Widmer Brothers Broken Halo IPA

Brewed by Widmer Brothers Brewing Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Portland, Oregon USA

Bottle from Hollingshead Deli; nose of citrus hops, light caramel and fruit; copper color with a small offwhite head; flavor of mild hop bitterness, some caramel malt to balance from the medium body; finish is a little hops with some citrus.

Bottle in Houston, TX on 07/28/08. Clear amber body with a foamy off-white head. Floral, earthy hop aroma. Floral erathy hop flavor with some light caramel. Light bitter finish. Medium body with moderate carbonation.

Bottle: Orange huded golden, translucent, light carbonation, moderate rocky white head, spotty lacing.   Soft hop aroma, much like steeped hops.   Somewhat grainy malt tinges as well.   Mild grainy cardboard immediately up front.   Light sweetness, subtle hop bitterness follows.   Moderate body and mouthfeel.   Cereal like finish, malty, but in the grainy sense.   Subtle notes of pine and hops.   Tiz okay, but another fairly average release in my opinion.   I’d take the NW Red over this any day.

Bottle. Light hoppy aroma, not very spicy or fruity. Kinda dead. Light medicinal notes. Golden amber dull clear with rocky off-white head. Medium watery body with medium carbonation. Medium maltiness with some sweetness. Decent flowery bitter hops finish with a light bitter after. Nothing too exciting, but OK if not watery.

12oz bottle. Good pine and floral aromas hit the nose. Copper body with good head. Mild dry ipa but enough sweet citrus sugar jucice in the flavor. Refreshes the palate good beer.

I thought this was pretty nice overall. Not much aroma and the head doesn’t taste good, but the consummate flavor of the beer is pretty enjoyable. With this and their yearly release beers this brewery is changing my opinion of them.

12oz bottle via trade with Bück Dich - Thanks Jordan - Pours amber with a fair white head that says well and laces. Aromas of light grapefruit. Flavor is some sweet caramel malts that are quickly overshadowed by bitter grapefruit hops. Palate is resinous with a bitter dry finish.

February 2008 Bottle Date; Sampled April 2008
A vigorous pour produces a three-finger thick, frothy, somewhat large-bubbled, pale tan colored head that leaves some nice, spotty lace patterns on the sides of my tulip as it slowly subsides. The beer is a brilliantly clear copper color as it sits on my desk, but shows a bright, golden-copper color when held up to the light. The aroma is a mix of cracker-like malt and citrus / pin hops, though definitely leans towards the latter. Aromas of orange peel, grapefruit, light pine (towards the end) melds with a husky, saltine-cracker like malt character and perhaps a touch of honey-like malt sweetness.

Somewhat dry up front, the beer picks up a touch of malt sweetness towards the middle with helps to accent the fruity hop character. Bitter hop notes and a grassy, herbal, pine-sap like hop-flavor are more accented than in the aroma. The bitterness is nice bracing from the get go, though, even with the light malt profile, this beer could use even a bit more bitterness. There is quite a bit of citrus flavors here, it leans towards grapefruit and tangelo.

A decent IPA, despite being an IPA, it could use a bit more malt character that would help to accent the existing hop character a bit more. I do like how easy drinking this beer is, it is quite quaffable.

Purchased: <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.asp? Liquors, Tucson AZ