Aum IPA
Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery

 

Perfectly clear Sunkist orange with butterscotch colored trim. The golden sand colored cap was almost two fingers in thickness, thanks to foaming issues with the tap, which is on the large side for a bar pour. Glass coverage was more extensive and more attractive at mid-glass than it was after the first few sips.

This American IPA was single-hopped with Ahtanum. Therefore, the grapefruit dominant nose was no surprise. Malt faded into the background for the most part. More pungency might have earned it the next highest score.

Aum IPA is a well-brewed, wonderfully drinkable beer of the sort that I've come to expect from my local Rock Bottom. It was hoptastic enough for most lupulin lovers without being punishingly so. There's no sense it alienating most of the clientele... although some of us would have been just as pleased with a more abrasive ale.

It tasted like something slightly darker than pale malt was present. The beer had a biscuit-like quality and a hint of caramel. The spotlight was dominated, however, by grapefruit (to a large extent) and orange (to a small extent). Although I only had one pint, this is my kind of session beer.

The mouthfeel could have been a fraction bigger and could have had a few more bubbles. That said, neither was enough of a negative for the 'good' score to take a hit. It actually felt more cask-like than tap-like.

Aum (or Om) is a sacred symbol in the Indian religions that originated from Hinduism. One translation is 'to shout, sound and praise'. I have no idea what wdmrock's intention was when naming this American IPA, but he definitely deserves praise for his efforts.