Centennial IPA
Cascade Lakes Brewing Co.

6.5% ABV

Appearance: (4.0)
- A very clear light copper penny color with fluffy fingers of light off-white head which has settled to a spotty thin blanket and lace all about the glass. Looks purdy.

Smell: (3.5)
- Pretty big caramel malt aromas. Sweet biscuity grain, light brown sugars, Grass herbal hops with a fruity touch. Little too husky and grain-like.

Taste: (3.5)
- Lightly sweet caramel malts. Fruit salad, husky grains, super light fruity bitterness with a side of earthiness and grassy lawnmower. Biscuit touch.. but a little too much on the caramel side of things for my taste.

Mouth Feel: (4.0)
- Light to medium bodied brew, well carbonated, easy to drink, and a bit drying from its nice bitterness. Very thin creamy feel to it as well. Overall this is at least easy to put down.

Overall: (3.5)
- This beer has some really high marks with the aftertaste, and bitterness/aromas combinations.. but the malt kind of brings it back down a notch. I'm thinking the hop bill is about perfect, but I prefer my IPA's to be far away from a big malty caramel profile. It's solid, and would maybe drink it if it were on tap somewhere.

 

22 picked up today at the Boise COOP by my wonderful wife... Poured into my Corsendonk tulip... great long lasting off white head produces drapes of lacing... the brew is clear pale orange.

Nose shows pretty vibrant citrus zest... more orange/tangerine than lemon.. a pretty pronounced bready pale malt profile adds some odd sweetness but somehow helps translate the hops a bit.

Again pale malts come front to back ... not overpowering, just a bit high IMO... citrus hops and a sorta minerally fruity note that reminds me of the Flintstone Vitamins my Mom made me take as a kid... the bitterness really comes in the finish as pretty pithy and dry... lingering grapefruit zest.

Body seems a touch heavy for an IPA of this ABV... carbonation is nice.. small bubble... but refreshing.

Interesting... pretty good.. not mindblowing.... perhaps needs to be dialed in a bit more.

4/3/3.5/3.5/3.5

Bomber poured into my large Duvel glass, Centennial IPA is clear orange with a big off-white head that leaves decent lace.

Smell is over-ripe tangerine, almost like dehydrated fruits.

Taste is modestly hoppy, and rather hot, with a dirty taste from the malts. Not to impressed with the execution here, it comes off a little amateurish.

Mouthfeel is dry, but a touch on the watery side.

Drinkability is ok, just a little off, not very exciting, could use more hops, cleaner malt, alcohol.

It pours a solid gold color with hints of copper. There is about an inch of white head atop of the beer.

It smells very mild. I get a bit of a sweet citrus smell that is paired with a bit of a caramel like smell. I would expect more of a hop like smell for an IPA especially one with 100 IBUs. This smells more like a malty pale ale.

It tastes much like the smell suggests, more malty then hoppy. Initially I get a bit of a mild sweet orange like flavor. This taste leads to a strong caramel like flavor.

The mouthfeel is somewhat smooth. The carbonation is about medium.

Drinkability is ok. It goes down easy enough but it is a bit of a bore to drink.

Overall a bit of a one dimensional boring beer. There really is not much about the beer.

Pours a warm golden color with a very brief appearance of a bright white head that disappears almost instantly. Aroma of mild bready malt and lightly fruity hops. Palate is more bready malt with a touch of honey, along with some hops that bring out a mild tropical fruit flavor. A light but noticeable vegetal undertone is present, too. Not too bad, but a little lacking in the distinctive character of the Centennial hop that I was expecting.

12/8/10

Extra received from mykie73, thanks! Poured into a snifter.

A: Appears bright medium golden with a 3/4 inch frothy off white head, pretty good retention, and some scattered lacing.

S: Fresh and bright, the hops are redolent of grapefruit, peach, orange, and tangerine. Pine resin is also noticeable, and there's a light sweetness. The malt is faint and restrained, barely there, reminiscent of cracker. Subtle floral notes are evident. The aroma is tame and delicate, requiring a bit of warming and coaxing, but when it reveals itself it is quite nice. That being said, it lacks the hop presence and depth I've come to expect from quality IPAs. This aroma might pass as good for a pale ale, but the hop character is too subtle and restrained for an IPA. STILL, I find myself enjoying it more and more up with each passing moment.

T: 100 IBUs? Really? The beer is moderately bitter, maybe. That's not a bad thing, but I expect more bitterness for a beer boasting 100 IBUs on the label. It really tastes like a hoppy pale ale, a moderately hoppy pale ale without much malt, though there is some ephemeral sweetness midpalate. Hops remind me of grapefruit, pine, and orange pith. The finish is dry, crisp, and bitter, devoid of any evident astringency. No alcohol is noticeable.

M: Upper light - Lower medium body with good carbonation. Dry and sticky mouthfeel.

Overall: An enjoyable and easy drinking IPA that I'm glad I was able to try. My review is somewhat erratic, but it reflects my shifting relationship with this beer. In the end, I was enjoying it quite a bit more than when I first opened it. It improved with warming or after opening up, or perhaps my palate just adjusted to it. Not the sort of beer you'd think twice about after a 4 ounce sample, but further drinking yielded increased enjoyment.

A new 22 oz/650ml bottle from the Cascade Lakes folks down in Redmond, Oregon (not to be confused with Cascade Brewing in Portland); poured to the 'Yards' pint glass. First time seeing this was a recent stop by Bridgetown BeerHouse (thanks ipafool for pointing it out).

'Fancy' label, all script and burgundy on weathered parchment... but then an out-of-place 'retro' bottlecap: 'Enjoy Cascade Lakes'. Weird dichotomy... No date or description on the label, just '100 IBUs ~ 6.5% ALC. by VOL.' and only a small logo on the left side.

A: Pretty copper-auburn, exceedingly clear/well-filtered. A fairly sparse amount of rising carbonation, small wanderers and a few steadier streams. Short head, hardly a finger of eggshell cream that recedes in a minute or two. Nice lattice-work of lace holds in broad rings.

S: Huh. Sniff. Sniff! SNIFFF! I expected a bounty of hops, but instead got a lackluster candied orange and sweet caramel. Served after 15-20 minutes out of the fridge, then sat many minutes more in the glass... still no big aroma. What's there isn't bad, it's just so very mild.

T: Sweet citrus and an underlying spice and bitter pith. There's some grass and hay and a definite malt sweetness (despite its 100 IBUs, this is NOT a powerful hop-bomb), then even more fruit (apple in particular). Balance is good, hops are strong enough, finish has some chalky bitterness.

M: Tiny carbonation writhes about and melts away. Medium body and a stickier coating and lip-smacking finish.

D: A good beer, simple and easy to drink. Don't know that it's able to live up to the expectations of a classy package, but that's ok. An easy one to finish, good flavor and reasonable strength. Would I have another? Sure. Do I HAVE to have another? Meh.