Sarasota I.P.A.
Sarasota Brewing Company

With a brewpub that's chocked full of standard but solid pub fare, no beer suits the overall flavors of burgers, pizza and wings any better than the American Amber Ale. And with the propensity of Floridians to also enjoy the hops, the Sarasota Brewing Company simply overloads their Amber Ale with Pacific Northwest hops for a win-win.

With the expected medium honey amber glow, a faint and translucent haze allows Sarasota IPA to celebrate a deeper look while pushing a soft ivory head to the rim. Bold citrus and pine aromatics are no surprise while an underpinning scent of toasted nuttiness and caramelization also follow suit. And its that caramel, nearly toffee flavor that bridges the gap to flavor as the middle palate is toasty-sweet with honey, granola and something akin to cracker jacks candy.

As the hops unfold on the middle palate, the sharper taste of orange peel, pink grapefruit and nearly lime start to overtake the moderate and steadfast malt contribution. Quickly but steadily trending bitter, the fruit flavors trend sharply resinous with muddled pine needles, peppery grasses and stemmy herbs.

Medium bodied and seeming fuller from the balance of Amber Ale, the peppery hop resins assist in a drier late palate, eventually finishing on the bitter side of bittersweet. A medium long aftertaste of pine resins gently grip the gullet and outlasts the sweetness from grains to the delight of Florida hop heads.

 

 

 

 

Typically brewing with Cascade and Summit, this batch was brewed with Nugget (due to availability) which mellowed out the hop profile a bit. Nice caramel malt backbone and super easy drinking. Reminiscent of an English Pale, but a very approachable brew. Would be nice to try the original recipe version of this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Modest head that leaves plenty of streaky lace. The color is deep gold with no haziness.

Pleasant citrus rind aroma. A bit evergreen also present.

The malt seems a bit off to me, but it's brief. True to style, the hop bitterness takes over completely, leaving a very long aftertaste. Thinner than their other offerings.