Busily aggressive draught version of Blue Hill’s India Pale Ale may be too rangy for its own good. Unexpected herbal whim (ginger-chamomile-mentholyptus) slips into honey-spiced fruiting contrasting lemon-soured grapefruit bittering. Dry pine and sweet spruce peak through leafy hop resin as lemon-sugared peach-pineapple-tangerine-nectarine tang and ancillary apple-spiced pumpkin pie regalia reach fruition.
Crossover for English India Pale Ale fans readied for hickory-smoked earthen peat dewiness and grassy-hopped vegetal snip crowding the usual Americanized piney grapefruit rind bittering. Sugar-caned crystal malting, honeyed cereal graining and toasted oats base contrast lemon-pitted dry spicing. A toned-down East Coast IPA best served to compromised Saranac fans.
Plush with citric, tropical and stone fruits, softly creamed medium body inadvertently juxtaposes Pliney The Elder IPA with Rogue Dead Guy, perfectly combining fruited hop bittering with biscuit-y caramel malting. Resinous earthen wood tone and mild orange-peeled juniper hop bittering amplify peach, pear, cherry, tangerine, mango, grapefruit, melon and cantaloupe tenacity. A floral-wafted dash of rose, dandelion and hibiscus underlie fruitful splendor to salty bottom.
Lighter aspects of advertised ‘Wheat’ profile, plus the lack of expectant IPA-like piney grapefruit bittering, puts this closer to a damn fine juicy-fruited pale ale. Brisk pineapple ripeness infiltrates mild grassy-hopped pine comb bittering, allowing lemon zest, naval orange, clementine, tangerine and passion fruit summering to grab hold of crisply citric moderation perfectly complementing sunny afternoon activities.
Approachable, softer-toned, canned IPA glides down the throat smoothly, intimating an admirable pale ale crossover. Moderate grapefruit-peeled pine comb bittering given a juniper pinch, contrasting lively pineapple, peach, apple and apricot fruiting to crisply mineral-grained bottom. Floral hibiscus, rose and daisy illusions flutter by sessionable summer treat.
First canned ale by Maine Brewery (circa 2011) is absolute hop-head delight! Piney Christmas tree waft matches “assertive hop profile” of bold full body. Expectant lemony grapefruit-orange rind bittering pervades juicy apricot-cherry-tangerine tang, picking up Granny Smith apple tartness alongside mineral-grained briskness. Honeyed caramel malting contrasts musty hop resin bottom of superfine fruit-enriched India Pale Ale.
On tap, approachable IPA brings brisk-watered tropical fruiting to creamy crystal malting, both of which contrast polite herb-spiced citric bittering. Ripe pineapple, peach and quince tang affects sun-dried plum, fig and date triage above mild grapefruit-peeled orange rind bitterness. Slight woody astringency at backend.
Leisurely wet-hopped India Pale Ale stays stylistically light, bettering most blandly unsweetened organic competitors. Freshly tilled earthen graining complements zesty grapefruit rind bittering, sharp herbal hop spicing, and resinous piney bottom. Silken crystal sugaring underlies mild stone fruiting. As it warms, honeyed peach, apricot tea, red cherry, lemon zest, passion fruit and a hint of mint find tertiary space.
Wonderful ‘American-styled’ barleywine-like India Pale Ale goes beyond any stylistic comparison, maintaining an easygoing ‘nugget hop’ appeal that won’t preclude softer palates. Stimulatingly sumptuous syrupy Scotch sweetness embraces bruised orange-cherry juicing and wafting orange blossom nicety. Tangy cantaloupe, peach, tangerine, melon and orange marmalade illusions sweeten cotton-candied marshmallow undertones. Way more expressive than coarser Scotch-licked orange fruited elixirs.
Trivial canned IPA with evaporative pine fruiting lacks specificity and character. Metallic sheen overrides distant pineapple-grapefruit snip and bland white-breaded graining. Perhaps closer to a British IPA with its dryer grain mash and saltier earthen bottom.
