
First sip is exceedingly mild. It's not offensively watery, but it's lacking any kind of hop-based bitterness that I normally associate with IPAs. It doesn't even have the more laid-back, immanently drinkable hop twist from a West Coast IPA, either. It has the fruitiness, but it's just so at ease with itself that it doesn't really know what it's doing. This should be labeled as an All Day IPA, as far as I can tell at this point. Well, that's what a sip tells me; what will a swig say?
Tip-in is mango and lemon with some grains under it all. The middle brings a bit of carbonation into the mix, but it doesn't overwhelm - nor does the flavor, for that matter. It's a simple kind of fruity meat and some cracker malt. The finish comes along with a hint of bitterness and a surge of the same fruit and grain flavors that I sensed in the beer before, and then it trails off nicely.
Bottom Line: A very nice beer that could be gulped all day long without hating the mild taste or even getting drunk (with the 4.5% ABV).
3.0/5