Long Trail India Pale Ale

Brewed by Long Trail Brewery
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Bridgewater Corners, Vermont USA

12 oz. bottle. Had a slightly hazy amber hue with a small white head. Aroma of citrus/fruit and malt. Flavor was typical for an IPA, with a dry finish. This was good, but seemed to lack something, and I am not sure what it is. Easy drinking IPA, I certainly did not mind finishing the six pack,

Almost undrinkable -- not an IPA as much of an amber lager -- hoppy? Not so much, not even balanced. Sticky and unrecommended.

On tap at the Connecticut Brew Fest. Hazy orange-gold, small white head. more like a bitter, citrusy pils. Not a great beer.

Bottle. Pours pale amber with dimishing white head. Very strong skunky aroma. Lively mouthfeel. Orange, caramel, and pilsnerque flavors. Tart finish with lingering bitterness. I am wondering if this bottle is old, so I will try to get another. I liked the Double Bag, but this one is not as good.

12 oz bottle. hazy orange-golden beer, thick fast fading white head. Aroma of orange peel, grapefruit and some sweet appley/berry esters. Flavour is also very fruity throughout. Unusual to have an IPA with such an estery yeast, but it works out pretty well. Flavour is equally fruity with a nice lingering bitterness that just manages to balance the sweet yeastiness.

Pours a clear light orange with a medium head, good carbonation. Aroma is of citrus and of malt. Taste is citrusy, slightly bitter, biscuity with some bitterness and thin finish.

Fruity nose and taste: apricots and oranges. Nice pale light gold-orange color. Light bitter, but a full hop flavor. More citrus than hops or bitter. Recalls DFH 120 somehow, but not as good. Drinkable, yes, but not one of the better American IPAs.

25-Apr-06 (12 oz bottle: Obtained 21-Mar-06 in trade with Lou18, thanks Lou!) Second shot with this one, 18 months later, and I still don’t like it. It’s just too much like the IPAs that I remember drinking when I lived on the East Coast: bitter, hoppy and unbalanced, due to the flimsy malt backbone. Beers like this are the reason I didn’t like IPAs until I moved to San Diego. The grainy and bitter finish is slightly astringent and just not very enjoyable, especially the aftertaste. The aroma still has that "cheap beer" character, but the hops are fragrant at least. Light-medium bodied, clean and crisp with good carbonation. Very hazy, golden in color, topped by a smallish white head that settles to a wide ring and film, and then leaves patchy lacing on the glass. This style of IPA never has been and never will be my cup of (hop) tea.

26-Nov-04 (12 oz bottle: Obtained in trade with Eyedrinkale, thanks Mike!) Ack! Smells like a cheaply-made lager, floral and sugary sweet. Ack! Tastes like a cheaply-made lager, floral, bitter, grainy, and lightly sweet. The finish is where the bitterness really takes hold, but it tastes bitter rather than hoppy. Or maybe, I just don’t like the flavor this hops produces. Fairly light body with a strong and unpleasant hops bite in the finish. Medium gold in color and completely clear, which allows you to see the plentiful carbonation bubbles rising through the beer. Whitish head pours to an inch thick, retreating to a thin layer, leaving some ringed and draping lacing in the process. I’ll be kind and say this isn’t one of the better IPAs on the market. (4, 3, 4, 2, 9 = 2.2)