Head Smashed IPA - Banff Ave. Brewing Co.

Intrinsic

Quebec (Canada)

3.35/5  rDev -9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

HS has a medium amber colour, and is very slightly hazy on tap. My pint had very little head on it (bad pour?) and poor retention.

It smells of very piney hops, slightly spicy but not complex. Some floral and citrus notes. The hop varieties used are pallisade, perle, cascade, crystal and liberty.

There's great up-front malt flavour but this is of course soon taken over by some super piney hops, resulting in a high 75 IBU. Unfortunately, its not very complex and a little watery.

Nicely carbonated, medium dryness. Not as refined as its cousin, Rockhopper, but a good beer nonetheless.

Serving type: on-tap

02-09-2012 01:25:20 | More by Intrinsic

Converge

Alberta (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -4.9%

05-25-2012 19:15:15 | More by Converge

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.35/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

650ml bottle, also well enjoyed last week in a Banff hotel room, before venturing out into the -30 cold, to find sustenance in a virtually abandoned (save the ubiquitous Aussies) urban snowscape.

This beer pours a hazy medium golden amber hue, with one finger of foamy whipped egg white head, which settles rather quickly, leaving a low, 'land ahoy!' vista of lace around the glass.

It smells of moderate piney and sweet citrus hops, with a tame bready caramel malt, and a bit of muddled earthiness, origin unknown. The taste is much softened from the aroma - the pine and citrus hinting at an ill-advised sabbatical, an echo of the promised bitterness actually delivered - more caramel cream and very mild swirling booze than anything.

The carbonation is on the low side, with a few pricks here and there (don't go there, Beavis...), the body a solid medium weight, and rather smooth, given the hop innie going on here. It finishes more sweet than I would have initially surmised, but not all that surprising at this end point.

While not a bad IPA by any stretch of the imagination, it just doesn't measure up to the specs of even the standards of the Yankee style bearers. The hops need a much greater staying power, savoury bitterness, and overall presence. Not quite English, not all that American, so by default, Canadian it is, eh?

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 03:03:14 | More by biboergosum

vette2006c5r

Wisconsin

3.7/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer poured a copper color, with a good size lacing head. The smell was a bit weak but hoppy. The taste was also just a bit weak, but had a nice hoppy tone, and a good bitter feel to it. The flavor did last on the paletee, but could use some strenthing. Overall a good AIPA.

Serving type: on-tap

05-20-2011 02:53:29 | More by vette2006c5r

BigBry

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pint at Banff Ave Brewing on recent latest trip to Banff.
Clear Gold color, full head that left thin streaky lace. Good hop smell and flavors. Citrus, earthy, a bit herbal. Does not have the powerful grapefruit and pine of some other PA/IPAs, but are still right on. Malt base is present to prevent to much bitterness. Nicely done. Medium body, with a clean, slightly dry finish. Nice fruity hop after taste. A very drinkable IPA, I see why it is their flagship and most popular brand.

Serving type: on-tap

09-03-2010 03:58:51 | More by BigBry

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev 0%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

pint glass at the brew pub aug28 2010

A clear golden copper with very little carbonation and no chance for head or lace because my glass was filled right to the rim too the point where some of it ended up on my pants when the server passed it to me

S citrus hops with a little sweet bready malt and a bunch of pine

T not far from the smell, I rather like the pine and citrus flavors from the hops pretty good for a low alc% IPA

M fairly flat and thin nothing worth bragging about here

D smells and tastes good so that says something

after they teach the staff how to serve a pint and perhaps tweak it just a tad this one has potential. I was looking at the mans pint beside me and it was just caked with lace so perhaps if the foam had a chance this may have been a pretty looking beer. no matter how you look at it this gives Banff some hope for craft beer and I see this place doing well in the long run

Serving type: on-tap

08-29-2010 18:13:01 | More by wordemupg

Proteus93

Virginia

4.15/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Head Smashed IPA (Banff Ave)

A: Honey-golden, quite a nice clarity for an unfiltered brew.

S + T: Strong points for this brew... Citrus, leafy, and a little bit herbal. The hops aren't overly intense, but they still dominate over the malt backbone. Some piney notes in there that settle in quite nicely. It's shocking that this is the initial batch, because I feel they dialed it in pretty much perfectly. Again, that water is fabulous... It's like that in the West in general, though. Not that big, sticky bitterness (that can be tasty!)... but not an English with the sweet malts. Very nicely done.

M + D: Moderate carbonation, just right for the body and flavour. Medium body, a little slick, with a clean finish leaving behind just enough oily residue to carry the flavour on for a while longer. Pretty much spot on as far as an IPA goes, I'd say.

Serving type: on-tap

08-14-2010 18:38:02 | More by Proteus93