So, can a pretty clearly East Coast brewery (pretty much anywhere in North Carolina is East Coast, right?) make a good West Coast IPA? Well, Hi-Wire has a very good record so far, and I fully expect it to extend today. Will it get lumped into the great beers like many of their beers have managed, or will we be able to hit the excellent category that they hit twice so far?
I normally start with the color, but today I'm going to ignore the fact that this is a deep yellow beverage with a good enough haze to it and go right to the meat of the matter. The lacing is going to be spectacular. The head isn't going to abandon the top of the beer, either, so this'll get full marks for presentation. The aroma is citrus, but it's quite distant. I have to get in there to really smell it.
First sip is tremendous. I think many of the beers I've had lately have gone from the deep alto of the barrel-aged stouts to the baritone sweet milk stouts or even several sweet soprano IPAs. Those were all lovely beers in their own right. Even the ones that I've had lately that only scored in the average category had some real life to them. This one is unmitigated West Coast IPA, and the bitter back end compliments the fruits in a dazzling way.
Tip-in is light carbonation and a relatively watery base upon which floats some grapefruit and orange. The middle swings by with increased carbonation and a swell of citrus spiked with some starfruit and possibly a bit of apricot. The finish is where bitterness seeps in, and it is a great balance to the otherwise light and fluffy taste.
Bottom Line: Cold beer. Cold night. ...cool.
3.75/5
