Gate City "Carl Black Roswell" IPL

This is my third Gate City beer. The first one didn't work out so well. That one was a double IPA, and that particular style is much more likely to get a good rating from me than an IPL. BUT, the IPA was very good, so I'm filled with hope for this fairly rare style of lager.

The yellow beer has a burnt orange tint to it under the thick, foamy head. The head is stickier than a normal lager head, and it looks pretty nice. The aroma is a sweet citrus covering a bready malt. It's a good presentation, and I'm up for it.

First sip is not great. Where is the sour coming from? The sour is joined by tart and it is adding to the mix of citrus, off-putting bread with a thick crust, and resin to create a very unpleasant result that actually made me involuntarily cringe when I sipped it, as it is the opposite of sweet - and sweet-ish was what I expected.

 Tip-in is carbonation sizzle right at the front of the tongue while the tart citrus and pine intermingle with a bit of bitterness. The middle is an uptick of the carbonation to a burn that mostly covers the citrus, bread, and pine flavors, but the tart comes through. The finish is a god-awful sour-tart-bitter dust of ick.

Bottom Line: Honestly, guys, just stop trying to make IPLs a thing.

0.25/5