Tailgate Southeast IPA

When I picked up a few Tailgate beers last time I was at the store, it didn't even occur to me to look up how well the previous Tailgate beers had done in my reviews. See, when I started this blog, it was mostly just to keep a record of what I thought of the beers. I can't tell you if you will like a beer - I can only tell you if I liked it.

The bright yellow-gold beer has a suitably sticky head that leaves enough lacing to set it's claim as an IPA. It's surprisingly pretty clear, rather than thickly murky as many of the recent IPA entries have been. The aroma is citrus and pine hops with a fair amount of backing from the bready malt. So, we have the right ingredients for a great IPA.

First sip is pretty freaking awesome. It has some slick mixture of hops and that bread malt that results in a sweet and fruity beer with the pine managing to add a bitterness that makes this way too complex to just sip, doesn't it?

Tip-in is medium carbonation burn right on the tongue while the bread and citrus assert themselves. The middle is more of the same, but the carbonation slows down dramatically. The finish brings the pine into play, and the sweetness and bitterness dance their way off into the distance.

Bottom Line: Entertaining and strong.

4.0/5