Chinooker'd
Lawson's Finest Liquids

16oz can purchased from the fridge as a single for $4.99. Canned on 03/31/25, so this is just over 5 months old.

Look: Pale gold / orangey color with excellent clarity. There was two fingers of a frothy, off-white head that receded to about a half-finger thick with nice lacing.

Smell: Very nice aromas. Considering that Chinook is the featured hop, it is surprisingly fruity and floral. Notes of grapefruit zest and kumquats. I also get the classic piney and woody notes that I was expecting, of course. Very peppery on the finish.

Taste: Mmmm, this is a really tasty West Coast-style IPA. I love that it has a sharp bitterness and a strong, firm maltiness to match. The beer is very piney and resiny, and the finish has that classic woody Chinook character. It's interesting to have Chinook used as the featured hop in a West Coast-style IPA and it definitely works. Of course, it's so common for Chinook to be used in a supporting role as the bittering hop in an American IPA or Barleywine. It's also very nice to see it have a starring role. On the finish, the beer has a very strong bitterness that lingers long. Even though there is a significant malt presence, the finish is very dry. This beer is not for the faint of heart. That being said, the beer is extremely clean.

Feel: Slick and oily mouthfeel. The beer has a medium body; it's still pretty smooth and easy drinking.

Overall: It's really tasty and I think that it's also pretty unique. Lawson's knows what they are doing, well done!

 

 

 

(16 oz can, canned on 03/31/25; purchased cold 4-pack at Total Wine 2 weeks ago... poured at cellar temp in stages into my 14 oz RR nonic w/ its etched base)

L: ton of thick, luscious foam on each pour, necessitating top-ups atop its vaguely hazy, speckled sedimented, pale honey-amber liquid... once topped off for the third time, its dense foam settles into a jiggly, moussy sponge - looking fine!.. lace city

S: softly piney top note, slightly over-cutting a more floral hop undertone, all of which still can't bury the subtle but supple doughy pale malt and mellow dried yellow-orange fruit notes below... overall subdued and vapid by the end, but retaining a delicate musk

T: relatively redolent fruit showcase with only a little green bitterness during the first few sips... malty aftertaste, with some pine and pepper from the hops beginning to emerge... slight hint of candied ginger spice at the far back of the palate, about halfway through the glass... its all spicy pine and caramel cookie by the end

F: uncommonly smooth for an IPA (almost hop-drenched hefeweizen-like) with a slow-burning hearth at the back of the palate, lighting up the roof of the mouth... the alcohol whistles in the background but never reaches (far) beyond the silken depths of the resin-dextrin matrix... its quiet storm breadth and intensity is most alluring

O: first can of the 4-pack that I poured into a glass, and it's unsurprisingly at its best when exposed... is it all I'd hoped for? - no, the Chinook is lovely, but its supporting cast is a bit too plump with fruits and dough - longing for a bit more cut and fire in the finish, instead of its slow fade... I would have it again, oh yeah, but now I want to go back and try their other IPA brands to see if these characteristics are idiosynratic to their style (2428)

Poured from a can into a pint glass
Appearance – The beer pours a slightly hazed orange-amber color with a small head of just off-white foam. The head has a low level of retention, fading rather fast and leaving a good sum of foamy lace on the sides of the glass.
Smell – The aroma is rather strong of a grapefruit and pine smell mixed with notes of a light herbal and orange smell. Along with these are notes of cracker malt and a bit of grain. Overall, rather crisp and clean smelling.
Taste – The taste begins with a with a nice crisp cracker and biscuit malt flavor paired with a good showing of grapefruit rind hop and some notes of pine. The sweetness is quite light with just a touch of orange and apricot. As the taste advances the sweet fades even more while the grapefruit and pine get more intense. The malt dries out a bit as well, and with some light notes of grass, one is left with a crisp and rather raw green hop taste to linger on the tongue.
Mouthfeel – The body of the brew is rather middle o f the road in terms of its’ body composition and carbonation level. For the pine and grapefruit the with the abv and crisp nature the feel is quite nice, balancing all the tastes out rather well and keeping for a very easy sipper.
Overall – Now this is where it is at. A good old school IPA. Not a juice or hazy bomb with tons of malt, instead a nice crisp and more west coast style IPA with a tremendous drinkability. Will certainly do this again.

 

Poured into a frosted pint glass in the Pine Room. Old school IPA more piney than citrus. The toned down abv saves it for me. Don’t need a 12oz glass and I can think about having a third.

I buy my beer in sixtels which requires a level of commitment I’m not sure I’m ready to make with this. But it’s early maybe it’ll grow on me.

From a 16oz can dated "canned on" 3/31/25 into a pint shaker.

Pours a translucent golden orange with about one finger of white head. Incredible retention, decent lacing.

Great aromas of pine, grapefruit and orange peel.

Taste is much more on the pine/resin side with some citrus peel mixed in. Fairly bitter.

Medium to full-bodied, sticky mouthfeel. Low carbonation. Piney, bitter aftertaste.

Fantastic brew. Not surprising for these guys.

Pours a pumpkin color with somewhat thick white head with nice lacing! Nose is somewhat sweet citrus and hints of pine. Taste is strong piney and malty. Great amount of bitterness across entire palate.

Poured from a pint can, the body is a clear gold. Large white head and good lacing throughout the tasting. Beautiful looking beer.

Taste and nose are lovely, citrus, and pine. Aroma has a small amount of sweet malt. The general taste is bitter Pine with grapefruit. The malty backbone is present but serves as a slight moderation of the bitterness. No sign of ABV. A simple but delightful beer.

Mouthfeel is good as is the carbonation.

A beer that is right up my alley. Another delight from the masters at Lawson’s.

 

 

 

 

Look: clear gold, fluffy head, nice lacing
Smell: pine, citrus, grapefruit
Taste: grapefruit, piney, grapefruit rind, spice
Feel: med body, moderate carbo, dry, good bitterness
Overall: 6.5% abv. Picked this up on a recent trip to Jersey and I'm glad I did. Piney, citrusy, grapefruit, good bitterness, dry finish. Somehow, Lawson's does it better than others. A tasty and pleasant beer to enjoy. Pairs well with Only by Anthrax.