New Growth - Jackie O's Pub & Brewery

mattcrill

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Aroma: Fresh pine needles all the way. Bold and up front. Lemon zest notes as well. Smells like I'm walking though a pine forest. No esters and resiny, piney notes blast the nose.

Appearance: Slightly hazy amber pour with a low white cap that fades and rings the glass.

Flavor: More of the same. Pine resin, slightly woody, a hint of mint and herbal flavors, along with a touch of bready malt that is understated but provides a quick balance point at the end. Finish is clean, bitter, and dry. Balance is decidedly bitter.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, medium carbonation, slightly oily, and a hint of astringency.

Overall impression: I love the dryness and the pine in this beer. I wouldn't want it all the time but it's a unique twist and one I'm glad to try. Would be a great Christmas beer to break out of all the spice bomb brown ales that flood the market. This is like Christmas tree in a glass! Worth a try.

Serving type: growler

09-05-2012 22:29:33 | More by mattcrill

largadeer

California

3.68/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks, Eric! An IPA with spruce - interesting.

The body is golden with slight haze, topped by an inch of sticky lasting foam that leaves rings behind as the glass empties.

Spruce is evident on the nose, right alongside citrusy, lemony, herbal hops. It's resinous, spicy, fruity, frankly a bit Christmas tree-like. Malt brings a dry, bready note that's largely buried.

The palate is odd but enjoyable. Plenty of spruce again, which is sharply resinous, spicy, and for lack of a better word, very "green". Hops lend more citrusy and herbal flavors, along with plenty of sticky, earthy bitterness. The malt backbone is heavier than I was expecting, though the beer is far from sweet - it's present more in the texture. The flavors are all enjoyable here in small doses, but it begins to wear down the palate after a few glasses. Overall this was a pleasantly surprising experiment, but I can't say that it left me wanting spruce in all of my IPAs.

Serving type: growler

06-30-2012 04:50:36 | More by largadeer

zimm421

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a shaped pint glass from the growler. A nice off-white head appears, and has nice staying power, with good lacing left behind. Appears a pretty hazy, dark orange color. Looks great.

Nose is full of citrus, grassy notes and nice summery hops. The malts are fairly light, but there is a slight sweetness to the nose. Taste is very similar, starting out slightly sweet, then moving nice and bitter pretty quickly. Again, the citrus and grassy notes, and nice spicy flavors towards the end. The finish is pretty dry and bitter.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied, with some stickiness left after each sip. Carbonation is just at the right level. Overall, this is a pretty decent IPA, but nothing that blew me away. Something I would grab again if I'm in the mood.

Serving type: growler

06-10-2012 20:31:46 | More by zimm421