AleSmith IPA - AleSmith Brewing Company

FlyingBull

California

4/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed this beer from cask at Small Bar in SD. I liked it much better than in bottle, and even regular tap.

A - Very fine carbonation as a cask beer. Slightly cloudy (cask beer!), hazy orange gold body. It had a very fluffy white head with great retention and lace. When first poured, it looked like it was on nitro, the carbonation was so fine and took so long to settle.

S - Nice, bright citrus aroma followed by piney fresh woody hops.

T - It had a very strong grapefruit bitterness, and piney notes at the front, followed by a style appropriate bitterness, and a nice lingering piney hop aftertaste.

M - As a cask pour, it had very fine and nice conbonation.

O - On cask, it is a very nice and solid IPA that can hold it's own to Pliney and others. (Like many of this style, I DO wish it were lower in alcohol though.)

Serving type: cask

09-07-2012 03:01:25 | More by FlyingBull

oggg

California

4.1/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

O'Briens

Holy schmoley! The cask version of this already potent IPA is a real treat. This beer is marginally hazier, with a softer smaller head. The aroma is out of this world. It was pretty darn good out of the bomber, but this version must be heavily dry hopped or something. Huge aroma of pine and citrus. On the tongue, the carbonation is softer and the hop presence is more vegetal and green. This greenness partially obscures the luscious malt backbone of this beer.

Overall: Beautifully aromatic on cask. Wonderfully malty in the bottle. I MUST re-taste the tap version. I bet I'll get the best of both worlds...

Serving type: cask

01-30-2005 06:34:28 | More by oggg

flyingpig

United Kingdom (Scotland)

4.63/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Bottle from Brewdog.com Online Shop (650ml, £7.55):
Dark golden colour with a great, two finger sized and foamy white head on top that looks to hold pretty well initially. There is some lacing left on the sides of that glass and the beer is a clear looking one.

Fruity with tonnes of tropical fruits on the nose to begin with, there is also a touch of spice and a solid, juicy aroma along with some nice, lighter pine hops and some bitterness.There mango and citrus along with some sweet malts, caramel, mango and some grapefruit.

Sweet malts and caramel upfront with some pine hops and grapefruit giving a sweet, medium strength bitter taste. The beer is a great one with plenty of tropical flavours coming through that includes some mango, orange and tonnes of hops yet the bitterness levels are not too strong.

Medium bodied and very smooth with an almost creamy mouthfeel and good, strong carbonation. There is some sweetness and a medium bitter finish.

Probably the best beer I've ever had, this one is as close as I've come to perfection in a beer. Starting with a great tropical fruits and pine hop aroma that matches the taste. The pine hops taste is amazing, coupled with the fact that the beer isn't overly bitter makes this truly outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 18:53:49 | More by flyingpig

tronester

Oklahoma

3.73/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clear golden orange, with a thin off white head. Smells of orange peel and some caramel. The flavor begins with some grapefruit rind, then some light caramel, then some grain, and finishes with a weed, piney, herbal flavor. Good mouthfeel. Overall a good IPA.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 03:23:17 | More by tronester

SanDNigel

California

4.4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

A- Copper-gold, completely clear, minus a few tiny suspended particulates. Creamy white head evolved into a just as creamy foam layer
S- Malty followed immediately by a good hop smack. Deep, dark hops. Grape (like the flavor not the fruit as much)/lemon, pine
T- Hops first malt second in the mouth. So balanced. The bittering/floral aspects of the hops are damn near perfectly executed.
M- Exactly how a nice IPA is supposed to be for me. Nice, even, smooth carbonation that coats the tongue paired with a robust wetness
This is a great beer. One of my favorite IPA's in San Diego. IT IS better than GOOD. Sooo perfectly balanced and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 23:04:56 | More by SanDNigel

beerthulhu

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

A: Autumn orange has a fair clarity revealing a strong and steady carbonation that rises like micro-beads on a string. The head towers at over 2 inches high, has a dull eggshell white coating with a rocky marshmellow structure that showed a lenghty amount of pause and retention and was mostly lasting throughout the course of the drink. Heavy thick foam band lacing encompasses the vessel for lace while upon further inspection some yeasty goodiness of micro sized particles can be witnessed suspended about.

S: The aroma was sweet upfront, with some fresh oranges, a hint of tropical juice, and some fresh juicy citrus. Small hint of lime and speciality grains backing with a moderate level of awareness.

T: Flavor was sweet upfront much like the nose from the ample supply of speciality grains. Sweet, toasty mixing with some citrus juices, warm toast, and semi-dry grapefruit. Theres a hint of tropical juices as with the nose, some fresh juicy citrus hops, and a good deal of malt depth. Spicy hints, some spruce and pine, floral notes with a noticeable amount of toffee-butterscotch sweetness coming late in the game.

M: Mouthful was creamy with a nice depth of maltiness, Average rate of carbonation, malty, with some toffee/caramel off the tongue.

O: Overall a solid IPA, spicy, sweet, toasty, very well balanced with the hops and malt making for an incredibly easy consumption rate. Some tropical and fresh citrus juiciness, nice presentation visually. Definite worthy.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 00:09:42 | More by beerthulhu

lsummers

California

4/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap it has a fantastic one finger white head that leaves some sticky lacing. A hint of cloudy golden color.

Smell is well balanced with a tropical fruit slightly pine hop note with some slight cereal grain and caramel sweetness. Mostly the hops shine through, but do so very nicely.

Tastes of grape fruity herbal slightly piney hops with some great caramel malts. Well balanced and highly drinkable. Each sip is better than the last.

Mouthfeel is clean and slightly sticky. Somewhat viscous. Medium carbonation keeps this one drinkable.

Overall, this ones a fantastic west coast ipa. Well balanced, interesting, and tasty.

Serving type: on-tap

05-05-2013 17:56:02 | More by lsummers

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

4.58/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

Appearance: It has a nice clear golden/yellow-orange color to it. It has a nice thick off-white head that dies down moderately and leaves nice lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitely give out hints of citrus, grapefruit, mango, piney hops and burnt caramel malts.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has a some citrus, grapefruit, mango (very tropical), some piney hops and sweet caramelly malts.

Mouthfeel: It has a low/medium carbonation with a very nice overall balance and feel.

Drinkability: It's a very smooth drinkable beer accompanied with great flavors and aromas.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 20:40:31 | More by SebD

arfenhouse

California

3.71/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5

Looks like I bought an older bottle... lots of yeast sediment floating around.

A: Hazy copper with off-white head. Retention is good with a bit of spotted lacing.

S: Spicy hop, orange, some peach, and a good amount of sweet malt.

T: The age shows up here: has a good amount of caramel malt but the hop profile is lacking. A bit watery (no apparent flavor) around the middle. A touch (barely) of tangerine and some pine in the aftertaste.

M: Medium bodied with medium full carbonation. Good dryness.

O: Wish they had some sort of dating information on the bottle. Still decent despite being an old bottle.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 07:37:51 | More by arfenhouse

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

I got one of these for $6.50 from Halftime beverage. Poured into a pint glass.

A - A fairly clear orange yellow with a solid 1/4 inch of head that sticks around with some great lacing. Some floaties throughout so it's either a tad old or bottle conditioned.
S - Some piney hops, touch of English tea like malts, a bit of gram cracker, and more piney hops.
T - Has a solid hop presence kind of like Dogfish head's 60 minute. The hops do cling to the palate and has a sweet enough crystal malt and gram cracker like malt presence to keep it from being too bitter. A very approachable IPA.
M - Great balanced bitterness meets a light to medium body. Goes down smooth.

Overall I could see why this got such great reviews. Heck I almost drank a full glass by the end of this review. Not the cheapest IPA but a very tasty one worth trying at least once. Psyched to try the nut brown and X pale ale I got also.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 22:31:59 | More by DrDemento456

SLeffler27

New York

4.11/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Clear amber with occasional carbonation under a three inch, off-white foam that slowly turns creamy as it settles to one inch, leaving a uniform film of webbing on a Cisco Fisheye pint glass.

Big pine aroma with orange mixed in. This is not subtle at all and warms to add a creamsicle aroma.

The flavor is quite subdued, given the aroma. Bitter with prominent grapefruit and mild light tea. There is almost no finish for about 20 seconds, then a mild bitterness comes out.

Soft carbonation and a light-to-medium body combine to leave a slight texture and a slight metallic sensation.

This is a very approachable IPA which delivers the full experience without being extreme. One coule easily enjoy a full bomber with pulled pork on a bitterly cold winter’s day.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 21:15:18 | More by SLeffler27

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

4.31/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle, thanks to doktorzee for once again schleppin' this back across the 49th parallel for yours truly.

This beer pours a hazy, pale golden yellow hue, with three fingers of puffy, melted marshmallow off-white head, which leaves some random chunks of unfamiliar continental lace around the glass as it slowly and evenly recedes.

It smells of zingy grapefruit and blood orange pith, a somewhat musty tropical fruit cocktail (pineapple and underripe mango most prominent), resinous wet pine needles, bready, kind of crackery caramel malt, and a further floral, leafy hop bitterness. The taste is more aged grapefruit, navel orange, guava, pithy pineapple, and warmed lemon fruitiness, a peppy coniferous pine astringency, restrained, but hardly quarter-giving grainy, caramel-tinged pale malt, a light white pepper spiciness (I know!), and further leafy, pleasantly perfumed hops.

The bubbles are generally well rendered - soft, but supportive at the same rate, the body an agreeable medium weight, if just a bit on the light side, and mostly smooth, the lingering hop essences hard to totally dispel. It finishes mostly dry, the acerbic hops really holding it over the game, but outmatched malt.

One tasty mother of a west-coast Yankee IPA, hoppy as all get-out, with damned-near every fruit native between the Gold Coast and the PACNW represented. This is not meant to omit the commendable 'balance' achieved here by the plucky malt, as without it, the drinkability would surely suffer. Highly worthy, and genuinely deserving of the hype, this one is.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 03:33:19 | More by biboergosum

M_C_Hampton

Georgia

4.64/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A: poured from a 22 oz bottle into a nonic pint glass, beautiful copper amber color with a huge yellow-white head that lingers leaving good lacing, clear

S: heavy floral and pine hop smells, grapefruit, tropical, mango, papaya, pineapple

T: floral and pine with less fruit than expected, quite bitter, grapefruit, lemon, tart and bitter yet refreshing

M: medium bodied, alcohol well hidden, crisp finish, higher carbonation

O: an excellent IPA with a terriffic nose, flavors are presented smoothly which keeps this beer refreshing, thanks to Candi for hauling this one back from Cali

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 02:44:11 | More by M_C_Hampton

Hendry

Vermont

4.6/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

From the moment you pop the top on AleSmith IPA, you get the sense from the nose, even from the bottle, that this has potential for enjoyment. The pour was relatively average with a two finger head that disappeared pretty quickly but did leave nice lacing.

Not really clear-as-a-bell, nor is it truly cloudy off-orange either.The nose is hop forward with notes of grapefruit,tangerine,pineapple and a nice balance of malt presence: carbonation is right on the money.

Flavors are that of a well crafted West Coast IPA: the grapefruit/pineapple/tangerine that are in the nose are also what hit your palate with an exceptionally well balanced malty caramel smack to it,very little alcohol presence and a terrific aftertaste that is on the dry side and invites you back for another sip. Mouthfeel is on the thinner side of medium and bottom line is that this IPA stands out head and shoulders amongst others in the same price range or even higher.

The ratings are high on this nicely crafted IPA, and they deserve every bit of it. Don't let the plain Jane packaging on this bomber turn you off: make this one next on your list to buy if you really enjoy not just tropical fruit hoppiness, but an exceptionally well balanced Ale. Two thumbs way up.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 04:06:11 | More by Hendry

jibbyvonjibb

California

4.16/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

13 days old (bottled 3/14/2013).

Orange color. Fairly clear. In the aroma, tropical fruits stand out, like mango and pineapple. Of course, grapefruit and citrus fruits are there. So is resiny pine. Body is medium, on the lower end for IPA's (about Pliny level) without being thin. The mouthfeel is quite creamy. Long dry finish. This is one of my favorite IPA's.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 01:45:13 | More by jibbyvonjibb

rickyleepotts

Arizona

4.05/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 4.25

I haven't had a lot of AleSmith beers, but I am excited to try the IPA. I actually ordered the Speedway Stout the other day, but it was a small sample and I wasn't focused on reviewing the beer. That beer is on the list, and we have a bottle in the fridge just begging to be consumed. That one is coming soon; I promise. Today we are reviewing the AleSmith IPA, and from what I can tell, an IPA that is just packed with citrus flavors all the way around. I was teaching a beer class earlier last night at Total Wine & More, and we talked about India Pale Ales and how the hops used can affect the aroma and the flavor of the beer. Just visit San Diego if you want a tour of hops, as San Diego is a region just exploding with hops right now. The beer manager said, "It's hard to order a salad in San Diego without hops." He's right! Being a hop head, I'm OK with it… and I am curious to see what AleSmith has done with their IPA. Oh, and they are also located in San Diego. Coincidence?

In the Glass: I think they bottled a wheat beer. This doesn't look like an IPA at all. I guess wheat beers are a little more hazy, but this is light in color and I can basically see right through it. The head is sticking around, and was a pillowy white when I first poured the beer. It is also producing a really nice lingering lace. Looks like something I could drink all day long, and with that ABV, I might!

Speaking of that ABV, it is not common seeing a bomber with a low ABV like that. Most brewing companies will toss their bigger (higher ABV) beers in bombers. Not sure why… but that is just a trend I have noticed in the craft beer industry.

Nose: Imagine taking an orange, a bag of hops, and tossing them in a blender. That is what this beer smells like. I am serious, if you haven't smelled a citrus forward IPA before, do yourself a favor and grab a bottle of this. It's only $5.99, and worth every penny just for the aroma. I like smelling beers because you can basically taste the beer without much effort. That is the case with the AleSmith IPA. Very impressed with this nose.

Flavor: That is exactly what I expected this beer to taste like. There are a lot of bubbles up front making way for all of the hoppy goodness. If you did a blind taste test with someone, and asked them, "Is this an American IPA or an American Double IPA?" I guarantee most palates would confuse this with a double. The finish is nice and the hops really linger. That is one negative thing about this style; it destroys your palate. Green Flash releases the Palate Wrecker every year, and I would like to see them change the name to Palate Destroyer. It's more fitting!

Mouthfeel: Not a big fan of the mouthfeel. There are WAY too many bubbles here. I wonder if aging the beer for a few months, or aging this in bourbon barrels, would help. I am sure it would help… but I am not sure AleSmith does that. Anyway, the bubbles are almost too powerful for me to finish, and there is no way I am going to swish this around in my mouth to see what happens. (OK, I did. It did open up and produce a lot more flavor… but I almost had to spit it out because it was like swishing a mouthful of champagne. I do not recommend doing that on this particular bottle.) After you get past the bubbles, the mouthfeel thins out, and the beer slides down nice and balanced. If they could figure out the initial carbonation on this, it would become a top 10 IPA simply for the hop profile and the aftertaste.

Aftertaste: In the class last night, when we were talking about this style, I told the guy we could line up 10 different IPAs, and they all 10 would smell and taste different simply because of the hops they use. The aftertaste is also something that is affected by the hops used. I am not sure the hops used in this, but this is one of the better aftertastes I have experienced with an IPA. It hits with a ton of fruity notes, then quickly becomes dry. It just sits there, and with every swallow, you just taste an intense amount of hops. Palate Wrecker is the same way. Drink that and try to taste anything for the next hour. You will simply taste hops. Lick a hop… that is the Palate Wrecker. The hops aren't that bad here, but do leave me with a nice, lingering finish that I just keep wanting to taste.

This is one of my first beers from AleSmith, and I can't wait to drink more. The Speedway Stout is coming up next, and we also have a bottle of Decadence in the cellar. That beer, along with several others we have stored, will get better with time. We are in no rush to finish the 1001 bottles list, so we will let those sit for a couple of years. If you are a fan of this style, I highly recommend this beer. Just a well balanced, sans the initial shock of carbonation, IPA that leaves a long and delicious aftertaste. Keep it up, AleSmith!

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 23:08:52 | More by rickyleepotts

writerLJBerg

Oregon

4.25/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

22oz bottle from my local New Seasons. Bottle dated from 2-21-13

A: Lovely shade of orange and copper. Dense head with a bog of bubbles. Has good carbonation rising through the glass.

N: Resonant grapefruit in the nose. Pineapple and pine are layered underneath. Citrus forward with a bitter base to prop it upright.

T: Tangerine, conifer, and a hint of caramel malt. Some pineapple and grapefruit. Layers of bitterness and sweet dough. Has the type of biting bitterness complemented by just a touch of sweetness and a perfect amount of the tropical.

M: Sticky and biting with lively carbonation.

O: This is extremely satisfying. A perfect afternoon sipper. I think I'm going to finish the entire bottle myself and crave more.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 21:37:53 | More by writerLJBerg

Beerandboards

New Mexico

4.18/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bomber into a pint glass

A - copperish color, aggressive pour produces a lot of foam, retains for quite a while, lots of lacing.

S - lots of effervescent citrus. Lemon dominates, orange, some tropical notes as well.

T - follows the nose, light bodied citrus with a very clean and slight malt backbone. Just enough malt to give some body to the hops. Everything is sort of a passive flavor, in a good way. Easy drinking, nothing really comes out and tries to bowl you over. Great light citrus flavor throughout.

M - nice. Medium carb medium body, little bit of oily hoppiness from the hops leaves a nice aftertaste.

O - really a very good IPA. Not a stunner, but something I would order consistently if it were available where I am. Would love to try it on tap.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 04:36:24 | More by Beerandboards

kaseydad

California

4.46/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

Finally trying this after numerous fly-bys.

Pours a very nice dark amber colored ale. Almost peach. Big fluffy off-white head. Impressive. Mucho sediment on the bottom of bottle.

The smell has a lot of tangerine, orange, pine, pineapple and floral whiffs. Light hops.

The taste is very balanced. Fruity and hoppy on the first taste with a well done malt backbone to even out the ride. Light bittering, salivating aftertaste. I must say I am very impressed with the balance here. They nailed it for the style.

Big and chewy mouthfeel.

Overall I was very impressed with the entire session. This IPA is very well done. The balance of the malt and hops is almost to perfection. A lot of IPA's are leaning on either side but the Alesmith crew schooled the competition in this style. Very refreshing and ABV is well done for enjoying more than one at a session. Bravo.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 00:57:26 | More by kaseydad

flydudehsv

California

5/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a cloudy apricot glazed amber with a quickly disappearing head..The aroma was extremely piney and had strong notes of wet freshly cut grass, grapefruit...starts with a nice balanced bitter grapefruit flavor, showing subtle piney notes but remaining quite balanced. I used to think this beer was more over the top, but its surprisingly balanced..maybe a tad bit too much...maybe....Alcohol is completely hidden though...and its not as sticky as some IPAs can be. A really good IPA, one of my favorites.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 07:17:48 | More by flydudehsv

timc100

Illinois

4.64/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

approx 2-3 week old bottle. AleSmith finally in IL! Couldn't be happier, now just to get HotD here...

A: Pours a slighty hazy bright orange with a foamy white head.

S: Best smelling non-imperial IPA I've come across. Big west coast notes of pine, bitter and sugared grapefruit peel - dryness. Huge dank skunky pineapple and mango astringent notes pound through. Fantastic stuff

T: Great balance between crisp, refreshing, dry bitterness from the pine and grapefruit, and the dank sweet tropical fruit flavors. Will load up come summer

P: Feels like a refreshing IPA. Light to medium body, active carbonation and dry. My preferences lean towards a bigger body and more of a resinous gloss-lingering affect on the mouth, but nothing wrong with this. Great for summer

O: This is a game changer. I have been drifting away from non-imperial IPA's but this brings me right back - big (relatively), complex and refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 17:08:48 | More by timc100

JMScowcroft

Vermont

4.86/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

AleSmith Brewing Company - AleSmith IPA - 1pt 6fl oz bottle

First off, don't be fooled by the simplicity of the branding here, this brew is one of those brews that everyone should try.

Look - Pours golden with an amber hue and a slight foamy head that dissipates quickly. Great lacing. Filtered with moderate carbonation.

Smell - Sweet with grapefruit and resinous hops, very appetizing.

Taste - Smooth, almost creamy with a great integration between the malt and piney hops. Slightly bitter at the end, just right.

Mouthfeel - Wow, this is insanely drinkable and rests ever so gently on the palette. Alcohol content is nowhere to be seen and that is a highlight.

Overall - One of the best overall brews I have ever had. I am pleasantly surprised with the quality of this brew and highly recommend it.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 12:49:25 | More by JMScowcroft

vkv822

Oregon

4.31/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

22oz : tulip

Clear bright, copper orange with a thick, foamy white head and nice webbed lacing.

Big juicy, citric grapefruit hops upfront, crisp clean hop character.

More grapefruit hops upfront with a faint pale malt backing.

Medium body with prickly carbonation and a faint hop oil feel.

Really nice IPA, as it has a big juicy hop character, but maintains a crisp, clean feel.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 08:13:25 | More by vkv822

dar482

New York

4.95/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Had this on tap at Rattle and Hum. It comes in a beautiful amber color with a frothy finger of head.

The smell is fresh and crisp, along with the flavor. The taste is huge. It has a wonderful swirl of grapefruit, citrus, and a bit of pine. There isn't much bitterness at the end and the explosion of hop flavor makes this one of my favorite IPAs. It has a good smooth, almost creamy, body for a lot of drinkability.

Serving type: on-tap

03-03-2013 08:16:58 | More by dar482

rringler

California

4.39/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A: Clear, dark amber, with very fine particulates in suspension. About a finger's worth of off-white head, that sticks around pretty well and leaves good lacing.

S: Strong malts, though there some floral/grassy smells in there too.

T: You can taste the herbal/spicy hops from the beginning, and they continue all the way through the taste. Starts kind of malty sweet but finishes with a moderate amount of bitter hops. No boozy taste from the 7.25% abv.

M: A little lighter than some other IPAs. Good to good+ carbonation, and a little quicker due to the lighter body.

O: A pleasant surprise. I'll be honest; I passed on this one a few times because of the very plain bottle labeling, but the contents are excellent. Another great IPA.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 21:09:03 | More by rringler