Once again, I find myself complaining about information on the label. I don't think that anyone uses the labels that I tag each of these reviews with, other than me, but I like to have them there and in proper order. This can tells me exactly what temperature to serve the beer, and it even goes out of its way to tell me that it's a 12 fluid ounce can. Thanks for that. I couldn't have guessed. What I actually can't guess is the 7.4% ABV of the beer that is inside the scan. I had to go rooting around on the Internet just to find out what label I should be using. Why is this secret information?
I have found that IPAs are curious style of beer. They can range in color pretty widely. This one, in particular, is a very dark shade for something that you would call pale. It's copper in color, and it produces a quite respectable head that is thick and sticky and leaves lacing on the sides. The aroma is strangely malt heavy. If I had to guess by the color and scent alone, I would have guessed that this is a double IPA. Fruits are in abundance, but the malt is a lot more predominant than a normal IPA. That's just the aroma.First sip is a lot more genteel than a double IPA would be. The fruits are here in skin more than meat, and a caramel malt is still bringing a heaviness that seems counter to what most IPAs go for. I see on the can that they say this is moving toward a West Coast vibe, and I'm inclined to agree. West Coast IPA's are not exactly the midpoint between an IPA and a double IPA, but they shy away from the kind of bright and energetic fruits that a New England IPA or a regular IPA would bring.
Tip-in is apricot, pine, and citrus with very little carbonation to speak of. The middle cranks carbonation up quite a bit, and it hits all over the mouth while tropical fruits join the aforementioned flavors with the caramel malt bringing a slightly musty but not particularly sweet control for the inherent bitterness of the hops. The finish brings the bitterness to the forefront while a pine resin seeps into fruit peels for the trail off.
Bottom Line: A bold IPA, and it is possibly too bold for me tonight.
2.25/5