Panther Creek "Porchlyfe" American IPA

This is not my first Panther Creek beer. When I picked this up at my favorite beer slinger's, I knew that he goes out of his way to carry local beers, but he is certainly willing to go pretty far out of his way to give brewers from around the country a good shot. The previous beer from them was very good, but it was a milk stout. An IPA is actually easier to brew, but that doesn't mean the end result is always going to be particularly good. Still, if Jeremy liked it enough to carry it in growler form, it stands a good chance of being a good beer.

The very amber beer has an off-white head that isn't particularly voluminous, and it dies down to a spatter of bubbles across the top and clinging to the sides that are very, very tiny. While the appearance gave me a fright that this would be more of an amber or red, the aroma dispels that misconception. The aroma is festooned with hops and what smells to be a caramel malt. It is a very good first impression. Let's see how this goes.

First sip is oddly tart mixed with the anticipated bitterness. The caramel malt is most decidedly there and is a commanding and imposing presence. Still, the floral and pine hops seem to be winning the battle. I've gotten so used to juicy hops and hazy IPAs that I tend to automatically assume the hops are going to be very citrus or tropical, and this beer is not bringing that. Instead, it has a more demure character that actually seems to be fitting my mood particularly well. Let's see if a gulp does, too.

Tip-in is sedate in its presentation with the caramel malt getting a little cracker in it and lined with very light flowers. The middle approaches with an increase in carbonation as the malt lowers its volume and the pine and floral rise up; the mood still isn't spoiled, and the beer is still very relaxed. The tartness comes in with the finish as the malt secedes entirely to allow the flowers and pine to spark bitterness before their departure.

Bottom Line: Much like it's color, I would say this is a good alternative to an amber for a relaxed drink.

2.75/5