Rock Bottom American Dream IPA

Brewed by Rock Bottom Corporate Office
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Louisville, Colorado USA

Rock Bottom Chicago: American Dream Karl     Poured with a dirty, cream-colored head leaving striking lace patterns above a thick-hazed amber body. Big, fruity, all-hop aroma of grapefruit & pine with light dishwater notes. Flavor runs the gamut of citrus fruits... orange, lemon, grapefruit (even a hint of lime and tangerine) which all dry and fade becoming bitter and rind-like in the long-lingering aftertaste. Sharp notes of alcohol linger as well. I found it quite pleasing, but the hop-content could possibly be considered too overwhelming for delicate palates.(Pardon my overuse of blue collar adjectives and lack of rhyme nor alliteration.)

<font size=-4>On tap at <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.asp? Bottom, Chicago, IL 60610</font>

Draught during my Great Lakes region brew tour. Really cloudy gold pour with a white head. The scent is straight forward, fresh grapefruit with caramel and just a hint of chalk. A sip reveals a more subdued beer on the palate. It’s citrusy throughout with a hint of paper in the finish along with more bitter/biting acidity.

Minneapolis. Pristine copper color with an ice pond sheaf of grey for the head. Sweet cottony renderings meet orange seed, tangerines and glazed peaches as the most authoritative aromatic contributors while pulp permeates the sugary grapefruit underbelly. Flavor affirms the forward momentum. Tangerines are exemplarity in a perpetual crescendo. Liquid tropical abatement. Orange honey blossom marmalade skates around the dry, piping bitterness with a backdrop of hot orange lava. Tangerines are of so serene. Medium to fuller bodied with a near oily centricity to further amplify the arid hotness of the centennial parade. Balance isn’t a term used lightly, but this hot IPA can tango with the best of ‘em. Sluicing mango and papaya hit the shrocked, 24-hour neglected tangerine rind in the finish. Touching, clean building bitterness. One of the new recipes of the new brewer, and he shows quite a lot of promise.
Earlier Rating: 7/12/2005 Total Score: 3.6
Milwaukee tap. Surprisingly deep reddish bronze to in color with a jiggly, grey creamy head. Aroma is encouraging, characterized by caramel, cedar, brown sugar, rye and a predictable hop bouquet. Gentle, smooth and sweet on the intake. Hops presence resonates more in the finish with bittering elements residing on the flank of the tongue. Pine and tree basin greenery add a floral earthiness dimension. Caramel and rye malts for sweetening and its own accolades. I’m not certain this hold up to its West Coast IPA aspirations but it’s an enjoyable pale ale and summer session quaff.

Draft in Cincy. Dark hazy amber color with an average frothy white head that mostly lasted with good lacing. Heavy sour citrus spruce aroma. Medium body with a smooth texture. Medium balanced bitter sweet flavor with a medium balanced finish of moderate duration. This is standout beer both local and national.

Charlotte NC Stingin Brits IPA-on tap-pours an offwhire head that laces with copper color. Aroma is faint malt, hops. Taste upfront is caramel malt, midtaste the hops joins in. Less hops than expected.

Had this on tap at the DC ChopHouse. Dark golden, good head and lacing. Sweet fruity malts, almost an apricot flavor, hops were citrusy like summer fruits, but not as strong as I had hoped. Overall, it almost seemed a bit bland.

Draft... District Chophouse in D.C.... Clear amber ale with a creamy, white head. Excellent retention. The nose is citrusy and floral with notes of toffee, black pepper and pink grapefruit. Well-balanced with light bitterness. Crisp, citrusy hops with lots of rich malt. Medium-bodied and creamy with lively carbonation. Finishes tangy, grassy and dry.

On tap @ Rock Bottom Westminster poured a clear copper with a small lingering ivory head. Aromas of grapefruit, orange, apricot and a hint of pine. Palate was medium bodied and dry. Flavors of grapefruit, light orange and carmel with a dry lightly bitter finish.