Newport Storm Summer Ale (Maelstrom IPA)

Brewed by Coastal Extreme Brewing Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Middletown, Rhode Island USA

Clear gold. Sticky and dense white head. Light carbonation. Juicy and resinous hop aroma, oranges, grapes and spruce tips. Woo ha! Crisp and light bodied, not heavy but loaded with hop flavor. Thick and chewy hops with loads of citrus and spruce and hints of grass as well. Near perfect lightly toasted sweet and chocolate malt base. So balanced, flavorful and incredibly drinkable. Excellent hop burps. ABV? Fairly high. Smooth and hoppy from start to finish, which is clean and aromatic. Fantastic. Jumps to the top of my list of favorite New England IPA’s. This should turn some heads this summer.

’Tis A Cloudy Amber Brew’, with a ’Mount Everest sized head, the lace is K2’, and a ’Bazillion’ tiny bubbles, enough to make Don Ho proud. Flowery or even Parfume nose, hints of malt, light citrus tones also noted. Front malt sweet, the top light, the finish is lightly acidic, somewhat dry, and a nice pleasureable hop presence, once again not overpowering, just right. Shows up at #222 on my current 1000 beer master list. Venom is the Champ of Trades

Pours with a creamy head, clear orange body. Big grassy hops aroma. Pleasant taste that is dominated by hops and ends bitter. Goes down easy and smooth. Hopefully this becomes a full time member of the Newport Storm lineup, as it may the best IPA made in the NE USA.

Clear gold color with a small loosely bubbled cap that poofs away in seconds, thin stringy lacing sticks in minimal amounts. Aroma is quite resinous and sweet of hops, bits of fruity things are in there as well, kinda dulled orange and lemon skins, a bit of a toasted malt backing shows through, more so as it warms. Taste is light and crisp in the front aspects with a quickly leaving little toasted malt with smooth parts of dulled fruit sweetness. Hops barge in quickly thereafter with citrus acid touches and highly resin coated sweet pine bitterness that builds sufficiently and for a good duration. Laying the ground work for a late return of toasted grains and malts in the finish with even more left over hop pine and grassy tinges. An eager finish thats to style for US IPA’s. The front and middle is fruity with a pleasing smoothness and the hops finish it off. Balance is a little one sided to the sweeter fruit malt side mostly with a light play between some of the citric hop tones in the fruit factions. Feel is smooth and slick, creamy with a good little hop finish thats not overly bitter, yet carries enough bite to make it worthwhile. A fine drinker, light, crisp, clean, smooth, creamy, and a nice little hop finish and fruity flavor make this a pretty good IPA.

Had this at a beer tasting at Goode Spirits. This was a very good summer beer. It was light and refreshing, with a good fruit taste. Light beers aren’t really my favorites, but this was an excellent beer.

Good dark amber color,small white head that a decent hangtime then faded to a small lace.The aroma was of gtrapefruit and hops with a semi bitter sweet smell emminating from the brew.Not as big a hit of hops as i was anticipating,Light malt taste upfront then a quick change to grapefruit and hops with a nice long lasting grapefruit and hops flavor.It’s not nearly as hard hitting as it lets on but nicely done none the less with a somewhat easy drinking appealThe alcohol is not a factor in this brew but mostly medium hops is the main flavor.Nicely done and easy drinking well worth finding a few more if you have the means.Thanks go to Oldgrowth for sending this fine brew my way.

Art of Beer Fest ’04. Light golden in color with a small white head. Citrus nose and malt. Malty palate and with nice hop bite.

Pours foamy medium head. Deep golden honey color. Medium nose of sweet malt and faint dry hops (fwiw - my 5 yeard old son inquired why I had my nose in my beer - became intrigued with the smelling process and took a wiff himself - ROAST BEEF!! he declared - go figure). Medium palate, slightly crispy. Slightly sweet malt flavors dominated by dry bitter hops. I’m used to West Coast hoppy IPAs - and this one is mellow in comparison - reminds me of an ESB. Still a solid brew with a balaced and complex flavors.