Cascade IPA
Square One Brewery & Distillery

Poured into a pint glass from a freshly filled growler.

A - Pours a slightly cloudy dark copper color with a nice 1 inch off-white head that is quite dense and leaves some sticky resin as it goes down. the head recedes to a nice thin film.

S - Fresh pine notes are very present mixed in with some nice slight citrus notes. Grassy herbs are present as well. The pine resin is nice and present but not too intense. I would actually enjoy a bit more of the oily goodness.

T & M - Flavor is a lot more delicious than the nose. It is light but at the same time quite complex and very resiny. Nice pine notes are very present and fresh and there is a nice citrusy freshness and refreshing note that takes a bit of the edge off. There is a nice bready biscuity malt character to the beer as well which allows for a slight malty sweetness to creep up at the end of the beer. The body is light and refreshing and allows for easy drinking. The beer finishes with a nice dry bitterness as the malty notes start to fade quick.

O - This is a good IPA. Very well made and refreshing with nice resiny pine that gives it a kick/edge. Very good brew from Square One.

This was an improvement on their regular IPA using Cascade hops. I think it should replace their regular IPA. It hits on a more earthy note than does the regular. More is better in this case.

Appearance: Identical to their regular IPA. Dark Amber and sightly cloudy. Something about this brewery keeps the head heavier; even on their IPA...which is unique if you ask me. Lacing was a for sure, but overall the look was fairly par for an IPA. So its was true to its craft but no real difference from what is stereotypical.

Smell: Earthy, piny, and hoppy. For some reason the hops came out better in this brew.


Taste: Hey, its an IPA. A damn worthy one. Malty front with a bitter finish. Its great. I think this one competes for the best IPA in St. Louis. It has a IBU of 85, so the bitterness is fantastic; though I bet a bit too "big" for those who are not seeking it. I think this is much better than the regular IPA because of its added accents.

Mouth: The citrus gave it an almost acidic effect, though it was not blatant or offensive. It gave my tongue a thrill and the piney Cascadian hops gave it extra sting. Good even carbonation. I've seen other reviews that say it lacked carbonation; maybe they are struggling with consistency?

Overall: Its a worthy effort but it does not stand up to the big boys of IPA like Stones yet. It definitely has potential. I will drink it when I go to their brewpub most definitely. Its probably the best American IPA brewed in The Lou. I Recommend this beer if you're out that way.