Stone Coast 420 IPA

Brewed by Sunday River Brewpub and Restaurant
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Bethel, Maine USA

This beer was decent but in no way spectacular in bottles, but fresh on tap at Sunday River Brewing Co. in Bethel, Maine, brewer Stoo does it right. Crispy on the tongue with little nose and garbled malt complexity. Minuscule bright white head and attractive orange hue. Maybe drinking exceptional west coast IPAs has jaded this rater, but this beer is rather mediocre in bottles. Fresh on tap, it ws floral and quite satisfying. Big Simcoe dry hops is never unwelcomed. In bottles it comes across as airy up front with a carbonated dull malt finish. I really wanted more hop profile from this beer naming itself 420, sporting flames on the label, and calling itself "high alcohol." The brew from Stoo at Sunday River was a whole different story. Quite pleasant and well balanced for the style with big resinous fruit waves. Not huge, but really nice.

Bitter like a ginger beer, Citrusy like a grapefruit IPA. At 6% abv, it does the job quite well.

nice citrusy, nose. nice orange colour, some head, big grapefruit flavour, good mouth feel, nice ipa

Has a nice body and a good head. Full flavored hoppiness with a sharper finish-- resulting in a lingering bitterness. Similar to Smuttynose IPA in this regard. I have to dock this two or three points because I can detect a slight off flavor-- maybe Irish moss?

12 oz bottle and a very pleasant surprise. A nice deep orange body with a delicate lace atop, it’s the aroma that first catches your notice here. Rich, flavorful hops burst out of the bottle. The taste is initially quite bitter - and pleasantly so - but resolves into a smoother, more fruity flavor. If I could get this regularly, I’d happily make it a session beer of choice.

12oz bottle. Murky orange-red body with about an inch of initial head that dissipates slowly leaving a good bit of lacing. Prominent smell consisting of mostly citrus - smells great. Hop bitterness and citrus flavors dominate the flavor. Malt is there, but is just enough to offset the hops. Medium-bodied. This beer is really good - a top-notch IPA.

Bottle. Pours a slightly hazy orange-amber with an average size lasting white head. Aroma’s sweet and hoppy with lots of caramel malt along with some fruit and resiny hops -- it’s alright. Flavour’s also sweet, not as hoppy as I like in an IPA -- sweet with some spicy hops in the short bitter finish. Medium bodied. Average IPA -- there’s nothing wrong with it but there’s nothing special or exciting either.

Batch "420" with a tie-dye label by "Stone" Coast. That’s really subtle. Peace out! Pours a hazy copper with a lacy white head. Citrus and fruit nose, some more citrus and a bit of toffee in the taste. Lingering, hugely bitter finish.