 WhiteSoxFan (152), USA
| 3.7 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 7/10 | 4/5 | 7/10 | 4/5 | 15/20 |
May 23, 2006 22 oz. Bottle from BevMo. Drank on 5/10/06. Bottle Conditioned. Pours very clear, dark copper or light amber in color. Big 1" creamy, rocky off-white yellowish head. Falls to a nice layer of foam. Big lacing. Aroma is big malty sweetness and some pretty strong piney florally hops. Apricot? Very similar aroma to Old Guardian, which I couldn’t exactly pin down. I need to figure out what that (hop?) is. Flavor - almost too balanced for an IPA. Not bad, but the malts are very preseent and almost dominating. A lot of hop flavor and bitterness, but a huge malt backbone. Pretty nicely balanced really. Plenty of bitterness in the swallow and then some nice fruity, florally hop flavor in the finish. Palate is nice, solid medium with good carbonation. Smooth and easily drinkable. This is a very good IPA. Different with all of the malts, but really good. Drinkable. Hop flavor and aroma are mellow and not as in your face as other "west coast IPA’s".
jpm30 (1588), East Central, Georgia, USA
| 4 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 4/5 | 8/10 | 4/5 | 16/20 |
May 13, 2006 From a 22oz. brown bomber bottle with a blurb on the right side of label, no bottled/freshness date.
Made a very good appearance, poured a cloudy orange hued copper with a frothy, foamy pale tannish/whitish head that settled into a rocky, foamy, creamy lacing, good carbonation.
Had a big dry hopped piney and citrus nose with a caramel maltiness in the background.
A crisp, hop textured and carbonated smooth medium bodied mouth feel, good drinkability.
Very dry hopped tasting, piney and grapefruit citric, a little leafy earthiness as well, quickly sharp at first then rolling through the palate in it’s bitterness, a balancing caramelized maltiness underneath, a bit sugary and dry tropical fruity hoppy and malty finish with the hop bitterness softly lingering in the aftertaste.
I enjoyed this AIPA from Hoptown Brewing, a tasty hop bitterness, balanced overall, recommended and well worth trying.
HopheadHans (755), Bay Area, California, USA
| 3.8 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 7/10 | 4/5 | 7/10 | 4/5 | 16/20 |
Apr 14, 2006 Draft, nitro at Barclays. Pours a cloudy amb er color with a medium head and excellent lacing. The aroma is dominated heavily by floral hops and just a hint of Flavors of fruit and hops as well, wioth a lingering bitterness.
smcd (366), USA
| 3.7 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 6/10 | 3/5 | 8/10 | 4/5 | 16/20 |
Mar 23, 2006 (Draft; nitro. 03/2006) Hoppy, bready, and fresh-cut grass aromas. Orange-gold. Creamy, slightly tan head that lasts nicely, undoubtedly due to the nitro gas. Slightly hazy. Simple malt profile with some caramel notes. Hoppy, but not overpowering. Very well balanced. Slightly citrus. Very smooth. Slightly rindy aftertaste. Earthy aromas, almost like fresh-tilled soil in the background as you finish a sip. Apple, fruity tastes.
bigbish (141), Colorado, USA
| 3.5 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 7/10 | 4/5 | 5/10 | 4/5 | 15/20 |
Mar 4, 2006 Smells of cascade hops. Good flavor, bitter, slight malt balance. Had on draft at their pub. Would definitely recommend.
beermatrix (1497), Twin Cities, Minnesota, USA
| 3.7 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 7/10 | 4/5 | 7/10 | 3/5 | 16/20 |
Nov 1, 2005 Medium copper color with a slight chill haze to its glow. Small firm frothy cap thats lightly off-white in hue. Laces well in big broken sheeting.
Dullish and underwhelming hop aroma of pale orange, light mango, and a slight peach fuzzyness with a very light undertow of sweet caramel malt and even lighter tint of biscuity toastyness.
Taste is clean and fairly low toned in hops for a west coast IPA. Sparingly lofty with feathery dull/pale citrus of orange and a light parched/toasted lemonyness and even lighter grapefruityness. Middle grabs a little hint of woody bits. Drys off lightly with that woody dry effect as it finishes with very minimal bitterness. Actually ends fairly clean and airy with some leftover pithy stuff in the dryness along with the woodyness. A standard of an IPA with a little less potency then others from out west but still favorable enough in easy bittering and dry tones and decent hop flavors.
Feel is about medium but leaning a bit light for an IPA as its carbonation seems soft and always pretty clean. Dryness is in check with only a slight parched dryness and toastyness showing its teeth along its hop gumline.
A mellower rendition of the west coast IPA with a fairly easy tone of hops and bitterness thats actually not all that bad and quite quaffable. Its clean cut and quick nature suits its character. I’d still rather like to see some more teeth either grinning or snarling along that hop gumline though.
bu11zeye (5530), Frisco, Texas, USA
| 3.5 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 3/5 | 7/10 | 3/5 | 14/20 |
Oct 16, 2005 (Bottle) Pours a lightly cloudy amber with a large off-white head. Aroma of fresh citrus and pine. Flavor of hops and malt with a bitter finish.
OhioDad (2491), Hilliard, Ohio, USA
| 3.7 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 4/5 | 7/10 | 3/5 | 15/20 |
Oct 12, 2005 22oz bomber via trade with alanC - Thanks Alan! - Pours a deep amber color with a beautiful offwhite head that stays well and laces beautifully. Aroma is pure hops.. Grapefruit and pine, a bit of malt makes it’s way through but it is mostly hop aroma over this one. Flavor is nice sweet caramel malt blended very well with the grapefruit c-hop flavor. A nice somewhat dry bitter finish ends each sip. Pretty nice IPA
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