West Coast Session IPA
Hideout Brewing Company

 

 

I picked up a bottle of Hideout's West Coast Session IPA last week at Boyne Country Provisions. It's been awhile since I've had something hoppy from the the Hideout and I thought I would take a chance on this one, so lets see how it goes. 2015 Vintage. Beer 24 Batch 2. Poured from a brown 22oz bottle into a imperial pint glass.

A- The label looks ok, it's pretty plain and simple, it's not too eye catching. It poured a muddy light caramel color that took on more of a ruby amber color when held to the light with a half a fingers worth of bubbly off white head that died down to a thin ring that eventually faded away and it left some spotty lacing behind. This is a decent looking, but the muddy color is a turn off.

S- The aroma starts off with a higher amount of medium sweetness with the hops being the first to show up and they impart a mixture of fruity, piney and green hop aromas with no single aspect sticking out the most. Up next comes a slight cardboard aroma that goes into the malts which impart some biscuit, brown bread and caramel malt aromas with some malty sweetness showing up in the background. The aroma is decent, but I could go without the light cardboard aroma.

T- The taste seems to be similar to the aroma, but much lighter and it starts off with a medium amount of sweetness with the hops still being the first to show up and they impart the same aspects that they did in the aroma, but this time they are much lighter. Up next comes just a slight bit of doughy yeast with a very slight cardboard flavor and it goes into the malts which impart the same aspects that they did in the aroma and they are only just a little lighter than it was in the aroma. On the finish there's a medium amount of bitterness with a equal amount of hoppy and malt flavors in the aftertaste. This is a decent tasting beer, but I thought the hop profile was too light and the flavors didn't match the amount of bitterness.

M- Smooth, a little crisp, a little clean, a little watery, on the lighter side of being medium bodied with a medium amount of carbonation. The mouthfeel is decent, but I wish it wasn't a little watery.

Overall I thought this beer was just ok and I thought it was a very average example of the a session IPA, it did have a little bit of that west coast hop profile to it, but when it came down to it the hops where just too light in flavor for the style. This beer didn't have the best drinkability, one glass is enough for me, but I think I can take out the whole bottle. What I like the most about this beer was the aroma, to me it was the highlight of this beer. What I liked the least about this beer was the flavor, it was just too light for the style. I wouldn't buy this beer again unless I knew it was very fresh and I can't say I would recommend it. All in all I wasn't too impressed with this beer and it turned out to be just another average session IPA. It's not a favorite Hideout beer and it's average at best for the style. Better luck next time guys, this one could use some work.

22 ounce bottle into pint glass; no bottle dating, but is a recent release. Pours lightly hazy deep orange/copper color with a 1-2 finger dense light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings down the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of grapefruit, tangerine, pineapple, lemon zest, orange peel, citrus rind, pine, caramel, brown sugar, toasted bread, and floral/grassy earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of juicy citrus/pine hops and moderate dark/bready malt notes; with solid strength. Taste of big grapefruit, tangerine, pineapple, lemon zest, orange peel, citrus rind, pine, caramel, brown sugar, toasted bread, and floral/grassy earthiness. Good sized pine/citrus rind bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of grapefruit, tangerine, pineapple, lemon/orange peel, citrus rind, pine, caramel, brown sugar, toasted bread, and floral/grassy earthiness on the finish for a while. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of juicy citrus/piney hops and moderate dark/bready malt notes; with a solid malt/bitterness balance and minimal astringent flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, sticky/resinous, and lightly creamy mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish as expected of 4.7%. Overall this is a very good session IPA. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of juicy citrus/piney hops and moderate dark/bready malt flavors; and very smooth and easy to drink. The bitterness is quite aggressive with lingering sticky resins after the finish; but does not feel too astringent overall. A nicely enjoyable offering.