Firkin IPA
Old Capitol Brew Works and Public House

Beer Geek Stats
From:
Old Capitol Brew Works and Public House
 
Iowa, United States
Style:
American IPA
ABV:
Not listed
Score:
Needs more ratings
Avg:
4.45 | pDev: 6.07%
Reviews:
2
Ratings:
2
Status:
Retired
Rated:
May 20, 2005
Added:
Feb 05, 2005
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Ratings by neonbrown82:
Photo of neonbrown82
Reviewed by neonbrown82 from Nebraska

4.72/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
I've been waiting to get my hands on the Firkin for a while now, as the Firkin is tapped at 5:30 and is usually gone within an hour. Now that most of the students have gone home I finally got a try.

The beer is served in a nonick pint glass with a big billowy head and a great lacing. The appearance is a very hazy ruby/tangerine color. Looks good, and the haziness is only a hint at the dry-hopped blast of what's to come.

The smell is of grapefruit hoppy deliciousness, either cascade or amarillo. I could bury my nose in the glass all night, but I wouldn't be able to drink any of it in that case. My hefe-obsessed friend was at first decieved by the beer's appearance, but a small whiff and taste later he ordered a chronic smelling pint of his own.

The taste was even better than the smell. Grapefruity fresh with the perfect balance of malts so the hops don't get too overbearing by the end of the pint. I wanted to order another, but they were offering a Firkin Stout for the first time tonight, so I had to try that as well.

The mouthfeel was decent. A little bit on the lighter/watery side, but the taste and aroma more than make up for any minor mouthfeel issues. This is one of the most highly drinkable brews I've had, and by far my favorite from the Old Capitol Brew Works & Public House. Highly recommended if you happen to be in Iowa City on a Thursday late-afternoon (though the Firkin changes from week to week, whether they brew the IPA, Red, or any other of their regular line-up that would be suitable for a nice dry-hopping).
May 20, 2005
More User Ratings:
Photo of mentor
Reviewed by mentor from Colorado

4.18/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pint mug served from a firkin! Was surprised to see this option available and had to give it a whirl (I've listed this as 'cask-conditioned' as that's a closer description of a firkin than 'on-tap'). Pours a peach rust color with a tiny thin white head sat over the cloudy liquid. Smells richly cascade dry-hopped. Orange and grapefruit with some apricots. Smells sweet and a bit rough/grassy. Medium body and very mild carbonation (what do you expect, it's from a cask). Tastes rich grapefruity. Not much in the way of fruity esters and finishes mildly dry. Goodness there is a great aftertaste. Another sip revealed some rough cohumulone character that's nicely in balance with the hop bitter and grapefruit. In addition, the hops give the beer a honey-like or maybe piney sweetness. This beer has the freshest hop flavor I've ever tasted in a non-homebrew. It can't have been but a couple days out of dry-hopping. Could benefit from a bit more fruity flavors, as this beer is mostly about hops. As I said, the hop character is multi-dimensional in well-balanced. Nice job guys!
Feb 05, 2005
Firkin IPA from Old Capitol Brew Works and Public House
Beer rating: 4.45 out of 5 with 2 ratings