Full Nelson IPA - Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

IPA with Nelson Sauvin, at IH Lancaster in a mug.

A: Amber colored with a web of milky white head accumulating around the lip. That head goes wispy but lasts through most of the mug.

S: The nose needs some time to warm up. Too cold at first, the hops are a morass of bitterness, lacking the lemony flavor of Sauvin. Plenty of caramel hangs around to pick up the slack though. Only as the ale warms, say the last half of the mug, do the lemony citrus flavors become a more apparent. By the end of the glass, the tropical flavors are more intense.

T: Well-balanced, even when too cold and malt-centric. Caramel and bread set the stage, the hops following quickly. At first they are non-descriptly bitter, maybe even a little old. But as the ale warms things change. The Nelson Sauvin brings fruitiness, lush citrus and lemon, that increases as time passes. The lushness takes the place of the 'old' tastes, a strong finish to the ale. The last few gulps were piquant and delicious - just allow it to warm up.

M: Oily and bready, gradually moving exclusively to the oily side. A nice beer that showcases, in the last third, the power of the Nelson Sauvin hop.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, 781 Harrisburg Pike, Lancaster

06-17-2012 01:04:14 | More by akorsak