proceeded to erupt on my desk (when will I learn not to open beers up over my desk). Other than pouring all head (off white in color), poured a deeper orange color. Aromas of citrus, a little musty, and a light breadiness. Tastes of bread, citrus, and light caramel. Bready. I really couldn’t detect much of a bitterness to this. I would not have guessed this was an IPA.

Pours a clear deep amber with a thick, frothy cream-colored head. Aroma is dry, sweaty, and musky with a touch of earthy hops. Body almost tastes like there are some additional spices added, like perhaps cinnamon or ginger. It’s either that or some weird type of hop I’m not used to. Tastes more like a winter warmer than an IPA. Has mild, but respectable complexity, but I would like more of a fresh citrusy hop aroma and flavor, than the muddy, holiday-spiced, earthy one this has.

Hazy straw orange color. Bitter and medicinal up front, with some vague orange notes and a slick, bitter, wet hop flavor. Almost turning sour in the finish, and certainly acidic. Turns into something that is not very fun to drink. A 7th percentile IPA for sure.

An okay IPA, but not very exciting. It’s a hazy orange color with a tightly-bubbled, off-white head. The aroma is mainly a citric hop one, orange rind predominating. It has a decent sweet malt backbone, but the hop bitterness dominates the flavor. Not that it’s strong, just dominant, with the flavor turning more herbal and earthy. The finish is short and bitter.

Copper color with a few specks floating about. Decent lacing from a light cream colored head. Old oranges and mild malt aromas. Caramel malt with a touch of mild citrus flavors. Somewhat grainy. Finish with a bit of bit that quickly fades. Some circus peanuts are mixed into this one. Interesting!

12 oz bottle. Murky yet luminous hazy dark amber, full of secrets, with medium lasting bubbly head and delightul lacing...herbal/piney hop nose with a touch of sharp orange and caramel...very smooth body, quite dry throughout, bitter orange prominent and a hint of leather...somewhat simple, flat ending. Overall, quite nice if nothing mindblowing.

Poured a hazy dark orange. Aroma of oranges and some vanilla. There is also a hint of caramel and vomit. The taste has bread, carmel and a tart cherry character. This needs more balance of malt or some citrus hops. The weird tarness throws off the entire package.

Bottle: Bright orangy amber glow with a small but lasting head and very good lace. The aroma has notes biscuit and pale malts, subdued pine and grassy hops, and a dusty yeast ester. The taste is quite a letdown, sharp bitters at the beginning but quickly fades away to a thin chalky finish. Little depth on the palate. TChrome is spot on, forgetable.