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Why no sir, I am not a West Coast IPA. Rather, I am a double IPA! Why would you ever think I was a West Coast IPA?
Well beer, you aren't fooling me. On the can, it says that you are a West Coast IPA, but your color would suggest that you are more likely a double IPA. The wet straw color is almost turning to brass in the middle with gold at the free ends. There isn't any lacing as the head boils down to a thin layer of bubbles that almost entirely covers the top of the beer with the familiar ring around the sides. The aroma is more bread dough and yeast than anything, and that is not typical of an IPA. Actually, I suppose heavier malt would make this right in line with a double IPA. The 7.3% ABV is getting close to the double IPA range, but I think it's still qualifies as being in the West Coast IPA range. You win this time, beer.
First sip seems like it's going to be a yeasty bread at first, but the rear end of the beer really goes nuts with spices and fruit esters. I was unprepared for the back end once I started to taste the sweet malt at the beginning. Ultimately, this beer may wind up being very good, but one descriptor I won't be using is balanced. Right now, this is heavily imbalanced, and that is likely by design. I'm not saying I dislike the beer, but that sip has really made me question what this beer is all about. Sounds like something a full swig can sort out.
Tip-in is carbonation, bread malt, yeast, some grapefruit, and flowers. That's just the tip-in, but there is already a lot of beer in this beer. The middle smooths out to a fairly delightful mix of sweet malt and bitter hops that bring notes of flowers and citrus fruits while the carbonation buzzes without being intrusive. The finish is the malt reasserting itself, but it's bringing bitterness with the flowers and fruit esters hanging on for the trail off.
Bottom Line: The middle is where the magics at.
3.25/5
