Burial "Hawkbill" IPA

I don't know who names their brewery Burial, but I like where they're going. It reminds me of the Church Brew Works that I went to a couple times when I was in Pittsburgh. They had taken an old church and retrofitted it to make it a brewery. There were some fringe complaints about it being sacrilegious, but the beer made up for that. I don't know why the name of this puts me in this mind.

The thick orange brew has noticeable amounts of white detritus that settles at the bottom of the glass while the good-sized head dissipates into a patchy cover that leaves just enough lacing to be identifiable as an IPA. The aroma is orange and grapefruit with pear and coriander rounding things out; it's a good presentation.

First sip is dry and tart, but the juices keep bitterness at bay. The effect is kind of smooth, but it's not crisp or clean. If anything, it's muddled and dirty, but the dryness evens the beer out.

Tip-in is very tart, orange, grapefruit, and light carbonation. The middle rolls with heightened carbonation, but a mix of juices under it instantly remove the tartness in favor of their joyous mix of orange, tangerine, grapefruit, and coriander. The finish is an abrupt dryness followed by tartness before the very dry trail-off.

Bottom Line: Could use a bit of work, but it'll do for now.

2.5/5