Bearded Iris "Searchlight" IPA

My love affair with Bearded Iris is well documented. The number of IPAs and DIPAs that I've had from them is astonishing, and I enjoy reviewing even the few I don't like. Their signature seems to be the hazy beers that try to find the limits of particular styles and then flow right back to the center to find what is really good about them. I like their attitude and gumpshin.

The familiar cloudy, light yellow beer reminds me of why I like this brewery. The fact that it didn't form much of a head and there will be no lacing today fills me with grief, though. The few bubbles scattered about the top of the beer do little to assuage my discontent, but the aroma of spiky citrus brings everything back around. Wow. The presentation was a roller coaster. What will the actual sip be like?

First sip is a beer with personality. I mean, the reason I like the beers from these guys isn't, it turns out, that they're all stellar. Their ratings are very much lumped toward the average, but I always find myself looking forward to the next one I find. The reason is summed up by this sip; it's not blowing me away, but it has spunk. The citrus has a punch, the carbonation has a grit, and the bitterness is solid yet tempered.

Tip-in is fruits and more fruits with a dryness I don't normally associate with them; papaya, orange, grapefruit, and tangerine are all filling the mouth right up. The carbonation spikes at the roof of the mouth as the middle rolls down the tongue with the fruits getting somewhat muted over a fairly benign malt. The finish is awash with the spritz of a thousand fruits and the dryness of a Nevada desert.

Bottom Line: Like most of their beers, it has character and is good.

3.0/5