Third Street Aleworks Bodega Head IPA

Brewed by Third Street Aleworks
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Santa Rosa, California USA

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.

Clear amber with a creamy white head. Grapefruit and pine aroma. Creamy palate and a strong pine taste.

Big hop nose, amber color, low frothy head. Fairly big body--enough to support the stingy hop bitter end. Smooth. Good American IPA.

at the brewpub: Golden color, small head lea ving laces on the glass. Medium hops taste with some grassy notes.

Hoppy dried fruit aroma. Taste is mildly hoppy with grapefruit. They should think about stepping this beer up like 10 notches.

Draft. Amber beer with an off-white head. Citrus/grapefruit flavor with some malt backing. Lowered grapefruit aroma. Nice bitterness. Some tannins present. Cask version is creamy-smooth and has a slight bit more bitterness.