Mad River Jamaica Sunset IPA

Brewed by Mad River Brewery
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Blue Lake, California USA

Pours a hazy brownish yellow with a decent enough cream to offwhite head. The nose sweet with malt and a decent hop spicing. Peppery flowers, not much resin, maybe a hint of alcohol. Lightly fruity. Caramel malt backbone, thin, but there. The mouthfeel is a little hard, maybe too much carbonation, the bubbles seem too large at least. A bit creamy. the flavor is about in line with the nose. Malty sweetness cut by aggressive hops and a splash of alcohol. Caramel malt is forward, along with a hint of toast, but both are relatively weak compared to the peppery to floral to slightly, very slightly, garlicy hops. Maybe not the freshest, but the finish is clean enough in that Cascade SNPA sort of way. Not a bad beer, but not a standout really. Easy drinker. Hint of diacetyl, maybe?

Pours a hazy copper-orange with a medium white head and minimal lacing. Sweet hoppy aroma, with some citrus peel coming through. Clean hoppy flavor that starts sweet and finishes a little bitter. Good, but not great IPA.

Sampled @ Hallandale beer fest (bottle). Floral and fruity (papaya) nose. Honey-colored. Sweet, sticky palate. Interesting and perfumed flavors with a good hop kick in the end. Decent and drinkable.

12 oz bottle. Pours dark orange with a small head with some lacing. Aroms is dissapointing, not much hops or malt presence. You can taste grapefruit and some floral notes. Some caramel maltiness, however, the two just are balanced correctly for an IPA. Not much for the hop finish to speak of. Overall, not a bad beer, it just is not a good representation of the style.

bottle. Aroma is floral, and spice. Flavor is a wonderful floral and hop bite balance thats just right on the palate. A well balanced IPA in my opinion without just "hopping" you to death. This beer is right up my alley. Good stuff Mad River.

12oz bottle. Pours hazy yellow amber in color with thin off white head. Aroma is sweet and floral hops. Taste of hops with bitter finish. Very good every day drinking IPA.

Pours a hazy bronze orange with a stringy-lacing white head. Aroma of sweet pale and caramel malts with some resiny grapefruity hops. Has a fairly full body with some sweet caramel notes up front slowly revealing bitter citrusy hops and some doughy yeast before a semi-dry bittersweet finish. A pretty decent IPA.

the best offering from mad river. the steelhead double feels a bit too malty for an IPA while this beer is much more atune to the style. great floral nose without too much sting. orange and pine mostly. mouthfeel is very smooth and not too bitter at only 65IBU. overall a very solid IPA and should be a great everyday drinker.