West Coast IPA
Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery

On tap into a nonic glass.

A-My glass arrived with about a finger of sticky, nearly white head. Retention was good and the lacing was pretty solid, too. The brew is a bit hazy and shows the typical color of a IIPA, i.e., yellowish-golden.

S-Hops are obvious here, but they don't show any defining characteristics like citrus or pine or tropical fruit or whatever. Instead, there is a little sharpness and a some orange and grapefruit flavors. Malts are more pronounced here than in many IIPAs, and the semi-sweet bready/doughy flavor is very strong for the style.

T-The taste tracks the smell close with semi-bitter citrus-ish hops and doughy malts being dominant flavors. Hops provide some grapefruit, a bit of earthy, hop dankness, and a bit of pineapple, maybe? The bready malts keep the bitterness in check and the alcohol is sort-of fruity and lingering in the background.

M-The feel is slightly heavy for the style with a chewiness that you might not expect. Carbonation is average.

O-This beer looks pretty good in the glass, but disappoints once the more important factors like smell and taste come into consideration. I actually enjoyed the balancing taste of bready malts, but the hops could have used a little refinement and focus to accentuate the juicy fruitiness of the hops. Overall, its a bit bleh in a world of good IIPA.