Iron Hill American IPA

Brewed by Iron Hill Newark
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Newark, Delaware USA

Newark. Poured a cloudy orange/red color body with a frothy white head. Aroma is big grassy hops with a little carmel buried in there. Flavors are lemongrass through-out with some hints of sticky pine and some very mild carmel. Very Solid.

On tap at Pville location. Pours a mostly translucent golden amber with a creamy/bubbly lightly lacing off white head. Aroma of fresh American hop pellets, mixed citrus, a touch of pine and caramel. Flavor of up front American hop resin, pine, mixed citrus and some toasted/caramel malt. Hop bitterness on the low end for the style...but still a dry well done IPA.

My Bottom Line:
The slick union of caramel malts and leafy, citrusy hoppiness in this American-style IPA promotes balance within intensity, something we don’t see often enough, imho.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A slice of foam decorates the clear orangey amber.
-This IPA is evenly hopped throughout creating interest from aroma to finish.
-This finishing hop bitterness is resinous and leafy, firm and moderately lengthy.
-This is a very good example of the style, yet it will be hard to remember as it did not carry any distinguishing personality.

On tap at the Wilmington brewpub.

Cask at P-ville. Hazy deep golden straw color with frothy white head. Aroma is tropical fruit, hops, citrus, caramel malt. Tastes hoppy with a well balanced and multi-layered fruit/citrus presence, plus a solid malt base. The assertive hops never overtake the malt or the fruit here, and the fact that it is on cask here translates to a superior smoothness and complexity. Outstanding.

[Cask] Poured a hazy amber color with a small, off white head that left nice lacing on the glass. Aroma of floral hops, pine, citrus fruits, light toffee and toast. Taste of citrus fruits, light caramel, pine, more resin, and a bitter grapefruit finish. Nicer than the regular English IPA.

I tasted this at a beer event hosted by Iron Hill West Chester at TRIA in Philadelphia. Hard to be too sure about the appearance, since it had been poured well in advance. Good golden color. Nose of malts and citrus ... well hopped with North West American hops. Taste of malts, mint, and grapefruit, bitter finish. Great full mouth feel, balance of solid malt backbone, hoppy bitterness and carbonation.