This is an IPA from the Victory Brewing Company of Pennsylvania. The alcohol content is 6.7%. This one pours amber in color with a thick, off-white head with little lacing. The nose is spicy with a mix of floral scents, sweet malts, and hops (citrus as well). The beer is spicy upfront and the hops are strong and bitter (but not overwhelming). They are balanced nicely by the sweet malts. The alcohol is noticeable, but not obtrusive. The mouthfeel is medium-bodied, moderate carbonation, and finishes dry. This is another solid offering from Victory. I’m usually a harsh critic of IPA’s, but this is one of the better attempts.
On December 31, 2008, In Beer, By Mike
On October 19, 2008, In Beer, By Mike
This is an American IPA from Smuttynose Brewing Company of New Hampshire. I’ve been really impressed with offerings I’ve tried from them, so I gave this IPA a shot (not a favorite style of mine). The alcohol content is 6.6%. This beer pours a golden honey color with little to no head. The nose is all citrus (mostly grapefruit). The taste is dominated by hops – grasslike. No real sweetness of note to balance this one out. If you’re a hophead, you’ll like this one. I’m not a big fan of this beer, but this more due to the style than this particular beer.
On September 5, 2008, In Beer, By Mike
This is an American IPA from the Sierra Nevada Brewery in California. This 2008 version was released in August and pours copper in color with a foamy tan head. It leaves heavy lacing on the glass. The nose is a very strong blend of grapefruit, pine, and hops. The taste follows the scent pretty much with bitter hops, a little bit of pine, and a dry finish. The beer has an alcohol content of 5.9%. I didn’t realize this was an IPA before I grabbed it today. This style is not a favorite of mine – the hops are always overly done and the grapefruit/pine doesn’t work for me in beer. I won’t buy this one again, but that is an indictment more of the style than of Sierra Nevada Anniversary ale itself.
On June 5, 2008, In Beer, By Mike
This is an English India Pale Ale from the Samuel Smith Brewery in England. As was the case with the English version of the Pale Ale, the English IPA is noticeably subdued compared to its American counterpart (and in my opinion, this is a good thing). This beer pours a brilliant copper orange color with a foamy off-white head that dissipates fairly quickly. The scent is unique and made up of candy apples and floral contributions. The taste starts out with a sweet malt flavor and moves into slightly bitter hops. You can feel a little dance of carbonation on your tongue followed by a rather dry finish. The alcohol content is reasonable at 5%. As with the American versions, I prefer Pale Ales to IPAs. This was not a bad beer, but is off the mark a bit when compared to the Pale Ale by the same brewery. If you’re looking for big hops, you won’t find it in this IPA.
Recent Comments