Wagner Valley IPA

Brewed by Wagner Valley Brewing Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Lodi, New York USA

sampled at the brewery, also bought a couple of 12 oz bottles, so this may be re-rated for that version. light amber, deep orange in color. Hazy, appears to be unfiltered and dry hopped. Aroma is a nice dose of citrus, with a decent amount of caramel malts in the background. Taste is medium to full for the style, with caramel- but pretty well balanced with citrus and floral hops. Finishes lightly to moderately bitter for the style. Bitterness lingers lightly afterwards. A pretty solid straight up- session IPA.

Pours with a small but strong head and a deep dark orange color, cannot see through it at all yet it radiates orange. Aroma is strong on syrupy citrus, with some light isoproponal behind it. A lot of over-ripened tangerines, very hop sweet, as well, pretty resin-y. Covers up some burnt malt. Taste is spiky citrus hops, and medium bitter. Aftertaste of lightly alchy with a lasting bitterness. A medium body but finishes light and easy. I would say the alcohol is pretty evident here. 12oz bottle, Rodenbach Grand Cru glass.

From bottle. Nice orangey color with a slightly dirty head. Aroma is of grapefruit and herbs. Medium-bodied with fine carbonation. I thought the taste was just a bit watery. Citrus and some pine, but it doesn’t seem to round out completely. Somewhat low hops for an IPA; It could pass off as a pale ale. The 6% ABV is hidden.

Brewery Tasting: A nice full head on the pour, Light for an IPA, but still had a noticable hop flavor. Not sure what "Local hop varieties" means.

12oz bottle. Pours a clear, medium orangish-amber color; off-white head with good retention and lacing. Dense, chewy citrus hop and candy sugar aroma; some earthiness, with a hint of perfumy floral notes. Medium-to-full mouthfeel: dense, resiny citrus and piney hops upfront (definitely an English hop character); earthy, candy sugar and maple syrup malt profile keeping things balanced; not quite resiny or hoppy enough to be impressive, but still pretty good; relaxed carbonation. Lengthy, dry citrus hop and toasted malt finish.

Thin quickly diminishing head of very fine bubbles. Light carbonation. Nice hoppy aroma with plenty of floral hops, bubblegum, caramel malts and some herbal notes. Color is a dark copper orange. Bitter flavor with more caramel malts and herbal notes. Actually lots of herbal flavors. Some parsely. Bit of harsh roasty biotterness. Finishes dry and bitter with a lingering parsely and hops flavor. A really down to "earth" IPA!

Bottle shared with and courtesy of HogTownHarry. Pours a slightly hazy orange-amber with an average size lasting off-white head -- looks good! Aroma starts sweet with honey and fruit followed by a decent amount of citrus and resiny hops and some caramel malt. Flavour’s hoppier then I expected. I was expecting something bland and more like the IPAs we have here in Ontario but this is plenty hoppy, with a nice balance of fresh resiny hops and caramel malt and a long bitter finish. Medium bodied. This is a very good IPA, well done.

Bottle (12oz). Shared with blankboy, my bottle. Poured hazy light amber, decent head and lace. Aroma of buckwheat honey, light rye and lots of sweet juicy citrus hops, pineapple, some resin. Decent toasty sweet malt / resin-bitter balance - actually more bitter than I thought - not a deep character bitterness, but a long bitter finish. Average body, acceptable carbonation, very astringent and a grapefruit pith aftertaste. Very drinkable, it would be one of the best here in Ontario.