Third Street Aleworks Bodega Head IPA

Clear, pale straw body that was suprisingly full-bodied. Very floral with a british malt character. Dry with light grapefruit notes.

Draft at the brewpub. Same exact color as the cast pale ale, bronze-red. Thin top. Nice orange blossom aroma. Thick and viscuous, this borders on a DIPA/IPA with a body-builder’s physique of a beer and a rich, malty punch. Advertised the day I was there as 7.1% ABV. (#3402, 4/10/2008)

Draft at the brewpub. Aroma of floral hop. Amber color with nice white head. Thin to medium in body with near creamy carbonation. Floral hop dominates the malt. Citrus is also present. Finish seems nicely done. Malt is detectable but bitter tingles the palate. Seemed a bit bland after cleansing with white bread, but the floral aspects seemed enhanced. Maybe it deserved a higher rating.

I’ll start by saying that I am not a big IPA fan, especially of American IPAs, which tend to be one-note and overly bitter due to the extra hops. That said, this is a pretty good beer, but not one of my favourites. On tap: It has a definite citrusy, somewhat sharp, slightly bitter hop element, but aside from a faint toastiness, it seems otherwise a bit bland and thin. However, it has a decent head and lacing on its clear, deep yellow body. On Cask: I like this beer much more on cask, although it’s still not one of my favourites. It has a more well-rounded, well-balanced and less bitter flavour. The hoppyness still comes through but there is more behind it and it is fairly crips. It also has a much larger, foamy, but not dense, head. I actually like this from the casdk and my rating reflects this.

Draft at the brewpub. Poured a clear light orange color. Head was bubbly and white. Aroma was of flowery/citrusy hops. Moderate hop bitterness on the tongue throughout with toasted bread, subdued malty caramel, and light citrusy hops. Overall, it was a bit watery, but still a decent IPA.