Lafayette Eighty-Five

Brewed by Lafayette Brewing Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Lafayette, Indiana USA

Date: 04/26/2007
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewpub

clear copper, scant head, big sweet citrus and pine aroma, thin body, lots of liquid hop flavor with the citrus and pine in balance and leading to a long bitter finish, touch of caramel malt sweetness supports the hop flavor rater than balances it, it’s all about the hops

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 14/20
Rating: 3.3/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **+/4

on tap-pours a white ring for a head and cloudy yellow color. Aroma is slightly sweet citrus-grapefruit/pine hops, medium malt = 0 . Taste is slightly sweet citrus-grapefruit/pine hops, slight light/medium malt. Nice. Mild carbonation.

The bartender said they didn’t know what style to call this, but putting it under IPA seems a good call. It’s a pale yellow brew with a slender white head. The aroma has some honey sweet pale malt in it, but that’s soon eclipsed by grapefruit, pine, and zest of lemon. The flavor tilts towards the hops, a light earthiness being added to the mix. The finish is a prolonged PNW bitterness. Good stuff.

<font size=-4><a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.asp? Brewing Company, Lafayette, IN<font size=-1>

Draft sample and pint at LB brewpub. Poured a hazy golden/amber color with a large fizzy white head that mostly lasted with good lacing. Moderate floral sour citrus aroma. Medium to full body with slick texture and soft carbonation. Medium to heavy bitter flavor with a medium to heavy bittersweet finish of long duration. This is a good drinkable brew.

At Indiana BG Fest: Light Golden hue with some head and lacing. Big hoppy piney nose with hints of grapefruit, apple, grass, barnyard, and butter. Fully bitter taste throughout, very little sweetness to be found. Dry finish. Thin-bodied, watery and lively mouthfeel, metallic feel. Hop heads may like this, but IMO this brew is not balanced enough to enjoy more than half a pint.

Clear light gold body under a fleeting white head. Subdued citrus aroma. The flavor is balanced towrds the bitter. The malt is there, but plays a distant fiddle. Bitter, dry finish. A bit thin and needs a bit more malt balance, but not bad by any means.

Draft at LBC. Heh, heh, heh! Fool your swill-drinking friends with this one! Suprisingly pale; in fact it looks just like a Budweiser. But that just makes the hops seem a little bit bigger. C&C hops are a big surprise in the nose, then in tasting. Good ol’ pine, pineapple & grapefruit, but none of the extreme flavors from an overhopped brew. Lip-puckering, but easy drinking at the same time!

On tap at the brewpub. I’m conflicted about this example. A heavy, raw green hop character dominates both the nose and the flavor. Edges into some Simcoe-like lemon and cat character. I pegged this for a Double IPA. Pours a very pale golden, hazed with some white head. Feels like it could use more flavor hops and much, much more body to back. I like the hop flavor and character, but it gets a little coarse and overly bitter. One of the better beers here, but a little unbalanced, raw, green and unbridled.