Woody Organic IPA
Roots Organic Brewery

I was not into the Room temp presentation, but overall there was nothing spectacular about any of the beers. Very understated IPA

 

Pours a hazy dark orange with a big head that dissipates quickly. Big floral and grapefruit aroma. Flavor of citrus and pine needles, with some sweet carmel notes. The only problem I had with this beer is that it was fairly watered down, very weak body. The hops definitely make up for what it is lacking, but leaves the beer somewhat unbalanced. I typically do not have good luck with organic beers, but this was not bad.

Pours slightly hazed copperish amber with a thin head that almost immediately becomes a vanishing swirl. Minimal small lacing slides down the glass. Very "average"-looking.

The smell is musty wood (cedar?) with grapefruit and a hint of caramel.

The taste is of grapefruit with a tea-like spicing turning to wet tobacco leaf and musty wood. Astringent bitterness and a minty spicing that last well into aftertaste dominate with just the slightest bit of malt backing.

Medium-bodied and has a certain smoothness despite the raw hops. Nice mild to medium carbonation that helps the beer flow.

This is pretty raw. Bitter. I expect - and look forward to - hops in my IPA, but this is too lop-sided and I would like a bit more flavor accompanying the bitterness. Worth trying though, if you want a "hop fix".

On tap at Saraveza, a place I miss dearly, although I've only been gone a couple of weeks. Pours a see-thru but rather dark caramel amber with a finger of off-white head. OK retention and lacing. Interesting IPA. It starts off with a rather bold sweet malt/hint of charred wood combo, but the citrus/pine 1-2 punch build strength like a snowball clear to (and past) the swallow. Drinks like a bigger beer than it is. Good stuff.

On tap into an 8 oz. glass; while waiting for 'take away order' at Venti's Cafe, Salem, OR, 27 June 2009.

a: cloudy amber / dark cooper with minimal head
s: mild - slight aroma of piney hops / hints of citrus
t: piney / hoppy / intense / distinctive
m: dry, dry, dry und bitter / abrupt finish; the taste, in my sample, did not linger - not a bad thing
d: drinkable / notable / rich and intense but not a taste I will seek daily

Unique in my limited experience with the Pacific NW IPA cult beers. Memorable. I look forward to another pint in future. Not my daily pint; I be spoilt for choice at my local.

Just grabbed a bomber at Beaumont Market, poured into my Hopworks Tall Pint Glass.. I poured it slow.. and..

- Wonderful dark cloudy copper look.. looks like a west coast IPA. The head and foam is insane though.. kind of a poof of foam when opened... and it all immediately raced to the top of my glass... leaving 1 inch of brew... and about 7 of foam. Now as I have poured a few more times, the top looks like a scene out of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory.

- Great citrus hop notes and sweet caramel scent... smells smooth and refreshing.

- Great strength in the malt.. wonderful caramel profile.. candied like flavor.. and citrus fruity zesty hop.. with a nice bitter zinger as well.. really a well balanced IPA.

- Slightly chewy and oily feel.. bit dry, bittern afternotes..

- The taste is great, but a bit overcarbonated.. took forever just waiting to get a sip.. and I still got a foam mustache... has everlasting head that can be duplicated many times with the same glass of beer.

Chilled bomber into a glass. Another gift courtesy of end 0))) / ramnuts. Thanks again Frank!

A: Pours a slightly cloudy amber color. Poured with two fingers of foam that lasted for a few minutes before lapsing into a light film on the brew. Leaves some lacing behind.

S: A good balance of citrus hops, caramel malt, and a pepper sting. Interesting.

T: Follows the nose, but leans toward citrus hops with a slight pine character. Caramel malt comes in second and provides a contrasting sweetness. The finish is dry, with a nice pepper bite to it.

M: Medium bodied, with medium carbonation and an oily / resiny feel.

D: I thought this was an above-average IPA, but not an outstanding one. I love trying locals from elsewhere, so I'm glad I got to try it. Nothing about it makes me rabid, though.

Pours amber with a huge cream color head. Very good lacings. Nice piney hop aroma. Nice bitter piney earthy hops and a good amount of sweet rich malts. Relentlessly bitter but in an enjoyable way. Best organic IPA ever. Mouthfeel was good carbonation an smooth going down. Quite sessionable for an IPA with an abv of 6%.

A very smooth powerful IPA, Kind of cool it is Organic, I am not sure if this adds to the flavor of the beer, but the less pesticides and herbacides in my system the better. I have not been to the brewery recently but as I recall their winter seasonals are very tasty.

22oz bomber, purchased at Huckleberry's in Spokane for $5.19 about 6 weeks ago. First Roots beer to show up around here. No freshness date.

Dark amber/bronze color, a little cloudy. This would get higher marks in the appearance dept but for the fact that there was an insane amount of head for a beer that had not been disturbed for some time. This bottle had been placidly sitting in my fridge for several days, so I don't think it had a valid reason for being half foam. Granted, it LOOKED nice after I gave it 10 minutes for the head to fall, but it kinda sucks to have a glass half full when you had tried to pour a full pint.

Very citrusy in the nose. Also a little spicy and a (very) little caramel-ishly sweet. This marks the first time I've had a beer billed as an organic IPA that has actually featured a well-developed hop aroma. Usually they seem fairly anemic (Fish, I'm especially looking at you).

Citrusy, piney, and a little bit crisp in the hop flavor department. There's also a malt backbone to this, but it's sufficiently understated to keep you aware that this is an IPA. Dry at the swallow.

Medium bodied, with an oily, hop resin-y mouthfeel.

Definitely the best experience I've had with a beer marketed as organic. If it wasn't for the foam issues - and I noted this has been commented on by other reviewers - this would be an outstanding beer. I'll try it again, but I sure hope they fix this issue.

Pours a clear, dull copper color with a 1 finger white head that lasts for about 60 seconds before dissipating into a ring that leaves almost no lacing.

Aroma is of piney, spicy hops and grapefruit.

Taste is very hoppy - very peppery and bitter. Pineneedle tea and peppercorn abound, with an astringent grapefruit citrus tang on the back end. The malts really don't make an appearance until the ale warms significantly, and then as a slightly biscuitty undertone.

Mouthfeel is a bit oily, very spicy on the tongue. A good, sessionable IPA.

Had this beer in a 22 ounce bottle. Poured out with a nice foamy head that stuck around. Clear copper color with a spicy pleasant aroma. Definitely balanced forward with malt aroma rather than hop. I was hoping for more hop presence. My wife said that it smelt a little burned.

The taste was pleasant. Not overpowering with hop but definitely there. Spicy notes, almost peppery. Mouth feel was all right, good carbonation and tone.

Unique flavor, not what I was expecting from an IPA but nice. All in all a pleasant beer. Drinkable and unusual, not the flavor or aroma that you would expect from an IPA, but still nice.

Pours out all foam. Annoying. Once settled a bit the head is stiff and huge like meringue. Color is burnt orange and very clear.

Smells kind of like a orange rind, kind of rindy. Some caramel in the nose. Nothing spectacular.

First thing I notice about this beer is the acidic quality that it has. Very lemony and floral. Tons of bitterness all over the place. Once the carbonation has disappated a little then the sweeter maltier flavors are more pronounced and the twang reduced.

Mouthfeel is dry and astringent from the bitterness. Overall an okay IPA, I would have like to seen a little more balance in flavor and feel.

Found a 220z bomber of this at a local convenience/market down the street. Nice little find if I do say so...

Standard IPA copper with a good bit of cloudiness.

Spicy aroma, with some passion fruit and other nice notes.

Nice spicy hops, grapefruit bitterness and sour qualities, but theres also some great herbal florals in this one. Yum! A real good IPA in every respect.

Finish is good, but the aftertaste seems a bit sticky and mouthwatering puckering bitterness.

Good carbonation that foams up in the mouth and fizzy bubbles througout.

As a side note, Lynard Skynard is playing a concert at the outdoor venue/ampitheater down the street, and I can feel the rumble. Kinda weird...aren't they all dead in a plane crash or something? I had no idea they were still touring. I think i'll walk down to the river and listen for a bit. They'll probably play Freebird, right?

22 oz. bomber poured into my Meantime Snifter, Roots Island Red is murky dark copper with a large, creamy, bone colored head that leaves nice lace.

Smell is sweet malt, tropical fruit esters and floral hops, fairly restrained though well tied together. Reminds me a bit of incense.

Taste is much more bitter then the sweetness of the aroma, with a touch of sweet fruitiness before a blast of very spicy hops. I've had this before on draught over the last year or two and have never dug it. I really love some of Roots' beers, but their two bottled mainstays are probably my least favorite. Perhaps they're their original recipes? Regardless, I think they can use a refreshment, although this one is better then the Island Red IHMO. As this really warmed from ~45F towards room temp, it gained a nice rich maltiness, reminiscent of some small barelywines.

Mouthfeel is chewy and oily, with a full, malty body. Nice creaminess, although it's too astringent to be considered smooth.

Drinkability is average, not a great IPA, nor terrible, it takes a while to work through the bottle, and seems richer then it is. I really wish they made an IPA I loved, perhaps they can come through with a more aromatic DIPA.

Pours a beautiful copper orange with bubbly white head

rich, inviting aromas of grapefruit, crisp pine, slight biscuit malt

grapefruit upfront followed by crisp pine, good body, solid hops flavors and slight breadiness.

good, clean, crisp hop flavors lead to a good finish with the hops sticking on the palate. medium bodied or so, not over the top with the ibu's

very nice IPA. Good body and balance, not too piney or citrusy. a great quencher on a hot day

22 ounce bottle from La Bodega in Riverside for $4.99 in May, 2008.

Hugely carbonated orange beer- a huge head, then lots of streamers from the bottom keeing it big for a long time. Makes it hard to drink.

Aroma from these streams is a crisp, moderately fruity, moderately pine oily hop profile, and moderate bready malts.

Flavor is a nice orange danish, lightly sweetened at the beginning of the swallow, then switching to a strongly hopped oil ending. Rather sudden and rather surprising. One or the other may have been fine, but the two together are hard to take.

Overall, there are parts of this I like, but mainly I'll give this one a pass.

Light reddish amber in color with a neglible head. Nice hop aroma with a subtle sweetness. Taste is of toasted malt with a lingering hop bitterness. A mild citric twang from the hops appears towards the end. Some how I'm getting faint bitter chocolate notes as well. Straight ahead flavor profile that is slightly out of balance imo. Medium body with a slick feel on the palate. A better than average IPA.

Appearance: Pours a cloudy apricot color with a prodigious head that is filled with large bubbles that thoroughly lace the pint glass

Smell: Blasts the nostrils with a citrus and piney aroma; a deep sniff reveals a nice caramel base

Taste: Starts out with a touch of sweetness that is immediately overwhelmed by a piney blast that builds, mid-palate, to an almost intolerable level; after the swallow, a minty depth appears and the tingling pine sensation dances on the taste buds for a long time

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate, but prickly, carbonation

Drinkability: Full of flavor but a tough one to drink for all but the hardiest hopheads